Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw, and Bob Andrews - the famous three detectives from Rocky Beach are probably a household name for everyone in Germany. If not, you absolutely must open your music streaming service of choice after reading this post and listen to the first episode, Die drei Fragezeichen - und der Super-Papagei (The Three Investigators and the Stuttering Parrot)!

The Three Investigators are three boys who run a detective agency in the fictional town of Rocky Beach. Their headquarters is an old trailer on the scrapyard belonging to the uncle of the (overweight) First Investigator, Justus Jonas. The second in the group is Peter Shaw, who is athletic but quite fearful. The Third Investigator, Bob Andrews, son of a journalist, is responsible for research. Justus is the brains of the group and is well aware of his intelligence. With his sophisticated way of speaking and his penchant for theatrical reveals, he often gets on many people’s nerves. Personally, though, I find Peter Shaw’s whining more annoying.

The cases are always very diverse, and the authors consistently come up with something new. It’s also interesting to listen your way from the old episodes to the new ones. Back then, there were no smartphones, cell phones, or even the internet. Corded telephones were the peak of technology, and the most outlandish investigation method was the “telephone avalanche.” This has since been replaced in modern times by the “email avalanche.” The Three Investigators now also use search engines and, occasionally, smartphones, but never to an excessive degree. Personally, I think that’s a good thing.

There are now over 200 cases, all of which I’ve listened to. As a child on cassette tape, and as an adult during long car rides via Spotify and the like. Unfortunately, new episodes only come out every few months, but once you’ve gone through the 200+ episodes, you can always listen to an old one again. The stories never get boring, and with every listen, you discover little details. I’m just a fan, I’d say.