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Hardy Boys Adventures #4
Into Thin Air
When the daughter of an amusement-park owner goes missing, it’s anything but fun and games in this Hardy Boys adventure—a new take on the classic series.
Daisy Rodriguez is missing. Just like that, gone without a trace. Her father, Hector Rodriguez—owner of Funspot, Bayport’s local amusement park—is frantic. He feels he’s to blame, since Funspot was recently the location of another disappearance. Could Daisy’s vanishing be somehow connected? Joe and Frank Hardy figured out the first Funspot mystery and are up to their necks in this one, too. Daisy doesn’t seem to have an enemy in the world; no one has a bad word to say about her. So who in Bayport wants this girl gone?
Daisy Rodriguez is missing. Just like that, gone without a trace. Her father, Hector Rodriguez—owner of Funspot, Bayport’s local amusement park—is frantic. He feels he’s to blame, since Funspot was recently the location of another disappearance. Could Daisy’s vanishing be somehow connected? Joe and Frank Hardy figured out the first Funspot mystery and are up to their necks in this one, too. Daisy doesn’t seem to have an enemy in the world; no one has a bad word to say about her. So who in Bayport wants this girl gone?
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2013
58 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
760 books994 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 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 11, 2025
A great follow up the cliffhanger ending of the previous book. I like how plot lines tie up with previous books in the series, not so much that you need to have read them but more like Easter eggs and world building.
July 13, 2018
Quick, fun middle grade book to read with my boys. Can’t go wrong sleuthing with the Hardy Boys! They always take you on mysterious fun rides.
November 7, 2023
'Into Thin Air' (Hardy Boys Adventures #4) by Franklin W. Dixon.
Rating: 3.25/5.
Review:
Being an avid fan of the Hardy Boys Mystery Stories since my school days, I was thoroughly disappointed in the first three books of the newest iteration of this series – now titled the 'Hardy Boys Adventures' series. I was on the verge of giving up on the series but was forced to read the fourth book of the series... all thanks to the cliffhanger ending of the previous book. After the initial disappointment of the first three books set in the rebooted Hardy Boys Adventures universe, 'Into Thin Air' felt like a magnificent return to the familiar Hardy Boys style of storytelling.
Unlike the last three books, the two brothers actively engage in sleuthing in this story. The stakes are raised, and this time the case is far more personal to Joe, and this hits hard. The constant threats and dangers posed by the antagonist were reminiscent of the Casefile stories. Furthermore, the part where the Hardys had troubles with their car and were on a collision course with an oncoming vehicle felt like a return to familiarity. This trope was used far too much in the original Hardy Boys books, and reading about their highway shenanigans brought back old memories of reading those books. Having recently reread 'The Voodoo Plot', one of the original Hardy Boys stories, I loved the nod to that book by having an exact scene inserted in this story – the Hardys being threatened by the antagonist by placing a dangerous rattlesnake in their car while they are out snooping.
However, the final reveal about the main culprit wasn't as shocking as it should have been. As mentioned earlier, this book and its predecessor form a single story arc — that, despite the short length of the two books, was shamelessly broken into two parts for commercial reasons. When I was reading the previous book, I had assumed the main culprit's (and their family's) involvement in the mysterious disappearances. However, that book took a weird twist, and the culprits were revealed to be the two brothers who built the ride. It was kind of predictable, too, but I let that slide by. Now, in this book, it was revealed that the actual culprit was the one I had guessed about while reading the earlier book. It was a bummer of a reveal considering all the high stakes and the dangerous circumstances the Hardys found themselves in this book. Also, there was an entire chapter dedicated to the "Red Arrow" organization, which led to nowhere and seems to be inserted as a filler episode just to meet the mandatory chapter requirements.
I was so stunned by the return to familiarity that I was going to allot a 5-star rating to this book. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like things didn't seem to make any sense. The 'Red Arrow' filler episode and the predictable reveal did leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it didn't hinder my reading experience to a great extent. What bothered me wasn't the predictability of the reveal but the impossible circumstances surrounding the actual plotting of the crime. Considering the Piperato Brothers were revealed to be innocent in this book, the main culprit didn't seem to have the expertise nor the appropriate time to make major modifications to the 'G-Force' ride without anyone else or the creators being aware of those.
Overall, I liked this book a lot better than the previous three. It does seem like a major upgrade and a return to familiarity, but if compared to the original Hardy Boys canon, it still seems like a pale imitation of the former iterations. However, this book has instilled in me a hope that there are some chances for improvement, and thus, I shall be trying out more books in this series before making any decisions regarding dropping the series.
The Piperatos’ message hadn’t made me feel any better, or any closer to finding the person who’d taken Daisy. Instead it made the world feel much bigger and darker, and much harder to understand, than it had just moments before we’d stepped into the jail.
Rating: 3.25/5.
Review:
Being an avid fan of the Hardy Boys Mystery Stories since my school days, I was thoroughly disappointed in the first three books of the newest iteration of this series – now titled the 'Hardy Boys Adventures' series. I was on the verge of giving up on the series but was forced to read the fourth book of the series... all thanks to the cliffhanger ending of the previous book. After the initial disappointment of the first three books set in the rebooted Hardy Boys Adventures universe, 'Into Thin Air' felt like a magnificent return to the familiar Hardy Boys style of storytelling.
Unlike the last three books, the two brothers actively engage in sleuthing in this story. The stakes are raised, and this time the case is far more personal to Joe, and this hits hard. The constant threats and dangers posed by the antagonist were reminiscent of the Casefile stories. Furthermore, the part where the Hardys had troubles with their car and were on a collision course with an oncoming vehicle felt like a return to familiarity. This trope was used far too much in the original Hardy Boys books, and reading about their highway shenanigans brought back old memories of reading those books. Having recently reread 'The Voodoo Plot', one of the original Hardy Boys stories, I loved the nod to that book by having an exact scene inserted in this story – the Hardys being threatened by the antagonist by placing a dangerous rattlesnake in their car while they are out snooping.
However, the final reveal about the main culprit wasn't as shocking as it should have been. As mentioned earlier, this book and its predecessor form a single story arc — that, despite the short length of the two books, was shamelessly broken into two parts for commercial reasons. When I was reading the previous book, I had assumed the main culprit's (and their family's) involvement in the mysterious disappearances. However, that book took a weird twist, and the culprits were revealed to be the two brothers who built the ride. It was kind of predictable, too, but I let that slide by. Now, in this book, it was revealed that the actual culprit was the one I had guessed about while reading the earlier book. It was a bummer of a reveal considering all the high stakes and the dangerous circumstances the Hardys found themselves in this book. Also, there was an entire chapter dedicated to the "Red Arrow" organization, which led to nowhere and seems to be inserted as a filler episode just to meet the mandatory chapter requirements.
I was so stunned by the return to familiarity that I was going to allot a 5-star rating to this book. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like things didn't seem to make any sense. The 'Red Arrow' filler episode and the predictable reveal did leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it didn't hinder my reading experience to a great extent. What bothered me wasn't the predictability of the reveal but the impossible circumstances surrounding the actual plotting of the crime. Considering the Piperato Brothers were revealed to be innocent in this book, the main culprit didn't seem to have the expertise nor the appropriate time to make major modifications to the 'G-Force' ride without anyone else or the creators being aware of those.
Overall, I liked this book a lot better than the previous three. It does seem like a major upgrade and a return to familiarity, but if compared to the original Hardy Boys canon, it still seems like a pale imitation of the former iterations. However, this book has instilled in me a hope that there are some chances for improvement, and thus, I shall be trying out more books in this series before making any decisions regarding dropping the series.
January 5, 2021
Ok, this was verrryyy interesting........................
November 10, 2022
Another exciting adventure with Frank and Joe
July 14, 2018
Have i ever mentioned that I'll stop reading any other books just to read a Hardy boys thriller?
I really am a big fan of Hardy boys, especially the new editions.
I really love to read the comical Joe and the serious computer geek Frank and their cases.
CONTAIN SPOILERS:
This book is based on the disappearance of Daisy Rodriguez who is the ex-girlfriend of Joe and also the daughter of the owner of Funspot.
People have disappeared before in the same 'G-Force' ride but it was just a prank to get more attention.
But Daisy's disappearance turns everything upside down. She doesn't return back.
Meanwhile, while sleuthing on her case, Frank and Joe receives many anonymous letter and messages warning them to stop searching for Daisy. This creates a whole new scene for both Frank and Joe. They keep on searching for Daisy but they get many hurdles on their way. At last it turns out that it was Daisy herself who was behind all this.
And at that time i was shocked. Just Shocked
My head was bombarding me with questions like "What? Why?", "Now why would she do that?"
She didn't want Hector (her father) to buy Funspot. Because it cost a lot of money and she thought her future will be destroyed. Daisy's craziness unravels gradually while she was narrating all her deeds to Frank and Joe at the end of the book.
Recommended for everyone who wants to read a fun, thrilling crime story.
I really am a big fan of Hardy boys, especially the new editions.
I really love to read the comical Joe and the serious computer geek Frank and their cases.
CONTAIN SPOILERS:
This book is based on the disappearance of Daisy Rodriguez who is the ex-girlfriend of Joe and also the daughter of the owner of Funspot.
People have disappeared before in the same 'G-Force' ride but it was just a prank to get more attention.
But Daisy's disappearance turns everything upside down. She doesn't return back.
Meanwhile, while sleuthing on her case, Frank and Joe receives many anonymous letter and messages warning them to stop searching for Daisy. This creates a whole new scene for both Frank and Joe. They keep on searching for Daisy but they get many hurdles on their way. At last it turns out that it was Daisy herself who was behind all this.
And at that time i was shocked. Just Shocked
My head was bombarding me with questions like "What? Why?", "Now why would she do that?"
She didn't want Hector (her father) to buy Funspot. Because it cost a lot of money and she thought her future will be destroyed. Daisy's craziness unravels gradually while she was narrating all her deeds to Frank and Joe at the end of the book.
Recommended for everyone who wants to read a fun, thrilling crime story.
December 22, 2024
2.5 stars
Very predictable. I knew who did it as soon as the girl went missing. There were some clues pointing in other directions, but overall, it was pretty easy to figure out. Kids new to mystery might enjoy this. It does what it needs to for its target audience.
Very predictable. I knew who did it as soon as the girl went missing. There were some clues pointing in other directions, but overall, it was pretty easy to figure out. Kids new to mystery might enjoy this. It does what it needs to for its target audience.
May 30, 2025
seeing joe sad and defeated instead of light hearted and fun, my heart was hurting....😭get some sleep man
February 24, 2024
cute little kids book
July 18, 2021
Chief Olaf this entire book: please stop investigating; someone is literally trying to murder you and I don't want your deaths on my conscience
Frank and Joe careening down the street in a car with cut breaks and a live rattlesnake in the back seat: you STOP the Hardys? you stop the Hardys like the common criminals? oh! oh! jail for Chief Olaf! Jail for Chief Olaf for One Thousand Years!!!!!
Seriously, though, I enjoyed this installment a lot. I legitimately didn't see the culprit coming, which is always fun! I also really liked getting to see the boys, particularly Joe, react to a case that was so serious and hit so close to home. The previous books were all pretty lighthearted and low stakes (up until the obligatory near-death experience at the end), so it was a big contrast to see Joe become physically ill with worry for Daisy and Frank helpless to comfort him, and I thought the more solemn tone worked well and raised the tension.
Frank and Joe careening down the street in a car with cut breaks and a live rattlesnake in the back seat: you STOP the Hardys? you stop the Hardys like the common criminals? oh! oh! jail for Chief Olaf! Jail for Chief Olaf for One Thousand Years!!!!!
Seriously, though, I enjoyed this installment a lot. I legitimately didn't see the culprit coming, which is always fun! I also really liked getting to see the boys, particularly Joe, react to a case that was so serious and hit so close to home. The previous books were all pretty lighthearted and low stakes (up until the obligatory near-death experience at the end), so it was a big contrast to see Joe become physically ill with worry for Daisy and Frank helpless to comfort him, and I thought the more solemn tone worked well and raised the tension.
October 24, 2015
Mr. Rodriguez owned an amusement park and had invested heavily in a new ride. Then his daughter Daisy vanishes into thin air. The Hardy boys investigate what happened and who wanted Daisy gone.
March 19, 2017
Ties into #3. Most makes sense in its ability to happen except for the changes to the plans of the ride occuring without the creators knowing or doing it themselves.
April 10, 2020
Disappointing- not like the Hardy Boys at all!!!
October 30, 2024
So, I had actually thought that this book was finally headed in the right direction. There was more danger, more peril, more adventure. (Even the somewhat exaggerated cover comes from a scene where the boys brakes are cut.)Also, there was a lot of emotion, specifically from Joe, in this book. I liked that and I want to say I am very happy with the narrator of this series.
There's just this feel to the book that something bad might happen to the kidnap victim - when, really, there was never that feel from the previous book. Likely because in the previous book we barely spent any time around people that actually loved or cared for those that were kidnapped. In this book we see a boyfriend and a dad both come a little unglued. (Okay, to be fair, the dad more than a little.)
However, then we get to the denouement, and it was just straight up, so disappointing.
Huge spoilers to follow as to who the culprit was and why they did it.
You know what, I've talked this book into loosing a star.
Yeah, some of it was good, just about any other culprit - for literally any other reason - would have netted a two or three star instead of this mess.
There's just this feel to the book that something bad might happen to the kidnap victim - when, really, there was never that feel from the previous book. Likely because in the previous book we barely spent any time around people that actually loved or cared for those that were kidnapped. In this book we see a boyfriend and a dad both come a little unglued. (Okay, to be fair, the dad more than a little.)
However, then we get to the denouement, and it was just straight up, so disappointing.
Huge spoilers to follow as to who the culprit was and why they did it.
You know what, I've talked this book into loosing a star.
Yeah, some of it was good, just about any other culprit - for literally any other reason - would have netted a two or three star instead of this mess.
February 12, 2023
This is easily the best book in the new Hardy Boys Adventures series thus far. In the previous novel, Frank and Joe sifted through the clues to discover who was behind the disappearance of two teenagers riding G-Force, the star attraction of the amusement park, Fun Land. They identified the villains and got the police to lock them up. So how is it that a third teenager, Daisy, the daughter of Fun Land’s new owner and the girl who just broke up with Joe, has disappeared on the same ride?
This is a great story. Frank and Joe are highly motivated to rescue Daisy and even their sometimes enemy, Chief Olaf of the Bayport Police is acting human toward them out of compassion for the obvious stress they are feeling because of Daisy’s disappearance. His compassion turns to truly well-meaning concern when two efforts are made to either kill or seriously injure the boys and three clear warnings to back off the case are also delivered. But Frank and Joe are persistent and this time it was totally believable. They aren’t going to let their friend down.
Now this is where the book leaps up to a new level for these stories. We actually were given a lot of information about Fun Land, Daisy and her family, the villains of the last piece, and the G-Force in the previous book and all of it can be used in this novel to help the reader shortcut to the ending. The two books were clearly planned together and that makes the outcome of this novel one that everyone should predict (but probably didn’t). It certainly will make the reader who didn’t figure out what happened kick themselves for having overlooked important clues.
There really is only one thing that seriously detracts from this novel and the author gets away with it because it actually happened between the two books. The Hardy Boys already exposed how a person can disappear on G-Force, but apparently the authorities (and the Hardy Boys themselves) were slow to investigate that method. If they had done so, this novel wouldn’t have been necessary.
This is a great story. Frank and Joe are highly motivated to rescue Daisy and even their sometimes enemy, Chief Olaf of the Bayport Police is acting human toward them out of compassion for the obvious stress they are feeling because of Daisy’s disappearance. His compassion turns to truly well-meaning concern when two efforts are made to either kill or seriously injure the boys and three clear warnings to back off the case are also delivered. But Frank and Joe are persistent and this time it was totally believable. They aren’t going to let their friend down.
Now this is where the book leaps up to a new level for these stories. We actually were given a lot of information about Fun Land, Daisy and her family, the villains of the last piece, and the G-Force in the previous book and all of it can be used in this novel to help the reader shortcut to the ending. The two books were clearly planned together and that makes the outcome of this novel one that everyone should predict (but probably didn’t). It certainly will make the reader who didn’t figure out what happened kick themselves for having overlooked important clues.
There really is only one thing that seriously detracts from this novel and the author gets away with it because it actually happened between the two books. The Hardy Boys already exposed how a person can disappear on G-Force, but apparently the authorities (and the Hardy Boys themselves) were slow to investigate that method. If they had done so, this novel wouldn’t have been necessary.
October 21, 2022
As a 90s kid, I fell in love with Hardy Boys books.
We were tasked to read one (just 1!) Hardy Boys for a book report, but I enjoyed it so much, I ended up reading every single HB book in our school library.
This might be the first series I followed, the first one that really made me enjoy reading for pleasure, and it's probably one of the reasons I'm still crazy for detective stories to this day. 😁
------
That's why when the new series "Hardy Boys Adventures" came out in 2013, I was very curious.
It took me long to give it a try because I know that I'm probably already too old for this series.
But meh, who cares? Lol
I just want to try it out for the sake of nostalgia.
------
So how was it?
Written for the young audience, obviously, it isn't going to be as deep as all the other full blown crime and detective novels I've read by now.
I won't say it's perfect, but i'll say it's probably still good for young readers. After all, it managed to hold my interest despite its simplicity.
Who knows, there might still be young ones who could discover a passion for reading thanks to the Hardy Boys.
We were tasked to read one (just 1!) Hardy Boys for a book report, but I enjoyed it so much, I ended up reading every single HB book in our school library.
This might be the first series I followed, the first one that really made me enjoy reading for pleasure, and it's probably one of the reasons I'm still crazy for detective stories to this day. 😁
------
That's why when the new series "Hardy Boys Adventures" came out in 2013, I was very curious.
It took me long to give it a try because I know that I'm probably already too old for this series.
But meh, who cares? Lol
I just want to try it out for the sake of nostalgia.
------
So how was it?
Written for the young audience, obviously, it isn't going to be as deep as all the other full blown crime and detective novels I've read by now.
I won't say it's perfect, but i'll say it's probably still good for young readers. After all, it managed to hold my interest despite its simplicity.
Who knows, there might still be young ones who could discover a passion for reading thanks to the Hardy Boys.
August 7, 2025
Since January, the shortest book I'd read so far in 2025 had been Queer Mythology: Epic Legends from Around the World, by Guido A. Sanchez. It was 120 pages long. Today, it has been replaced by Hardy Boys Adventures, Book 4: Into Thin Air. This book was 109 pages long. The previous book in the series, Hardy Boys Adventures, Book 3: The Vanishing Game, ended on a major cliffhanger. Into Thin Air picks up right where the last book left off. But whereas I rated the former book 5 stars, I gave the latter book a 4-star rating. It fell a bit short of my expectations. That said, I still really liked it.
January 6, 2026
Okay, so this is the best one yet. I truly did not expect what happened, that was crazy, and this time the cover actually did happen! I can see why my brother wanted me to read these last two.
They did leave out how the villian actually did it though.
They did leave out how the villian actually did it though.
July 21, 2021
This book picks up right where the last book left off. Another disappearance! This time, it's different. After all, the original culprits were in jail...weren't they?
The Hardy Boys are up against a clock. And this time...it's personal. They start getting notes to walk away, and get a few threats their way.
Fun adventure, as always. I'm enjoying listening to this series in audio.
The Hardy Boys are up against a clock. And this time...it's personal. They start getting notes to walk away, and get a few threats their way.
Fun adventure, as always. I'm enjoying listening to this series in audio.
January 4, 2021
My 3rd grader loves these, I think they’re kind of meh...but he enjoys the cliffhangers and trying to figure out the mysteries. Can’t wait to introduce him to other mysteries. In this one, another person disappears from funspot and the resolution is wild.
February 23, 2018
I liked this book a lot . Maybe because i like mysteries . It goes into a lot of detail about what happened in the story .
August 20, 2018
A three star, but it gets an extra star for the continuity and cliffhanger continued from the first book of the series until this one.
February 18, 2019
Really good book, has a huge twist you never see coming. Highly recommended it.
January 27, 2021
it a very good book
March 3, 2021
Great ending that shocked my son solidifying his love of the series.
April 25, 2021
Hoopla audio
A continuation from the previous book. Liked the further development of characters and plot from the previous book. A good series for kids overall.
A continuation from the previous book. Liked the further development of characters and plot from the previous book. A good series for kids overall.
August 19, 2021
Good for the boys. A little predictable and hokey. Typical hardy boy adventure.
September 30, 2021
5 stars from the 9 year old
April 8, 2022
I'm surprised at how much I am enjoying this series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews