"The Wolf Pack Seemed To Sense That Its Victims Were Trying To Escape." So far, the Hardy Boys have solved mysteries in and around their hometown of Bayport. Even more so, they always seem to enlist the help of friends such as Biff, Chet, Iola, and Callie. However, in book five of the series, the author takes a different approach.
The location of this story is "Big Sky" Country, AKA Montana. Fenton Hardy, father of Frank and Joe, has asked his sons to help him round up a gang of thieves who also seem to be implicated in a botched gold heist some 25 years in the past. The gold, while not stolen, has been missing ever since. Hence the set up for the adventure.
Personally, this book did not work for me as much as the previous four have. First, being on location in Montana, searching for hidden gold, allows this book to be more of a cowboy/western adventure than a good mystery. For those who like cowboy/western adventures you'll definitely like the story, I just don't care for the genre. Next, the supporting cast of characters have changed dramatically. There are no "chums" to help out and even their father has been nearly written out of the story delivering the occasional one-liner, such as "Be careful boys." The entire book rests with Frank and Joe. Finally, the book did not read as smooth as the others have. The plot was rather confusing with the introduction of several new characters. You almost had to keep notes as to who was who. The story does become smoother about halfway into the book.
Rampant Lawlessness This is one of the most disturbing revisions among the many rewritten Hardy Boys stories.
In the original, pre-1930 edition of this book, Frank and Joe do hunt for hidden gold, all right. But, they do the right thing: they head down to the Bayport County office to apply for gold-hunting permits.
In the recent past, we've seen the devastating consequences of inexperienced or unlicensed quail hunting. Why should gold be any different?
Well, the revised version sold here has Frank and Joe as shameless scofflaws, brazenly hunting for hidden gold without the proper permits. They are correctly described as wearing fuzzy hats with big earflaps, though, perhaps so as not to hear the wailing of approaching forestry ranger sirens.
Of course, I won't tell you whether they actually find the hidden gold for which they are hunting. However, one last thought: whose gold IS it, really?
Great point.
Will They Find the Gold? The Hardy Boys are back with their fifth book! In this book the two boys are helping their father, Fenton Hardy, with his case in Montana near the Lucky Lode territory. When the boys arrive in Montana they find their father injured, but promise to help him catch the gang of crooks he's after. The Hardy Boys are also trying to find their friend Mike Onslow's hidden gold. Eventually, the boys catch the gang and find their friend's gold. If you like mysteries with action and suspense at every turn I highly recommend this book to you.
Hunting for Hidden Treasure This book is about the Hardy's helping there father search for a gang trying to find gold. Some big events happen through this book. There will be some weird turns through this book.
Hunting for Hidden Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon is a sensational mystery of the Hardy Boys Series. This book is a pretty good all the way through. If you like mysteries, you will certainly like this book. If you like the Hardy Boys Series, this book is the best I've read so far. This is a very suspenseful mystery. That's why you should read this book.
Really, the only bad thing about this book is that it is kind of slow. If you don't like figuring things out, then you shouldn't pick up this book. If you really don't like thrillers or mysteries, than this book is not for you. I like this book, but that's my opinion.
The Hardy Boys out West At last the Joe and Frank Hardy and their father Fenton get away from Bayport for a mystery. I always thought Bayport must not be a very safe place with all the crime that seems to occur there. Anyway, the boys are wandering around in the fog near Bayport when they encounter an old man who was accidentally shot by hunters. The boys learn that the old man is Mike Onslow, who the boys were seeking because of his knowledge of the Lucky Lode area in Montana. Their father is chasing criminals in the area and he was hoping that Mike could provide information about where the crooks could be holed up.
Mike tells the boys about his time in that area as a gold miner. Mike and three other miners were getting ready to leave their claim when Black Pepper and his gang jumped them. One of the miners, Bart Dawson, had a plane nearby with the gold already on board. Bart slipped away and took off. When Black Pepper and his men followed Bart, the other three miners escaped from the cabin. The miners were supposed to meet up later to split the gold. However, Bart Dawson disappeared. Mike then drew the boys a map of the area.
The boys travel to Montana through Chicago. In Chicago, men posing as their father's associates kidnap them. After a harrowing escape and stupid actions on the part of the kidnappers, the boys were able to continue on their journey.
In Montana it appears their adversaries are ruthless, and their adversaries attempt numerous times to stop the Hardys from investigating their activities, including trying to kill the Hardy boys and their father. As the story proceeds, we learn that there may be someone telling the criminals about the Hardys' plans. Who can the Hardys trust? The boys also fend off assassins, a fall from a cliff, and a cave-in in their most harrowing adventure yet. All the while the boys and their father must discover the hideout of the criminals, and, as you have already guessed, where the gold from the plane is located and what happened to Bart Dawson.
The Hardy Boys face many mysteries and yet the author managed to clearly explain how the mysteries did or did not relate to each other. Each of the first five Hardy Boys mysteries were quick, enjoyable reads, and I would recommend them for children in the age range of about eight through whatever age the series holds their interest.
Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
