The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy

 The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy (1965) by Robert Arthur

The Three Investigators find themselves investigating two mysteries that intertwine. The first doesn't sound too exciting: an excitable woman by the name of Mrs. Mildred Banfry wants them to find her missing cat. The cat is an Abyssinian by the name of Sphinx with one orange and one blue eye. It's been missing about a week. The second mystery comes their way via their friend Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock writes to them and asks the boys to help out his friend Professor Yarborough.

The professor is an Egyptologist with many artifacts in his home--a veritable private museum. Among his treasures is the mummy of Ra-Orkon. The mummy has recently arrived from Egypt where it had been on loan to an Egyptian museum. No sooner had it arrived than it began whispering--but only to Professor Yarborough when he was alone in the room with it. The mummy seems to be muttering in a foreign language, but the professor can't quite make out any of the words. His butler thinks either his employer is getting a little senile or, if the mummy really is whispering, then it's because Ra-Orkon is angry and ready to carry out the curse against those who disturbed his rest in Egypt. Several men associated with the expedition have died...and Wilkins doesn't want the professor or himself to be next. 

Jupiter is eager to take on the case and he and Pete meet with the professor. They are unable to get the mummy to whisper while they're in the room. But they do capture (and then lose) an Egyptian boy who seems awfully interested in the professor's house. Jupiter gets an idea about how to fool the mummy into speaking to him and says they'll come back later. But when Pete seems to be reluctant to take on muttering ancient Egyptians, he sends the Second Investigator to interview the lady about her cat. Before Jupiter can fully unravel the mystery, the mummy is stolen. When the boys track it down, they're then able to beard the thieves in their den and discover exactly how and why the mummy speaks. And...they find the cat which has played an important role in the case.

This was an excellent Three Investigators mystery. Jupiter does a nice bit of deduction figuring out how the mummy whispers. That's the most ingenious part of the plot. And the adventures the boys have on their way to the solution are engaging and action-packed and just right for the target age group. It was easy to figure out who the villain of the piece was (there aren't exactly suspects thick and heavy on the ground), but I can't say that the Investigators really deduce that one....Jupiter (locked inside the mummy case) is taken straight to the suspect's place and the others wind up there purely by accident. But it is a nice wrap-up nonetheless. Very enjoyable. ★★★★

First lines: "Save me! Save me!" cried a strange, high-pitched voice in great terror.

Last lines: Whatever it was, it would be something unusual. Of that he had no doubt.

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Deaths = one hit by car; murdered in a bazaar; one snake bite