The Mystery of the Janusian Jackpot

A cold case that's heating up. A truth that looks both ways. And a move only a chess master could see.

Step into mysteries that demand courage, discernment, and the will to seek the truth. Conceived and co-written by the daughter of Robert Arthur - the creator of the Three Investigators universe - this restoration of the classic series takes its iconic characters into a new age, with gripping contemporary adventures for young readers who crave meaning, want to share in the growth of characters they admire, and seek a world they can return to again and again.

In the tenth book of a 26-book story arc, The Three Investigators find themselves working on a cold case with a personal connection. When Freya Haldorsson introduces them to Jimmy Littlewolf, a member of her high school chess club and a Shoshone Indian whose father was killed on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming the previous year, the team agrees to investigate - even though the death occurred more than 12 months ago and 1,000 miles away, in a place they've never been.

The Three Investigators get lucky when they learn from Hector Sebastian, the famous mystery writer and mentor to the boys, that his Wyoming bolthole is right next to the Wind River Reservation. They get lucky again when they discover that their friend Phillipa Paxton has a sister, Georgina, whose veterinary practice is close to where Thomas Littlewolf's body was found. Georgina was even on the witness list compiled by the sheriff who investigated Littlewolf's death.

As the team crisscrosses southern California to gather clues - from a visit to the Mission Indian casino in Highland where Jimmy's half-brother Jake works, to a trail ride in the San Bernardino Mountains with a cowboy named Travis Garrett - a confusing list of suspects and motives begins to emerge. What does an old DNA test have to do with Jimmy's skill at chess? What is his half-brother Jake Blackhorse hiding? What is Janusian creativity, anyway? And why exactly was Billy Redsmoke fired from his wrangling job on the Triple X?

While Mallory goes undercover as a homeless teenager and Worthington poses as a chess hustler, Pete works to bring Hector and Phillipa together, Bob starts to view Freya in a new light, and Jupiter's creativity takes him to unexpected places.

In this unusual variation on a Three Investigators case, Jupiter, Pete, Bob, and Mallory tackle a mystery that is very different - and a lot more gratifying! - than it initially appears.