
This six title series was published from 1959 to 1961 by Golden Press. The books were later reprinted by Whitman. The first book was written by Charles Spain Verral. The remaining titles were credited to the pseudonym, George Wyatt. Verral was heavily involved in the writing of #2-6. What is unclear is whether Verral was the actual author of #2-6 or whether he rewrote the work of one or more other authors.
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Titles in the Brains Benton Series:

1. The Case of the Missing Message, 1959
2. The Case of the Counterfeit Coin, 1960
3. The Case of the Stolen Dummy, 1961
4. The Case of the Roving Rolls, 1961
5. The Case of the Waltzing Mouse, 1961
6. The Case of the Painted Dragon, 1961
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#1 The Case of the Missing Message |
"I want you to go out and find a mystery, Operative Three," orders Brains Benton. Jimmy Carson doubts that he can find a mystery, but exactly that happens as Jimmy gives his sales pitch for subscriptions to the town's newspaper. Out at the old Madden house, the door is answered by a man wearing a bizarre outfit, and when Jimmy leaves, he sees a boy staring out the window.
Later, Brains and Jimmy return, where they learn that the boy, Skeets Fenton, is in grave danger. Cousin Otto took control of the circus when Skeets' parents died. The circus should belong to Skeets, and a missing message contains information that would discredit Otto. Brains and Jimmy take the case, promising to help Skeets find the message.
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#2 The Case of the Counterfeit Coin
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Jimmy finds a strange foreign coin mixed in with the money he has collected for subscriptions to the town's newspaper. Jimmy excitedly calls Brains on a pay phone in a drugstore. While Jimmy speaks on the phone, a man tries to steal the coin! Later, Brains examines the coin, discovering that it is a counterfeit of an ancient Greek coin.
The boys uncover clues leading them to suspect a group of men is counterfeiting valuable coins and selling them to collectors at high prices. Unfortunately, some of the boys' clues result in a respected man being accused of being the counterfeiter. Brains and Jimmy have no choice but to right their wrong, so they set out to prove the identities of the true counterfeiters.
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#3 The Case of the Stolen Dummy |
Brains and Jimmy are horrified when they discover a submerged car in a pondwith a body hanging out of the window! Convinced that someone was murdered, the boys tell the police. When the car is recovered, the body turns out to be a dummy, and the police chief is furious.
Money raised for a fundraiser has been stolen, and the submerged car is linked to the primary suspect, a man who is good friends with Brains. Convinced that his friend, Will Parslow, is innocent, Brains and Jimmy search for the real thief. The case seems hopeless as every clue builds evidence against Parslow.
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#4 The Case of the Roving Rolls |
Jimmy's Uncle Ed sends him a letter about the imminent arrival of Prince Halam in Crestwood. Uncle Ed is concerned that two men who recently left for the United States may also come to Crestwood to harm Prince Halam. He suggests that Brains and Jimmy keep their eyes open.
When Mrs. Willoughby's chauffeur, Frothingham, is charged with hit-and-run, the boys set out to prove his innocence. Soon, they learn that the enemies of Prince Halam wanted Frothingham out of the way so that they could move forward with their plan. Brains and Jimmy must find a way to outsmart the villains before harm comes to Prince Halam.
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#5 The Case of the Waltzing Mouse |
Jimmy looks forward to a nice two-week long vacation at the lake. Just before departing, Jimmy and Brains attend an animal show put on by Professor Gustave Von Maltzbenden. The boys become concerned when they notice that the professor carries a huge sum of money in a basket.
The boys meet up with the professor at the lake, where they discover that a fired employee is after his money. The boys keep an eye on the professor, worrying about his safety. Despite the boys' efforts, the professor and his money disappear! Brains and Jimmy have their hands full taking care of the professor's abandoned menagerie while trying to locate him.
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#6 The Case of the Painted Dragon |
Jimmy loses his cool when a man in a black car shows up at the school looking for a Japanese boy. Brains and Jimmy later learn that a Japanese student named Mikko has just started attending their school and that Mikko's father worked for Army Intelligence during World War II. Mikko's parents are no longer alive, so he is staying with friends in Crestwood.
Brains and Jimmy fear for Mikko's safety as the black car follows Mikko around town. After Mikko's home is ransacked, Brains and Jimmy offer their services. They investigate the deaths of Mikko's parents, discovering that their car may have been forced off the road. After the accident, someone searched the car without stealing anything, very similar to what just happened at Mikko's home. Brains suspects that someone is looking for something in particular.
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