Coming March 3rd: Books 1-3
Here's the dust jacket copy and cover art for AA, BB, and CC. Excerpts from the books will be posted March 3rd, 6th, and 9th.
THE MYSTERY OF THE ABECEDARIAN ACADEMY
In the first book of a 26-book story arc, it's the summer before their freshman year in high school and Jupiter Jones, Bob Andrews, and Pete Crenshaw are back on the case in Rocky Beach, California. Their new client, Isabella Chang, wants to discover the truth about a murdered ancestor whose son Li Chang is rumored to have hidden a bag of gold nuggets his father panned from the American River during the heady days of the California gold rush.
With their old friend and mentor Hector Sebastian moving to Wyoming and their longtime driver Worthington leaving the Rent'n'Ride to set up a business of his own, The Three Investigators are facing big changes. Nevertheless, they manage to convince Worthington to drive them to the Gold Country in a rented four-wheel drive, stopping along the way to set up camp in Yosemite.
Before they take off, Jupiter's Uncle Titus returns to the Salvage Yard with a new haul of unusual old items, including a suit of armor and eight Chinese talismans painted on hammered metal – one of which is a Talisman Against Demons. In Yosemite, Bob gets an unexpected call from a menacing relative of Isabella Chang who seems determined to scare them off the case. Thus begins a tale of intrigue, misdirection, hunches, ciphers, clues, coincidences, and a classic blend of legwork and analysis.
Why was the one-room schoolhouse where Li Chang was educated suddenly razed to the ground? Why is its foundation being guarded by a wild-eyed woman with a shotgun? Who stole letters addressed to Li Chang's Irish schoolmaster? What does the Owl of Athena carved on Li Chang's grave marker mean? And why was Li Chang so secretive about the location of his hidden gold?
Join Jupiter, Pete, and Bob as they ponder the complexity of a book cipher and uncover secrets hidden for generations. Adventure, danger, and intrigue await in this absorbing new episode in the Three Investigators saga. Whether you're a long-time fan or are meeting the boys for the first time, you'll be glad to be part of this new beginning!
THE MYSTERY OF THE BROBDINGAGIAN BEAST
In the second book of a 26-book story arc, the Three Investigators find themselves on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth of what's happening on a film being shot in Sonoma, California, location of the historic Bear Flag rebellion. Pete Crenshaw's father, a set construction manager, enlists the team to help when strange events begin unfolding on the set of Bear Valley, a movie about the controversial explorer and politician, John C. Frémont.
From the moment the boys arrive, they're thrust into a chaotic mix of violence, protests, and intrigue. A mysterious group called OUTLAW is determined to shut down the film. As its members push against police barricades in their black masks, tensions run high between two feuding historians - Phillipa Paxton and Daniel Hernández - with competing views on Frémont's legacy.
The team faces explosive threats, the masked mob, and a reenactment of the past with a twist: a man who believes he is the reincarnation of a 19th-century Pomo bear-doctor. But the deeper they dig, the more they realize that what seems like a simple protest is just the surface of a much darker, more dangerous conspiracy. Phillipa Paxton puts The Three Investigators on the trail of a piece of Frémont memorabilia, and their suspicions are aroused when it turns out that someone else has been searching high and low for the same item.
Who is behind the mysterious keg of gunpowder that's set off on set? Who slashed Dr. Paxton's tires and left ominous signs of their presence near her garage? What's the connection between a Frémont artifact that reportedly burned in the Great San Francisco Fire of 1906 and a strange letter supposedly signed by the famous frontiersman, Kit Carson?
Join the team as they sift truth from falsehood and face a real-life villain with a heart of darkness in this thrilling continuation of the new Three Investigators saga. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, you'll find yourself part of an adventure that mixes history, mystery, and the ever-present need to fight for what's right!
THE MYSTERY OF THE CHIMERIC CORNUCOPIA
In the third book of a 26-book story arc, the Three Investigators head to Jackson, California, for a Fourth of July celebration at the vineyard of their new friend Branko Petrovic. Jupiter hopes the visit will bring him closer to solving the mystery of his long-dead mother, but his only clue is that she was Serbian - and her name, Amanda Morris, doesn't seem to fit.
After receiving a finder's fee from their summer's first case, the boys use part of their earnings to buy a used car, and Worthington drives them north. On the way, Bob shares a story about André Laurent, a French-Canadian counterfeiter and murderer who had been arrested in Jackson twenty-five years earlier, only to skip bail and vanish.
The investigation takes an unexpected turn when the boys stumble upon Laurent's old counterfeiting operation - an offset press and engraved plates for printing one-hundred-dollar bills - hidden deep in a cavern on Branko's family's property, and guarded by a colony of nesting bats. But their interest and amazement soon turn to trepidation when they realize Laurent has returned to reclaim the stolen plates, and that they're holding the evidence he'll stop at nothing to get back.
Where has André Laurent been for the past twenty-five years and why has he burned off his own fingerprints? How does he find out where The Three Investigators are staying? And how is all of this connected to Jupiter's mysterious past? As fireworks light up the sky at Dragutin Wines, Jupiter uncovers part of the truth about his mother, but a dangerous confrontation with Laurent leaves the boys facing life-threatening peril.
Join Jupiter, Pete, and Bob as they uncover the facts about a quarter-century-old crime, chase down a ruthless criminal, and discover the truth about Jupiter's parentage in this action-packed new addition to the Three Investigators series!
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PLEASE NOTE:
Excerpts from Chapters 1-3 of The Mystery of the Abecedarian Academy will be sent out on March 3rd, excerpts from Chapters 4-6 of The Mystery of the Brobdingnagian Beast will be sent out on March 6th, and excerpts from Chapters 7-9 of The Mystery of the Chimeric Cornucopia will be sent out on March 9th.
(Varying the chapters from which I'm choosing excerpts is the best idea I’ve come up with to give you an experience similar to the one you'd have if you were leafing through the pages in a bookstore or library.)
When the three books go live on Amazon on March 3th , links to the hardcover, paperback, and e-book editions of AA, BB, and CC will all be available through a single series page on Amazon. The link for that is:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTW2NT8F
On Barnes & Noble, although there isn’t really a series page yet, this should land you in the right place:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/new%20three%20investigators%20series
Warmly,
Elizabeth Arthur
