The Three Investigators #17 Singing Serpent and #18 Shrinking House

In the Three Investigators #17, The Mystery of the Singing Serpent, Allie Jamison begs the boys to get rid of Hugo Ariel, who is a visitor in her home.  The boys have no choice; Allie knows all about one of the secret entrances to their junkyard hideout and threatens to tell Jupiter's aunt and uncle.  Allie's aunt, Miss Osborne, is presently staying with Allie, and Miss Osborne is involved with some strange cult, of which Hugo Ariel is a member.  Miss Osborne is very fearful, and the boys try to pry her from the clutches of the cult.

I really like how Allie forces the boys to take her on a client.  This is a different approach from the other books.  Allie adds an interesting dynamic to this story.

This is a very engaging book, a perfect book.  The book has a few twists and turns that help make it captivating.  I really enjoyed it.

In the Three Investigators #18, The Mystery of the Shrinking House, Professor Carswell has sold the belongings of a deceased artist to the Jones Salvage Yard.  Shortly thereafter, the man's relatives show up wanting his belongings.  As the Three Investigators try to find the items, they discover that others also seek the items, especially 20 paintings of a cottage.  The paintings apparently hold the key to the hidden location of a valuable object.

The title of the book is strange in that most of the story has absolutely nothing to do with a shrinking house.  It is not until well into the story that the title of the book finally makes sense.

This is a good book.