Die drei ??? und die Silbermine (Die drei Fragezeichen, #24).

Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #24

by M.V. Carey

The Three Investigators, aided by their friend Allie, try to untangle the unusual circumstances surrounding an abandoned silver mine.

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

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

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]

Ach, Allie Jamison. Wie sehr ich wünschte, dass sie noch viel öfter in Geschichten auftauchte. Ihre Dynamik mit den dreien ist einfach toll. Gerade Justus' Abneigung gibt dem ganzen einen tollen Schwung.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another good volume, although the cases are starting to seem a little similar by this point. One change I noticed is that rather than Alfred Hitchcock framing the case, it's a mystery writer known as Hector Sebastian. I'm not sure if this was a legal issue or what, or if Hitchcock returns in later volumes.

The story itself deals with an old mine along with some stolen money and other swindles. Allie, the girl from an earlier story shows up again. I realize this is a young adult series, but it's a little strange the girls and boys show absolutely no interest in one another even though they are all teenagers. Seems like they'd be past the "eww boys" and "eww girls" stage by then, but not quite lol.

Overall, if you liked previous volumes you'll like this one, just don't look for anything extraordinary.

[MaggyGray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine der eher schwächeren Folgen.

Die drei ??? fahren gemeinsam mit Allie Jamison und ihrem Onkel auf dessen Weihnachtsbaumplantage in einem kleinen Dörfchen in New Mexico. Dort gibt es eine Silbermine, in der plötzlich Gold gefunden wird, einen zwielichtigen Minenbesitzer, der peinlich darauf bedacht ist, jeden von seiner Mine fern zu halten, eine nette ältere Dame, die sich an ein sehr wichtiges Detail erinnert und zwei zwielichtige Gestalten, die mit Macheten ihr Unwesen treiben und eine Leiche in einem Minenschacht...

Wie viele der älteren Folgen ist auch diese gespickt mit seltsamen Gestalten, Vorkommnissen und Wendungen, und kommt trotzem mit wenig "Drumherum" aus. Bis auf einen kurzen Abstecher zu einem Juwelier spielt sich alles in und um der Mine ab, so auch die Auflösung am Schluss.

Und trotzdem finde ich die Folge ein kleines bisschen schwach. Vielleicht, weil der Betrug, um den es hier geht, ein bisschen zu offensichtlich ist. Oder weil die Auflösung ein bisschen zu glatt verläuft. Nichtsdestotrotz ist "Die Silbermine" eine schöne, nostalgische Folge, und mit der resoluten Allie Jamison mit einer weiblichen Nebenfigur besetzt, die nicht so penetrant nervig ist wie Jelena.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

original 2010 review - Teaming up again with Allie (from “Singing Serpent”), the boys travel to her Uncle’s Christmas Tree farm in New Mexico, which is close to an abandoned mine (the Death Trap of the title). Local-boy-made-good Thurgood has re-opened the mine, then Allie and the boys find a dead body in there and clues start to pop up that indicate the corpse might have been involved in an armoured car robbery. This is really good fun, with a smart mystery at the centre of it, a good pace and excellent use of some wonderfully realised locations. The characters are strong and work well together and Allie, as always, fits in nicely. Really enjoyable and very highly recommended.

2014 update - The 2010 review stands, this is an excellent read and all I’d add is that Hambone, the ghost town, is a superb location. Great fun, great pace and characters, this is a terrific entry.

2018 update - Thoroughly enjoyable read, it’s a great story well told (and mentions that “Singing Serpent”, seven books back in the series, was “last summer”). Very highly recommended, great fun.

[Nadja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Auch wenn es sehr cool ist Allie nochmals anzutreffen, so ist der Fall selbst schon sehr verwirrend.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

original 2010 review - Teaming up again with Allie (from “Singing Serpent”), the boys travel to her Uncle’s Christmas Tree farm in New Mexico, which is close to an abandoned mine (the Death Trap of the title). Local-boy-made-good Thurgood has re-opened the mine, then Allie and the boys find a dead body in there and clues start to pop up that indicate the corpse might have been involved in an armoured car robbery. This is really good fun, with a smart mystery at the centre of it, a good pace and excellent use of some wonderfully realised locations. The characters are strong and work well together and Allie, as always, fits in nicely. Really enjoyable and very highly recommended.
2014 update - The 2010 review stands, this is an excellent read and all I’d add is that Hambone, the ghost town, is a superb location. Great fun, great pace and characters, this is a terrific entry.
2018 update - Thoroughly enjoyable read, it’s a great story well told (and mentions that “Singing Serpent”, seven books back in the series, was “last summer”). Very highly recommended, great fun.
2021 update - Hugely enjoyable read, very much recommended.
2024 update - I really do enjoy reading this, it’s a cracking little mystery with some well-realised locations. Very much recommended.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teaming up again with Allie (from “Singing Serpent”), the boys travel to her Uncle’s Christmas Tree farm in New Mexico, which is close to an abandoned mine (the Death Trap of the title). Local-boy-made-good Thurgood has re-opened the mine, then Allie and the boys find a dead body in there and clues start to pop up that indicate the corpse might have been involved in an armoured car robbery. This is really good fun, with a smart mystery at the centre of it, a good pace and excellent use of some wonderfully realised locations. The characters are strong and work well together and Allie, as always, fits in nicely. Really enjoyable and very highly recommended.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not like I didn't know before, but it's books like these that really hammer home how much I prefer the boys' Scooby Doo style cases of seemingly paranormal/ weird mysteries and not the straightforward heists/ robberies. Not that they're not clever, but they don't grab my attention as much.

This one completely lost me the moment Allie and Pete were taken hostage in the desert and had to be looked for by a helicopter (that arrived for the search in record speed, if I may add), but I wasn't too invested before anyway. The book starts off pretty strong but gradually slows and dies down without much payoff.

Still, I was happy to see Allie again. I thought she was an one-off character for Singing Serpent, which is one of my favourite books in the series, so I was pleasantly surprised to see her reappear here.

[Taryn Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Three Investigators are re-visited by Allie Jamison, a former client, (which usually never happens in these books) as she has suspicions about a man named Wesley Thurgood, who has recently bought out an abandoned mine. Soon after, Allie and the boys discover a body in the mine, and they fine themselves drawn into the mystery of the body, an old robbery, and an ongoing scam...
I really enjoyed this addition to the Three Investigators. Allie returns, which usually never happens in these books, and there is a body. In most of these books, and for most children's mysteries in general, they just involve thefts, kidnappings, old treasure, not possible murder. So that was a jump, and an enjoyable one. This book pulls you in and holds you til its done, which is all that can be asked of these older mysteries. No clever commentary or drastic character change, just another fun romp.
Warning: squeaky clean.

[Iman Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might have started reading this is book 30 years after it was released, but its still a great book, I can't describe it, but its good people.

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent . With genuine mystery.

[Jeff Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH&T3I Update: 24 read, 4 hardbacks to go (along with 15 additional paperbacks)

I fondly remember reading this book back many years ago when I was much younger. Even though I could only remember a few details of the story from so long ago, I remembered that I loved the tale. My mother, may she rest in peace, worked in a library and she spotted the latest T3I book on the shelves during one of her shifts at the branch. She quickly checked out the book for me because she remembered how much I loved the T3I books that I owned and read at the time. Those titles included #3 Whispering Mummy, #4 Green Ghost, and #5 Vanishing Treasure. So The Mystery of Death Trap Mine was not my first introduction to the series, but I loved the story just the same--the title is a major part of what made me became an adult reader of the series. Granted, I look at the story with a different perspective now, but I cannot forget how much I loved the book and the series so many years ago. I admit I was a bit nervous and anxious to begin reading this title because of my childhood love of the book. Would a present day reading reveal some major flaw that I overlooked as a child? In short, no--the book is what the book always was for me. The plot flows well. There is a tight set of supporting characters. The plot includes a number of suspenseful parts and a few twists that create some misdirection. The writing is good--better than some of the other titles that Mary Virginia (M.V.) Carey wrote for the series. While the setting of the book is not in Rocky Beach, and thereby most of the normal T3I elements such as the Salvage Yard and the Secret Headquarters, do not figure into the story much at all, the story is still very much in the vein of most other T3I tales. Overall, I would highly recommend the book to any reader! It is a fun mystery to read!

[Etherlex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary dalam satu kalimat: "Allie, dan Trio Detektif menyelidiki tambang yang dimiliki oleh seorang kaya."

Tebal halaman : 215

Review:
1.Buku ini bosan di awal, lebih menceritakan pemandangan yang ada dan apa yang terjadi tetapi belum ada yang benar-benar mencengangkan kalau berbicara buku detektif seperti ini

2. setidaknya setelah hampir setengah buku sudah mulai tidak membosankan, karena tiba-tiba sudah muncul peristiwa seperti di film action (ada helicopter chase, penodongan,dll) tetapi meskipun begitu kesannya biasa saja, karena sudah dapat ditebak plotnya.

3.Ada plot twist, tetapi tidak besar, sedikit saja dan tidak menimbulkan kesan yang wah banget.

Pace buku: lama-lama-cepat.
(plot lama, lalu ketika sudah terbongkar langsung dieksekusiin cepat)

plus:ya .. ada pengetahuan yang didapat dari sini sih seperti (metode penipuan kuno, jenis emas)

Karakter:jujur lebih menonjolkan Allie, dibanding trio detektif nya. Atau setidaknya itulah kesan yang saya dapatkan, karena karakter Allie begitu DUAR bikin kesel kadang.

Overall rating: Average. 3. Tidak wah wah banget.

[sonofabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allie, bekannt aus der vorherigen Folge, hat einen neuen Fall für die drei Detektive, in Twin Leakes, bei ihrem Onkel. Denn nebenan hat ein Nachbar eine Miene, welche sich die Todesmiene nennt.
Als Justus, Peter und Bob nun auf der Farm des Onkels von Allie sind wachen sie mitten in der Nacht auf und hören Schüsse.
So beschließen sie allesamt in die Miene zu gehen und sich diese genauer anzuschauen. Promt werden sie jedoch dabei erwischt und kriegen sogar Ärger vom Sheriff. Als sie dann erfahren, dass in der Miene jemand umgekommen ist und sogar ein Bankräuber seine Beute sort in der Nähe versteckt haben könnte, beginnt die große Rätseljagd.

Es war schön zu hören, dass mal eine Verbindung zwischen zwei Folgen gab, was die Charakterin angeht und zwar nicht nur die Standardcharaktere. Man muss einfach sagen mit der Zeit ist es schön die Folgen anzuhören, aber es wird immer seltener, dass eine Folge heraussticht. Auch diese war zwar okay, aber auch nichts Besonderes.

Kann man hören, muss man aber nicht.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an unnecessary change, this happens to be the first of my re-reads where the publisher had replaced Alfred Hitchcock with a fictitious mystery writer named Hector Sebastian. I do recall his name from my teenage years, but only recently read up on the history of this series. As it turns out, Random House was concerned about continuing to use Alfred Hitchcock's name after his death in 1980. So, over the course of several reprintings, they replaced him with the made-up author.
As it turned out, Hitchcock's estate had no concerns about the continued use of his name, but the change was done nevertheless.

The change was rather random and really served little purpose. But it is a curious note to add to these reviews of the series.

In what is not much of a change, the similarities between this book and the Mystery of the Moaning Cave are hard to ignore. But it is another serviceable entry in the series and was most likely a chance for M.V. Carey to bring Allie Jamison back.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unterhaltsame Episode der drei ???, bei der es diesmal sogar einen wahrhaftigen Toten gibt, dessen rätselhaftes Ableben in einer alten Mine aufgeklärt werden will. Für Kurzweil sorgt auch das Wiedersehen mit der aufmüpfigen Allie Jamison, die sich erneut einige Scharmützel mit den Detektiven liefert. Atmosphärisch ist die Folge ebenfalls gut und nutzt den Schauplatz rund um die Mine akustisch gut aus.

Allerdings gibt es auch wieder die üblichen Logiklöcher, die bereits bei dem willkürlichen Einsatz der drei ??? in New Mexico beginnen, wo sie auf einer Plantage für Weihnachtsbäume (?) aushelfen wollen. Fragwürdig ist auch, dass Justus, Bob und Peter später bewusst zum Mittel der Brandstiftung greifen und einfach mal so einen alten Schuppen in die Luft sprengen. Es gab jedoch auch schon absurdere Folgen und somit reiht sich die Silbermine irgendwo im Durchschnitt der bisherigen Episoden ein.

[Bettina Lippenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meine Meinung:
Allie Jamison kennt die drei ??? schon aus einem anderen Fall. Damals war sie mir schon nicht sympathisch, sie ist ein bisschen nervig. Weiß irgendwie alles besser, aber nichtsdestotrotz hat sie einen guten Riecher.
So verwickelt sie die drei Freunde, wieder mal in einen neuen Fall.
Ihr Onkel Harry benötigt, auf seiner Weihnachtsbaum Farm, helfende Hände. Ich mag ihn einfach, weil er so ist, wie er ist und ganz klar weiß was geht und was nicht. Er muss hart arbeiten.

Aber nicht nur deswegen sind sie dort. Es gibt jemand, den Allie nicht leiden kann, ehrlicherweise ich auch nicht. Sie hat ihn im Verdacht etwas Illegales zu tun, oder ist das nur Einbildung?

Sheriff Tait hat ganz klare Prinzipien. Ist aber freundlich und sehr sympathisch. Genau wie Mrs. Macomber, sie lebte schon früher hier. Sie war es auch, der etwas ganz Entscheidendes auffiel. Deahalb musste der Verbrecher handeln. Mr. Wesley Thurgood ist sehr unangenehm. Dass er mir nur unsympathisch wäre, ist stark untertrieben.
Ich mag Magdalena gerne. Sie ist die Haushälterin und gute Seele.

Mein Fazit:
Ein Verbrechen, ein falscher Name, ein Gewehr, Gold das dort nicht hingehört, eine Mine, die etwas verbirgt und Geheimnisse, die es zu lösen gilt. insgesamt ein etwas schwächeres Buch von den drei ???

[Charley Schnuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

In diesem Fall treffen die drei Detektive erneut auf Ally, die sie in der Folge mit der singenden Schlange kennengerlernt haben. Genervt von ihr sind die furchtlosen Drei dennoch sehr an der Geschichte um eine alte, stillgelegte Silbermine interessiert. Ally erzählt ihnen, dass es sie das Gefühl hat, dass dort etwas Unrechtes vorgeht - also haben sie einen neuen Fall.
Auch diesen Fall fand ich wieder sehr unterhaltsam, auch wenn er nicht an die ersten Fälle herankommt.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read and a good mystery. It is a little more complex than some of the other stories. A second visit by Allie is a good counterpoint to Jupiter. She has as much self-confidence as he does and is intelligent enough to be manipulative to get her way, in some things. Ah, the danger of preconceived notions. That plays a big role in this story as well.

[Joe Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun romp with the return of Allie who appeared in an early book. The setting is enjoyable as the gang travels to a Christmas tree farm. The mystery was solid. On the negative side, Pete and Bob seemed only to exist to fill out the three investigators as Allie and Jupiter were really the lead characters.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I really enjoyed this book. It’s a little different in setting and vibe but that’s what made it fun for us. I think it was one of their better ones. What a great book to start 2024 off with!!!!

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like seeing side characters brought back in to the T3I stories, so I'm glad we got to see Allie Jamison once more!

[anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like the Carey stories more. Especially as she usually includes female lead characters. She sure made the return of this one quite snotty. But perhaps that's just my read. I'm still enjoying rereading this childhood series.

[Jason Towers · Rating 3 out of 5]

***½. Well written adventure story for almost all ages. Desert town setting is expertly captured.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 24th mystery, the Three Investigators are invited to spend a couple of weeks at Allie Jamison's (The Mystery of the Singing Serpent #17) uncles Christmas Tree ranch in New Mexico pruning the Christmas trees. But Allie has other ideas and wants them to investigate the man who brought Death Trap Mine from her uncle a few months before.

The Three Investigators and Allie come up against a 5-year-old dead body, intruders, loud noises from the played out mine, and visit a ghost town. Is Allie right about the New neighbour?

Can they solve the case before someone puts them permanently out of action!?

I love these mysteries. They bring back the memories of my youth. For me they are timeless stories that can be read and reread, time and time again.

Pure enjoyment!

My copy is the 1979 UK hardcover edition from William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. Whereas the Random House edition has 'Alfred Hitchcock and' in blue, the UK edition is in red.

[Robert Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Singing Serpent, MV Carey produced a couple of sub-par 3I stories. But in Death Trap Mine she found her form again. The much loved Allie Jamison is back, this time convinced that her usually business savvy uncle and the rest of the sleepy town of Twin Lakes are being taken in by a millionaire who has come home to roost. Allie is convinced he is up to no good, although everyone else thinks he is on the level. There are also a strong characters in Allie's friend Mrs. Macomber and the crooks Manny and Gasper, the latter a chain smoker. Besides the mine, there are adventures in ghost towns, the desert and an exciting helicopter ride. For once Ms. Carey avoided paranormal phenomena and the result is a thrilling mystery. Along with Singing Serpent, this book was definitely the best work she produced in the series.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2019
Allie believes that her Uncle Harry's neighbor, Mr. Thurgood, is up to no good. So, she tricks the Three Investigators into going to her uncle's Christmas tree farm to begin an investigation into her neighbor. She eventually convinces the boys to go check out the mine that Mr. Thurgood had purchased when he came to town and, while inside the mine, she discovers a dead body. This convinces the boys that Mr. Thurgood may not be on the level and they begin an investigation into the man and the dead man in the mine.

The story itself isn't bad and the mystery is certainly unique, but I never really liked reading this one (of the Three Investigators mysteries) because Allie really annoys me. She badgers people and belittles them, even those that are supposedly her friends - like Jupiter. This whole book is one fat joke after another at Jupiter's expense.

2015

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one actually has a dead body in it! But it isn't any more scary than the other books in the series. Some nice twists in the mystery, and good adventure. We see Allie again (from The Mystery of the Singing Serpent) and she isn't quite as annoying.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gefahr im Verzug und die Polizei zu rufen dauert zu lange. Was machen die drei Jungens also? Zünden einen Schuppen an, damit die Feuerwehr kommt und den Sheriff mitbringt. Nur dumm, dass in dem Schuppen Dynamit gelagert wird. Normalerweise verhalten sich die drei verantwortungsvoller.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.