THE 3 INVESTIGATORS
CRIMEBUSTERS
SERIES

1989 - 1991
"Hot Wheels" and "Murder To Go" can also be found in the larger-sized Knopf/Bullseye paperback edition printed in June 1991 and measuring approximately 5" x 7-1/2".  This was in conjuction with the release of several titles in the original series.  And both "Hot Wheels" and "Thriller Diller" were published at some point in the 1990's in the hardbound "Just for Boys" Weekly Reader edition published by Knopf and measuring approximately 5-1/2" x 8".
Weekly Reader hardbound #1
#2
#7
#5
#6
#3
#8
#10
#11
Knopf/Bullseye #1
Knopf/Bullseye #2
#4
Weekly Reader Hardbound #
#9
In 1989 Random House decided to launch a new, updated version of The Three Investigators to compete with the successful Hardy Boys Casefiles books.  The Crimebusters books were designed for a slightly older teen-age reading audience.  Jupiter, Pete and Bob are now 17 years old, drive cars, date girls and use technology and language current with the times.  Eleven titles were published by six different authors or writing teams in a two year period.  Two manuscripts were written but never published due to the abrupt cancellation of the series effective with the retirement of long-time Three Investigators editor, Eugenia Fanelli.  Artist Hector Garrido painted the cover art for all of the Crimebusters books and none of them have internal illustrations.
My thanks to Gayle Lynds (G.H. Stone) for providing some of the information found on this page.  For much more background information on the 3 Investigators Crimebusters series, please read the following interviews:

Interview with Gayle Lynds (G.H. Stone).

Interview with William "Bill" McCay.

Interview with Peter Lerangis.


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The Crimebusters are:

#1 Hot Wheels by William Arden, 1989.

#2 Murder To Go by Megan & H. William Stine, 1989.

#3 Rough Stuff by G.H. Stone, 1989.

#4 Funny Business by William McCay, 1989.

#5 An Ear For Danger by Marc Brandel, 1989.

#6 Thriller Diller by Megan & H. William Stine, 1989.

#7 Reel Trouble by G.H. Stone, 1989.

#8 Shoot The Works by William McCay, 1990.

#9 Foul Play by Peter Lerangis, 1990.

#10 Long Shot by Megan & H. William Stine, 1990.

#11 Fatal Error by G.H. Stone, 1990.

UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS:

#12 Brain Wash by Peter Lerangis.

#13 High Strung by G.H. Stone.

In 2011 both of these were published by Kosmos in
Germany.  Let's hope they publish them in English!
The Crimebusters were simultaneously published in a trade paperback edition by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a subsidiary division of Random House, and in the sturdy hardbound Random House Gibraltar Library Binding (GLB) edition for use in libraries.  The aforementioned paperbacks measure approximately 4-1/4" x 7" while the GLB books measure approximately 5" x 7-1/2".  The first two titles in the paperback edition each went through two printings while all other titles had only one known printing.