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The Hardy Boys #189
One False Step
A TRIP TO THE CIRCUS STIRS THE BOYS' SENSES -- AND SUSPICIONS. Frank, Joe, and their friends head to Philadelphia to catch a performance of Aerocirque, an amazing circus act with a twist -- the acrobats swing and flip from helicopters high in the air! But all is not well in the City of Brotherly Love. The other show in town is a series of robberies, and no one knows how they're being pulled off. Frank and Joe are soon jumping through hoops to find the clues they need to catch the culprits. But will they be too late? It looks like this mystery may come right down to the wire!
326 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2005
6 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
808 books1,005 followersFranklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2017
Another fun mystery; what else can I say?
March 12, 2020
Not really a good book. I can't even explain how corny it was to have there be a series of unexplained robberies that take place, all in high rise buildings on high floors, at the same time there's a tightrope walking acrobatics group going around, in all the same towns. I mean, come on. That's not even good for a Hardy Boys digest.
The girls could have been more interesting, they were really just tacked on and I'm not sure what role they even played in the end. None, I guess.
It was absolutely bizarre at the end, the whole part about "oh yeah this whole group of performers are deaf mutes in a cult that requires them to all wear masks" "oh yeah sounds normal" uh WHAT? What excuse me???? You're just bringing this up now??? That does not sound normal, thank you. And then later that turns out to be a ploy that they used to fool the boys but like why ... what the fuck.
Also they had the boys wear a wire... to get the recorded confessions of ... a bunch of deaf mutes who mime everything. ... Guys, wires record sound. Who the hell wrote this?
Oh yeah, and by the way, they practice tightrope walking for a couple hours one day, and by that night they're ready to do it 50 stories up across a street with no net? And they do? Like three times in a row??? That's insane. And then when it got to that point the book was especially badly written, without any tension or suspense, and they just got across like whatever. Even though it seems like that should've been the centerpiece of the whole book. UGH
I did like the twist in the end, although idk what was up with Bill, but Mario, that was something.
A couple really enjoyable easter eggs:
- Joe talking about enjoying Philadelphia, mentions they haven't been there before.
- Someone else is surprised to hear that.
- Frank agrees: "Me too. We've been to almost every place else in the world."
A little reference to the brothers' extensive travels over the last 187 books that ostensibly all take place in the same year.
The best one, near the end, the boys are saved by a quirky old lady who sort of appears out of the blue named Louise Schuster. Well, the Hardy Boys books were at the time being published by the company Simon & Schuster - they had been since the 70s. I'm not for sure on the significance of the first name Louise, but then-CEO of Simon & Schuster was named Louise. So who knows.
The girls could have been more interesting, they were really just tacked on and I'm not sure what role they even played in the end. None, I guess.
It was absolutely bizarre at the end, the whole part about "oh yeah this whole group of performers are deaf mutes in a cult that requires them to all wear masks" "oh yeah sounds normal" uh WHAT? What excuse me???? You're just bringing this up now??? That does not sound normal, thank you. And then later that turns out to be a ploy that they used to fool the boys but like why ... what the fuck.
Also they had the boys wear a wire... to get the recorded confessions of ... a bunch of deaf mutes who mime everything. ... Guys, wires record sound. Who the hell wrote this?
Oh yeah, and by the way, they practice tightrope walking for a couple hours one day, and by that night they're ready to do it 50 stories up across a street with no net? And they do? Like three times in a row??? That's insane. And then when it got to that point the book was especially badly written, without any tension or suspense, and they just got across like whatever. Even though it seems like that should've been the centerpiece of the whole book. UGH
I did like the twist in the end, although idk what was up with Bill, but Mario, that was something.
A couple really enjoyable easter eggs:
- Joe talking about enjoying Philadelphia, mentions they haven't been there before.
- Someone else is surprised to hear that.
- Frank agrees: "Me too. We've been to almost every place else in the world."
A little reference to the brothers' extensive travels over the last 187 books that ostensibly all take place in the same year.
The best one, near the end, the boys are saved by a quirky old lady who sort of appears out of the blue named Louise Schuster. Well, the Hardy Boys books were at the time being published by the company Simon & Schuster - they had been since the 70s. I'm not for sure on the significance of the first name Louise, but then-CEO of Simon & Schuster was named Louise. So who knows.
July 17, 2023
INFORMATIVE6
Pschologically insightful, packed with interesting highrise, helicoper and acrobatics insight. A FUN READ. HUMILITY IS CLEARLY THE BYWORD,even for Hardys.
..
Pschologically insightful, packed with interesting highrise, helicoper and acrobatics insight. A FUN READ. HUMILITY IS CLEARLY THE BYWORD,even for Hardys.
..
June 23, 2010
Frank and Joe hardy are going to Philadelphia to see the amazing Aerocirque. But while everyone is at the performance some house get robbed. The police are puzzled because they don’t know how it is being pulled. Then the Hardy boys go undercover as one of the acrobats .Well they find anything ?Read this book to find out !!!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews