I’ve read this collection before. A long time ago. And I was still able to remember some of the details! So the mystery wasn’t as much of a mystery to me. I still enjoyed it though and was thoroughly entertained.
The Hardy Boys are great. Frank and Joe are like the dynamic duo. They have fun and have a penchant for solving mysteries. And this love seems to stem from their retired cop father and loving mother. Love it.
This collection concludes my foray into Nancy Drew and the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Well, that is unless more of these syndicate books happen to fall into my lap 😉
The Caribbean Cruise Caper (#154)
The Hardy Boys are invited by a teen magazine to be advisors in an amateur detective contest they are sponsoring. The contest is being held aboard a yacht traveling through the caribbean. From the onset, problems arise. It seems that someone is trying to bring the contest to an abrupt end. With each antic getting more dangerous. Luckily, the Hardy Boys are on the case.
What I particularly like about this story was the mystery within a mystery. The other teen detectives were able to see firsthand how the Hardy Boys work together. The dynamic duo bounce ideas off of one another, they tackle different aspects of the case, effectively working together.
An entertaining trip!
Daredevils (#159)
The Hardy Boys and their family are helping an old family friend, Terrence McCauley. Terrence is a young stuntman working in Hollywood, California. And someone seems to have it out for him. Danger is lurking everywhere, not just on the sets. Who is trying to hurt him and why is what the Hardy Boys have to figure out.
This is a fast-moving, action-heavy mystery. The Hardy Boys have to work hard to keep Terrence safe. But doing so puts their own lives at risk, as they quickly find out. An exhilarating story, for sure. Although, the discovery of the who and why is a bit anticlimatic, in my opinion.
There was a line in this book that made me laugh. Frank Hardy has just confronted a suspect. As he’s getting ready to leave, he says: “Then you’d have to start looking for a new job… I hear they need ghostwriters for kids books.” Ha! Don’t you just love that self-awareness? Kudos to the writer! 😀
Skin and Bones (#164)
The Hardy Boys are vacationing in San Francisco. They’re staying with Sergeant Chang, a friend of their father’s. The boys are quickly involved in a mystery when Cody, Sergeant Chang’s son, confides that he needs their help. His store Skin and Bones, which specializes in exotic animal specimens, has been robbed and ransacked multiple times. Cody has also been receiving threatening emails. He’s hesitant to tell his father, so he wants the Hardy’s to uncover what they can.
This was an interesting little mystery. From the onset the boys have a likely suspect. Although, certain things don’t add up. And before they know it, the real culprit is unmasked. But not before everyone’s life is put in danger.
While the story was entertaining, I didn’t really like how the case was resolved. I mean, they figured out who the real criminal was after he took a gambit and showed his hand. Which is probably why criminals always get caught. Taking unnecessary risks. Hm.
Final Thoughts
As I said in the beginning, this is my last Stratemeyer book. And. This is also my last review post of the year! 😮 Seems a bit apropos that I end my reviews of the year with a nostalgic read 😉