See for yourself which were the more intriguing introductions:
Lovers of mystery, be warned!
You must be prepared, in this new adventure of The Three Investigators, to face a horror that makes even my blood run cold! I shudder at the very thought of it. What, can there truly be more than one...? But, no, I cannot speak the dread words! Instead, I will speak of other matters in this dramatic adventure.
A simple outing to a famous amusement park turns into a nightmare that at once challenges the full resources of our team of young detectives. Danger and confusion face them at every turn as they attempt to solve a diabolical crime.
Kidnappers! Cryptic messages! International intrigue! Clues hidden under the very noses of our heroes! Deadly mistakes! The devious trail of a fugitive boy! An enemy who nearly penetrates The Three Investigators' own headquarters! It's almost more than the juvenile private eyes can handle.
The case calls forth the reasoning ability of all our boys. The brainy and somewhat stout Jupiter Jones--himself th puzzled target of the criminals--is unable to provide full-time leadership of the detective team. So the tall and muscular Pete Crenshaw must conquer his uneasiness and assume a daring role. And bob Andrews, the studious research man of the trio, receives a chance to prove that he is as clever as he is reliable.
From their hidden house-trailer headquarters in The Jones Salvage Yard to the border of Mexico, the boys pursue and are pursued, and the final answer is--but no! I will still not speak of the unexpected fact that lies at the heart of the adventure! It is too monstrous to think of!
I will leave that knowledge to your own discovery.
Forward, then, to mystery and adventure!
--Alfred Hitchcock
It's my pleasure to introduce you to The Three Investigators. If you've already met these unusual detectives, turn to Chapter 1 right away. If not, let me do the honors.
We begin with Jupiter Jones, who is the leader of the group. He is smarter than the average boy, and he has read more and remembered more than most people I know. He also can take a few facts and work with them to come to some amazing conclusions.
Pete Crenshaw is the most athletic of The Three Investigators, and he's also cheerful, loyal, and easygoing. He feels that Jupe can sometimes think up stunts that are a little too dangerous, and he may not be the only one who has this opinion.
Bob Andrews is quiet and less flamboyant, and he is in charge of records and research for the group. That doesn't mean he sits back and lets the others do their daring deeds alone. Bob is as brave as his colleagues.
As for me, I'm a retired detective and have turned my hand to writing mystery novels. I came to know my hand to writing mystery novels. I came to know The Three Investigators through a scar-faced beggar, but that's another story. Suffice it to say that I send whatever mysteries I hear about their way and introduce their cases.
This mystery is one that The Three Investigators found themselves. In it, the boys leave their home in Rocky Beach, California, and set out on a vacation trip across the United States. The vacation becomes a flight from terror when they are followed by an unshakable menace that always remains just out of reach.
Curous? Who wouldn't be? Then turn to Chapter 1 and start the adventure!
--Hector Sebastian
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