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 t...
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Jun 04, 2011
Patricia
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The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon – I had to read this for 1927 given the fact that I vividly recall trying to read every Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery published when I was a kid. The Tower Treasure was the first Hardy Boys mystery published and set the stage for the multitude of teen-based mystery serials that followed.
In The Tower Treasure, Frank and Joe become involved in a rash of robberies in their hometown, Bayport, one of which involves their best chum, Chet Morton. More...
In The Tower Treasure, Frank and Joe become involved in a rash of robberies in their hometown, Bayport, one of which involves their best chum, Chet Morton. More...
Feb 13, 2010
Jeremy
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Just for a laugh, I decided to read this first installment of the famous Hardy Boys mysteries. As a kid, I had read one or two of the original stories, as well as a handful of the "Hardy Boys Casefiles" series-- the updated, more contemporary adventures of Frank and Joe Hardy (at least for the 1980s)-- but I never fully got into them; now I wish I had. Going back to the first book of the original series, there are certainly lots of anachronisms to laugh at: referring to friends with
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Aug 09, 2009
Darcy
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This another series I read as I was younger. I really enjoyed these series too.I also recommend this book the people who love mystery books.These books were also a classic.The Hardy Boys are detectives who help their father on cases who is an attorney. The Hardys are almost hit by a guy driving a stolen car. They find the crashed car later. The thief then goes to Chet's house and steal his hot rod Queen. He then later tries to rob a ticket booth after that attempt fails he robs a tower. He steal
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Jun 25, 2009
Tara
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I don't know if I can stress how much I enjoyed this series, and others like it as a child. I grew up reading the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames, and Tom Swift. Most of these early editions were my mothers', some inherited from her father, saved and put away for her own children, just as I have saved them and put them away for my own. I loved the comraderie and inherent but not overwhelming morality of each story. Most of the bad guys were truly bad, and th
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Jan 04, 2012
Andie
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I'm currently in the process of reading (and with Nancy Drew re-reading) children's mysteries for an upcoming project. As a kid, I read Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys SuperMysteries, but have never spent time with the Hardys on their own.
The Tower Treasure is Frank and Joe's first adventure and the audiobook is well read by Bill Irwin and produced with delightfully sound effects. I was surprised by how indistinguishable Frank and Joe are in their first outing, as I remember them having very More...
The Tower Treasure is Frank and Joe's first adventure and the audiobook is well read by Bill Irwin and produced with delightfully sound effects. I was surprised by how indistinguishable Frank and Joe are in their first outing, as I remember them having very More...
Aug 28, 2011
Glenajo
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This audio edition of the original Hardy Boy #1: The Tower Treasure is an interesting read. Brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are the sons of an attorney that often solves mysteries. Their friend’s car is stolen and they are off to discover the thief when another friend’s father is accused of steeling a treasure.
I loved listening to the story for many reasons, first because my older brother had several of the series that I enjoyed in the 60s. The story was fun and enjoyable still, bu More...
I loved listening to the story for many reasons, first because my older brother had several of the series that I enjoyed in the 60s. The story was fun and enjoyable still, bu More...
May 05, 2011
Ann
rated it:
I honestly can't decide if this the worst book ever or the greatest book ever. I mean, I know it's neither, but I feel like the things I loved about it were also the things I hated. The mystery was mediocre, but I love the book for its quaint language and the fact that it preserves that kind of culture that is lost on modern readers, but I also had a hard time feeling like kids today would enjoy reading the book because it is so antiquated. And the Hardy Boys are so square! Until they decide to
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Nov 29, 2009
Raja99
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After reading a lot of the graphic novels (and having vague fond memories of the 1970s TV series ;-), I finally decided to try the original prose novel. I suspect this isn't quite it, though; the Wikipedia notes that "Beginning in 1959, the books were extensively revised, largely to eliminate racist stereotypes. The books were also written in a simpler style in an attempt to compete with television." While I'm definitely in favor of eliminating racist stereotypes, I'd be very intereste
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Dec 13, 2010
Jacob
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Frank and Joe Hardy take on their first case in "The Tower Treasure". The action picks up quickly and doesn't slow down until the end of the book. A series of thefts and robberies are mysteriously related, and while the Hardy's are following that case, they come across the criminals searching for a lost treasure in the lighthouse just out of town.
The characters in this story are very likeable. Since it's a series, the characters are always the same. In this way, a connectio More...
The characters in this story are very likeable. Since it's a series, the characters are always the same. In this way, a connectio More...
Apr 20, 2011
Patrick
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"The Tower Treasure" was good enough to make me want to read other Hardy Boys mysteries as a kid, and by the time the TV series appeared, I'd probably read about a dozen of the stories folllowing the adventures of Frank and Joe. The two brothers retain their Fifties looks and innocence throughout the original series, always solving cases in button-down shirts by dint of patience, observation, contrived timing, and being underestimated by the bad guys.
I liked the Hardy Boys More...
I liked the Hardy Boys More...
Feb 28, 2011
Starting out with Frank and Joe trying to track down the thief who stole the beloved yellow “hot rod” of their friend Chet Morton, the Hardy brothers find themselves in the midst of their first real mystery to investigate. The brothers discover the disguise the thief must have used. This leads them to seek help from their father, the famous investigator Fenton Hardy. Fenton and the boys suspect that there may be a connection to the recent robbery at the Tower mansion where the only suspect
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Jun 13, 2011
dan
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The first canonical Hardy Boys book in the series (which is my favourite series of all time), The Tower Treasure was a bit of a disappointment.
There are two sorts of Hardy Boys mysteries: the ones where they fight a gang and the ones where they try to solve a mystery involving one person. I always preferred the gang ones (cf. The House on the Cliff) because there was more action; the latter books framed the villains in an all too obvious way.
That's probably my biggest qui More...
There are two sorts of Hardy Boys mysteries: the ones where they fight a gang and the ones where they try to solve a mystery involving one person. I always preferred the gang ones (cf. The House on the Cliff) because there was more action; the latter books framed the villains in an all too obvious way.
That's probably my biggest qui More...
Nov 16, 2010
Hidden Tiger
rated it:
I was captivated from beginning to end. I enjoyed watching the Hardy boys build on clues given to them by their father Frank Hardy. The Father and son dynamic was exciting to read. I was kept guessing and guessing until the end. The one thing I found interesting was that the boys found it upsetting that one of their friends had to move to a poor town. They were more troubled about their friend living in the poor town than the poverty of the town. Poverty was not the focus of the story, but I f
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Aug 11, 2011
I loved the Hardy Boys when I was a child. I liked them much more than Nancy Drew, although I read a lot of her mysteries too. But Frank and Joe were my favorite. My dad had a copy on his shelf in his old bedroom at Grandma's house, and I remember how excited I was one vacation when I was old enough to read it for myself. I enjoyed that book so much with its flavor of another time and its illustration of the Hardys in 1930s garb. Most of the books I read in the series were the reworked, "
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Jun 10, 2009
Josh
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Another series for kids. In these Frank and Joe Hardy, along with their supporting friends Chet Morton and Biff Hooper set fine examples of what every 50s and 60s youth should imitate.
Slightly privileged with both a car and a wooden speedboat(cleverly named "The Slueth") the boys set off on numerous adventures apprehending assorted nefarious characters.
Poor Chet was usually the one conked on the head and held hostage while the others figured out the mystery and More...
Slightly privileged with both a car and a wooden speedboat(cleverly named "The Slueth") the boys set off on numerous adventures apprehending assorted nefarious characters.
Poor Chet was usually the one conked on the head and held hostage while the others figured out the mystery and More...
Sep 05, 2011
Jonathan
rated it:
I read almost the whole series of these books when I was near ten to twelve years old I guess....Quite entertaining to my young mind and got me thinking of who my neighbors were and what crimes were they guilty of. The boys seemed a tad shallow at times and did not read comics or play soccer so I moved on to other readings. A few adults read them as kids so it was nice chatting with them about their favorite plots, but I don't recall much depth to those conversations. Not sure to who I gave my c
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Oct 03, 2011
Bill
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Like seemingly all of the other reviewers here, I read the Hardy Boys books in the 1970s, as a child, for the most part in those familiar blue-spined editions, most of which I obtained at the library. I was an obsessive series reader, going through the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and The Three Investigators before moving to more adult pastures in my early teens. Recently, I've come across boxes of my old books going back to childhood, and found that I owned several more of these titles - but still no
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Oct 26, 2008
Jonathan
rated it:
the Tower Treasure is a mestery that a persons jewlesare stolen. The Hardy boys are going after it and trying to get 1,000 dollars for a reward. There is another detective going for it too. The boys end up solving the mistery.
The first chapter said the Hardy Boys were on their motorcycles when a came fast up the hill. The Boys knew that the hill was a dead end. So they spoped and waited for that car to come back down the hill. The car didn't, so the 2 brothers rode off to a friend named More...
The first chapter said the Hardy Boys were on their motorcycles when a came fast up the hill. The Boys knew that the hill was a dead end. So they spoped and waited for that car to come back down the hill. The car didn't, so the 2 brothers rode off to a friend named More...
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Apr 02, 2007
Stephanie
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Though not yet of reading age, my son has several of the Hardy Boys books on his shelf, and I wanted to check them out and form an opinion about them. Having now read this first book of the series, I find myself concerned, but keep wondering if I need to lighten up a bit. My concerns stem largely from the way the characters related to one another, which I found to be somewhat disturbing. The Hardy boys, their friends and their family are all perfection and sentimentality -- can't slap each o
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May 25, 2011
Nathaniel
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I really liked this book because the plot always kept you on your toes and you never knew what to expect next. I guess that's the purpose of a mystery boo but this one really made me want to keep reading and find out how they were going to solve this problem. I won't give any of the story away because I don't know if you have read it or not but if you haven't you might want to check it out. My only problem with this book was that it was pretty short in comparison to most books i read.
May 28, 2009
Kristoffer
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I'm not going to add every single one to my shelf, but one of my childhood memories is deciding that I had to check out dozens of these books all at once, and a friend and I carried huge bags back from the library. Needless to say, most went unread or overdue that first time, but I eventually got to the rest. All in all, I probably read over 50 of these and a slightly smaller amount of the Nancy Drew series. And I tried to do it in chronological order, being the nerd I was.
Oct 19, 2011
Cian
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I really liked this book because of all the mystery. I read this book on my E-BOOK reader and it was really good. The book is a very good mixture of mystery, adventure, and suspense. I though that anyone who likes mystery series needs to get the whole the whole 'hardy boys' series. this book was about when the 'Applegates`' jewels and securities where stolen by a guy named 'Red jackley'. I would say more but i don't want to spoil it. READ THE BOOK NOW!
May 29, 2011
Ian
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This book was magnificent! The Hardy boys have been helping thier father with cases but this time they are taking on their first case. Dixon will use the element of surprise at the end of chapters to keep you hooked. The Hardy boys are classic caracters with simple names, Frank and Joe. This book was the start of his long collection of Hardy boys casefiles. I recommend this book to all ages since it is exciting and the pace will never stop!
May 24, 2010
Eric
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I recently found an old copy of this book in my parents' attic, and gave it a quick read to see if it was anywhere nearly as interesting as I found The Hardy Boys books to be as a kid (I read all of them growing up).
Surprisingly, for the most part, The Tower Treasure held its own. There were exceptions -- some outdated language and character names, and the 1950s Boy Scout feel of the two main characters -- but the underlying mystery was solid and kept me interested.
Surprisingly, for the most part, The Tower Treasure held its own. There were exceptions -- some outdated language and character names, and the 1950s Boy Scout feel of the two main characters -- but the underlying mystery was solid and kept me interested.
May 05, 2009
Kat
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The girls and I read this for bedtime read-aloud. Two chapters a night and I always closed the book amidst protests of "one more chapter" or "you can't stop now". The plot is good, the language wonderful (big words and polite kids- wow) and the characters created are ones that I don't mind my kids copying. We have started a collection of hardback Hardy Boys books and the kids are very excited about the next installment.
Oct 23, 2011
Robert
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I have a copy of this 1927 novel that introduces the world to the Hardy Boys. I found it in an old bookstore and purchased it for my collection. It's a fantastic read, although the 1961 version is the one I am most familiar with. Because of the 34 year interval between writings, it's almost as if it's 2 seperate stories. I like the vintage story because it gives a glimpse at teenage boys lives in the late '20's.
Oct 25, 2010
Harry
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Read a whole bunch of these when I was in elementary school. Going to make a guess that it was circa 1995. They were pretty easy accelerated reader points to gain, but I enjoyed the flow of the stories, too, and wondering how one thing could connect to another while the mystery gets solved.
I read them out of order, so this first one wasn't my first to read. I recall not liking it as much as later ones, though.
I read them out of order, so this first one wasn't my first to read. I recall not liking it as much as later ones, though.
Apr 11, 2011
David
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They weren't great literature, but the Hardy Boys mysteries kept thousands (if not millions) of rowdy little boys like me reading back in the 1950s. Published in 1927, this was the first of what would become scores of novels about Frank and Joe Hardy penned by various ghostwriters under the name Franklin W. Dixon. The earliest ones, written by Canadian Leslie McFarlane, were best.
Aug 12, 2010
Christian
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I read this book to my five year old son and he loved it. Several times he gasped out loud in response to a passage. I was thoroughly impressed with how varied Dixon's vocab is. I'm sure my son learned a lot of new words, although some were outdated (eg., pell mell). Upon finishing the book, my son immediately asked if we could get the second in the series...we're already on chp 3.
May 05, 2007
Julia
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Story and no plot. This is not a 'bad' trait for children's fiction (eg. little red riding hood...Edward Lear!) or even fiction in general. But it's commercial and safe. Nowadays, transgression against this conservative form seems to send the vibe of being old and overdone. What is new if 'new' has become old? Do we revert back to the old? But just because the new has become old doesn't mean the old is not old. What is there when text tries to subvert itself and we end up with no text? A
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