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The Hardy Boys #60
MYSTERY OF THE SAMURAI SWORD (HARDY BOYS 60)
When a rare samurai sword is stolen from an art gallery soon after the mysterious disappearance of a Japanese business tycoon, the Hardy boys suspect a connection and try to solve the mystery.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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604 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
780 books997 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 33 reviews
November 27, 2020
This early Hardy Boys paperback is a fast-paced, interesting tale that any fan of the series will enjoy. Mr. Hardy is retained to protect a wealthy Japanese businessman, who disappears in his motorcade from the airport while Mr. Hardy and the boys are escorting him! It turns out that the wealthy man was also trying to recover his family samurai sword, lost during World War II, that contained a secret message, possibly now embarrassing to the Japanese government. There are many sub-plots, twists and turns that keep the action fast-paced. Now some of the book has not aged well. The caricature like portrayal of the Japanese might of been typical of the 1970s but not so much today. And while the World War II tie in was likely current in the late 1970s, today with the few remaining World War II veterans in their late 90s, World War II is no longer as familiar. And the pencil sketches, while very well done, show the Hardys as 1970s teens! But altogether a good read any fan of the series will enjoy. The paperback sadly is out of print, but unlike later ones in the series, is printed on high quality paper that ages well. This was also one of the handful of the early paperbacks reprinted in hardcover some years back. Both editions are worth owning if you are a fan of the series.
February 13, 2026
This will be the last Hardy Boy Mystery that I collect. I had wanted to get the original canon, which is comprised of books 1-58, but being anal, I needed to have a whole number in the collection, so bumped it up to includes numbers 59 & 60. The Mystery of the Samurai Sword made me nervous, considering how racist previous books in the series were, but this one surprised me. There were hardly any stereotypes pointed out in this book. The mystery was pretty well done, and the "Agatha Christie, everyone in one room big reveal" type ending actually worked and didn't feel too pat.
August 4, 2018
I discovered this book during a recent trip home from Japan to my hometown in Canada. The library there still has the big set of Hardy Boys mysteries that I read in elementary school, gathering dust on a shelf in the back.
Living in Japan for many years now, this particular title (and its great cover) caught my eye, but I must admit that I checked it out (partially...) for the petty schadenfreude of looking down my nose at its obviously hilarious 1970s-informed portrayal of Japan. I hadn't read a Hardy Boys mystery in nearly 30 years, I'd venture to say, and while I remembered quite enjoying them, I was sure that the series would be seriously, seriously dated (especially with this particular subject matter).
However, I was pleasantly surprised (if a little disappointed). While of course the mystery is centre stage (and is a bit, er, farfetched in its resolution) this book was clearly written by someone who had done a fair amount of research into Japanese history and culture (I'd venture to say that the author had likely lived there). Yes, there are ninja, samurai, mysterious inscrutable "Oriental" facial expressions...but there were also detailed descriptions of Japanese weapons (naginata, for example) and even to the katana that were carried into WW2 by Japanese officers. The American characters were surprisingly varied in their responses to the Japanese characters (ranging from quite ignorant to very knowledgeable), which seemed quite honest.
I couldn't help wondering if this book was produced to capitalise on the popularity of Japanese history in America in the late 1970s generated by James Clavell's epic(ally awful) Shogun and its subsequent TV adaptation. If so, this author did a better job than Clavell with his research! Never thought I'd say that about a Hardy Boys mystery.
Oh...and something else hilarious that I'd totally forgotten about the series: it just can't help itself from calling the Hardys' friend Chet "pudgy Chet" or "chubby Chet", etc. every time he appears. Their other friend (can't remember name...but honestly...he's an extra) never gets an adjective.
The motorcycle gang was pretty sweet too.
Recommend if you'd like a quick summer read and a touch of nostalgia.
Living in Japan for many years now, this particular title (and its great cover) caught my eye, but I must admit that I checked it out (partially...) for the petty schadenfreude of looking down my nose at its obviously hilarious 1970s-informed portrayal of Japan. I hadn't read a Hardy Boys mystery in nearly 30 years, I'd venture to say, and while I remembered quite enjoying them, I was sure that the series would be seriously, seriously dated (especially with this particular subject matter).
However, I was pleasantly surprised (if a little disappointed). While of course the mystery is centre stage (and is a bit, er, farfetched in its resolution) this book was clearly written by someone who had done a fair amount of research into Japanese history and culture (I'd venture to say that the author had likely lived there). Yes, there are ninja, samurai, mysterious inscrutable "Oriental" facial expressions...but there were also detailed descriptions of Japanese weapons (naginata, for example) and even to the katana that were carried into WW2 by Japanese officers. The American characters were surprisingly varied in their responses to the Japanese characters (ranging from quite ignorant to very knowledgeable), which seemed quite honest.
I couldn't help wondering if this book was produced to capitalise on the popularity of Japanese history in America in the late 1970s generated by James Clavell's epic(ally awful) Shogun and its subsequent TV adaptation. If so, this author did a better job than Clavell with his research! Never thought I'd say that about a Hardy Boys mystery.
Oh...and something else hilarious that I'd totally forgotten about the series: it just can't help itself from calling the Hardys' friend Chet "pudgy Chet" or "chubby Chet", etc. every time he appears. Their other friend (can't remember name...but honestly...he's an extra) never gets an adjective.
The motorcycle gang was pretty sweet too.
Recommend if you'd like a quick summer read and a touch of nostalgia.
March 11, 2017
As usual, this series delivers.
March 15, 2016
The Mystery of the Samurai sword was a complex story solving the disappearance of a famous Japanese Samurai, Mr. Satoya, and his sword. Shortly after Satoya's disappearance the Hardy brothers had to encounter robberies of the extremely expensive samurai sword. Many challenges were faced looking for the sword. Suddenly, Mr. Satoya appeared in front of the Hardy's and explained that there was a surrender note in the swords handle from World War 2 and he said that he needed to get rid of it so he won't shame is family. One of Satoya's company workers wanted the sword for money instead of helping Satoya. TH esword was soon recovered with help from a biker gang. The Hardy's went back to their normal life with a laugh.
May 8, 2017
Was this really written in 1979? The constant reference to the "chubby" "pudgy" "fat" friend and referring to every character from Japan as "the Japanese" seems archaic. The adventure was fun. The mastery had some interest. The super neat and tidy plot (no wrong turns or incorrect hunches to be found!) was annoying but as a kid based read I'll recommend it to my 10 year old son. It was clean and the good guy wins so it staying on my bookshelf.
December 29, 2021
This was an odd mix of outdated and insensitive portrayals of Japanese people and a fair amount of research into Japanese culture particularly the weapons. I thought some of the clues and twists were pretty obvious even for the intended age group and was surprised by how many fist fights the Hardy Boys got into. Really just not the book for me.
February 1, 2025
This book was written by James Duncan Lawerence in 1979, I had read "The Mystery of the Chinese Junk" (1960) written by the same author in the same series and I didn't notice any racism back then, but when I started reading "Mystery of the Samurai Sword" I noticed it's filled with racist remarks and outdated language. The outdated language makes sense as it was written decades ago, but parents need to be aware of the language change. I started to write down each instance of racism, outdated language, and slurs but gave up after 31 pages. Notably, every asian character but one are just described as "the Ori*ntal" or "The Japanese", reduced from full characters down to their race.
Second complaint, for the first half of the book, everyone's weight is mentioned. Their hair, eyes, and clothing apparently aren't necessary for you to know, but their waistline is very important. Nancy Drew books, which are also penned by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, are full of eating disorder language, but usually Hardy Boys books are spared. Not so this time.
Third complaint, the Hardy Boys call up a man they've never spoken to before and do not ID themselves. They then ask if they can visit the man, and he says something along the lines of (I can't find the page again), "anything for the Hardy Boys." They didn't have caller ID yet, not that the Hardy Boys would even be in his contacts, and the boys didn't say who they were, but yet he knew. It's a small plot hole but one that I've seen before from the Stratemayer Syndicate.
Lastly, the characters are very dumb, particularly Joe. A man goes missing and a photographer had been taking photos earlier and Frank says the photos might be useful but Joe doesnt understand how, and has to explain to Joe in small words that the photos could contain evidence. This happens multiple times with Joe in this book and at the end Sam Radley, who works with the boys' PI father, asks why two of the criminals were involved with the crime and Frank has to explain to him that they were going to get a cut of the money. I think the issue here is that we can't hear the characters' thoughts, and so everything needs to be explained "out loud." I definitely feel that James could have accomplished this without making private detectives so dumb they forgot how photos work.
The story could have been interesting, but these issues really took focus.
Tw: Moderate racism and mild racial slurs.
Second complaint, for the first half of the book, everyone's weight is mentioned. Their hair, eyes, and clothing apparently aren't necessary for you to know, but their waistline is very important. Nancy Drew books, which are also penned by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, are full of eating disorder language, but usually Hardy Boys books are spared. Not so this time.
Third complaint, the Hardy Boys call up a man they've never spoken to before and do not ID themselves. They then ask if they can visit the man, and he says something along the lines of (I can't find the page again), "anything for the Hardy Boys." They didn't have caller ID yet, not that the Hardy Boys would even be in his contacts, and the boys didn't say who they were, but yet he knew. It's a small plot hole but one that I've seen before from the Stratemayer Syndicate.
Lastly, the characters are very dumb, particularly Joe. A man goes missing and a photographer had been taking photos earlier and Frank says the photos might be useful but Joe doesnt understand how, and has to explain to Joe in small words that the photos could contain evidence. This happens multiple times with Joe in this book and at the end Sam Radley, who works with the boys' PI father, asks why two of the criminals were involved with the crime and Frank has to explain to him that they were going to get a cut of the money. I think the issue here is that we can't hear the characters' thoughts, and so everything needs to be explained "out loud." I definitely feel that James could have accomplished this without making private detectives so dumb they forgot how photos work.
The story could have been interesting, but these issues really took focus.
Tw: Moderate racism and mild racial slurs.
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January 21, 2023Devin Chimbo
Yo admiro a los hermanos Hardy. Frank y Joe resuelven 2 misterios difíciles. Fueron puestos en muchas situaciones de vida o muerte. Por lo general, no veo a jóvenes detectives arriesgando sus vidas así porque todavía son jóvenes. La gente debe admirar y agradecer a los detectives. Varios detectives no duermen, sufren traumas por experiencias horribles y algunos cambian para lo peor. Una cosa que los hermanos Hardy hicieron bien fue la determinación. Estaban dedicados a averiguar quién robó la espada y cómo desapareció Satoya. Ellos no pararon aun que hubo varias veces en las que no había un camino claro. Utilizan sus recursos y descubren cómo aumentar sus ideas. Se siente como si tuvieran la mente de Einstein. Las personas también deben reconocer cuánto tiempo toma en convertirse en un detective. Según el internet, ¡podría tomar de cinco a ocho años! Nunca en mi vida he visto a un detective de menos de veinte años.
Yo admiro a los hermanos Hardy. Frank y Joe resuelven 2 misterios difíciles. Fueron puestos en muchas situaciones de vida o muerte. Por lo general, no veo a jóvenes detectives arriesgando sus vidas así porque todavía son jóvenes. La gente debe admirar y agradecer a los detectives. Varios detectives no duermen, sufren traumas por experiencias horribles y algunos cambian para lo peor. Una cosa que los hermanos Hardy hicieron bien fue la determinación. Estaban dedicados a averiguar quién robó la espada y cómo desapareció Satoya. Ellos no pararon aun que hubo varias veces en las que no había un camino claro. Utilizan sus recursos y descubren cómo aumentar sus ideas. Se siente como si tuvieran la mente de Einstein. Las personas también deben reconocer cuánto tiempo toma en convertirse en un detective. Según el internet, ¡podría tomar de cinco a ocho años! Nunca en mi vida he visto a un detective de menos de veinte años.
March 16, 2018
Teniendo en cuenta que los conocía sólo por los videojuegos de Nancy Drew, los hermanos Hardy cumplieron con las pequeñas expectativas que les tenía.
Es más un 2 estrellas y 1/2 porque no se desarrollan mucho los personajes (sé que está orientado a preadolescentes, pero mínimo esperaba alguna diferenciación entre hermano y hermano que nunca se pudo apreciar más allá de que uno es claramente el líder del dúo)
El misterio cumplió y es lo mejor que puedo decir de un libro orientado a un público al que duplico en edad y que leí para despejar la mente entre finales.
Es más un 2 estrellas y 1/2 porque no se desarrollan mucho los personajes (sé que está orientado a preadolescentes, pero mínimo esperaba alguna diferenciación entre hermano y hermano que nunca se pudo apreciar más allá de que uno es claramente el líder del dúo)
El misterio cumplió y es lo mejor que puedo decir de un libro orientado a un público al que duplico en edad y que leí para despejar la mente entre finales.
December 13, 2021
Fenton Hardy and his sons have a job to escort a Japanese businessman from the airport to his hotel. Along the way somehow he disappears. They can't understand how it happened as they were watching closely the entire time. Fenton is discouraged when he is removed from the case. But the boys stay on trying to save their fathers' reputation and solve the mystery. A theft of an important samurai sword from an auction house may be a clue. Trying to find the stolen sword is a lead the boys must try to follow hoping it will lead them to the missing businessman.
September 7, 2017
In this book the brothers are trying to track down a missing business tycoon who the police are also looking for and having trouble locating. There is also a sword that disappears shortly after and Frank and Joe have to recover both the valuable sword and the important business person before the trail of clues gets too cold.
August 23, 2019
It's a good book, and I'm glad to have finally jumped into the simple Adventure Boy style of classic Hardy Boys. But I'd be crazy to rate this book as anything higher than a 2 compared to my other reads. Sorry Joe and Frank.
July 12, 2023
This was a not stop action pact mystery from the first page to the very end. I love all of the questions that you get while reading this story of why this samurai sword is so import. This was such a great story I cant wait to read the next book.
February 16, 2018
Well, it's better than Night of the Werewolf. But it still didn't quite capture the best of the Hardy Boys. A little formulaic and uninspired. Pretty average.
September 10, 2018
i liked how it had all of those plot twists and all the conflicts
October 23, 2018
A very good book. Looking forward to reading more of the Hardy Boy mysteries.
August 24, 2022
Full of action. loved it
March 29, 2024
Decent story. I'm always surprised at how much work these do at trying not to be racist.
July 26, 2025
Ok, dated.
Skimmed it.
Gave me some ideas for an RPG, I am a gamer, and I might just use them if needed - so - I may be back.
too many books, not enough time
Skimmed it.
Gave me some ideas for an RPG, I am a gamer, and I might just use them if needed - so - I may be back.
too many books, not enough time
December 18, 2019
Loved this book. Will read again. I highly recommend it.
October 9, 2023
4 Stars.
What I Liked:
• The mystery
What Wasn't My Cup of Tea:
•
Overall Thoughts:
Out of the 2 Hardy boys books that I've read, this one is the better of them. I thought the mystery was really good because it was tough for me to figure it out. It wasn't until they were explaining everything at the end did I put all of the pieces together. I liked that they did things like stake outs & even tussled with people in the book which made it seem both interesting & silly.
I enjoyed this book & would definitely read another one like this.
What I Liked:
• The mystery
What Wasn't My Cup of Tea:
•
Overall Thoughts:
Out of the 2 Hardy boys books that I've read, this one is the better of them. I thought the mystery was really good because it was tough for me to figure it out. It wasn't until they were explaining everything at the end did I put all of the pieces together. I liked that they did things like stake outs & even tussled with people in the book which made it seem both interesting & silly.
I enjoyed this book & would definitely read another one like this.
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.
June 19, 2016
This was a good pot-boiler, but it's also from the time when Joe was speaking like an extra from Little Orphan Annie. So cheesy, you could almost read it with nachos. Still, my youngest enjoyed it as a bedtime story book and that was the target audience.
Read and enjoy.
Read and enjoy.
January 23, 2025
I love its use of suspense. From mysterious flashes to cat burglars to black commandos were so good. All those chapters were so eye-gripping! These mystery novels are so good, so so so good! The best book I've ever read in my life.
March 4, 2008
Honestly, I don't remember anything about the book. All I know is that I did a book report on it in fourth grade. I loved these books when I was a kid...
May 25, 2009
Bank robbery mystery for the Hardy brothers
October 12, 2009
My first Hardy Boys mystery book. Reminds me of 39 Clues.
April 10, 2012
It was great!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews