The Clue in the Embers

The Hardy Boys #35

by Franklin W. Dixon

For action, mystery and cliff-hanging suspense, read The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories.-featuring the thrilling adventures of America's favorite detective duo, Frank and Joe Hardy. Millions of young readers have teamed up with the Hardy Boys, helping them in their quest to bring criminals to justice.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Childrens, Classics, Middle Grade

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

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

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep had fun with bros Frank and Joe solving all the mysteries of the world back in the day. I loved it when I got my hands on another bright shiny new hardcover I could dive into a corner with and devour. Great mems.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Clue in the Embers was the 35th novel in the Hardy Boys mystery series for young people. (The earlier printings insisted they were for "All boys 10 to 14, who like lively adventure stories..." but (much like the original Star Trek), the later iterations allowed for female participation. The book was produced for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by John Almquist (who also wrote the next volume, The Secret of Pirates' Hill) and was published by Grosset and Dunlap in 1955 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. From 1959 - '73 one of Stratemeyer's daughters oversaw a revision program of the first 38 books in the series to update and simplify them for modern (and presumably younger) readers. Some of the original novels were completely replaced by different new books, some were only changed slightly, and this one was just shortened and simplified. The revision of this one was released in 1972 after having been edited down by Priscilla Baker-Carr. The revised book is 177 pages long with 20 chapters and a truly grotesque shrunken-head cover that has nothing to do with the story, and the original had 25 chapters with 214 pages and a cover that looks like it's the Maine woods except with a lava flow and basketball sox. The twenty chapter titles are saved from the original, and the whole thing is just kind of condensed and compressed for the newer version. As a result, it makes a bit less sense and we get much less feel of the characters and situations and surroundings. I have been reading the original and revised versions of many of the books in the series back-to-back to compare them and just completed these two. It's an action-packed story. The Hardys' pal Tony Prito inherits the contents of a New York curio store owned by his uncle who has just died. The shipment includes swords, shrunken heads, and a pair of hidden medallions that have a treasure map on them. A gang of thieves attempt to steal the medallions, a local museum is involved, there are events with sleeping gas break-ins and an exploding picnic. The Hardys go to an amusement park with Tony and their pal Chet (who's called chubby at every opportunity), as well as their gal pals Callie Shaw and Chet's sister Iola Morton and Judy Rankin and Maria Santos to keep Tony and Chet company. Poor blonde Callie tells a fake door-to-door salesman spy all about the plan, so he can set up a bomb in the picnic grill. So, the four boys go to Guatemala, and a volcano explodes, and they have to trek through the jungle but find the lost city. One of the bad guys dresses up like a woman to disguise himself on the plane, so you know he's got to be really bad. But Dixon tells us that the stewardess is attractive, and on page two we had learned that Mom is slender -and- attractive... Anyway, some of the Guatemalans are good guys and some are bad guys but they're all kind of discriminatingly described. The Boys are taken captive after they dig up the treasure, and the head baddie is going to lock them in the tomb to die, but he conveniently agrees to answer all of their questions before they do. I'll avoid spoilers, but the serries continued for another bunch of books, so... It's all kind of silly, but fun in an Indiana Jones kind of way. I liked the old pulp lost-city trope mixed with the more modern mystery adventure. I ranked the original a four-star read and the abridged version a two.

[Jennie Louwes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A smidge grotesque. Definitely antiquated. Well thought out. In parts, vivid and lively. Action scenes that keep pages turning. Best suited for the early/mid teenage range. Three stars.

My first "Hardy Boys" read and also my last. I can appreciate, and now understand more fully, why these books would've been popular in the 1900's; but, I feel as though the writing style isn't modern enough (in today's day and age) to continue to remain favorite reads (among youth) indefinitely.

A solid three stars as this book was filled with mysteries, from beginnig to end, that were not easily solved. I especially enjoyed the last bit of pages as everything came to a most satisfying conclusion.

If you're looking for a bit of nostalgia, of how books of mystery were written back in the day, than this book is for you! Otherwise, you aren't missing too much, should you choose to skip it. The choice? One, only you can make.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Clue in the Embers was the 35th novel in the Hardy Boys mystery series for young people. (The earlier printings insisted they were for "All boys 10 to 14, who like lively adventure stories..." but (much like the original Star Trek), the later iterations allowed for female participation. The book was produced for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by John Almquist (who also wrote the next volume, The Secret of Pirates' Hill) and was published by Grosset and Dunlap in 1955 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. From 1959 - '73 one of Stratemeyer's daughters oversaw a revision program of the first 38 books in the series to update and simplify them for modern (and presumably younger) readers. Some of the original novels were completely replaced by different new books, some were only changed slightly, and this one was just shortened and simplified. The revision of this one was released in 1972 after having been edited down by Priscilla Baker-Carr. The revised book is 177 pages long with 20 chapters and a truly grotesque shrunken-head cover that has nothing to do with the story, and the original had 25 chapters with 214 pages and a cover that looks like it's the Maine woods except with a lava flow and basketball sox. The twenty chapter titles are saved from the original, and the whole thing is just kind of condensed and compressed for the newer version. As a result, it makes a bit less sense and we get much less feel of the characters and situations and surroundings. I have been reading the original and revised versions of many of the books in the series back-to-back to compare them and just completed these two. It's an action-packed story. The Hardys' pal Tony Prito inherits the contents of a New York curio store owned by his uncle who has just died. The shipment includes swords, shrunken heads, and a pair of hidden medallions that have a treasure map on them. A gang of thieves attempt to steal the medallions, a local museum is involved, there are events with sleeping gas break-ins and an exploding picnic. The Hardys go to an amusement park with Tony and their pal Chet (who's called chubby at every opportunity), as well as their gal pals Callie Shaw and Chet's sister Iola Morton and Judy Rankin and Maria Santos to keep Tony and Chet company. Poor blonde Callie tells a fake door-to-door salesman spy all about the plan, so he can set up a bomb in the picnic grill. So, the four boys go to Guatemala, and a volcano explodes, and they have to trek through the jungle but find the lost city. One of the bad guys dresses up like a woman to disguise himself on the plane, so you know he's got to be really bad. But Dixon tells us that the stewardess is attractive, and on page two we had learned that Mom is slender -and- attractive... Anyway, some of the Guatemalans are good guys and some are bad guys but they're all kind of discriminatingly described. The Boys are taken captive after they dig up the treasure, and the head baddie is going to lock them in the tomb to die, but he conveniently agrees to answer all of their questions before they do. I'll avoid spoilers, but the serries continued for another bunch of books, so... It's all kind of silly, but fun in an Indiana Jones kind of way. I liked the old pulp lost-city trope mixed with the more modern mystery adventure. I ranked the original a four-star read and the abridged version a two.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one didn't do it for me sadly. The plot was very lack-luster and the racist content was a little bit too much to look past. There was also a small transphobic bit that had nothing to do with the plot. While I know things were different when this book was written, I'm not sure there was a good enough story to allow me to look past the rather 'out of touch' content.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby says: I love the non-stop adventure. My favourite part was how the bad guys left embers. I'm started to get tired of Chet complaining that he doesn't want to be involved in the mysteries with the Hardy Boys.

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this older 1955 version of The Clue in the Embers and picked it up. This version is 5 chapters and almost 50 pages longer than the current version. The wording is also a bit more sophisticated, while the drawings and cover art are more simplistic. This adventure is actually a great story, but for the politically correct, the story has not aged well. It is full of what would now be viewed as caricature language and depictions of natives. It also contains what may well be one of the most ludicrous scenes in all of the original Hardy Boys books when a volcano suddenly erupts as the boys are driving along in a taxi! Overall though if you like the Hardy Boys and can appreciate this book's 1955 date, some 60+ years ago, you will enjoy this story.

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
Frank and Joe Hardy and their chums never fail to provide an entertaining and mysterious escapade. These teenagers are very intelligent, resourceful, and mature for their ages.

My grandsons and I enjoyed sharing them together and would recommend them to others. We enjoyed this one very much.

Each book is a clean read and can stand on its own.

[Phoebe Hinkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I enjoy a treasure hunt - and a South American jungle - but this one was just WEIRD, okay? And very NOT pc but I'm not a freak about that like some are. 😆
(You know you've been reading too much Hardy Boys when you suspect the smiley taxi driver . . .)

[Tentatively, Convenience · Rating 3 out of 5]

review of
Franklin W. Dixon's The Clue in the Embers
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - April 7, 2012

In the past yr, my friend, the poet & essayist Alan Davies, conducted an email interview w/ me in wch he wrote: "I would be interested in knowing which books first struck you / as a boy / which authors – and the reading of what things might have pointed (pushed?) you in the direction of writing and the other arts." This unleashed a flood of memories about childhood reading wch led to my thinking of The Hardy Boys.

The Hardy Boys bks, a series of mysteries starring teenage brothers Frank & Joe & a supporting cast of friends, were probably staple reading for most white boys like myself from the time of their inception in 1927 'til when? I'm not sure what the answer to that is. At any rate, I probably read every one I cd get my hands on from ages 7 to 9 if not beyond. Then, of course, my tastes got more sophisticated, & I moved on w/ no desire to revisit childish things. Now, tho, I find it moderately fascinating to reread something that I wd've last read 50 yrs ago to reappraise the culture that they represented at the time.

As I replied to Alan regarding a list of bks that I'd read as a child:

"It's not too hard to find things that these bks had in common that're still meaningful to me today. The White bks anthropomorphized a mouse & a spider, etc - wch fed into my natural inclination to identify w/ non-human life. Of course, Carroll & Tolkien did much the same thing. There's science, there's myth, there's fantasy; nonsense, struggle, freedom, hero's journeys. Twain's sense of justice.

"Kids bks seem to be generally written by people w/ a sense of ethics, people who want to inspire children to aspire to leading a life of integrity pushing for just societies."

SO, it was of interest to me to read in Wikipedia's Hardy Boys entry:

"The Hardy Boys have evolved in various ways since their first appearance in 1927. Beginning in 1959, the books were extensively revised, largely to eliminate racial stereotypes. The books were also written in a simpler style in an attempt to compete with television. Some critics argue that in the process the Hardy Boys changed, becoming more respectful of the law and simultaneously more affluent, "agents of the adult ruling class" rather than characters who aided the poor."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hard...

I think that I wd've read both the original, pre-revision versions, & the post-1959 ones. The cover I uploaded for the edition I read wd've been from the earlier versions. This bk read like a serial. Most, if not all, chapters end w/ a 'cliff-hanger'. I'm reminded of the more recent Raiders of the Lost Ark movies insofar as this bk, & probably all of the series, immediately starts off w/ something over-the-top & keeps going. This one, in particular, is 'exotic', from the perspective of a middle-class American boy,

On the 1st page, the Hardys learn that their friend has inherited some shrunken heads. Now this, for me, was esp vivid b/c when I was a kid rubber novelty shrunken heads were common & I had one. When I was about 18, in 1971 or 72, I started trying to write a somewhat Captain Beefheart inspired poem that probably had some formal restriction on it that eventually defeated me. The subject? Shrunken heads. I sometimes wonder what happened to that failed attempt. Most likely I destroyed it. I'm sure I've wondered since then where I got the info about shrunken heads that I used in it. Then I reread The Clue in the Embers where shrunken heads are explained as follows & realized that I'd probably gotten it from there!:

"The savage Andean Indians used to take the heads of their enemies in local warfare. After the removal of the skull from the severed head, the rest was reduced by boiling to the size of a man's fist. The eyes and lips were pinned and laced, and the interior treated with hot stones and sand. With the use of a local herb, the hair remained long and kept its original luster."

Assuming such details to be at least somewhat accurate rather than purely fictional, I like such touches in The Clue in the Embers. There're a few others. Mostly what amuses me about them is the way the Hardy family is presented as 'normal' while the sons are plunged into life-threatening, world-traveling adventures on a rapid-fire basis at the same time that they go on dates & do other 'normal' kid things. Take this paragraph from page 3:

""I'll sure need some nourishment if I'm going to hassle with a lot of shrunken heads," Frank declared. "Joe, let's finish that clam chowder Mother made yesterday. It always tastes better the second day.""

Ha ha! Nothing like a little of mom's clam chowder before an inspection of a shrunken head collection! Now the character who inherits this stuff immediately gets a threatening phone call from a man named "Valez". I then wondered whether there'd be racial stereotyping of Latino guys as sinister. On page 7 it's written:

"Glancing around the platform, the boys saw no one who resembled what they thought Valez might look like. Most of the faces were familiar and the others were those of teen-agers."

Ok, what did they think Valez might look like? They didn't have much to go on since they'd only heard his voice over the phone & didn't even know if his name was a pseudonym or not. When reading, before I read the Wikipedia entry quoted above, I thought that the author avoided racial stereotypes by eliminating the people at the train stn b/c they were either familiar or were too young. 'Dixon' didn't write something like 'They didn't see any swarthy skulking sinister South Americans.' As such, I found the story throughout to walk a thin line between stereotypes & attempts to be sensitive & anti-racist.

The 'exotica' plunges on when the Hardys are attacked by a blowgun. I'm sure this was the type of detail that was meant to be particularly thrilling. How common was blowgun imagery in 1955? I don't know. I reckon it was plentiful. Then, by page 36, a man w/ tattoos is introduced. Tattoos definitely weren't common in my neck of the woods in 1955 so this wd've been 'exotica' from my childish perspective too. Putting him in context, he's a seaman. In the narrow-minded world I was raised in, a tattooed man wd've probably been pretty frightening to my mom. Here, he's described as having a "voice no less friendly than his handshake."

I don't know what it's like for boys growing up in the 21st century, but in my youth becoming a boy scout & learning to "be prepared" was the 'norm'. I hated the cub scouts & the boy scouts. In The Clue in the Embers, the Hardys always have a flashlight handy & have no problem repairing a broken window. What wd most kids use for lite these days? Their cellphones? & wd they be able to repair a broken window?

By page 101, Valez is suspected of being an illegal immigrant. An illegal immigrant from south of the US border? Is there a racist generalization at work here? Again, a thin line.

&, then, in the midst of action like Joe's being waylaid & trussed-up, curses, shrunken heads, blowdart arrowheads, etc, the boys go out on a date w/ the girls for a picnic & some fun at the Amusement Park. I mean, they're not under any stress or anything, right? They just take it all in stride. &, of course, the reader is being set up for something almost serious to happen in this idyllic picnic setting. I think of things like Leopold & Loeb, rich kids who kidnapped a boy, possibly sexually molested him, & killed him, trying to get ransom - all in an attempt to commit a 'perfect crime' - not b/c they needed the money. If James Ellroy were to rewrite a Hardy Boys story I reckon it might go somewhat more along such lines.

The previously mentioned 'curse' involved the making of a cone of ashes from mahogany - &. perhaps such a practice exists or existed. It's one of the details in the bk that I suspect came from some sort of anthropological source.

Back to the stereotyping tightrope:

"Aunt Gertrude spoke up for the first time and snapped. "Why those Indians might kill you if they found you looking for their treasure!"

"Mr. Putnam smiled tolerantly. "The Indians in Guatemala respect the white man. The boys wouldn't have any trouble with them, but I also doubt that they would receive any clues about the treasure. No, you're more likely to have trouble with an occasional band of hostile, renegade Ladinos who have fled to the mountain regions.

""Ladinos," the explorer explained, "are Spanish-speaking, mixed-breed people. They are very proud and do no manual work like laboring in the fields or carrying loads. Mainly, they own stores and cantinas in the towns and villages and hold political offices.""

Now, I sortof cringe when I read of people described in terms of "breeding". It makes me think of 'good breeding' (rich people) & 'ill bred' (poor people) or of mating a poodle w/ a pit-bull or something. It reeks of nazi genetics.

2/3rds of the way thru the bk, one of the villains, a man, is in disguise as a woman. Oh! The 1950s! Nowadays that wd scream of drag queen but, here, it's just a "disguise". Later, Tony's luggage goes missing & he moans about what he's going to do w/o his clothes.

""You'll have to dress like an Injun!" Joe laughed and folded his arms across his chest Indian style. "You heap big chief of our tribe.""

This is where it gets even more ridiculous. Maybe we have Mark Twain to thank for the use of "Injun" as an acceptable "Americanism'. After all, "Injun Joe" was a famous character of his, a villain - &, as much as I love Twain, his depiction of Native Americans in Roughing It (if I remember correctly) is completely racist, demeaning, insensitive, & hateful. It's not quite so bad here. Nonetheless, Tony's imitation of a indigenous person in Guatemala is immediately convincing to the natives. Not fucking likely.

""Suppose we all wander into the village," Frank proposed. "By the time we get there they'll probably have elected Tony chief of the tribe!""

In the meantime, NO, the locals aren't that stupid, thank goodness:

"Tony sobered. "This shaman business was a fake," he said. "They knew right away I wasn't an Indian."

In the meantime, they barely survive a volcano (might as well throw one of those in, right?) & a native ritual where they're trussed. Perhaps the most annoying scene for me, & the one most reflective of an uncritical attitude towards the 'white man's' imperialist 'right' to go anywhere he wants, is when the Hardys & friend Chet decided to just go into a bldg that has 2 people blocking the entrance. When they're stopped from entering they get outraged & immediately attack the guards - How dare anyone stop them from going anywhere they want to!

&, of course, they find the treasure, big surprise, & hand it over to the government w/ the blessing of the wise old 'Indian' chief whose people accumulated the treasure in the 1st place. Right, like the government's going to then distribute the wealth for the good of the people! I wonder what the rewritten version's like? Does the government come in & slaughter all the 'Indians' to take their land? That wd be more realistic.

But, of course, this is a kid's adventure tale meant to instill a sense of sensible daring in boys & not to delve into the complex miseries of human rottenness &.. yeah, I enjoyed it as such.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing My Past Reads: Hardy Boys

(Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)

The Clue in the Embers by Franklin W. Dixon is one of those Hardy Boys adventures where an ordinary object—ashes, embers, remnants of fire—becomes the key to a sprawling and dangerous mystery. I first came across this book in my M.P. Birla School library days, when the familiar blue spines beckoned like signposts to another adventure. Reading it again later, after carefully collecting the series, reminded me of why this particular installment remains distinctive in the canon: it’s built around fragments of destruction, around what is left behind, and how even ruins can speak if you know how to listen.

The story begins with the Hardys investigating a puzzling incident, where burned remnants conceal clues that point to hidden treasure and long-buried secrets. Right away, Dixon sets the tone: suspense is grounded in observation, in piecing together evidence from what others would dismiss as nothing but ash. Frank and Joe display their trademark balance of reason and daring, sifting through cryptic leads, confronting adversaries, and making sense of scattered information. The “embers” of the title take on symbolic weight—signifying both the fragility of evidence and the fiery danger lurking beneath the surface of the mystery.

The plot moves briskly, with action sequences—ambushes, pursuits, and tense standoffs—woven tightly with quieter moments of deduction. Supporting characters add texture, whether as allies offering fragments of information or villains bent on misleading the brothers. Dixon’s prose is sharp and functional, but he still manages to create vivid images: smouldering sites of destruction, shadowy landscapes, and the thrill of uncovering hidden caches. Each chapter closes with a carefully calculated cliffhanger, ensuring the reader keeps turning the pages late into the night.

On a deeper level, the book underscores values that run consistently through the Hardy Boys series: persistence, courage, loyalty to family and friends, and a refusal to give up even when clues seem fragile or hopeless. These lessons are never preachy, just woven seamlessly into the brothers’ actions and choices.

For me, The Clue in the Embers evokes the strong nostalgia of my school library days—the thrill of opening a fresh mystery, the smell of well-thumbed pages, the quiet excitement of following Frank and Joe through another danger-filled investigation. It reinforced my sense that no clue, however small, is insignificant, and that resilience matters as much as brilliance.

In conclusion, this installment is classic Hardy Boys: tightly plotted, suspenseful, and morally steady. It remains memorable, not just for its clever puzzle, but for the way it taught me, as a reader, that even ashes can hide the light of discovery.

[Tomislav · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hardy Boys is a long-running series of mysteries aimed at boy readers, that feature action and amateur sleuthing. Beginning in 1927, they were ghost-written by several writers, under the pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon. The Clue In The Embers is #35, originally published in 1955. It was revised in 1972, but not as extensively as some of the older volumes. I read the newer version.

In it, Frank and Joe’s good friend Tony inherits some artifacts from his deceased Uncle Roberto, and as they contain a key to vast hidden treasures of Central America, they are immediately targeted by an unscrupulous gang of criminals. Drenched in embarrassing cultural stereotypes, the story still comes to life in the final third, as the boys venture to the jungles of Guatemala.

I did not recognize this as one of the stories I read as a boy maybe 60 years ago, but I’m pretty sure the copies I found at my grandfather’s house in those days were earlier in the series, and with the original storylines anyway.

[Josh McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recall The Hardy Boys being a book I loved as a kid, so in my attempts to reduce the number of books I have, I decided to re-read this one to determine if it would stay or go. I got seven chapters in but had to stop. I think this book gets points for its storyline as it certainly is unique, and it gets points for having a good length that doesn't drag on and doesn't finish too early (177 pages). However, it lost me on two very important things. The first was the writing style. Growing up, my teachers always told me to "show, don't tell" in my creative writing. I feel like Dixon tells the audience more about what is going on than he shows them by describing the character's five senses to put the reader in the story. Additionally, I think this book loses points for realism or lack thereof. There are too many unexplainable abilities of characters, and coincidences in the storyline to keep my attention. I like fiction, but it has to be believable to some degree.

[Dravyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book for readers that love adventure. A story of two boys in an attempt to solve a mystery with many challenges ahead of them. Joe and frank ore on a mission to help tony solve the mystery of these two medallions. Not long after reeving the medallions they are stolen and took back to Guatemala, with the hardy boys following them they are led right into the hands of bandits. One thing i really like about this book is how there is never a boring or uninteresting part. Joe and Frank are always desperate to solve the mystery and will not stop until it is. That being said they are always putting themselves in danger. Readers should know that frank and Joe are in a time around 1995 and talk like someone from that time. the type of reader that would like this book is one that loves adventure and mystery, recommend

[Kevin Findley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun entry in the series that stands out as one of the few that ran over 20 chapters. The extra length is taken up with a last-minute trip to Guatemala and the discovery of a treasure that would leave Indiana Jones with his jaw on the ground.

Chet is here for the ride, but Tony Prito is the beginning and end of the mystery. This novel is his time to shine and the author did his best to make him front and center as much as possible. I don't think we ever saw that with Biff or Phil. Maybe in the follow-up series after the original 59 books were published.

That said, the mystery itself was more of a treasure hunt. It makes for a good adventure tale, but not much there for two of the best teen detectives on the planet.

Recommended for fans of the series, but maybe not the first book you put in the hands of someone to whom you want to introduce the series.

Find it. Buy it. Read it!

[Brentman99 · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this volume of the series, the boys travel to Guatemala to solve the mystery of Tony Prito's inheritanc of some interesting curios and find a lost treasure.

As I observed before, money seems to be no object to the boys. They take airplane flights, hire a helicopter and do a number of things that in the 1950s would have been expensive. But not for the Hardy Boys, who by the way don't charge for their sleuthing services, despite what they may spend to solve them.

This story was a bit interesting, in that they almost get killed by a volcano erupting. However, they pull through and do what they do best.

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a decent classic Hardy adventure that any fan of the original series will enjoy. Being an adventure that goes towards South America, there is some period-era stereo-typical language that today might seem in bad taste and a particularly ludicrous scene even for a Hardy tale where the boys' taxi gets caught in a lava flow, but if you can get past those shortcomings this is an interesting and unique tale that combines ethnic practices, history and fast-paced intriguing action. A good solid Hardy story!

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend of the Hardy Boys, Tony Prito, inherits a strange collection that includes skulls, swords a medallions that may be worth some money. Tony enlists Frank and Joe to help him figure out what to do with the artifacts after he gets threatened. It seems there are people that want something out of the collection and are after Tony, then the Hardy boys as they help their friend. This adventure has the boys traveling to Guatemala to find answers.

[Fred Daly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had the old, unrevised version of this one. It could never be published today, what with the fat jokes about Chet and the white privilege (you really shouldn't call other people's languages "mumbo jumbo" and "gibberish"). In this one the boys go off to Guatemala, and while there are some signs of interest in and respect for the culture, they don't mitigate the fundamental racism that underlies the story.

[Andrea Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Hardy Boys adventure takes place in the boy's hometown of Bayport, before ending in the far off country of Guatemala. This 35th book in the series feels completely far fetched, but was a nice easy read. I do dind these novels a good read tho. They are full of adventure, but I never have to worry about anything truely bad happening to the characters.

[N Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some rather racist descriptions and interactions with natives that may be offensive to some (they're not out of character for the time this was written), but otherwise it's a typical Hardy boys adventure with a lot of action taking place in Guatemala. A fun adventure novel for children/young adults.

[Saffron Mavros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solving the mystery by studying the embers of mahogany wood! Now that was unique. It's quite entertaining to see how the Hardy brothers use different techniques to solve different mysteries, often ending up helping their father in the process (though they keep getting linked up!)...

But this was a fun read!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fast paced Hardy Boys adventure.
I read a lot of these as a pre-teen in the 70s.
(The TV show made me a fan) But I missed this one.
Take into account when it was written, and you should be able to enjoy it.
For once, the danger seems actually dangerous at times.

[Ethan Hulbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cover is straight up bizarre. The book was a little weird too but in a good way, it was still pretty fun.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book interesting story line sort of boring in part of it

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardy boys

Hola hardy boys son los mejores libros que he leído en mi vida pero es muy difícil para los niños pequeños

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a weird one. Not much mystery and the boys bounced around to different locations almost at random.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was surprisingly less racist than previous books in this series! This mystery takes the boys to Guatemala as part of their helping a friend deal with his recent inheritance.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was pretty fun! At least till we started for Guatemala and started getting some gross gender stuff and a lot of racist Indian stuff going on. Still I quite enjoyed the end as well.