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The Hardy Boys #115
Sabotage at Sports City
An anonymous note delivered to the chairman of the Olympic Committee has put a sinister edge on the competition. The Hardys go undercover, determined to protect the athletes from foul play.
148 pages
First published August 1, 1992
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 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 29, 2024
'Sabotage at Sports City' (The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories #115) by Franklin W. Dixon.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer:
It was my first time reading this book. I have, probably, read the first 63 Hardy Boys books multiple times, but the same can not be said for the subsequent books in the series. It isn't because I'm partial to the Originals, but more so because the latter books were hard to find growing up. However, with the advent of digital books in recent times, I'm eager to pursue my childhood ambition of reading all 190 Hardy Boys books at least once.
The Hardy Boys books are a nostalgic affair. Had it not been for these books, it would have been difficult for me to cultivate my interest in reading and to later expand my reading preferences to include the fantasy and sci-fi genres. So, yeah, that's the main reason why you would rarely find me giving a rating of fewer than 3.5 stars (out of 5) to these Hardy Boys books.
Review:
After watching the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics a couple of nights ago, I fell prey to the urge to read certain old-school pulpy detective novels that had the Olympic games as a backdrop. I searched through my home library for books with a similar theme that I had bought during my school days, and I was fortunate enough to find some Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books that involved a sabotage plot revolving around the Olympic events. And, thus, to satiate my craving, I picked up Sabotage at Sports City.
It's the 1992 Summer Olympics, and the Hardy Boys and Chet have been invited to the games by Chet's Irish cousin, Sean, who is competing in the marathon event for the prestigious gold medal. But after a mysterious note to the Olympic Committee bearing threats to kill fifty-three athletes is discovered, Frank and Joe decide to go undercover to find out the culprit before things turn too messy.
It turned out to be a quick read that kept me entertained from the first page to the last. One of my favourite Hardy chums, Chet Morton, featured heavily in this book; and his sheer presence just made the experience even more enjoyable for me. The book presented a good mystery with plenty of red herrings that had me guessing the culprit's identity for a large part of the story. I had certain suspicions about a particular character, and I rightfully guessed the threat on the marathon runners was a tactic to divert attention from the decathlon — but things didn't play out exactly as I would have guessed. It wasn't a single person involved in the scandal, but rather a team, and this took me by surprise.
More often than not, the climax of a typical Hardy Boys novel is action-packed, but this book deviated greatly from the standard formula. This time around, the battle wasn't won by punches but by wits. The two culprits had almost outsmarted the Hardy Boys in front of the authorities, but some quick thinking and keen observation skills on Frank's behalf quickly turned the tide on the amateur detectives' side. It was quite an impressive ending.
As you can see, I had a great time reading this novel. I can't wait to read more of these Olympic-themed stories before getting on to my regular reads. On to the next one, then!
At the top, the runner turned to face the crowd. He held the small torch out to them as a salute. And then he turned back to the huge silver torch, letting his small flame rest at the edge of the huge bowl.
Suddenly, an enormous ball of red fire blasted out of the bowl, as if the runner had ignited a stick of dynamite. Flames leaped up toward him, and the entire stadium watched in stunned silence. The suddenness of the explosion knocked the torchbearer off his feet and sent him tumbling right down the long flight of stairs behind him!
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer:
It was my first time reading this book. I have, probably, read the first 63 Hardy Boys books multiple times, but the same can not be said for the subsequent books in the series. It isn't because I'm partial to the Originals, but more so because the latter books were hard to find growing up. However, with the advent of digital books in recent times, I'm eager to pursue my childhood ambition of reading all 190 Hardy Boys books at least once.
The Hardy Boys books are a nostalgic affair. Had it not been for these books, it would have been difficult for me to cultivate my interest in reading and to later expand my reading preferences to include the fantasy and sci-fi genres. So, yeah, that's the main reason why you would rarely find me giving a rating of fewer than 3.5 stars (out of 5) to these Hardy Boys books.
Review:
After watching the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics a couple of nights ago, I fell prey to the urge to read certain old-school pulpy detective novels that had the Olympic games as a backdrop. I searched through my home library for books with a similar theme that I had bought during my school days, and I was fortunate enough to find some Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books that involved a sabotage plot revolving around the Olympic events. And, thus, to satiate my craving, I picked up Sabotage at Sports City.
It's the 1992 Summer Olympics, and the Hardy Boys and Chet have been invited to the games by Chet's Irish cousin, Sean, who is competing in the marathon event for the prestigious gold medal. But after a mysterious note to the Olympic Committee bearing threats to kill fifty-three athletes is discovered, Frank and Joe decide to go undercover to find out the culprit before things turn too messy.
It turned out to be a quick read that kept me entertained from the first page to the last. One of my favourite Hardy chums, Chet Morton, featured heavily in this book; and his sheer presence just made the experience even more enjoyable for me. The book presented a good mystery with plenty of red herrings that had me guessing the culprit's identity for a large part of the story. I had certain suspicions about a particular character, and I rightfully guessed the threat on the marathon runners was a tactic to divert attention from the decathlon — but things didn't play out exactly as I would have guessed. It wasn't a single person involved in the scandal, but rather a team, and this took me by surprise.
More often than not, the climax of a typical Hardy Boys novel is action-packed, but this book deviated greatly from the standard formula. This time around, the battle wasn't won by punches but by wits. The two culprits had almost outsmarted the Hardy Boys in front of the authorities, but some quick thinking and keen observation skills on Frank's behalf quickly turned the tide on the amateur detectives' side. It was quite an impressive ending.
As you can see, I had a great time reading this novel. I can't wait to read more of these Olympic-themed stories before getting on to my regular reads. On to the next one, then!
February 20, 2018
Alright, this one was back to being somewhat interesting on its own right. Undercover action and threats to the Olympics. Not bad, really.
June 6, 2019
When I first read Hardy Boys, I think I was in class 5, I had such a crush on Frank Hardy. I liked the brainy one over the brawny one and that sums up my first impression of Hardy Boys.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out.
Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews