The Mystery of Monster Mountain

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #20

by M.V. Carey

The three young sleuths solve a case of double identity while investigating the legend of Monster Mountain.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Adventure, Audiobook, Crime

142 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Also known as Mary V. Carey
Personal: Born May 19, 1925, in New Brighton, Cheshire (now Merseyside), England; brought to the United States in 1925, naturalized citizen in 1955; daughter of John Cornelius (an engineer) and Mary Alice (Hughes) Carey. Home address in 1993 was 3748 Birch St., Ventura, CA.

Ms Carey passed away in 1994.

Education: College of Mount St. Vincent, B.S., 1946.

Religion: Roman Catholic

Career: Coronet, New York City, editorial associate, 1948 - 55; Walt Disney Productions, Burbank, CA, assistant editor of publications, 1955 - 69; free-lance writer 1969 - 1994.

Member: PEN; Mystery Writers of America; Society of Children's Book Writers; Women in Communications.

Awards, Honors: Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award, 1986, for "A Place for Allie".

Hobbies and Interests: Walking on the beach.

Writings:
Novelizations of Walt Disney Motion Pictures:
(With George Sherman) WD's "Babes in Toyland" Golden Press, 1961.
WD's "The Sword in the Stone" Whitman, 1963.
The Story of Walt Disney's Motion Picture "Mary Poppins" Whitman, 1964.
WD's "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" Whitman, 1964.
WD's "Donald Duck and the Lost Mesa Ranch" Whitman, 1966.
The Story of WD's Motion Picture "Jungle Book" Whitman, 1967.
The Story of WD's Motion Picture "Blackbeard's Ghost" Whitman, 1968.
"Mrs. Brisby's Important Package" (adapted from film "The Secret of NIMH), Golden Press, 1982.

Juveniles:
"Raggedy Ann and the Glad and Sad Day", Golden Press, 1972.
"Little Lulu and the Birthday Surprise, Whitman, 1973.
"The Tawny, Scrawny Lio and the Clever Monkey" Golden Press, 1974.
"Alonzo Purr, the Seagoing Cat", Western Pub., 1974.
"The Owl Who Loved Sunshine", Golden Press, 1977.
"The Gremlin's Storybook", Golden Press, 1984.

The Three Investigators Mystery Series (Random House):
"The Mystery of the:
#15 Flaming Footprints, 1971.
#17 Singing Serpent, 1972.
#20 Monster Mountain, 1973.
#21 The Secret of the Haunted Mirror, 1974.
#23 Invisible Dog, 1975.
#24 Death Trap Mine, 1976.
#27 Magic Circle, 1978.
#29 Sinister Scarecrow, 1979.
#31 Scar-Faced Beggar, 1981.
#32 Blazing Cliffs, 1981.
#34 Wandering Cave Man, 1982.
#36 Missing Mermaid, 1984.
#39 Trail of Terror, 1984.
#41 Creep-Show Crooks, 1985.
#43 Cranky Collector, 1987
FYF#8 The Case of the Savage Statue, 1987.

Other:
(Editor) Jane Black, "The Indispensables", Hewitt House, 1971.
"Step-by-step Candlemaking", Golden Press, 1972.
"Step-by-step Winemaking", Golden Press, 1973.
"Love Is Forever" (collection of prose and poetry), C.R. Gibson, 1975.
(With George Sherman) "A Compendium of Bunk", C.C. Thomas, 1976.
(Editor) "Grandmothers Are Very Special People", C.R. Gibson, 1977.
"A Place for Allie" (young adult novel), Dodd, 1985.

Sidelights: Carey told Contemporary Authors: "I began writing late; my first articles and stories were published after I was thirty, and I was motivated by money. Money is not a bad motivation. The need to eat keeps us from laziness, and the fact that someone is willing to pay to read what we write assures us that we have indeed written."

"I think that writing should be honest and simple, and it should say something about what it means to be a person. When God is good to us, we write in such a way that the act of reading becomes a pleasure to those who buy our books. This experience doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it is at least as heady as winning the Irish sweepstakes. It makes mere competence seem dull. It is probably also what makes writing a compulsive occupation; some of us are uncomfortable when we are away from our typewriters for any length of time."

"My lifelong ambition, aside from writing, is to finish exploring the American West. This should keep me busy for at least another thirty years, since there is a

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Careys Schreibstil finde ich wie immer sehr angenehm. Sie schafft es eine spannende Atmosphäre aufzubauen, die Personen, die sie einbaut, sind interessant und glaubwürdig, und die drei Fragezeichen wirken in ihrer Art realistisch. Gerade im Vergleich zu manchen Autoren bei denen die drei sehr hölzern reden und wenig Persönlichkeit haben, fällt mir das bei ihr sehr positiv auf.

Ich mochte den wirr wirkenden Tierschützer, der denkt mit Tieren sprechen zu können, und fand den Fall auch unterhaltsam, obwohl ich wusste, wie er ausgeht. Richtige Spannung kam aber keine auf.

Negativ anzumerken habe ich, dass es mir wieder einmal sehr unwahrscheinlich erscheint, dass eine Frau ganz zufällig einer anderen 100 % gleicht bis auf die Frisur. Das Doppelgänger-Thema kommt ja in vielen ??? Büchern vor und es ärgert mich immer mehr, weil es so ein fauler Trick ist.

Gewundert hat mich an diesem Buch, dass am Ende doch tatsächlich (wahrscheinlich) so etwas wie ein Monster, eventuell in Art eines Yeti, gibt, und das Mysterium hier nicht aufgelöst wird.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mit diesem Hörspiel wird ich irgendwie nicht ganz warm. Der Ausflug mit Kenneth und Patrick ist jedoch mal was anderes und es bleibt auch lange spannend wer hinter was steckt. Deshalb doch drei Sterne.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

And yet another one of my favourites from this series!

Like I've mentioned before, I like mysteries that don't really get solved at the end of the book/ movie/ TV series/ etc, and I also like cryptozoology (as a concept; debunkings of the "myths" are better than the actual myths, please check out Trey The Explainer's channel on Youtube, his videos on the subject are very well made), and this book combines these two. Of course it's one of my favourites.

[Rana Heshmati · Rating 3 out of 5]

از همون صفحه ده مشخص بود که چه خبره و داستان معمایی و پلیسی و اینا نبود واقعاً. :)) ولی خب خوش گذشت خوندنش و لذت بردم که حدسم درست بوده.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das Hörbuch hat spannende Passagen, ist aber insgesamt schon eher eine abstruse Angelegenheit. Kai Schwind hat seine Sache nicht schlecht gemacht, aber umgehauen hat es mich auch nicht.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans & Konrad travel up to Sky Village, to stay with their cousin Anna and the boys tag along for a camping trip. However, it’s soon obvious that everything isn’t as it should be. Never one of my favourites, with this re-read, I’ve revised that opinion slightly - it’s well written, fast paced and has some nice interplay between the boys. However, the main mystery (not the title one) has such a preposterous explanation that it does feel very contrived (I also wonder if this was where Carey got her idea for the later book “Deadly Double”?). I did enjoy Hitchcock’s summing up, where he calls Bob a ‘romantic’ as a “preserver of nature’s unresolved mysteries”. Not as bad as I remembered it, this is far from the worst TTI book and is well worth a read.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume really takes the series in a new direction. In this case, unlike the Scooby Doo aspect of most volumes, there is a real monster. A sasquatch type monster is in the story, and it's not a guy in a suit. It's a real monster. So far nothing truly supernatural had appeared in the series, so this was an interesting development. I wonder now if things go back to the status quo, or do we see more real monsters as the series progresses?

This series doesn't take place in its usual setting of Rocky Beach, but instead at a mountain resort the boys travel to with Hans and Konrad, the Bavarian employees of the junkyard. Part of the story was predictable and slightly far fetched, but was still very entertaining. You'd think after so many adventures taking place around their hometown a story set elsewhere would be refreshing, but I like their little secret agent style hideout so much as well as their chauffeur that I like the stories set there better.

In any case, this one would probably either make the series more interesting to readers, or perhaps turn some readers off due to my earlier points. For me, it made the series more interesting and I look forward to further volumes.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

(listened to the german audiobook read by kai schwindt)

the second-best three investigators book imo (after karpatenhund). i love how colorful and a bit over the top the characters are portrayed and the story never gets boring. the solution is a bit too easy to guess for me, but keeping in mind that this is a children’s book it’s not really an issue, it rather shows that the mystery is well mapped out and can be solved by the reader along with the three detectives.

!!!
SPOILER AHEAD
!!!

also, the fact that this is the only three investigators story that involves something supernatural that /doesn‘t/ get de-mystified? supreme. love that shit. i love that it’s a core element of the series that all mysteries can be solved by a logical solution, but i love even more that there’s this one exception.

[JBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein Fall, der mir wirklich gut gegallen hat.
Noch nicht so oft gehört, dennoch sehr genossen

[Ednanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sudah bisa menebak dari pertengahan. Memang mencurigakan gerak gerik 'orang itu'. Tapi untung saja rahasia gunung itu tetap terjaga!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Ende ist so ein Banger und Mr Smathers ist der coolste Drei ???-Charakter aller Zeiten

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

original 2010 review - Hans & Konrad travel up to Sky Village, to stay with their cousin Anna and the boys tag along for a camping trip. However, it’s soon obvious that everything isn’t as it should be. Never one of my favourites, with this re-read, I’ve revised that opinion slightly - it’s well written, fast paced and has some nice interplay between the boys. However, the main mystery (not the title one) has such a preposterous explanation that it does feel very contrived, whilst the monster - obviously the big draw (title and artwork) has only the most minor part to play. Not as bad as I remembered it, this is far from the worst TTI book and is worth a read.
2015 update - this re-read found me much more forgiving, I like the build-up this time and felt the boys came across well, the scenes on the high meadow (especially the crevice) were well handled and yes, the main mystery does hinge on a huge coincidence, but I think the story grips enough for it. I’d say it was well worth a read.

[Amin · Rating 2 out of 5]

داستان سرعت خوبی داشت . البته انکار نمیکنم که واقعا سطح کیفی کتاب هایی که خود رابرت آرتور نوشته اصن یه چیز دیگست. مثلا من چهار کتابی که از این مجموعه خوندم و خود رابرت آرتور نوشته بود اونقدر جذاب بود که جزئیاتشون هنوز یادمه ولی خب باقی کتاب های مجموعه که خودش ننوشته از ذهنم پریده رفته

سری سه کارآگاه یه ویژگی خوبی که داره اینه که تعداد فصل های بالایی داره و طول هر فصل کوتاهه. این ویژگی رو خیلی دوست دارم . حتی اگه میشد استقبال می کردم که رمان های معمولی هم اینطوری باشند ( که خب البته خیلی امکان پذیر نیست ) ولی توی داستان های پلیسی این مسئله به راحتی قابل لحاظ شدنه.

در مجموع برای یه بار خوندن خوب بود

[Lexie]

Historia nie była nudna, ale troszkę mi się dłużyła, bo bohaterowie całą książkę rozkminiali coś, co było oczywiste od samego początku. Wiem, że to lektura dla młodszych, ale jednak inne przygody trzech detektywów nie były aż tak przewidywalne. Dobrze, że znalazły się jeszcze inne mniejsze wątki, które nie były do końca jasne, aż do końca.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me back to my childhood, when I devoured this series...

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Szenenwechsel bei den drei Detektiven: Weil Kenneth und Patrick, die beiden Mitarbeiter von Justus' Onkel Titus, ihre irische Cousine Kathleen am Lake Tahoe besuchen wollen, schließen sich Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw und Bob Andrews den beiden an, um den Ausflug zu einem kleinen Zeltabenteuer zu nutzen. Dort angekommen wartet eine große Überraschung auf die Reisenden, denn Kathleen hat vor wenigen Tagen still und heimlich geheiratet! Allerdings macht ihr Ehemann Joe Hammond keinen besonders guten Eindruck auf die Cousins und auch die drei Detektive haben die Vermutung, dass unlautere Motive hinter der Hochzeit stecken könnten. Überhaupt scheinen in der Pension ihrer Gastgeberin gerade merkwürdige Dinge vor sich zu gehen...

"Die drei ??? und das Bergmonster", in der deutschen Hörspielreihe der 14. Fall der drei Detektive, ist gleich in mehrfacher Hinsicht besonders. Zuallererst spielt die Folge einmal nicht in Rocky Beach und Umgebung, sondern führt die drei in die Berge der Sierra Nevada. Dann dürfen die beiden Brüder Kenneth und Patrick, die beiden treuen Schrottplatz-Gehilfen, zur Abwechslung mal eine größere Rolle einnehmen und liefern mit ihrem Familienbesuch auch den Aufhänger zur Folge, die mal nicht gleich mit einem Auftrag für die Detektive beginnt sondern sich vergleichsweise langsam entwickelt. Dabei ist auch lange nicht so richtig klar, in welche Richtung die Geschichte geht: hier ein paar Andeutungen auf einen Heiratsschwindler, dort einige Hinweise auf ein vermeintliches Ungeheuer und eine Reihe an skurrilen und zwielichtig wirkenden Gestalten, die alle irgendwas im Schilde zu führen scheinen.

Zugegeben, beim einmaligen Hören kann diese Folge ihre Stärken nicht wirklich ausspielen und lässt einen beim ersten Mal doch etwas verwundert und vielleicht auch enttäuscht zurück, da hier doch elementare Fragen offen bleiben. Schon beim zweiten Hören fügen sich die Einzelteile aber viel besser zusammen und die Geschichte fühlt sich gleich viel runder an und punktet gerade dadurch, dass es hier mal nicht die typische Schatzsuche im Wettlauf mit mehreren Widersachern gibt. In diesem Zuge passt auch das Ende dann doch ziemlich gut zur Geschichte und bleibt auf jeden Fall in Erinnerung. Das gilt auch für den diesmal besonders hervorstechenden Cast, der mit Sprechern wie Volker Brandt (deutsche Synchronstimme von Michael Douglas) oder Lutz Mackensy (Rowan Atkinson, Stanley Tucci) für ein toller Hörerlebnis sorgt.

Leider treten wie gewohnt hier und da ein paar kleinere Ungereimtheiten auf (Ist es wirklich so schwierig, die eigene Cousine zu erkennen? Kann sich ein Waldbrand im Schnee tatsächlich so schnell ausbreiten? Wirkt die Erklärung der Anwesenheit von Mr. Jensen nicht etwas haarsträubend?), trotzdem zählt die Folge für mich bisher zu den stärksten der Reihe – weil sie einfach anders und originell ist.

[Ian Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Mystery of Monster Mountain” by Alfred Hitchcock (1974)

Overall Rating 8/10 Monsterously Good!

Plot
The Three Investigators go on a hiking holiday and stay at the Inn of the Cousin (Anna) of the two Bavarian employees of the junk yard. They quickly find themselves embroiled in mystery and are warned away from the overlooking mountain where a very dangerous monster is said to roam. So, what’s going on and how come Cousin Anna has just got married and lost her key to her safe deposit box at the bank?

Writing Style
Easy, flowing, short sentences. Very juvenile, with virtually no flowering at all. Pretty basic script that, just now and again, shows its age.

Point of View/Voice
Written in the 3rd Person / Past Tense (standard convention)

Critique
I loved this series of books as a youngster. Reading these now brings back a huge amount of nostalgia, and I have relived some of the feelings and sensations I experienced when I first read them. For a boy setting out on his life voyage of reading books, this is absolutely perfect. It is a wonderful world of basic script with a not-too-difficult plot wrapped in simple adventure. As an adult of 58 years, I was catapulted back in time, and I was once more 12 years old. I never want these books to end.

The plot was very well woven and, for a book that touts “mystery” from the very beginning, I am embarrassed to say I missed some obvious clues that were staring me in the face. Sherlock Holmes I am definitely not. I was completely carried away with the story and simply could not put the book down except for a few moments, every now and again, when I wondered, “what is going on?”. Each time, I was quick to pick it back up and read on …

Definitely up there with the best of this series … I am already thinking about which one to read next!

[Dion Yulianto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Membaca Trio Detektif selalu berhasil membawa kembali keasyikan petualangan membaca seri buku ini di masa kecil hingga remaja dulu. Berbeda dengan buku-buku Blyton yang aroma pikniknya lebih kerasa, buku-buku seri Trio Detektif dan Hitchcock aroma kental petualangannya sangat terasa. Unsur detektifnya juga sangat kuat karena di ending kisah kita bisa menemukan tidak hanya satu tapi beberapa fakta yang disembunyikan penulisnya. Ini ditambah dengan judul dan sampul yang sangat 'klik bait' karena berbau misteri gaib tapi ternyata tidak gaib gaib amat karena selalu ada penjelasan logis khas peradaban Barat *halah berat*

Di seri ini, Trio Detektif mengajak kita melacak jejak mahkluk Si Kaki Besar yang menjadi mitos di Pengunungan Amerika Serikat. Di saat yang sama, mereka juga harus membongkar sebuah konspirasi yang mengancam membahayakan keselamatan seseorang. Bonus, alam liar dan pegunungan Siera Nevada yang siap memanjakan imajinasi. Seperti kata Hitchcock: "Kita memerlukan hal-hal yang tak dikenal, serta mahkluk-makhluk yang hanya dikenal dalam kisah lama. Kita memerlukan kesemuanya itu guna menggerakkan daya imajinasi kita."

[sonofabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter, Bob und Justus fahren mit Justus beiden irischen Mitarbeitern die Cousine der zwei besuchen, welche die beiden seit Jahren nicht mehr gesehen haben.
Als sie alle dort ankommen lernen sie ihren frisch verheirateten Mann kennen.
Die drei Detektive bekommen beinahe direkt die Aufgabe einen verlorenen Schlüssel zu suchen.
Als dann aber plötzlich ein Monster auftaucht und die Leute angreift und die Cousine und der Mann sich seltsam benehmen ist selbst Justus ein wenig ratlos, was es mit diesem Fall auf sich hat.

Was für ein schöner Fall, dessen zwei Rätsel parallel laufen.
Ein wenig seltsam ist, dass man die zwei Mitarbeiter so noch nicht kennengelernt hat.
Die Wendung am Ende ist wirklich gelungen und ein Horrorfilm der Mitte der 2010er Jahre erschienen ist, weist eine ähnliche auf.
Ich muss sagen es ist immer wieder schön die drei Detektive auch außerhalb ihre gewohnten Umfeldes zu sehen, da dies immer einen extra Punkt Spannung hinzubringt.

Empfehlung!

[Anirudh Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

The three investigators has been my favourite since childhood. Pete, Jupe, Bob and their secret underground bunker were always brimming with some activity or the other while I was absorbed in their world on a lazy Sunday. None the less all the books follow a repetitive story arc, Bob always gets injured, the gang finds the mystery accidentally and there is always the interview with Alfred Hitchcock in the end. The only thing that makes each book unique is the twist ending but in this case it was pretty predictable or I may have become smarter (:p) and not the correct demographic for the book. None the less this does not condone the series and will continue to read more books of the same.

[Amin · Rating 2 out of 5]

داستان سرعت خوبی داشت . البته انکار نمیکنم که واقعا سطح کیفی کتاب هایی که خود رابرت آرتور نوشته اصن یه چیز دیگست. مثلا من چهار کتابی که از این مجموعه خوندم و خود رابرت آرتور نوشته بود اونقدر جذاب بود که جزئیاتشون هنوز یادمه ولی خب باقی کتاب های مجموعه که خودش ننوشته از ذهنم پریده رفته

سری سه کارآگاه یه ویژگی خوبی که داره اینه که تعداد فصل های بالایی داره و طول هر فصل کوتاهه. این ویژگی رو خیلی دوست دارم . حتی اگه میشد استقبال می کردم که رمان های معمولی هم اینطوری باشند ( که خب البته خیلی امکان پذیر نیست ) ولی توی داستان های پلیسی این مسئله به راحتی قابل لحاظ شدنه.

در مجموع برای یه بار خوندن خوب بود

[Cliff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here it is again, another case where the adults are not who they claim to be.

You'd think that after so many cases, that Jupiter and company would be very wary of believing everyone they meet as being who they claim to be.

I would say that this is another good book in the series. What has changed is that this solution was pretty clear from the start, but the complexity of the red herrings was fairly high. Though this book does finally do what I suggested in an earlier review...which is to leave the supernatural aspect unresolved.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought back memories from when I was young. I’d forgotten about this series! What I appreciate the most is Jupiter Jones always had great ideas, and it wasn’t a cheesy ending (mostly). I t his one, the Three Investigators visit their friend’s family at a ski resort, only to be hired to help find a missing key. Along the way there is a mysterious monster messing with the resort. The boys get caught up in the mystery.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough book that is pushing toward Hardy Boys territory with luck and clues thrown out everywhere and the conclusion feeling forced. The book taking the boys on a vacation and an author who seems to have a solid grasp on the three characters all help the novel, but not enough to push it to the level of the original author.

[Martin Krajč · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vyjadrovať sa ku každej knihe zo série Traja pátrači by bolo asi zbytočné, ale toto je výnimka. Toto je totiž tá KNIHA. Kniha, ktorú som dostal na siedme narodeniny od babky a myslím, že patrí medzi úplne prvé, ktoré som prečítal sám. Odvtedy som prečítal stovky iných kníh, ale táto bude mať vždy miesto v mojom srdci.

[Elaine Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this entire series. I like the time they were written where good old fashioned libraries & research & telephone calls with friends to find information & actually sitting at dinner with your family

[Adelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s alright. 13-year-old me was fascinated and 21-year-old me still holds to the idea it’s the best book to start my English book experience. The first and only book of the three investigations i have read. I like Jupe.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every bit as good as I remember! I always loved how T3i books mixed Scooby Doo, Sherlock Holmes, Encyclopedia Brown, and threw in a dose of (what would be) The X Files. The mysteries are fun and the characters are always vividly drawn.

[mo (sie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

bisher bestimmt eins meiner liebsten drei ??? bücher, nur wurmt mich schon ein bisschen, dass das bergmonster nicht erklärt wird... aber es ist ja auch nicht das zentrale rätsel.
patrick und kenneth sind sehr chauvinistisch diesmal, aber kathleen mochte ich echt gerne.

[Ray Quirolgico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun mystery adventure with the Three Investigators! This one changes the setting entirely (not the usual Jones Junkyard stuff) and that added is different tone of exploration that I appreciated.