The Mystery of the Green Ghost

The Mystery of the Green Ghost by Robert Arthur (1965) Number 4 in the “Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators” series. It’s pretty good, with an old mansion and undeniable ghost, a good, twisty, mystery, and the best part, some really tense episodes in some old mines and caves up in wine country—I like reading about kids crawling through tight spaces as much as I wouldn’t want to be there myself! It’s kind of an odd story—Jupiter is absent for much of the action—and must perform a lot of his deductions long distance. This series has a lot of fans, for good reason—it’s a pretty unique premise—and Jupe is an exceptional character. Maybe I always say this, but my favorite part of their world is The Jones Salvage Yard (where Jupiter lives with his Aunt and Uncle)—and their headquarters in the hidden, dilapidated camper, buried behind mounds of junk—with its various secret entrances. Similar to treehouse stories—I’m partial to hidden forts and secret headquarters—and the more these books leave the salvage yard and Rocky Beach for “exotic” locales, the less I’m enamored with them. Maybe what I need is a secret hideout, myself, or a treehouse—and I even had those things in childhood! I know one thing, if I ever had the good fortune to buy my own home, I sure as hell would put in a secret room! Maybe that’s where I’d keep all my kids’ books. Speaking of which, as a collectable object (not that I ever consider myself a collector), the older, hardcover editions of these books are the best. They’ve been reprinted many times in many formats. But even if you find a newer one, make sure to get a copy with the illustrations. The full-page, black-and-white drawings by Harry Kane are excellent, and add a lot to the whole enterprise.

3.4.25