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The Hardy Boys #13
The Mark on the Door
In their motorboat, the Sleuth, Frank and Joe Hardy search Barmet Bay for a dangerous stranger who stole a valuable boat. Suddenly, in the eerie fog, they spot the craft drifting aimlessly out to sea. What happens next starts the young detectives and their pal Chet Morton on an intriguing adventure that takes them to Mexico and into the comparatively unexplored desert and mountain regions of Baja California.
What happened? They saw the periscope of a submarine!
What happened? They saw the periscope of a submarine!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1934
97 people are currently reading
1115 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 102 reviews
April 17, 2017
Another great Hardy Boys story, this time featuring airplanes, submarines (complete with Chet as a torpedo and a matador!), and a helicopter! The boys risk life and limb to bust up yes another smuggling ring. This one was, again, fast-paced and chockfull of cliffhangers and clever sleuthing and a cool survival technique. Now on to the Hidden Harbor Mystery!
April 1, 2024
The Mark on the Door was the thirteenth novel in Grosset & Dunlap's popular Hardy Boys series. It was written by Leslie McFarlane for the Stratemeyer Syndicate and was published in 1934 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. From 1959-'73 the first thirty-eight books in the series were revised, edited, and updated under the direction of Stratemeyer's daughter, primarily to make them appeal to younger readers who were more used to the faster pace of television; some of the books were just lightly edited, some were completely replaced by new stories, and some, including The Mark on the Door, were left basically intact in some areas and changed significantly in others. The new version was written by Tom Mulvey and appeared (as by Dixon, of course) in 1967, with twenty chapters and 175 pages, as opposed to the twenty-five chapters and 219 pages of the original. The first has a lot more characterization, a broader vocabulary, and some ethnic stereotypes which were toned down in the revision. Frank and Joe accompany their father to Mexico, searching for a star witness in a stock fraud case. In the new one, Chet goes along also and furnishes slapstick comic relief by fighting a bull, inventing a parasail, and overeating. The criminal gang has a submarine fleet they're using to smuggle crude oil, and it doesn't hold together nearly as well. I have just finished reading both books back-to-back to compare them and rate the original a four and the new iteration a two.
April 1, 2024
The Mark on the Door was the thirteenth novel in Grosset & Dunlap's popular Hardy Boys series. It was written by Leslie McFarlane for the Stratemeyer Syndicate and was published in 1934 under the house pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. From 1959-'73 the first thirty-eight books in the series were revised, edited, and updated under the direction of Stratemeyer's daughter, primarily to make them appeal to younger readers who were more used to the faster pace of television; some of the books were just lightly edited, some were completely replaced by new stories, and some, including The Mark on the Door, were left basically intact in some areas and changed significantly in others. The new version was written by Tom Mulvey and appeared (as by Dixon, of course) in 1967, with twenty chapters and 175 pages, as opposed to the twenty-five chapters and 219 pages of the original. The first has a lot more characterization, a broader vocabulary, and some ethnic stereotypes which were toned down in the revision. Frank and Joe accompany their father to Mexico, searching for a star witness in a stock fraud case. In the new one, Chet goes along also and furnishes slapstick comic relief by fighting a bull, inventing a parasail, and overeating. The criminal gang has a submarine fleet they're using to smuggle crude oil, and it doesn't hold together nearly as well. I have just finished reading both books back-to-back to compare them and rate the original a four and the new iteration a two.
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March 29, 2021Fue Estupido
Unless someone can prove me wrong, you cannot take a plastic cover, dig a hole, plae a bowl in the hole, cover it with plastic, put a rock on top, and the next day have a pint of water when in the desert of Baja. But, if you can, I don't think that that pint of water would be enough fay's water for two boys walking in the desert. Maybe, I am wrong.
Now, I love Mexico, and I also didn't expect this book to be credible, at least not totally. It just wasn't a fun read to me. There are better, far better Hardy Boy reads, even though it is cleaaimed that this is one of their best.
So wha tis it about? The boys see a submarine on the east coast, at least it periscope. Another boat comes buy and hits their boat. They end up in Baja because their dad is working on a case, and they find another submarine. This is as far as this review is going, because I am bored with even it. Well, one lat word, if this water catcher worked that well, Hispanices would not be dying in our desert.
Unless someone can prove me wrong, you cannot take a plastic cover, dig a hole, plae a bowl in the hole, cover it with plastic, put a rock on top, and the next day have a pint of water when in the desert of Baja. But, if you can, I don't think that that pint of water would be enough fay's water for two boys walking in the desert. Maybe, I am wrong.
Now, I love Mexico, and I also didn't expect this book to be credible, at least not totally. It just wasn't a fun read to me. There are better, far better Hardy Boy reads, even though it is cleaaimed that this is one of their best.
So wha tis it about? The boys see a submarine on the east coast, at least it periscope. Another boat comes buy and hits their boat. They end up in Baja because their dad is working on a case, and they find another submarine. This is as far as this review is going, because I am bored with even it. Well, one lat word, if this water catcher worked that well, Hispanices would not be dying in our desert.
August 18, 2023
I am criticising in point form so that all of this fits my allotted 300 words and enumeration spoils no storylines. First, a story in which a horse and a dog die, ticks readers off.
All towns abound in animals who need homes. Did Joe seriously buy a puppy from a child, in México, while imprisoned in a cave? THAT ought to help them sneak away stealthily!
A nomadic desert tribe, abused by a tyrant, is not an idyllic community with family pets.
A girl who loved her pet would not trade her for a bracelet.
Everyone grasps basic Spanish: words ending in “A” are feminine. A girl’s “Pepita” was asininely dubbed a male puppy.
How could a desert nomad run an American investment scam? What would a cave dweller care for money?
Female, Aboriginal, Mexicans were called “gypsies”! Spend five minutes researching before writing!
Right out of a ravine, the fleeing Hardys hit a highway and rented automobiles. Why would soldiers sent to locate them, dawdle on ponies? Would they not deploy reconnaissance aeroplanes?
Just fucking get a bigger boat. The Sleuth has near misses in every novel.
Why would a psychotic iron brander burn his insignia into a rented room?
I know Harriet Stratemeyer Adams gave ghostwriters themes to work around but Canadian, Leslie MacFarlane phoned this in. The decade was no excuse for the weakest instalment, rife with the dumbest stereotypes I have ever seen. They were not so much insulting but idiotically wrong. Lack of effort, interest, world knowledge, or any noticeable exertion of intelligence were the reasons this novel was lame.
The trope I long ago named “false action”, wherein characters hop around pointlessly in an empty story, was extreme. Finally, there was ZERO intriguing symbology justifying the 1934 title, “The Mark On The Door”.
All towns abound in animals who need homes. Did Joe seriously buy a puppy from a child, in México, while imprisoned in a cave? THAT ought to help them sneak away stealthily!
A nomadic desert tribe, abused by a tyrant, is not an idyllic community with family pets.
A girl who loved her pet would not trade her for a bracelet.
Everyone grasps basic Spanish: words ending in “A” are feminine. A girl’s “Pepita” was asininely dubbed a male puppy.
How could a desert nomad run an American investment scam? What would a cave dweller care for money?
Female, Aboriginal, Mexicans were called “gypsies”! Spend five minutes researching before writing!
Right out of a ravine, the fleeing Hardys hit a highway and rented automobiles. Why would soldiers sent to locate them, dawdle on ponies? Would they not deploy reconnaissance aeroplanes?
Just fucking get a bigger boat. The Sleuth has near misses in every novel.
Why would a psychotic iron brander burn his insignia into a rented room?
I know Harriet Stratemeyer Adams gave ghostwriters themes to work around but Canadian, Leslie MacFarlane phoned this in. The decade was no excuse for the weakest instalment, rife with the dumbest stereotypes I have ever seen. They were not so much insulting but idiotically wrong. Lack of effort, interest, world knowledge, or any noticeable exertion of intelligence were the reasons this novel was lame.
The trope I long ago named “false action”, wherein characters hop around pointlessly in an empty story, was extreme. Finally, there was ZERO intriguing symbology justifying the 1934 title, “The Mark On The Door”.
September 9, 2019
This is a good, solid classic Hardy Boys story that has aged well. It involves a Mexican gang smuggling oil using a submarine while terrorizing local villagers through kidnapping and intimidation. There are some painfully crude uses of the Spanish language, but other than that, this is a solid Hardys adventure that anyone who enjoys the series will respond positively to!
August 4, 2025
3 Stars. Nearing the end, I found that I no longer wanted to follow the Hardy's into another tough situation or in their frantic rush from one emergency to the next. It seemed over the top. I enjoyed Frank and Joe's adventure in Mexico, along with the effervescent Chet and a smart teenage Mexican boy named Tico, but my energy to keep following them into the broiling and exhausting desert waned. It all starts with Frank and Joe out on Barmet Bay near Bayport in their sleek boat, 'The Sleuth.' They spot the periscope of a submarine! Almost at the same time, another boat, the 'Ira Q,' rams them. Was it driven by a thief? He might have been Mexican with the name of Cardillo. When they tell their father, he informs them of a stock fraud case he is working. It concerns a Mexican chemical company, Costa Quimico Compania. A visit to Baja California and Mazatlán becomes necessary. There they find a sinister man, who goes under the name of Pavura, intimidating and kidnapping rural locals to get them to do his bidding. Again Chet shines - this time he takes a run at bullfighting! A tame bull of course. It's good, but .. (Jul2025)
April 3, 2018
Yeah, don't judge. My brothers got me hooked on these books years ago. And I do want to eventually finish the entire series, same as I want to read all the original Nancy Drew mysteries.
Language, Abuse and Lust Ratings: All 5 stars, just like a classic book should be :).
Language, Abuse and Lust Ratings: All 5 stars, just like a classic book should be :).
July 29, 2011
The classic boy detectives by Frank Dixon--I read ALL of them in my younger years, one I ran out of Nancy Drew books. The Hardy Boys are brother amateur detectives, aspiring to follow in their famous father's footsteps. Frank Hardy is the elder of the two and has dark hair. Joe Hardy is the younger brother, and has blond hair and blue eyes. The stories are an unaging series, in which Frank and Joe are always 18 and 17 years of age, respectively. In the original series the brothers were a younger 16 and 15 years of age, but their ages were increased during the revision process that began in 1959. The series utilizes a "floating timeline", in which events always take place in the present day.
The two boys live in the fictional city of Bayport (on Barmet Bay) with their famous father, Fenton Hardy, a private detective formerly with the New York Police Department, their mother Laura Hardy (erroneously called Mildred in The Flying Express), and their Aunt Gertrude, a character often used for comic relief.
The two boys live in the fictional city of Bayport (on Barmet Bay) with their famous father, Fenton Hardy, a private detective formerly with the New York Police Department, their mother Laura Hardy (erroneously called Mildred in The Flying Express), and their Aunt Gertrude, a character often used for comic relief.
January 3, 2012
OK mystery book, but not nearly as good as Nancy Drew.
March 18, 2023
"What does that cowboy think he's doing?"
Chet needs to trademark the Marvelous Morton Water Kite before someone steals his idea.
Chet needs to trademark the Marvelous Morton Water Kite before someone steals his idea.
September 29, 2022
I know this is a book for young to middle readers but I've never read a Hardy Boys mystery before so why not? I thought the story was fun and I especially enjoyed the tidbits the boys spouted from magazine articles like Popular Science.
June 7, 2023
This is a comment for the text of the original book written in 1930. The synopsis: the Hardy Boys and their father travel to Mexico to track down a witness in an oil rights trial.
An aside on the portrayal of Mexicans in this book (I do not intend to offend anybody with the use of the word Mexican because these people are from Mexico and it is no different than saying someone is Canadian when they are from Canada). Not all are negative. Some are portrayed as intelligent, very skillful, generous and courteous. Some depictions are not so positive and are stereotypical. It extends to even the illustrations. The picture on the front cover is very stereotypical.
Why then read such books that have racial, social and gender stereotyping? Why not read the updated versions that cutout a lot of these offensive portrayals?
There is something to be said for the style of writing. The original books are longer and provide more detail. The newer books rush from one dangerous event to another but that doesn't always equal more excitement. If the tension is allowed to build more, it can be more of a thrill ride.
More importantly, though, these books are historical documents. To only read books that have cut out the offensive material is to sanitize history. That is a dangerous road to travel on. People then begin to say horrible things didn't happen or it wasn't as bad as some people say. Slavery wasn't terrible. Black people were happy and better off then workers in the North. Or, the Holocaust didn't happen. To negate the existence of such prejudice in the past is to deny the legacy that haunts our society today.
Reading these books gives an insight into how endemic the prejudices and biases were in society at that time. Many people reading these book at the time they were published wouldn't haven seen anything wrong. It would have to have been pointed out to them--which it wouldn't have been-- because it was such a common part of the culture. And even then, many people wouldn't have believed it. They would have bought into the propaganda about different groups of people. (False and skewed news were not invented with advent of social media, people, it has probably been around since the dawn of human speech and encounters with others.)
To see how pervasive the biases were can be useful to the modern reader. It may enable the reader to look at themselves and their society with new eyes to see how the portrayal and actions towards certain groups: nationalities, genders, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, race and ethnicity among others which seems so normal may actually be laden with bias and prejudice.
So, yes, there is a reason to read these old stories, even with their flaws and objectionable materials.
An aside on the portrayal of Mexicans in this book (I do not intend to offend anybody with the use of the word Mexican because these people are from Mexico and it is no different than saying someone is Canadian when they are from Canada). Not all are negative. Some are portrayed as intelligent, very skillful, generous and courteous. Some depictions are not so positive and are stereotypical. It extends to even the illustrations. The picture on the front cover is very stereotypical.
Why then read such books that have racial, social and gender stereotyping? Why not read the updated versions that cutout a lot of these offensive portrayals?
There is something to be said for the style of writing. The original books are longer and provide more detail. The newer books rush from one dangerous event to another but that doesn't always equal more excitement. If the tension is allowed to build more, it can be more of a thrill ride.
More importantly, though, these books are historical documents. To only read books that have cut out the offensive material is to sanitize history. That is a dangerous road to travel on. People then begin to say horrible things didn't happen or it wasn't as bad as some people say. Slavery wasn't terrible. Black people were happy and better off then workers in the North. Or, the Holocaust didn't happen. To negate the existence of such prejudice in the past is to deny the legacy that haunts our society today.
Reading these books gives an insight into how endemic the prejudices and biases were in society at that time. Many people reading these book at the time they were published wouldn't haven seen anything wrong. It would have to have been pointed out to them--which it wouldn't have been-- because it was such a common part of the culture. And even then, many people wouldn't have believed it. They would have bought into the propaganda about different groups of people. (False and skewed news were not invented with advent of social media, people, it has probably been around since the dawn of human speech and encounters with others.)
To see how pervasive the biases were can be useful to the modern reader. It may enable the reader to look at themselves and their society with new eyes to see how the portrayal and actions towards certain groups: nationalities, genders, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, race and ethnicity among others which seems so normal may actually be laden with bias and prejudice.
So, yes, there is a reason to read these old stories, even with their flaws and objectionable materials.
December 1, 2023
eponymous sentence:
p17: Their eyes widened when they saw the typewritten message: Beware of the mark on the door!
ocr:
p19: A local fisherman has reported sighting an unknown submarine off the Sinaloa coast, approximately 140 miles northwest of Mazal-Ian.
p20: "Exactlyl" Joe exclaimed.
p21: "Roger, Dadl"
p23: "Oh, nol" he muttered.
p23: "And to fly through them would be suidde!"
p29: "I tell you, as I told them, I have no information to givel"
p35: The Hardys and Chet first went to the Mazat-Ian shopping district to buy clothes suitable for their intended expedition.
p43: "Very badl" Tico shouted.
p45: "Boyl That was a bad scare!..."
p45: The dusty bovs hastened to a trough of sparkling clear water at the base of the windmill.
p47: As the Hardvs ran back they saw their hefty pal inside the enclosure waving a muleta.
p49: "I do not wish to talk about itl" Garcia snapped.
p54: "It is because they fear Pavural"
p54: "...There's the symbol painted on its doorl"
p66: "Don't threaten me, Vincenzol"
p70: "Whewl" Joe sighed.
p72: "...I don't want to escapel" he said in a frightened voice.
p73: He was in the hands of Vincenzol
p83: "That wayl" he ordered.
p83: "We have no choice but to go onl" Frank replied.
p87: "...That is goodl" he replied with a sigh of relief.
p89: "He's not blufEng!" Chet cried in a quavering voice.
p100: He first requested that a message from the boys be relayed to Mr. Hardy in Mazat-Ian.
spaces:
p33: The Hardys described their plan for the eve ning to Jack.
p34: "My father, who is also a fisherman, and I took our boat up the coast as far as Ensenada del Pabe lion about two weeks ago," Tico explained.
p36: Chet came next, fol lowed by the Mexican youth.
p42: "...Obvi ously it's a renegade sub...."
p54: He drew a large, gleaming machete from his belt and raised it threateningly !
p62: "Let's recon noiter the area in the morning...."
p63: "...In the center of the floor ! It's the sym bol!"
p66: "Chet will guard the camp, while Joe and I re connoiter the area," Frank explained.
p71: Frank crept cautiously toward where Trem mer was seated.
Juvenile mysteries just don't cut it when I've been reading a thriller by a master.
p17: Their eyes widened when they saw the typewritten message: Beware of the mark on the door!
ocr:
p19: A local fisherman has reported sighting an unknown submarine off the Sinaloa coast, approximately 140 miles northwest of Mazal-Ian.
p20: "Exactlyl" Joe exclaimed.
p21: "Roger, Dadl"
p23: "Oh, nol" he muttered.
p23: "And to fly through them would be suidde!"
p29: "I tell you, as I told them, I have no information to givel"
p35: The Hardys and Chet first went to the Mazat-Ian shopping district to buy clothes suitable for their intended expedition.
p43: "Very badl" Tico shouted.
p45: "Boyl That was a bad scare!..."
p45: The dusty bovs hastened to a trough of sparkling clear water at the base of the windmill.
p47: As the Hardvs ran back they saw their hefty pal inside the enclosure waving a muleta.
p49: "I do not wish to talk about itl" Garcia snapped.
p54: "It is because they fear Pavural"
p54: "...There's the symbol painted on its doorl"
p66: "Don't threaten me, Vincenzol"
p70: "Whewl" Joe sighed.
p72: "...I don't want to escapel" he said in a frightened voice.
p73: He was in the hands of Vincenzol
p83: "That wayl" he ordered.
p83: "We have no choice but to go onl" Frank replied.
p87: "...That is goodl" he replied with a sigh of relief.
p89: "He's not blufEng!" Chet cried in a quavering voice.
p100: He first requested that a message from the boys be relayed to Mr. Hardy in Mazat-Ian.
spaces:
p33: The Hardys described their plan for the eve ning to Jack.
p34: "My father, who is also a fisherman, and I took our boat up the coast as far as Ensenada del Pabe lion about two weeks ago," Tico explained.
p36: Chet came next, fol lowed by the Mexican youth.
p42: "...Obvi ously it's a renegade sub...."
p54: He drew a large, gleaming machete from his belt and raised it threateningly !
p62: "Let's recon noiter the area in the morning...."
p63: "...In the center of the floor ! It's the sym bol!"
p66: "Chet will guard the camp, while Joe and I re connoiter the area," Frank explained.
p71: Frank crept cautiously toward where Trem mer was seated.
Juvenile mysteries just don't cut it when I've been reading a thriller by a master.
March 13, 2023
Een nieuw verhaal, het 13de al, met de gebroeders Frank en Joe Hardy in de hoofdrol. Het begint in hun thuisstadje Bayport maar al snel verplaatst het zich naar het barre Baja Mexico.
Oorspronkelijk werken ze samen met Fenton Hardy maar al snel laat die hen achtere om een spoort te volgen. Als gevolg volgen de jongens hun eigen spoor dat veel gevaarlijker blijkt te zijn.
Heel spannend dus, geen psychologie, geen romantiek, veel aktie en heel weinig humor.
Aandacht voor een kaal mexicaans hondenras en veel paardrijden in de woestijn en de bergen.
Steeds terugkomend in de verhalen van Dixon zijn grotten, gevangen genomen worden en ontsnappen. Ze vinden onverwachte bondgenoten en een massa vijanden.
Oorspronkelijk werken ze samen met Fenton Hardy maar al snel laat die hen achtere om een spoort te volgen. Als gevolg volgen de jongens hun eigen spoor dat veel gevaarlijker blijkt te zijn.
Heel spannend dus, geen psychologie, geen romantiek, veel aktie en heel weinig humor.
Aandacht voor een kaal mexicaans hondenras en veel paardrijden in de woestijn en de bergen.
Steeds terugkomend in de verhalen van Dixon zijn grotten, gevangen genomen worden en ontsnappen. Ze vinden onverwachte bondgenoten en een massa vijanden.
February 22, 2015
I give this book five out five stars because of its great plot and smooth transitions between chapters. It was super easy to understand what was happening and you really get to know the characters the more you read along. I personally love the Hardy Boys series and am slowly working my way up reading all 56 books. If you are not familiar with this series, the Hardy Boys are brothers who solve all types of mysteries. The end of every book makes you want to read more and see more of their crazy adventures (that's why the made 56 books). All in all, this book is very much worth reading and I almost guaranty you that you will not be disappointed.
April 5, 2020
This is probably the 30th Hardy Boys book I’ve read! I just love all clean mysteries like those in the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Jane Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Dana Girls series!
Plot: The town of Bayport, Massachusetts is scandalized when a oil share company is revealed to be fakes and it’s bookkeeper disappears before the trial. Hometown amateur detectives and brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy decide to find the missing witness and discover who’s the mastermind between the scam! They go all the way to Mexico to find out, battling bandits, cacti, and kidnap attempts along the way!
What I loved: the mystery and foreign setting
What I disliked: some minor racism against Mexican tribesmen
Plot: The town of Bayport, Massachusetts is scandalized when a oil share company is revealed to be fakes and it’s bookkeeper disappears before the trial. Hometown amateur detectives and brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy decide to find the missing witness and discover who’s the mastermind between the scam! They go all the way to Mexico to find out, battling bandits, cacti, and kidnap attempts along the way!
What I loved: the mystery and foreign setting
What I disliked: some minor racism against Mexican tribesmen
May 23, 2019
The baddie in this book is smuggling oil out of Mexico with a submarine. When it comes to corruption, the Mexican government hates the competition!
Morale may have improved, but the beatings continue as both Frank and Joe get cold-cocked in the very first chapter. While they get beaten up on numerous occasions as the book continues, they avoid any further concussions.
Concussion count:
Book: 2
Series: 17
Morale may have improved, but the beatings continue as both Frank and Joe get cold-cocked in the very first chapter. While they get beaten up on numerous occasions as the book continues, they avoid any further concussions.
Concussion count:
Book: 2
Series: 17
August 9, 2016
Once again the Hardy's stumble on a case connected to a case their dad is working on, so he gets paid for doing nothing as usual. And to think, the case all began because the boys didn't think a Mexican could drive a speedboat (or something like that).
August 22, 2013
Excellent series for young readers - highly recommended.
I read these books when I was 10 - 15 years of age.
I read these books when I was 10 - 15 years of age.
August 25, 2016
Like usual, this series delivers.
January 5, 2018
i spicficlly like the amount of travaling in this hardy boys book. they zoom from place to place in cars, airplanes, and suberines. my favorite part is when chet fires a torpido from a subarine.
September 22, 2020
I was not a fan of this fast-paced mystery where too much happened but not enough at the same time.
March 8, 2025
The 1934 original is one of Leslie McFarlane's lesser entries in the series, as it is one long series of truly incredible coincidences. A single bad guy is both the mastermind behind a huge (multi-thousand-dollar!) fraud involving stock in a fake oil drilling concern and the kidnapping of a random Mexican teenager whose well-to-do father had insulted the scoundrel by refusing his suit of his daughter Dolores. Said teen just happens to stow away on the Hardys' flight into Mexico to investigate the fraud. Mind you, the swarthy villain 'Pedro' has both the fraud proceeds in cash and a seemingly kidnapped state's witness to worry about; but he is more concerned with delivering the usual round of death threats to the Hardys and with haunting, for aims unfathomable, the hacienda of Dolores's familia, a good hundred miles from his HQ encampment. Oh, and the guy has an absolute fetish for burning or branding his insignia (the titular mark) into things (and sometimes people) pretty much everywhere he goes. Because /that/ couldn't ever come back to bite him.
Whilst Fenton is off yet again proving his incompetence as a private dick, our heroes cajole their hosts, father and son, to guide them to the area where the supposed drilling concern has been pimping [sic] oil. En route, at just the right desperate moment when They Shoot Horses, Don't They, a Yaqui Indian, conveniently named Yaqui, rides up out of nowhere—like a Magical Negro, only /indigenous-enslaved/ rather than /imported-enslaved/. He of course is responsible for shepherding the useless Hardy boys through the rest of the story.
When the boys—by way of getting themselves captured—inevitably stumble upon the missing witness (or rather 'witless'), Elmer Tremmer, he turns out to have absconded of his own free will because Pedro has convinced him the U.S. authorities intend to throw him in prison for his rôle in the fraud; thus he not only won't help the Hardys escape from Pedro's clutches, he means to ensure they stay captured.
Yep, he is stupid enough to believe that the egregiously obvious scam artist who he knows perpetrated the oil fraud is telling him the truth and the District Attorney is lying to him. Typical fucking American voter.
But having established that much, in the next chapter Tremmer is leading a revolt and accusing Pedro of keeping him prisoner because the latter fears what will happen if Tremmer goes home to Bayport USA. Wait, doesn't that mean he's changed his mind as to whom he believes? No, because the /very next thing he does/—after he has subverted and retained all but a few of Pedro's followers and is already across a fucking river from the villain—is to offer to bring Pedro the great detective Fenton Hardy 'in exchange for letting him go.'
Throw in any number of ridiculous if temporary escapes—because the cartoon parade of villains on the Batman TV show have /nothing/ on the splendiferous incompetence of Hardy villains... and omfg. The stupid is monstrous strong in this one.
Whilst Fenton is off yet again proving his incompetence as a private dick, our heroes cajole their hosts, father and son, to guide them to the area where the supposed drilling concern has been pimping [sic] oil. En route, at just the right desperate moment when They Shoot Horses, Don't They, a Yaqui Indian, conveniently named Yaqui, rides up out of nowhere—like a Magical Negro, only /indigenous-enslaved/ rather than /imported-enslaved/. He of course is responsible for shepherding the useless Hardy boys through the rest of the story.
When the boys—by way of getting themselves captured—inevitably stumble upon the missing witness (or rather 'witless'), Elmer Tremmer, he turns out to have absconded of his own free will because Pedro has convinced him the U.S. authorities intend to throw him in prison for his rôle in the fraud; thus he not only won't help the Hardys escape from Pedro's clutches, he means to ensure they stay captured.
Yep, he is stupid enough to believe that the egregiously obvious scam artist who he knows perpetrated the oil fraud is telling him the truth and the District Attorney is lying to him. Typical fucking American voter.
But having established that much, in the next chapter Tremmer is leading a revolt and accusing Pedro of keeping him prisoner because the latter fears what will happen if Tremmer goes home to Bayport USA. Wait, doesn't that mean he's changed his mind as to whom he believes? No, because the /very next thing he does/—after he has subverted and retained all but a few of Pedro's followers and is already across a fucking river from the villain—is to offer to bring Pedro the great detective Fenton Hardy 'in exchange for letting him go.'
Throw in any number of ridiculous if temporary escapes—because the cartoon parade of villains on the Batman TV show have /nothing/ on the splendiferous incompetence of Hardy villains... and omfg. The stupid is monstrous strong in this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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.)
The title itself had a strange magnetism—a mark on the door sounds like a curse, a warning, almost Biblical in its resonance. And indeed, this Hardy Boys installment took the mystery southward, plunging Frank and Joe into Mexico, where oil fields, archaeological whispers, and coded warnings collided. For a boy in Calcutta in the early ’90s, the setting alone felt like a passport stamped with adventure.
What struck me then, and still intrigues me in retrospect, is how the book flirted with ideas of history and prophecy. The mysterious symbols on doors weren’t just plot devices—they hinted at civilizations past, at the idea that land and people carry secrets older than the present crime.
Reading it now in memory, I see how the Hardy Boys—usually avatars of American small-town optimism—were suddenly thrust into a terrain layered with colonial history and indigenous presences that the text only half-understood.
In my own schooldays, this novel carried me beyond Bayport’s harbours into a world that was “other” and exoticised—part travelogue, part detective story. Did I, a teenager with a geography textbook and Hardy Boys side by side, understand how American adventure fiction was teaching me to consume the world as a stage for intrigue? Not at the time. But looking back, The Mark on the Door seems less like a mystery and more like an artefact of its own—a pulp version of empire, smuggled into my schoolbag.
And yet, none of that dulls the thrill. The secret marks, the decoding, the sense of a world larger than my street in Calcutta—those are the footprints it left on me. The “door” was not just in Mexico. It was my door to reading as a passport, to literature as the first map.
Hardy Boys (Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)
The title itself had a strange magnetism—a mark on the door sounds like a curse, a warning, almost Biblical in its resonance. And indeed, this Hardy Boys installment took the mystery southward, plunging Frank and Joe into Mexico, where oil fields, archaeological whispers, and coded warnings collided. For a boy in Calcutta in the early ’90s, the setting alone felt like a passport stamped with adventure.
What struck me then, and still intrigues me in retrospect, is how the book flirted with ideas of history and prophecy. The mysterious symbols on doors weren’t just plot devices—they hinted at civilizations past, at the idea that land and people carry secrets older than the present crime.
Reading it now in memory, I see how the Hardy Boys—usually avatars of American small-town optimism—were suddenly thrust into a terrain layered with colonial history and indigenous presences that the text only half-understood.
In my own schooldays, this novel carried me beyond Bayport’s harbours into a world that was “other” and exoticised—part travelogue, part detective story. Did I, a teenager with a geography textbook and Hardy Boys side by side, understand how American adventure fiction was teaching me to consume the world as a stage for intrigue? Not at the time. But looking back, The Mark on the Door seems less like a mystery and more like an artefact of its own—a pulp version of empire, smuggled into my schoolbag.
And yet, none of that dulls the thrill. The secret marks, the decoding, the sense of a world larger than my street in Calcutta—those are the footprints it left on me. The “door” was not just in Mexico. It was my door to reading as a passport, to literature as the first map.
December 9, 2021
This is a good Hardy Boys story involving international intrigue. There are horses, submarines and helicopters involved. Of course there are the Hardy Boys harrowing captures and escapes.
I love this mystery book. It keeps the suspense in place and has a smooth storytelling. Whenever I was reading this book a person walked by and said they love The Hardy Boys. I now see why I love cliffhangers. It makes me want to get the next book because this is a book series. I barely like books. I don't really like to read but this book I enjoyed reading. I would definitely recommend this book series to people. This book has exciting moments. It has lots of action as well. This book is amazing because it knows how to entertain their audience. I enjoyed a lot of the parts, especially the submarine part. I won't tell you, you'll just have to read this book yourself. If you know anyone that is into mystery books then The Hardy Boys series is for them. This book has amazing transitions in between the chapters. It's amazing how much traveling they do but that is just because I think it's amazing. From all of the people that have read this book they have all said they love the cliffhanger. I personally can't wait to read the next book in the series. I read this book for a project for school and I got to choose what book to read. Whenever I tried to read a book I didn't like it or get the feeling you should get for it. When I started to read this though I did get the feeling and I really enjoyed the book.
I love this mystery book. It keeps the suspense in place and has a smooth storytelling. Whenever I was reading this book a person walked by and said they love The Hardy Boys. I now see why I love cliffhangers. It makes me want to get the next book because this is a book series. I barely like books. I don't really like to read but this book I enjoyed reading. I would definitely recommend this book series to people. This book has exciting moments. It has lots of action as well. This book is amazing because it knows how to entertain their audience. I enjoyed a lot of the parts, especially the submarine part. I won't tell you, you'll just have to read this book yourself. If you know anyone that is into mystery books then The Hardy Boys series is for them. This book has amazing transitions in between the chapters. It's amazing how much traveling they do but that is just because I think it's amazing. From all of the people that have read this book they have all said they love the cliffhanger. I personally can't wait to read the next book in the series. I read this book for a project for school and I got to choose what book to read. Whenever I tried to read a book I didn't like it or get the feeling you should get for it. When I started to read this though I did get the feeling and I really enjoyed the book.
April 25, 2021
When the Hardy boys see a periscope in Barmet Bay they investigate but end up with a close scrape....literally their boat is scraped by another boat driven by Cardillo. This leads them to Cardillo's car which has a fingerprint of Elmer Tremmer, the man who Fenton Hardy has been commissioned to find. The Hardy boys go with their father and Chet to Mexico to find answers to mysterious submarines and the disappearance of Tremmer. Finding help among the locals but also finding "a mark on the door", a strange symbol connected to Cardillo's gang, they have a hard time getting anyone to talk to them. The mark is seen as a curse and has everyone afraid. Following clues to locate a fisherman who saw a submarine brings Tico into the group. Tico offers to help, to be their guide as he knows the area, knows the man they're looking for and he speaks Spanish which ends up being a great help. Meanwhile Fenton Hardy is searching for Tremmer. The boys camp out, ride horses, burros and follow clues to find the gangs hideout. Chet, Frank, Joe and Tico do their best to keep out of trouble and find answers but they're outnumbered and at a disadvantage. They don't let that stop them as they persevere.
A fun book with adventure and intrigue.
A fun book with adventure and intrigue.
October 13, 2023
This was one of the few Hardy Boys I do not remember reading as a teen.
When a case concerning fraudulent stock in oil securities, and affecting many citizens of Bayport, comes to trial the key witness goes missing. Fenton Hardy is hired by the shareholders to try and run down the people involved in the fraud and his boys are on the trail of the missing witness Mr. Tremmer via a swarthy man that tried to run them down in their boat. Finding that both of their trails lead to Mexico, Mr. Hardy, Joe and Frank head over the border to try and track down the witness, the Mexican seen around Bayport, and hopefully bring justice for those swindled. A wild adventure of a pursuit ensues. Help comes from unlikely sources, such as the mark first noticed in Bayport popping up to assure the boys they are on the right trail, an indian guide who is quite stealthy and clever, and even a well-off Mexican family. Concluding in a delightful twist, this is by far my favorite Hardy Boys thus far.
When a case concerning fraudulent stock in oil securities, and affecting many citizens of Bayport, comes to trial the key witness goes missing. Fenton Hardy is hired by the shareholders to try and run down the people involved in the fraud and his boys are on the trail of the missing witness Mr. Tremmer via a swarthy man that tried to run them down in their boat. Finding that both of their trails lead to Mexico, Mr. Hardy, Joe and Frank head over the border to try and track down the witness, the Mexican seen around Bayport, and hopefully bring justice for those swindled. A wild adventure of a pursuit ensues. Help comes from unlikely sources, such as the mark first noticed in Bayport popping up to assure the boys they are on the right trail, an indian guide who is quite stealthy and clever, and even a well-off Mexican family. Concluding in a delightful twist, this is by far my favorite Hardy Boys thus far.
February 21, 2024
This Hardy Boys adventure, originally published in the 1960s, takes the boys to Mexico where they are searching for the answers to what happened to a star witness to a stock fraud in the United States, and what the connection of a secret private submarine (or possibly two) might be to the disappearance. What they find is a sort of intimidation racket going on where in Mexicans are being terrified into keeping their mouths shut while the bad guys carry out their criminal scheme. It isn't clear for a long time what the criminal scheme is--just that it required a lot of money to operate.
As an adventure story, this is a fine one, especially for the 1960s. From a modern perspective, it has its problems. The biggest of those is the old trope in which superstitious native peoples are duped into helping the criminals.
As an adventure story, this is a fine one, especially for the 1960s. From a modern perspective, it has its problems. The biggest of those is the old trope in which superstitious native peoples are duped into helping the criminals.
August 20, 2020
Okay, so the Hardy Boys books were originally written in the 1930s and then revised in the 1960s. The revisions shortened the books and tightened the plots (they are all 20 chapters and no more than 180 pages long), and eliminated racist stereotypes. For some reason, my version of this one is the original 1934 version, and it's bad. The plot meanders a little (25 chapters, 22o pages), and it doesn't feature the little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that kept me reading under the covers as a boy. There are some nice details about Mexico (with this one the series started sending the boys to different places) but many of the Mexican characters are portrayed as sleazy and violent. The word "swarthy" appears five or six times.
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