#1 The Secret of Terror Castle

By Robert Arthur, 1964
Random House Trade and GLB Hardbound Editions 
 
First Printed: 1964 
Cover Art: Ed Vebell 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane 
ISBN's: Trade Ed. 0-394-81241-7; GLB 0-394-91241-1 (post 1971)

Trade Edition First Printing Identifiers:
1.) No list on the back cover.
2.) Text error on page 47 (two lines flip-flopped half way down the page).
3.) A stitched textblock consisting of 6 signatures.
4.) Uncut blue graveyard endpapers (not slit down the center at the hinges).

Confusion Alert! - Books which have no list on the back cover but which have a glued textblock with "cut" blue graveyard endpapers should be considered a second printing.  The text error on page 47 of this later printing has been corrected.  These are commonly mistaken as First Printings.
Scholastic Book Services Paperback Edition
 
First Printed: November 1971 
Cover Art: Ed Vebell 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ID#: TX 1917

First Printing Identifier: "First Printing" is stated on the copyright page.

Notes: Because Scholastic published "Green Ghost" before "Terror Castle", Alfred Hitchcock's introductory remarks were altered from the original.
Random House/Windward Books First Paperback Edition 
"Windward Silverback"

First Printed: October 1972 
Cover Art: Ed Vebell 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: 0-394-82189-0

First Printing Identifier: 95 cent printed price on front cover.

Notes: The earliest printings of this edition have the reflective shiny covers and a printed price on the front cover of 95 cents.  A slightly later printing can be found with a $1.25 price printed on the front cover.  Shown below is the final printing with white covers and a printed price of $1.45 on the cover.

 


"Windward White Cover"

First Printed: circa 1975/1976 
Cover Art: Ed Vebell 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: Same as the Silverback above.

Notes: The Windward White Cover books (both "Terror Castle" and "Stuttering Parrot") are quite scarce.  They are certainly the least common of the various U.S. Three Investigators editions/printings.  There was most likely only one print run for each and they must have been very small ones at that.  Click HERE for more information.
Random House Second Paperback Edition
"Marchesi Cover"

First Printed: 1978 
Cover Art: Stephen Marchesi 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: 0-394-83766-5

First Printing Identifier: 1234567890 numberline on the copyright page.

Notes: There were 9 Printings of this title with the Marchesi cover art in this edition.  Starting with the 10th Printing, below, the new Adragna cover art was used.

 


"Hitchcock Cover"

First Printed: circa 1982 (10th Printing)
Cover Art: Robert Adragna 
Internal Illustrations: Harry Kane
ISBN: 0-394-83766-5

First Printing Identifier: 0 numberline on the copyright page.
Random House Revised Paperback Edition
"Keyhole Cover"

First Printed: 1985 
Cover Art: Robert Adragna 
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: 0-394-86401-8

First Printing Identifier: 1234567890 numberline on the copyright page.

Notes: The fictional movie director Reginald Clarke, replacing Alfred Hitchcock in this revised edition, makes his one and only appearance in the series.
Knopf Paperback Edition
"Bullseye Edition"

First Printed: June 1991 
Cover Art: Roger Loveless 
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: 0-679-81176-1

First Printing Identifier: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 numberline on the copyright page.

Notes: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a subsidiary of Random House.
Random House Latest Paperback Issue
"Dodge Cover"

First Printed: 1998 
Cover Art: Bill Dodge 
Internal Illustrations: None
ISBN: 0-679-81176-1

First Printing Identifier: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 numberline on the copyright page.
Back to the Original Series page.
Notes: 
1.) There are two variations of this book to watch for and both are pictured to the left.  The book at the top is the more common variation.  The book on the bottom features a printed (not a sticker) promotional price of 99 cents on the front cover.  This was available for a very short period of time.
2.) Confusion Alert!  This title is a continuation of the Knopf "Bullseye Edition" paperback with new cover art and a new set of printings.  Although there has been a change in the publisher, the ISBN's are the same and most of this book utilizes the printing plates from the Bullseye Edition.
3.) Confusion Alert!  Random House also issued a hardbound library edition with the Dodge Covers.  The ISBN found inside the hardbound edition is the same as that found in the paperback edition but the ISBN on the back cover is different: 0-613-08726-7.