Robert Arthur

Robert Arthur was born on November 10, 1909, on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines, where his father was serving as an officer in the United States Army. He is best known as the creator of The Three Investigators series, a mystery book series for young people, but he began his career writing mysteries, fantasies, and horror stories for adults, and later worked in both radio and television. He brought a lifetime of experience to the task of crafting mysteries for young people, and his Three Investigators novels were pivotal in shaping the juvenile mystery genre.

They set a standard for how mysteries could be crafted for young audiences, emphasizing logic, teamwork, and exploration of various subjects within an exciting and entertaining narrative. The characters of Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews became archetypes for young detectives in literature. Their distinct roles within the team have been emulated in countless series, where groups of friends solve mysteries together.

In 1959, Arthur moved to Hollywood, where he wrote scripts for The Twilight Zone and worked as a story editor, show runner, and scriptwriter for Alfred Hitchcock's TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He also started to ghost-edit a series of "Alfred Hitchcock" anthologies for adults and children and later edited and published two collections of his own short stories, entitled Ghosts and More Ghosts and Mystery and More Mystery.

In 1963, Arthur left Hollywood and moved to Cape May, New Jersey, where he created The Three Investigators series, originally branded with Alfred Hitchcock's name. Before his early death on May 2, 1969, Arthur wrote the ten books in the series that have recently been re-issued by Hollow Tree Press as both paperbacks and e-books.

In these timeless tales, Jupiter, Pete, and Bob, three teenage detectives, embark on adventures that challenge their wits, bravery, and camaraderie. Operating from their secret headquarters in The Jones Salvage Yard in Rocky Beach, California, the young sleuths use logic, observation, and a bit of ingenuity to solve mysteries that often blend elements of history, science, and culture, but that also take the boys to eerie, intriguing, and sometimes dangerous settings.

After Robert Arthur's untimely death, the Three Investigators series was continued by a team of talented writers-for-hire. These writers expanded the Three Investigators universe while maintaining the core essence of mystery and adventure that made the original ten novels so popular.

No new Three Investigators novels have been published in the last twenty-five years, and the 60th anniversary publication of the Hollow Tree Press editions of the Robert Arthur novels set the stage for a brand-new series — the "New Three Investigators" series — created by Elizabeth Arthur, Robert Arthur's daughter, and co-written with her husband Steven Bauer.

The new series comprises twenty-six books - one for every letter of the Roman alphabet - combining stand-alone mysteries with an overarching narrative. The first three books are set to be published on March 3, 2025, with subsequent three-book releases every three months, leading to the two-part series conclusion on March 3, 2027.

All of the new books are rich in historical and cultural exploration, and all feature both heroes and villains from a wide variety of American sub-cultures. The new series honors Robert Arthur's legacy by blending education with entertainment, fostering curiosity and critical thinking through thrilling mystery adventures.

If you'd like to receive news about the new Three Investigators series, please sign up on Amazon to follow Elizabeth Arthur. Amazon doesn't allow hyperlinks in Author bios, but you can find Elizabeth Arthur's Author Page by searching for either her name or her novel Antarctic Navigation.

News about, and sample chapters from, the new Three Investigators novels will also be published on The Salvage Yard, Elizabeth Arthur's Substack.