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Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators #36
Το μυστήριο της χαμένης γοργόνας
Πώς βρέθηκε η μικρή γοργόνα στα βράχια εκείνης της έρημης ακτής; Πού πηγαίνει εκείνο το μικρό αγόρι όταν εξαφανίζεται συνέχεια παρέα με τον πιστό του σκύλο; Τι κρύβεται σ’ εκείνο το μυστηριώδες δωμάτιο στο βάθος της αυλής; Οι Τρεις Ντετέκτιβ αναλαμβάνουν και πάλι να βρουν απαντήσεις σ’ όλα αυτά τα ερωτηματικά. Διαβάστε και τα άλλα βιβλία με τα μυστήρια που διαλευκαίνουν οι Τρεις Ντετέκτιβ.
179 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
6 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
M.V. Carey
120 books28 followersAlso 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 8, 2018
Sowohl der englische Titel, The Mystery of the Missing Mermaid, als auch der deutsche Titel, und der heimliche Hehler, sind irgendwie nicht so ganz treffend und klingen nach einem ganz anderen Fall. Hauptsächlich geht es um einen kleinen verschwunden Jungen und um gestohlene Hunde. Ich finde die Atmosphäre, die im Buch (und auch im Hörbuch) aufgebaut wird, sehr gut und ich mag allgemein wie M.V. Carey Szenen und Dialoge schreibt. Nur den Fall selbst finde ich im Endeffekt ein bisschen unlogisch, die Auflösung nicht sehr schlüssig und spannend. Es wirkt einfach ein wenig zusammengeschustert. Trotzdem ein gutes ??? Buch.
December 30, 2023
Es gibt nicht viel hinzuzufügen, eine gelungene Folge! (Dez. 2023)
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Finde den deutschen Titel sehr schlecht gewählt, dadurch ist fast von Anfang an ein Rätsel schon gelöst. Ansonsten aber eine sehr gute und spannende Folge. (Sept. 2016)
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Finde den deutschen Titel sehr schlecht gewählt, dadurch ist fast von Anfang an ein Rätsel schon gelöst. Ansonsten aber eine sehr gute und spannende Folge. (Sept. 2016)
January 10, 2017
I still remember the vivid descriptions of the neighborhood, and the parade and the abandoned hotel in this book, even though I haven't even touched it in years. That's the mark of a good book in my book (pun completely intended)
April 24, 2017
Another good mystery from the Three Investigators. I liked this one because of the setting in Venice Beach and the writers did a good job with a small cast of eccentric characters. It was sad because a dog dies in this one, and really for this series that was pretty dark. Most of the Three Investigators cases involve thieves and swindlers, as murders do occur in the series but are sparse. I think this may be the first one where an animal dies under suspicious circumstances.
The story itself was a little far-fetched, but that's pretty common in this series. Once again a good read, but not necessarily in the top tier of the series.
The story itself was a little far-fetched, but that's pretty common in this series. Once again a good read, but not necessarily in the top tier of the series.
June 16, 2022
While undertaking some school project work for Bob at Venice Beach, The Three Investigators set out to trace a missing child and quickly become involved in a case of robbery.
It has been a long time since I last read this and, to be honest, I had no memory of the story whatsoever. Published in 1983, this was clearly written to show the boys getting older and while they’re generally true to their original characters, they do seem to get more annoyed with one another and one sequence - where Jupiter gets stuck - they’re actually unpleasant to each other. Another change is the location, with Venice Beach shown to be rundown and seedy - I don’t think any other book has shown so much grubbiness. There are a lot of supporting characters and the mystery itself makes sense, even if it feels like both strands of it are fairly quickly sorted and the use of the hot air balloon feels very much tacked on. There’s even a pop culture reference to Luke Skywalker which pleased me but felt slightly out of place. Uncle Titus and Aunt Matilda make very brief appearances (as does Headquarters) and Worthington helps save the day - he also gets introduced to Chief Reynolds, who seems to have fallen back into his mood of not liking Jupe much. It’s difficult for me to judge this, since I never read it as a teenager but it does feel like a work of declining quality (even though Carey, as always, writes well), plus my Paragon Books 3-in-1 edition had a good few typoes. Worth a read to complete the set, but I can’t imagine revisiting this as much as I do the original (books 1 to 30) set.
It has been a long time since I last read this and, to be honest, I had no memory of the story whatsoever. Published in 1983, this was clearly written to show the boys getting older and while they’re generally true to their original characters, they do seem to get more annoyed with one another and one sequence - where Jupiter gets stuck - they’re actually unpleasant to each other. Another change is the location, with Venice Beach shown to be rundown and seedy - I don’t think any other book has shown so much grubbiness. There are a lot of supporting characters and the mystery itself makes sense, even if it feels like both strands of it are fairly quickly sorted and the use of the hot air balloon feels very much tacked on. There’s even a pop culture reference to Luke Skywalker which pleased me but felt slightly out of place. Uncle Titus and Aunt Matilda make very brief appearances (as does Headquarters) and Worthington helps save the day - he also gets introduced to Chief Reynolds, who seems to have fallen back into his mood of not liking Jupe much. It’s difficult for me to judge this, since I never read it as a teenager but it does feel like a work of declining quality (even though Carey, as always, writes well), plus my Paragon Books 3-in-1 edition had a good few typoes. Worth a read to complete the set, but I can’t imagine revisiting this as much as I do the original (books 1 to 30) set.
March 4, 2019
Once again, I'm sorry to say that even though the writers have improved their take on the Three Investigators characters, the cases have started to devolve into random happenstance that puts the trio onto the trail of a criminal undertaking. There is an attempt to explain the reasoning behind the events here, but the resolution comes about more due to the youths' curiosity and overeager sense of lawfulness.
While this case of the Missing Mermaid is a bit of a misnomer, it does correctly identify the criminals big misstep. A more appropriate title would have been the Case of the Missing Misbehaver. Since it deals with a missing child. I suppose it lacks the whiff of supernatural that is typical for this series. Additionally, this may be the first cover art from the Random House editions where it does not actually depict a scene from the story.
While this case of the Missing Mermaid is a bit of a misnomer, it does correctly identify the criminals big misstep. A more appropriate title would have been the Case of the Missing Misbehaver. Since it deals with a missing child. I suppose it lacks the whiff of supernatural that is typical for this series. Additionally, this may be the first cover art from the Random House editions where it does not actually depict a scene from the story.
November 11, 2018
One of the best novel of the Mr. Sebastian era I think. A haunted hotel and a missing (statue of a) Mermaid - that really deals with a missing kid (and his dead dog) at Venice beach. A "real life" mystery for Jupe, Pete, and Bob - with a lot of action, some funny scenes in which Pete and Bob joke about Jupe size, and a lot of nice characters. I love more other kinds of plots - but I surely enjoyed this book.
February 7, 2019
I had forgotten about this book until very recently. But I used to get random vivid flashbacks of some book with parades and beaches and a dead dog. When I realized it was this book and that I have read it years ago, I was delighted. This book is one of my favorite childhood mystery reads, with just the right amount of thrill for a 10 year old. I'm so glad I rediscovered it because now I'm definitely reading it again!
July 31, 2011
This one is a little more intense than most of the other Three Investigators, mostly because it involves a missing kid. There are some good jokes in the book--times where the boys are doubled up in laughter. My favorite was when Pete quickly stops a thief in the act. Great fun.
September 26, 2021
The problems with some 'mysteries' is that the involvement of the detectives is largely irrelevant as they just happen to be hanging around. This is one of those books. A slight adventure would be a better description than a mystery.
August 28, 2021
Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw und Bob Andrews sind in Venice, einem benachbarten Ort von Rocky Beach unterwegs, da Bob ein Projekt über Wohnungswandel betreiben muss.
Sie sind gerade zu der Zeit dort wo ein großes Stadtfest stattfindet.
Mitten in diesem Stadtfest verschwindet jedoch der 5-Jährige Teddy. Zuletzt gesehen wurde er bei der Ausstellung von Mr. Burton.
Nun bricht eine große Suchaktion los und die drei Detektive mittendrin.
Was hat es mit dem geheimnissvollen Verhalten von Mr. Burton auf sich und könnte der Teddy vielleicht in dem mysteriösen leerstehenden Hotel versteckt sein?
In dieser Folge gibt es zwei Storylines, von denen die eine ganz urplötzlich gegen Ende auftaucht.
Diese ist ein netter Nebeneffekt wirkt aber letztendlich ein wenig künstlich herbeigezaubert.
An sich ist es aber eine unterhaltsame Folge in der ziemlich viel passiert, d.h. man sollte kederzeit aufmerksam sein, sonst könnte man immer etwas verpassen.
Auch kriegt man kleine persönliche Einblicke in die Detektive, was ein schöner Nebeneffekt ist.
Im Endeffekt keine der Besseren, aber eine schlechte Folge ist es auch nicht.
Sie sind gerade zu der Zeit dort wo ein großes Stadtfest stattfindet.
Mitten in diesem Stadtfest verschwindet jedoch der 5-Jährige Teddy. Zuletzt gesehen wurde er bei der Ausstellung von Mr. Burton.
Nun bricht eine große Suchaktion los und die drei Detektive mittendrin.
Was hat es mit dem geheimnissvollen Verhalten von Mr. Burton auf sich und könnte der Teddy vielleicht in dem mysteriösen leerstehenden Hotel versteckt sein?
In dieser Folge gibt es zwei Storylines, von denen die eine ganz urplötzlich gegen Ende auftaucht.
Diese ist ein netter Nebeneffekt wirkt aber letztendlich ein wenig künstlich herbeigezaubert.
An sich ist es aber eine unterhaltsame Folge in der ziemlich viel passiert, d.h. man sollte kederzeit aufmerksam sein, sonst könnte man immer etwas verpassen.
Auch kriegt man kleine persönliche Einblicke in die Detektive, was ein schöner Nebeneffekt ist.
Im Endeffekt keine der Besseren, aber eine schlechte Folge ist es auch nicht.
April 29, 2019
The Mystery of the Missing Mermaid was a lot of fun to re-read, not just because of nostalgic value but also because it holds up quite well. There are very few of the dated 80's references that sometimes bug me in M.V. Carey's books(these wouldn't bug me too much except that I still imagine all the books as being set in the late 60's). There are plenty of colorful side characters and an interesting setting. I think there are also a few more funny scenes than usual.
As is usual for M.V. Carey, the characters really stand out in this book. The most interesting of the new characters here were the ne'er-do-well Mooch Henderson, nosy neighbor Miss Peabody, and the rather disingenuous Clark Burton.
This was a fun page-turner that still has high stakes and has stood the test of time, at least in my opinion. Now I'm looking forward to getting started on The Mystery of the Fiery Eye and The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot next!
As is usual for M.V. Carey, the characters really stand out in this book. The most interesting of the new characters here were the ne'er-do-well Mooch Henderson, nosy neighbor Miss Peabody, and the rather disingenuous Clark Burton.
This was a fun page-turner that still has high stakes and has stood the test of time, at least in my opinion. Now I'm looking forward to getting started on The Mystery of the Fiery Eye and The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot next!
November 7, 2018
It's a shame I didn't discover this as a kid, because I found it right on par with Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. The story and mystery were good, with intriguing characters, a little spooky and hair-raising elements. The main characters were funny and likeable, plus all the things you can look up to as a kid - courageous and clever, adventurous and kind.
It is a kid's book, so don't expect some complex plot, but I still enjoyed it as an adult.
It is a kid's book, so don't expect some complex plot, but I still enjoyed it as an adult.
May 7, 2024
A cute story again. Will probably not become a favorite. Maybe because of the dog-situation.
I was really kind of shocked. Because such things NEVER happen in the ???-Stories!
Didn't like that.
But MR Burton was a pretty interesting and suspicious character to follow.
Well it was fine. But I will always prefer the Audios. <3
I was really kind of shocked. Because such things NEVER happen in the ???-Stories!
Didn't like that.
But MR Burton was a pretty interesting and suspicious character to follow.
Well it was fine. But I will always prefer the Audios. <3
September 28, 2025
The only classic era Three Investigators book in which Luke Skywalker is mentioned. Slight plot, and unconvincing to boot. The author's style brings to mind TV-movie drama, which jars with the unsophisticated story. And the mermaid is irrelevant, inserted only so the book doesn't have to be called The Missing Child. 2½
#T3I
#T3I
August 19, 2018
The cover and title of this book could not be more misleading...
July 13, 2020
This kept my son and I guessing the whole time! Great mystery.
November 1, 2025
sehr spannende Folge
October 10, 2022
My first in this series. I would have loved it but it broke one of the cardinal rules I have, especially for kids books. I’m going to look for the earlier books in the series instead of ones like this written in the 1980’s and give it another shot since I do love the 3 investigators.
May 25, 2009
This is a pretty good book.
Read
March 27, 2016my first book which put me at awe for the way wriiter has put the mystery. good book
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews