The Genius Thieves

The Hardy Boys Casefiles #9

by Franklin W. Dixon

Certain that the perpetrator of a million-dollar bank robbery is someone at the exclusive Chartwell Academy, the Hardy boys embark on an undercover investigation with Frank posing as a student and Joe as a janitor

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Juvenile, Detective

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Franklin 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.

Reviews

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 2 out of 5]

While secretly attending Chartwell Academy to investigate a thief using advanced technology, Frank and Joe find danger lurking around every hall corner as someone tries to put an end to their hunt! Dixon will entertain fans with this entry!

[Seema M. Fazil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great Hardy Boys book full of action that kept me reading until the end. As usual, I loved the Hardys determination to solve the case.
But I had a problem with a couple of things.
The first half of the book, it was all about the older Hardy brother, as he was the one who got accepted at Chartwell Academy, that I felt I was reading a Frank Hardy mystery instead of the Hardy Boys.
Another thing I would like to point out is that in the synopsis, it mentions that Joe goes undercover as a janitor, but that never happened. Instead, he tried to go undercover as a guard, which went unsuccessful.
Also, Frank is supposed to be much smarter than that! somewhere in the middle of the book, he trusted a girl with his secret mission. In the end, she turned out to be involved with the crime! Yes, I know he's a human being and that he's not perfect, but he's usually a cautious guy!
If there was one lesson I learned from this, it's to be cautious when you just meet someone.
Overall, aside from the minor problems I had with this book, I really enjoyed the actions near the end of the book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fenton Hardy is called to Bayport Bank and Trust after a series of computerized bank heists. When a clue suggests someone from exclusive prep school Chartwell Academy might be involved, Frank goes undercover as a transfer student. Joe gets an undercover job as a janitor, and then other jobs nearby.
Frank investigates but also is a victim of a series of unfortunate events: a fight with the school bully, a fire in his dorm room, his English lit exam being forged so he nearly fails. Frank is distracted but tries to focus on the bank heists. He and Joe discover the how but are involved in a long and dangerous chase, including being shot at several times, and being dosed with mind-altering hallucinogenic drugs. They manage to capture the gang of thieves who were working out of the school.
The chase at the end was exciting but Joe (and the other student who was dosed earlier) definitely needed medical care after being forcibly drugged. Also, someone should have noticed and called the cops during a gun battle on a prep school campus.
But other than that, this Casefile book has a plot that kept one guessing, plenty of action, and interesting guest characters. I enjoyed it.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever mystery!

[Daphne Self · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childhood memories hold something more dear than what is revealed in adulthood. These older Hardy Boys Casefiles books are well-written in that 80s style of writing. It was nice to revisit my teenage years.

[Dannuel Delizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surely way back in that time they didnt know that stealing via computer was possible. Funny.

[Amy Harth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well plotted with lots of suspects and plenty of suspenseful action. Well done in plausibility too.

[Partridge Public]

Dixon, Franklin W.