Rating: Good
Source: Library
Description: A dying criminal confesses that his loot has been secreted "in the tower." Both towers of the looted mansion are searched in vain. It remains for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that clears up the mystery. (from Goodreads)
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: My current favorite podcast Super Serials had an episode talking about this one and since I didn't read many Hardy Boys books I thought it might be fun to pick this one up.
My Impression: Growing up I read everything that had even a mention of Nancy Drew. I read the originals, the Case Files (which were so bad but I loved them), a spin-off series called River Heights (so so so bad), and just about everything else I could get my hands on. For some reason I didn't read many Hardy Boys books. I don't know if there was enough Nancy stuff to keep me busy or if they just never appealed to me. I did read a few and I remember them as being a little more adventurous than Nancy so I was excited to see what I thought of them as an adult. I was glad I did because this was a lot of fun! Since this is Joe and Frank's first case the whole investigation thing is fairly new to them and they turn to their father for help. Luckily he's a very successful PI so he has lots of suggestions. The boys have a large group of friends who are always willing to assist and it definitely comes in handy in this case.
There's definitely a dated quality to the story but for me that added to the charm. I liked that the boys did a mix of figuring things out on their own and going to an adult (usually their father) for help. It was a fun read and I finished it in 1 sitting.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes I would. I probably won't be collecting them all but I will definitely pick up a later one to see how the series progresses.
Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes. I may pick a few out for the Tornado when he gets a little bit older and if you enjoyed them as a child I think you'd still enjoy them now.
I never read the Hardy Boys and neither did I read Nancy Drew. Perhaps they weren't around in NZ when I was growing up or something. I have read a few boys series in more recent years when I was teaching, English ones that were very action oriented and modern like the Cherub series. I think some think they are a bit violent.
ReplyDeleteOoh Super Serials is doing this one? I need to get back to them! Fun review- I haven't re- read any of the early Hardy Boys but I've been kinda curious about revisiting. I remember as a kid always liking their circle of friends. :) I think their girlfriends even got in on the action once or twice which is nice so it's not all just the guys, although they didn't do enough admittedly. Glad you liked this one!
ReplyDeleteI used to love the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Great books.
ReplyDeleteAh, Hardy Boys! My two older brothers collected and read a whole bunch of them while I obsessed about Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and the like. I never read any of these, though. Glad it was good for you, and when Tornado is reading at this level you have a recent reminder of how the stories were written, for what age, etc.
ReplyDeleteI never read the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. I was more of a Little House on the Praire kind of kid. I am glad that you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI've never read The Hardy Boys, although I've heard a fair amount about them. How do they stack up against modern books? Some classics simply don't appeal to children today as the pacing and description is just too dense for modern tastes.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if I ever read a Hardy Boys book. I know I used to love the television series growing up. I did, however, read many of the Nancy Drew books.
ReplyDeleteI know I read Nancy Drew but I don' think I read the Hardy Boys ever. I have a boy now so maybe he will read them when he is old enough!
ReplyDeleteI read a lot of Hardy Boys because my mom got all the books from her chikdhood home for some reason, and we had a ton of The Hardy Boys, I think maybe because they had been bought for my uncle as a child. I think we only had one or two Nacy Drews. We also had a ton of The Bobbsey Twins books. :)
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