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The Hardy Boys #27
The Secret of Skull Mountain
The Hardys team up with a team of engineers to discover how water is disappearing from Bayport's new reservoir near Skull Mountain.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
79 people are currently reading
920 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
734 books991 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 88 reviews
January 23, 2014
I came across this old Hardy Boys book, and before I gave it away to a kid I decided to read it again. I'm a middle-aged man, and it was fun to read a Hardy Boys book again, decades later. I was surprised how much I liked it. The suspense was still just as good as it was before, and of course it didn't take long to read. I had to chuckle at the notion of two teenagers foiling the best-laid plans of adults with money, but what the hey, it wasn't hard to set aside my disbelief in exchange for a couple hours of entertainment.
January 18, 2025
This twenty-seventh volume in the Hardy Boys mystery/adventure series was produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and was published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1948 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. All but a handful of the earlier books in the series had been ghost-written by the great Leslie McFarlane, but this one was the sole contribution to the series by George Waller, Jr., with considerable input from Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who also served as the outliner and editor. Grosset & Dunlap undertook to revise the first thirty-eight of the original books from 1959-1973, a project overseen by Stratemeyer-Adams, and David Grambs did the re-tooling of this novel, which appeared in 1966. The idea was to shorten and simplify the books for a younger readership and dated references and other details were changed. The original novel was 212 pages long and had 25 chapters, and the newer iteration was 20 chapters with 177 pages. I read the original edition and then the newer novel back-to-back in order to compare the two. They're quite similar books; many of the revisions are entirely new novels, but this one is mostly just shortened and simplified, with less characterization and humor and more action oriented. It's a good story that focuses on a scientific mystery more than on criminal activity. Their hometown, Bayport, is having a water shortage, which is supposed to be alleviated by the construction of a new reservoir created by the damming of the Tarnack River. Unfortunately, the water level doesn't rise; it seems to act as it should during the daytime but drops at night. Frank and Joe sign on to help the engineers who are investigating the problem and soon encounter a variety of quirky characters who are opposed to the project. (There's a Native American burial ground on the mountain, and it's a little disturbing that their skulls are dug up and tossed around with no thought as to wrongdoing. Also, poor Chet is constantly overeating and clumsily plump throughout both books.) In the meantime, Dad Hardy is looking for a missing scientist from Chicago, and of course their cases overlap. Most of the changes between the editions are slight, aside from the simplification. A reference to Saturday night baths is changed to a swimming pool, Police Chief Collig is no longer gruff and grumpy in '66, and Callie Shaw's undercover job is changed to a consortium of lookout girls. In the original, the kidnapped scientist is made to test for bauxite deposits, but that's changed to cesium in the new one, which actually makes a lot more sense. Altogether, the quality of the book doesn't drop as much as I'd anticipated with McFarlane's absence. I rated the original at four stars and thought it appropriate for an average age of 12-14, and the revision at two stars for, say, 8-to-10.
January 18, 2025
This twenty-seventh volume in the Hardy Boys mystery/adventure series was produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and was published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1948 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. All but a handful of the earlier books in the series had been ghost-written by the great Leslie McFarlane, but this one was the sole contribution to the series by George Waller, Jr., with considerable input from Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who also served as the outliner and editor. Grosset & Dunlap undertook to revise the first thirty-eight of the original books from 1959-1973, a project overseen by Stratemeyer-Adams, and David Grambs did the re-tooling of this novel, which appeared in 1966. The idea was to shorten and simplify the books for a younger readership and dated references and other details were changed. The original novel was 212 pages long and had 25 chapters, and the newer iteration was 20 chapters with 177 pages. I read the original edition and then the newer novel back-to-back in order to compare the two. They're quite similar books; many of the revisions are entirely new novels, but this one is mostly just shortened and simplified, with less characterization and humor and more action oriented. It's a good story that focuses on a scientific mystery more than on criminal activity. Their hometown, Bayport, is having a water shortage, which is supposed to be alleviated by the construction of a new reservoir created by the damming of the Tarnack River. Unfortunately, the water level doesn't rise; it seems to act as it should during the daytime but drops at night. Frank and Joe sign on to help the engineers who are investigating the problem and soon encounter a variety of quirky characters who are opposed to the project. (There's a Native American burial ground on the mountain, and it's a little disturbing that their skulls are dug up and tossed around with no thought as to wrongdoing. Also, poor Chet is constantly overeating and clumsily plump throughout both books.) In the meantime, Dad Hardy is looking for a missing scientist from Chicago, and of course their cases overlap. Most of the changes between the editions are slight, aside from the simplification. A reference to Saturday night baths is changed to a swimming pool, Police Chief Collig is no longer gruff and grumpy in '66, and Callie Shaw's undercover job is changed to a consortium of lookout girls. In the original, the kidnapped scientist is made to test for bauxite deposits, but that's changed to cesium in the new one, which actually makes a lot more sense. Altogether, the quality of the book doesn't drop as much as I'd anticipated with McFarlane's absence. I rated the original at four stars and thought it appropriate for an average age of 12-14, and the revision at two stars for, say, 8-to-10.
February 22, 2012
Yet another fun adventure from the Hardy Boys mystery book series.
November 1, 2015
Its a new mystery that the Hardy boys are trying to put the puzzle pieces together!This time for Bay ports newest resavior, the water is leaking out at night, and only night. The resavior is located on skull mountain.Along with the water disappearing, there's been a lot of weird things going on on the mountain. Such as sightings of black smoke, but when you reach it, there's nothing there.Skulls randomly appear , either thrown at you, next you when you wake up, or even look away for a couple of seconds.There's been many spottings of a skinny man with long frizzy hair that ends up stealing cloths from a member of there group. the mane is very hard to catch,close to impossible, but the Hardy's saw him once and he had an axe and was wearing their clothing that he had stolen. Is the weird man have something to do with the water disappearing at night? read the book to find out what the Hardy's and the engineers figure out about the secret of the skull mountain. If you enjoyed this book you will love "i Have A Bad Feeling About This" by Jeff Strand.
December 20, 2014
At heart I'm a boy from the 1920s-40s. ^_^
March 9, 2019
If your kid reads this book and says, "I like this dam book," don't be alarmed. He is just referring to a mystery that the two Hardy boys are trying to solve. Water has been disappearing at night from a reservoir near the boys' home and the dam engineers have asked them to help solve their dam mystery. This was the first Hardy Boy book that I had ever read since I was more of a Nancy Drew fan as a kid. I recently revisited some of my old Nancy Drew books and found that this Hardy Boy book has a very similar feel to it. Both series have similar antiquated word choices and plot devices being utilized. I have a couple of hang ups about this particular book in the series.
My biggest issue is that it has a few politically incorrect parts in it which would not be acceptable if the book had been set during current times. For example, the criminals are throwing skulls from a nearby Native American burial ground yet the only people who are trying to solve the dam mystery are some dam engineers and a couple of teenage boys! You'd think there would be some law enforcement officers getting involved with all of these skulls showing up on the mountain and being used in such disrespectful ways. In addition, I also thought it was very degrading for Chet to be constantly referred to as the "fat" or "plump" friend as if this was his only identifying attribute. Despite my hang ups, my 7 year old son and I did enjoy reading this book together and my son particularly loved reading and chuckling about getting to read the word "dam" throughout the book. He told me he liked this book because it had challenging words in it and the mystery was harder to solve than other kid mystery books that we've read together. I liked how the book expanded my son's vocabulary and schema. He learned a lot of new words such as reservoir and telegrams. Without my help explaining some of the words and historical context of the book, this book may have been a little bit out of his reach to read independently. Therefore, it would probably be enjoyed or understand more by older kids. Even then, much of this book feels very old fashioned and I'm not sure kids of today could relate easily. For example, there were countless times in this book where the boys had to drive all the way home to call someone instead of just whipping out their cell phones. It was an interesting experiment to read this classic book with my son. We plan on reading more of the series together in order to see if they are as dam exciting as this one was.
My biggest issue is that it has a few politically incorrect parts in it which would not be acceptable if the book had been set during current times. For example, the criminals are throwing skulls from a nearby Native American burial ground yet the only people who are trying to solve the dam mystery are some dam engineers and a couple of teenage boys! You'd think there would be some law enforcement officers getting involved with all of these skulls showing up on the mountain and being used in such disrespectful ways. In addition, I also thought it was very degrading for Chet to be constantly referred to as the "fat" or "plump" friend as if this was his only identifying attribute. Despite my hang ups, my 7 year old son and I did enjoy reading this book together and my son particularly loved reading and chuckling about getting to read the word "dam" throughout the book. He told me he liked this book because it had challenging words in it and the mystery was harder to solve than other kid mystery books that we've read together. I liked how the book expanded my son's vocabulary and schema. He learned a lot of new words such as reservoir and telegrams. Without my help explaining some of the words and historical context of the book, this book may have been a little bit out of his reach to read independently. Therefore, it would probably be enjoyed or understand more by older kids. Even then, much of this book feels very old fashioned and I'm not sure kids of today could relate easily. For example, there were countless times in this book where the boys had to drive all the way home to call someone instead of just whipping out their cell phones. It was an interesting experiment to read this classic book with my son. We plan on reading more of the series together in order to see if they are as dam exciting as this one was.
March 18, 2022
A very pedestrian story. The baddies are trying to scare away the engineering team trying to find where the new reservoir leaks. The Hardys are trying to help the engineering team. Meanwhile Fenton the dad is trying to find a kidnapped scientist. Might there be a connection?
Almost a safe mystery for the Hardy brothers. The do not suffer any concussive events, though they almost dies from smoke inhalation. The KO count remains at 33.
Almost a safe mystery for the Hardy brothers. The do not suffer any concussive events, though they almost dies from smoke inhalation. The KO count remains at 33.
October 29, 2023
My grandson liked it.
Read
March 16, 2017I really enjoyed this book. It was very scary and suspenseful. Chet always comes in and saves the day. When Joe and Frank get captured in the airport Chet is there to help them get away. I really liked this book and would recommend it to people who like scary and interesting mystery books
February 2, 2023
Het gewone verhaal rond de Hardy broers maar wel in een ongewone setting, die door Dixon nog niet eerder gebruikt werd.
De cover geeft een zowel belangrijk als teleurstellend moment in het verhaal weer. Alles gaat om uit te vinden langs waar het verzamelde water achter een stuwdom in het niets verdwijnt. Zonder al te veel technische details maakt de auteur wel duidelijk hoe hopeloos de situatie en hoe nutteloos een onbruikbare stuwdam is. En hoe bedreigend voor het leven dat er van afhankelijk is.
Naar ouder gewoonte gebeurt er iets in Bayport waardoor de Hardy's, bijgestaan door Chet Morton, zich genoodzaakt zien om weer eens op avontuur elders in Amerika te trekken. Ze komen bij hun onderzoek al snel een aantal ongure types tegen waarmee ze het al direct aan de stok krijgen.
Op allerlei manieren proberen ze te ontdekken langs waar het water verdwijnt maar ze krijgen al snel met sabotage te maken. Het lek vinden ze niet. Ondertussen is Fenton Hardy weer eens met een ander onderzoek bezig en zoals gewoonlijk zal op het einde blijken dat beide zaken met elkaar verbonden zijn. De jonge Hardy's zijn natuurlijk degenen die de oplossing vinden.
Er zijn weer de nodige criminelen bij betrokken, harden en wacko's. De wacko's moeten zowel voor wat huiveringen als voor humor zorgen. Dat loopt niet helemaal goed, misschien omdat het boek verouderd over komt terwijl wat er gebeurt gewoon vandaag nog zou kunnen plaatsvinden.
Best wel 1 van de betere plots uit de reeks (alhoewel nogal vergezocht), minder toeval dan gewoonlijk bij het vinden van een oplossing. Humor niet bovenmaats, spanning gaat langzaam crescendo. Goeie plot die in deze vorm schijnt uniek te zijn. Psychologisch zwak. Amerikaans dus makkelijke zinsbouw en vocabulair.
De cover geeft een zowel belangrijk als teleurstellend moment in het verhaal weer. Alles gaat om uit te vinden langs waar het verzamelde water achter een stuwdom in het niets verdwijnt. Zonder al te veel technische details maakt de auteur wel duidelijk hoe hopeloos de situatie en hoe nutteloos een onbruikbare stuwdam is. En hoe bedreigend voor het leven dat er van afhankelijk is.
Naar ouder gewoonte gebeurt er iets in Bayport waardoor de Hardy's, bijgestaan door Chet Morton, zich genoodzaakt zien om weer eens op avontuur elders in Amerika te trekken. Ze komen bij hun onderzoek al snel een aantal ongure types tegen waarmee ze het al direct aan de stok krijgen.
Op allerlei manieren proberen ze te ontdekken langs waar het water verdwijnt maar ze krijgen al snel met sabotage te maken. Het lek vinden ze niet. Ondertussen is Fenton Hardy weer eens met een ander onderzoek bezig en zoals gewoonlijk zal op het einde blijken dat beide zaken met elkaar verbonden zijn. De jonge Hardy's zijn natuurlijk degenen die de oplossing vinden.
Er zijn weer de nodige criminelen bij betrokken, harden en wacko's. De wacko's moeten zowel voor wat huiveringen als voor humor zorgen. Dat loopt niet helemaal goed, misschien omdat het boek verouderd over komt terwijl wat er gebeurt gewoon vandaag nog zou kunnen plaatsvinden.
Best wel 1 van de betere plots uit de reeks (alhoewel nogal vergezocht), minder toeval dan gewoonlijk bij het vinden van een oplossing. Humor niet bovenmaats, spanning gaat langzaam crescendo. Goeie plot die in deze vorm schijnt uniek te zijn. Psychologisch zwak. Amerikaans dus makkelijke zinsbouw en vocabulair.
July 14, 2022
The twenty-seventh entry into the series has some good action sequences and ingenious plot points — but one may experience some sort of boredom due to the mystery’s extreme emphasis on science.While it may be educational and not bad,it seems to be a tad too much(It doesn’t bother you much since the mystery).The characters are few and far between but they are fully developed unlike in other entries.I quite liked Potato Annie.The book also offers some hilarious moments — which primarily revolve around Chet.The way they bribe Chet to come sleuthing with them made for a genuine laugh.This book also gives noteworthy moments for characters to shine especially in the case of Callie Shaw,girlfriend of Frank Hardy.The ending felt usual but it still was in its own league.All-in-all,despite those minor flaws,this book manages to be in the top ten.A 4.7 star rating could be given.
March 28, 2018
The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are the first series that I remember reading. I was still in elementary school, but I remember thinking I was reading more grown up books because these were long (more than 20 pages, lol) and there was more than one book you could read with the same main characters! The innocence of these mysteries and recalling my own innocence just makes me happy. All parents should give their kids Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew when they're young - only good things can come of it.
January 29, 2010
The only Hardy Boys I ever read, but it's the first book I remember becoming engrossed in that wasn't a comic book.
October 16, 2016
Another engaging story.
September 9, 2025
#Binge Reviewing My Past Reads:
Hardy Boys (Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)
There’s something instantly thrilling about a mountain called “Skull.” Even as a 12-year-old in Calcutta, I could picture jagged cliffs, dark caves, and shadows shaped like teeth and jawbones. The Secret of Skull Mountain promised danger, adventure, and the kind of mystery that makes a reader lean forward, fingers curled around the spine.
The narrative combines natural hazards, hidden criminals, and ingenious puzzles—a classic Hardy Boys mix. Yet, in retrospect, the story also reads as a meditation on fear and perception. Mountains loom larger than they are; shadows hide secrets; what seems ominous is often a test of courage and intellect. For a boy navigating school life, exams, and the first stirrings of self-awareness, Skull Mountain was both literal and metaphorical terrain to be conquered.
Culturally, the novel retains the mid-century American pulp charm: isolated locales, criminal masterminds, and the idea that youth equipped with logic and bravery can outwit danger. For me, reading it in a library corner, the “Skull Mountain” was less a place on a map and more a symbol of the unknown challenges that adolescence throws in one’s path—steep, intimidating, but ultimately surmountable.
What lingers most is that blend of awe and suspense: the mountain itself, the hidden dangers, the clever deductions by Frank and Joe. It’s a reminder that even the most forbidding obstacles can be approached with curiosity, courage, and careful observation—lessons that transcend pulp fiction and echo into real life.
Hardy Boys (Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)
There’s something instantly thrilling about a mountain called “Skull.” Even as a 12-year-old in Calcutta, I could picture jagged cliffs, dark caves, and shadows shaped like teeth and jawbones. The Secret of Skull Mountain promised danger, adventure, and the kind of mystery that makes a reader lean forward, fingers curled around the spine.
The narrative combines natural hazards, hidden criminals, and ingenious puzzles—a classic Hardy Boys mix. Yet, in retrospect, the story also reads as a meditation on fear and perception. Mountains loom larger than they are; shadows hide secrets; what seems ominous is often a test of courage and intellect. For a boy navigating school life, exams, and the first stirrings of self-awareness, Skull Mountain was both literal and metaphorical terrain to be conquered.
Culturally, the novel retains the mid-century American pulp charm: isolated locales, criminal masterminds, and the idea that youth equipped with logic and bravery can outwit danger. For me, reading it in a library corner, the “Skull Mountain” was less a place on a map and more a symbol of the unknown challenges that adolescence throws in one’s path—steep, intimidating, but ultimately surmountable.
What lingers most is that blend of awe and suspense: the mountain itself, the hidden dangers, the clever deductions by Frank and Joe. It’s a reminder that even the most forbidding obstacles can be approached with curiosity, courage, and careful observation—lessons that transcend pulp fiction and echo into real life.
June 4, 2021
When a newly built dam is losing water instead of holding it the engineers and the Hardy Boys try to find out why. An old Indian burial ground with skulls adds to the creepy aspect as they follow weird tracks left by a barefoot man with a missing toe. The mystery their father is working on in Chicago ends up being tied to the mystery the boys are working to solve. A missing scientist (Fenton Hardy's mystery),mad squatters on Skull Mountain who oppose the dam, strange smoke that disappears when the boys get near, a plumber who doesn't want to fix a leaky faucet (mysterious for sure)...all are part of this adventure. The Hardy boys are determined to solve this mystery even when they're certain someone is trying to stop them and their lives may be in danger.
March 30, 2023
In this installment, the Hardy Boys are helping their engineer friend figure out why the reservoir that feeds Bayport would stay full, which is causing the town to run out of water.
One thing I noticed in this book is that Chief Collig is portrayed in a manner that is not really friendly to the boys, which is inconsistent with previous books.
Also, at least one more incident of going unconscious. Lots of concussions for these guys.
Another observation is the lame sea language that doesn't really fit the book. I'm not sure who was writing this stuff, but it's horrible. Not very much of it, but what was there was annoying.
Not a bad volume for children to read.
One thing I noticed in this book is that Chief Collig is portrayed in a manner that is not really friendly to the boys, which is inconsistent with previous books.
Also, at least one more incident of going unconscious. Lots of concussions for these guys.
Another observation is the lame sea language that doesn't really fit the book. I'm not sure who was writing this stuff, but it's horrible. Not very much of it, but what was there was annoying.
Not a bad volume for children to read.
January 14, 2022
The writers of the Hardy Boys mysteries had very active imaginations which makes for some creative mysteries for the boys to solve. Skull Mountain hold many mysteries: why won't the reservoir hold water; who is the person with only 9 toes; where is the mysterious smoke coming from; and do any of those things tie into the disappearance of a missing Chicago scientist? All of these questions are answered thrillingly in this installment of the Hardy Boys.
November 29, 2023
For having been written in the 30s and 40s, these mysteries stand the test of time. My grandson also learns several new vocabulary words from these books each time we read one. Of course, the history of indigenous peoples was neglected back in the day and we have all the disrespect for skulls and resting places and the ha, ha, it's a spooky joke stuff in there. But it doesn't overtake the real mystery and how it gets solved. They hold interest for adults and children.
October 22, 2019
Amazing that no one has commented on the fact that the skulls are those from a Native American burial ground that everyone handles with an amazing amount of disrespect. I'm not an over-sensitive PC person but this was glaring...even for the period.
This was one the more haphazard HB mysteries with events that are so jumbled together and so many characters that make no, and have no, sense.
This was one the more haphazard HB mysteries with events that are so jumbled together and so many characters that make no, and have no, sense.
June 5, 2018
I thought this book was a very good book. It is filled with mystery, adventure and a little bit of humor every now and then. the part that I liked the most in the book was when the George joe and fleetfoot venture out to skull mountain and find an hideout for the bad guys. overall this book was very well thought out and is great for people who like to read mystery and adventure books.
June 5, 2018
Ate these up as a kid and usually got them as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other events. This edition would be quite dated now and I believe they have updated the books. The author was a pseudonym for a plethora of writers who contributed to this series.
August 6, 2022
A good entry, with a larger than usual cast of villains and a mystery that was not solved until quite near the end of the book. Chet was here, and no one got bashed over the head this time.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
March 26, 2024
I think the title for this one probably came before any idea of what the book was about. Or maybe they just felt it needed a lot of rewriting.
It's an okay book but the elements just don't seem to mesh well.
It's an okay book but the elements just don't seem to mesh well.
June 8, 2017
Action, adventure, danger, our hero's Frank and Joe Hardy... pretty much what one reads the Hardy Boys book for.
February 14, 2018
Read it to see if maybe it’s a series I should recommend to my kid. I always hear so much about the Hardy Boys. I have to say I was underwhelmed. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t wow.
February 16, 2018
Really love how Joe cradles that skull on the cover.
Good story about a heist of water. Engineering power!
Good story about a heist of water. Engineering power!
September 3, 2018
Action from the start! This one is so great because of the setting. I love the Hardy Boys books where they’re in the woods exploring and find secret caves and stuff. This one fits that!
September 20, 2018
I really liked it. It is a lively adventure with mystery with danger
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews