Casefiles

1 – Dead on Target

Rating 5 stars

When Joe’s girlfriend, Iola, is blown to bits by a bomb meant for Joe and Frank, the two brothers vow to punish her murderer. The kill is still on their trail, but before Joe and Frank can turn the tables on him, they’re snatched up by the Network, a secrete government agency that desperately wants the Hardys under wraps for their own good.

Then they learn that Iola’s killer is “The Assassin,” an infamous international terrorist. Joe and Frank and just his warm-up for a larger target – one whose destruction will rock the world. To top him, they’ve got to slip out of the clutches of the Network… and challenge the Assassin face-to-face.

Why this story is excellent - This is the first story that started out quite literally with a bang. The reader is introduced to the Assassins and the Network and the new character called the Gray Man. Joe is transformed to an angry, quiet person as his girlfriend, Iola Morton, is killed in an explosion. The reader also sees more of the emotions of Frank and Joe in their relationship towards one another. This book started out showing the action, intrigue, angst, love, and other emotions that seemed to be missing from the paperback mysteries.

2 – Evil, Inc.

Rating 5 stars

When Frank and Joe grab one of the Network’s cases, the secret government agent agency tells them they’re own their own. Then they hustle themselves a one-way ticket to France, expecting a little action. But after they penetrate the shady world of Reynard and Company, the largest organized crime ring on earth, the Hardys begin to expect something more – murder. Maybe their own.

Posing as gun dealers, Frank and Joe immediately run into trouble with the French police. Soon they’re fugitives with no one to turn to but the criminals they’ve sworn to expose. Caught in a deadly web of enemies and betrayed by a very beautiful girl, Frank and Joe must use every ounce of cunning they possess to defeat a foe whose icy fingers slowly tighten over the entire world.

Why this story is excellent – A great look into what makes an excellent mystery as Frank and Joe head to France. They even change their looks for most of the story. This is one of the casefiles where the brothers’ ask for the assignment instead of it finding them. Action is all around them as they have to keep up appearances and stay alive at the same time.

3 – Cult of Crime

Rating 3 stars

High in the untamed Adirondack Mountains lurks one of the most fiendish plots Frank and Joe Hardy have ever encountered. On a mission to rescue their good friend Holly from the cult of the lunatic Rajah, the boys unwittingly become the main event in one of the madman’s deadly rituals – human sacrifice.

Fleeing from gun-wielding “religious” zealots and riding in a danger-infested train through the wilderness, Frank and Joe arrive home to find the worst has happened. The Rajah and his followers have invaded Bayport. As their hometown is about to go up in flames, the boys look to Holly for help. But Holly has plans of her own, and one deadly secret…

Why this story is good could be better – A girl goes astray and gets into a cult where her concerned relatives need her to be rescued. A nice plot but it’s been done several times in other stories and movies. The action is fast-paced and brothers’ have to rescue each other from being killed by the cult, then the brothers have to rescue the girl from being programmed by the cult, and bring the cult down.

4 – Lazarus Plot

Rating 5 stars

Camped out in the Maine woods, the Hardy boys get a real jolt when they glimpse Joe’s old girlfriend, Iola Morton. Can it really be the same girl who was blown to bits before their eyes by a terrorist bomb? Frantically searching for her, Frank and Joe are trapped in the lair of the most diabolical team of scientists ever assembled.

Twisting technology to their own ends, the criminals create perfect replicas of the brothers. Now the survival of a top-secret government intelligence organization is a t stake. Frank and Joe must discover the bizarre truth about Iola and face their doubles alone – before the scientists unleash one final, deadly experiment.

Why this story is excellent - The first it what would be several appearances by clones of Iola Morton. They were used in an attempt to destroy Joe Hardy and in essence destroy the Hardy Brothers. While the Hardys proved the “clones” where in reality other girls who had plastic surgery to look like Iola, Joe was still shaken every time he saw one.

5 – Edge of Destruction

Rating 5 stars

In the middle of a gala political banquet, Fenton Hardy is kidnapped. Then a mysterious caller outlines his terrifying demand: unless he receives twenty million dollars, Fenton Hardy – along with many thousands of innocent victims – will be infected with a fatal virus. New York City will turn into a ghost town!

Police Chief Sam Peterson, Hardy’s ex-partner in the NYPD, immediately takes charge. His first official act is to order Frank and Joe off the case. But the brother detectives are too worried about their father to head the chief’s warning – even if it means entering a strange underground world far below the city streets. A world where darkness rules, the mob is the only law, and murder lurks behind every shadow.

Why this story is excellent – This is the first appearance of a new character, Sam Peterson. He’s the chief of police in NYC and was Fenton Hardy’s partner on the force. The two men are still friends and Frank and Joe like him as their own friend. It’s a fast pace story that takes place in NYC, allowing Frank and Joe to learn about people who live “underground” as well as rescue their father.

6 – The Crowning Terror

Rating 5 stars

When Frank and Joe join their uncle Hugh for lunch, the main course turns out to be a bizarre kidnap plot. After a violent scuffle, Uncle Hugh is whisked away, and the boys suddenly find themselves in deep trouble with the U.S. espionage unit.

Special Agent Starkey is out to prove Hugh is a traitor and accuses the boys of helping him to escape. To complicate things, a beautiful mystery woman named Charity is also on their uncle’s trail. Meanwhile Frank and Joe are stranded in a strange city far from home, being hunted down by two desperate gangs – with orders to shoot to kill…

Why this story is excellent – Frank and Joe are by themselves as they work this case. From Bayport to San Francisco, the brothers run into traps and danger at every turn. The casefile features the first appearance of the lady jewel thief named Charity.

7 – Deathgame

Rating 5 stars

Where is Biff Hooper? The Hardys’ friend secretly went off to a survival game camp in Georgia – and never came back. But before leaving he did tell Joe. So when Orville Brand, the camp director, claims Biff was never there, the Hardy boys suspect foul play.

Under cover of darkness Frank and Joe break into the camp grounds. To their amazement they find the Ultimo Survival camp is actual a training site for an elite corps of attack troops, led by a shadowy strongman named Hammerlock. Suddenly the brothers are trapped in a real life struggle for survival against the toughest enemy they’ve ever had to face…

Why this story is excellent – Frank and Joe have to go help out their friend Biff Hooper. The brother teams use their skills of survival in order to save Biff and bring down Orville Brand. The case is limited in the amount of detective work but makes up for it in action and survival scenes.

8 – See No Evil

Rating 1 star

Frank Hardy’s girlfriend Callie Shaw, is determined to join him and Joe in solving crimes. So when she bumps into a mailman and mistakenly recovers a top-secret codebook, Callie thinks she’s found the perfect case. She challenges the brother detectives to help her break the code. Trouble is, the real owner is deadly serious about getting it back.

Joe is knocked cold during a daring burglary, and when he comes to, the black book is missing. But not before Frank has uncovered a link to a secret network of fraud, corruption, and murder. It seems Callie has stumbled on to a major scandal – will Frank and Joe end up taking the fall?

Why Fans Might Not Buy It – This story shows why Callie Shaw is not a popular character among readers. It depicts her as a pest trying to muscle in on the brothers’ mysteries only to get trapped by bad guys and need the brothers to bail her out. It’s not the ideal start for a casefile as Callie herself starts out the mystery when she finds the book. In the end Callie isn’t told to stay away or stop butting in.

9 – The Genius Thieves

Rating 4 stars

A daring million-dollar bank robbery leads Frank and Joe to Chartwell Academy. Certain that the high-tech thief is someone at the exclusive prep school, Frank enrolls as a student, and Joe gets a job as a janitor.

But going undercover on the secluded campus proves extremely dangerous. From battling a raging dorm fire, to being hunted through a graveyard by a masked gunman – the brother detectives find they’re up against a brainy enemy who’s intent on making a twin killing.

Why this story is great – This is one of the first casefiles where the brothers go undercover some place. Since they can’t have their friends along because it would attract suspicion, it allows Frank and Joe to be more liberal with how they work on their jobs. It’s also a case where Frank has to match wits with people who are as smart as himself, and Joe has to battle guys that are couple sizes bigger.

10 – Hostages of Hate

Rating 4 stars

An antiterror convention in Washington, D.C., is rocked by a real-life hijacking – and Frank Hardy’s girlfriend, Callie Shaw is among the hostages. When Callie appears on the TV news she sends the Hardys a coded message. Trouble is, the government doesn’t believe them.

Agent O’Neill orders Frank and Joe off the case, forcing them to try a rescue on their own. Suddenly the brother sleuths are running from the law, straight into a terrorist death trap while Callie watches her life tick away.

Why this story is great – It has a lot of action when showing the scenes from the Hardy brothers. Although this isn’t the average case, where they take time to sort through evidence, it’s one of the fastest mysteries they’ll solve, taking place in under a day. This case shows what will be consistent in some of the coming casefiles; Callie becoming the damsel-in-distress.

11 – Brother Against Brother

Rating 5 stars

A federal witness is being hunted by an unknown hit man. In an effort to warn the witness, detective Fenton Hardy sends Joe on a secret mission. With frightening swiftness the killer ambushes Joe before he can deliver his message… Joe manages to survive but loses his memory!

Joe can’t remember his name or his mission. Worst of all he thinks Frank is the enemy. Meanwhile a deadly killer lies in wait – selling death on the family plan.

Why this story is excellent - This casefile is considered by many to be the best out of the series. It’s not the fact that Joe loses his memory and nearly kills his own brother. It’s when it shows how Frank fights to save his brother and how Joe fights to regain what he has lost while they’re both trying to stop a bad guy that makes it an excellent casefile.

12 – Perfect Getaway

Rating 5 stars

It’s the ultimate criminal operation. For a huge fee Perfect Getaway Travel, Ltd. will provide a clean escape from the long arm of the law. To crack the ring, Frank and Joe pose as a pair of crooks looking for a safe hideout. But when they finally manage to reach the end of the line, the brother detectives find themselves trapped in a private kingdom. A garden of evil, ruled by a murderous crimelord – where an exit visa costs a cool five million dollars….

Why this story is excellent – Just like the story description says, Frank and Joe go undercover in a ruthless organization in order to bring it down from within. They have to be careful at every turn because they could be killed at any time. Both Frank’s skills on the computer and Joe’s skills in fighting and working under pressure are seen in this story.

13 – The Borgia Dagger

Rating 3 stars

Beautiful, rich, and very spoiled, Tessa Carpenter is all trouble from the moment she sideswipes Callie Shaw’s car – and meets Frank Hardy. She invites Frank and Joe to a party for a close-up look at her priceless treasure, the Borgia dagger. But in the middle of the party the lights go out and Tessa is almost killed. Fearing the ancient curse on the jeweled dagger, Tessa asks the brother detectives to protect her. The question is – will two bodyguards be enough for someone with enemies on both sides of the grave?

Why this story is good but could be better – Throughout most of the story Frank and Joe are seeing spoiled brat at its finest when it comes to Tessa Carpenter. To top it off Callie’s thrown in the mix. The story would have been better had the art pieces, which are the focus of story, had been part of a larger mystery in the case.

14 – Too Many Traitors

Rating 5 stars

When Frank wins an all-expense-paid vacation to Spain’s Costa del Sol, the brother detectives are set for some good times in the sunny paradise. But instead of flamenco music and bullfights, Frank and Joe find themselves running from the law.

It seems their official tour guide has been murdered, and their evidence points directly at them. To make things worse, the Hardys are also being hunted as spies by the KGB – and as traitors by the Network. Trapped in very tight spots, Frank and Joe need every ounce of daring and skill… to keep from being shipped home in matching pine boxes.

Why this story is excellent – This story has angst, the helpful pretty girl, Frank and Joe fighting their way out of spots, detective work, and loads of traps. Another fast paced story that keeps moving all the way to the end.

15 – Blood Relations

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe Hardy are enjoying some time off when two new boys in town, Greg and Mike Rawley, convince them to investigate their stepfather, Walter. Greg and Mike suspect him of plotting to kill their mother, Linda. But there’s a hitch; Walter Rawley is one of Fenton Hardy’s oldest friends and an upstanding citizen of Bayport.

With the Rawley boys’ help, the Hardy brothers check out the contents of Linda Rawley’s safe, looking for the diary of Walter’s first wife, which contains murderous evidence. Then Linda is kidnapped. Using themselves as bait, the Hardy boys flush out the kidnappers – only to find that they are mere pawns in an elaborate scheme against their father’s old friend.

Why this story is great - The same thing that happens before in other stories, Callie gets involved / Callie gets kidnapped happens here again. This story has a great plot in that the people asking for help were the bad guys themselves. If the Callie part had been dropped all together, it would have been a better story.

16 – Line of Fire

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe take on the case of Denny Payson, a friend who suspects that his father was murdered in a chemical plant fire five years ago. Lucius Crowell, owner of the plant, has taken care of Denny and his mother since the accident, but Denny is convinced that the fire was a cover-up for the factory’s dirty secret.

Now Crowell is running for public office, and Denny an expert sports marksmen, is determined to have his revenge. Nothing Frank and Joe say can convince him to give up his murderous plan. But another crack marksman – a hit man – is after Denny. Can the Hardys save him before he turns on them?

What makes this story great – It’s one of the cases where the Hardy brothers have to not only figure out what happened during fire but keep their friend from getting his revenge. What keeps this story from being 5 stars is the fact that Denny did most of the detective work already before the case came to the brothers.

17 – The Number File

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe are soaking up some sun in Bermuda and doing a little sleuthing on the side. Their father wants them to check out a shady character named Bernhard Kruger, the suspected kingpin of a big credit card scam. But the brothers aren’t making any headway – so far Kruger is clean.

When the Hardys spy on Kruger’s villa, one of his thugs spots them. Before they know it, they’re being tailed by a black sedan and run off the road into the ocean! This is not the act of an innocent man. Their vacation shot, Frank and Joe resolve to nail Kruger. But he’s on to them, and he has other plans – like arranging for the brothers to vanish in the Bermuda Triangle.

Why this story is excellent – Bullet, bombs, and murder attempts are just part of the action in this casefile as the Hardys look behind the credit card scam. Frank and Joe have to work fast if they want to stay alive. This time the girl that helps them out can take care of herself as she is an expert trap shooter.

18 – A Killing in the Market

Rating 1 star

Frank and Joe investigate the disappearance of Cyril Bayard, a shady investment counselor who’s been dating the boys’ aunt Gertrude and to whom she entrusted her life savings. His clerk has just been found murdered, and it looks like the bullet was meant for Bayard. The boys visit his house, but he’s gone and the place is trashed.

When Aunt Gertrude is fingered as the chief suspect, the Hardys have to act fast. They head for Manhattan to call on Bayard’s business associates. But before they know it, they’re drawn into a treacherous chase through a world the know nothing about – the dark underside of Wall Street.

Why Fans Might Not Buy It – This story focuses on Frank and Joe having to clear their aunt as a suspect in a murder. This character seems out of place in every story and one has to wonder why Laura never questions why Gertrude moves in, or why the parents feel that she should be there to look after their two nearly adult children.

19 – Nightmare in Angel City

Rating 1 star

Callie Shaw disappears while shooting a video for her summer class at UCLA. Frank and Joe drop everything and fly out to look for her. The moment they start to investigate, the situation explodes. During their search of Callie’s room, someone greets them with a firebomb.

Finally, the brother detectives track Callie to an abandoned factory, where’s she’s hiding out among a band of street people. But finding Callie is just the beginning of a desperate race to uncover a killer. From Hollywood movie studios to the haunts of the street people, Frank and Joe follow a trail of blood money – until it comes to a dead end!

Why Fans Might Not Buy It - Another Callie gets herself in trouble story. Why it seems she doesn’t realize that she’s not a detective, it’s not clear. As usual Callie stumbles onto a murder plot and Frank and Joe come to her rescue.

20 – Witness to Murder

Rating 5 stars

While trying to help Annie Shea, the pretty new girl in town, Joe accidentally runs down her old boyfriend, Phil. Joe’s in a tight spot, but Annie seems afraid to help. Then the Hardys learn that Phil is the prime suspect in a million-dollar diamond robbery and Annie may be involved.

But when Annie is kidnapped the brother detectives swing into action. They follow her to the lair of America’s most infamous gem thief, Cutter. Outnumbered, the Hardys take on the diamond man’s gang in all-out effort to save Annie – and clear Joe of murder.

Why this story is excellent – Joe is suspected of murder. Frank and Joe have to work to clear his name. While this story is not as full of action as other 5 star stories, this one proves you don’t need a lot of action to be an excellent story.

21 – Street Spies

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe go undercover as big-city bicycle messengers to crack a gang of high-tech thieves. Millions of dollars in computer secrets have already been stolen, and the brother detectives are hot on the trail.

Zipping through New York traffic at top speeds is dangerous enough, but one of their fellow messengers is out for their blood. Joe’s bike is rigged with a time bomb, then a dispatcher is shot down. Unless the Hardys come up with a lead quickly, life in the fast lane could easily turn to death…

Why this story is great – A lot of action is in this story as the brothers have to work fast to plug the leak. It’s the type of story that does look like the ghostwriter had planned to bring back some of the bad guys in a later story. It’s a solid casefile with lots of detective work.

22 – Double Exposure

Rating 5 stars

When Frank and Joe decide to meet their father’s latest contact on their own, they get more than they bargained for. The young detectives come face-to-face with their long-lost brother, Chris Hardy! But a hail of bullets cuts their meeting short.

Suddenly Frank and Joe find themselves trapped in a deadly cross fire between a brutal gang of spies and a high-tech computer scam. Odds are their new brother is the triggerman – aiming to wipe out an old family debt.

Why this story is excellent – Here we see someone who lived temporarily with the Hardys when the brothers were younger, and he sometimes uses the Hardys last name while undercover. Throughout the story before the truth is finally revealed, Frank and Joe are questioning what would happen if Chris turns out to really be their long lost brother.

23 – Disaster for Hire

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe race to Seattle to help their father Fenton, who stands accused of murder! In their father’s rented house, they’re met by burglars, who try to gun them down. When the brother detectives follow their trail, they learn that valuable timber is being destroyed by a deadly virus. They also find an entire town has been sealed off to prevent a mysterious flu epidemic. Meanwhile Fenton Hardy is the hostage of a sinister scientist with a formula for certain death. And if the brother team can’t reach him in time – he’ll become the victim in a doomsday experiment.

Why this story is great – This is a great story from beginning to end. Frank and Joe have to figure out who is trying to frame their father murder, avoid a mysterious flu outbreak, and outrun a forest fire. On top of that, they have to figure out why trees are dying of a mysterious disease. Talk about having your hands full!

24 – Scene of the Crime

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe go undercover as apprentice stuntmen on a major movie. They’ve been asked to investigate a number of serious accidents that have delayed filming. Right from the first scene the action gets rough. Frank’s stunt misfires, and the next one turns into a flaming disaster.

The Hardys are certain it’s deliberate sabotage. But the young detectives find the real drama is off the set when they become involved in a bizarre plot to steal a fortune. Unfortunately, they get themselves arrested! The brothers must break out of jail fast – or lose their only chance to be cleared of a million-dollar frame-up.

Why this story is great – It’s full-blown action as Frank and Joe work as stuntsmen. The stunts are parts of the detective work as they have to from getting killed. It features a lady stuntsmen who helps out during the case. No girlfriends here, in fact none of the brothers’ friends appear in this story.

25 – The Borderline Case

Rating 3 stars

A student exchange program brings Frank and Joe to sun-kissed Greece. But the moment they hit the scenic port of Piraeus, they land in deep trouble. What stars as a street fight soon escalates to a hornet’s next of espionage, kidnapping, and diplomatic double cross.

Near Yugoslavia, the Hardys find themselves on a mission to rescue someone they don’t know, for a cause they barely understand. Only one thing is certain – if the brother team fails this border run, they’ll be ancient history.

Why this story is good but needs work – With this story, the writers were trying to give Phil and Chet bigger roles in the story but in doing that they split up the brothers making the story harder to read. Frank and Joe are apart with different groups for most of the story causing the chapters to flip back and fourth.

26 – Trouble in the Pipeline

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe fly to Alaska to trace Scott Sanders, who’s supposed to be working on a top-secret project for a mining firm. When company officials claim they’ve never heard of Scott, the Hardys grow suspicious. They find that some company managers have been selling jobs on the big oil pipeline. But before the brother detectives can dig deeper, they’re kidnapped and forced to bail out over the Arctic wilderness. Stranded, Frank and Joe face their toughest test – fighting hunger, grizzly bears, and bullets to survive – while at trail’s end a group called the Assassins waits to give them their final exam…

Why this story is excellent – Joe forced to tell the truth or Frank will die, survival in the middle of nowhere, Assassins, bombs, and sabotage. All of this plus they have to figure out whose trying to sabotage the pipeline. Angst, action, and detective work all add up for a great casefile.

27 – Nowhere to Run

Rating 4 stars

Sparks fly when “Biker” Bob Conway roars into town, looking for Frank and Joe. The motorcycle racer needs their help to prove his innocence in a hijack case. The problem is, Biker just escaped from jail. To make things worse, some every dangerous people are looking for him. One is a bounty hunter; the other are members of a motorcycle gang called the Sinbads. Frank and Joe can’t leave a friend in trouble, and they defy their father in taking Biker’s case. The brother detectives burn rubber in a high-speed race with both sides of the law – where murder is the final pit stop.

Why this story is great – This is the first to feature Frank and Joe on opposite sides with their father. It’s one of the rare cases where you’ll read Frank and Joe actually arguing with their father. Callie does make her usual annoying appearance, taking away some flair for the story.

28 – Countdown to Terror

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe fly to Halifax, Canada, to check out an insurance scam. But as they leave the airport their car is sprayed with bullets. Soon the brother detectives discover they’re number one on somebody’s hit list.

First a friend of their father’s is seriously hurt in a bomb blast. Then one of their suspects winds up dead. What started out as a white-collar crime has become an all-out war. And unless the young sleuths track down the stunning secret behind the vicious attacks – they’ll be crossing the border in a body bag…

Why this story is good but could be better - An unusual case in that the Hardys investigate a seemingly small case which turns into a very huge one. Then the Hardys have the problem with the one person that will help them tries to be the hero. It would have made more sense had the case been in a more target prone area than in Nova Scotia, such as a larger city.

29 – Thick as Thieves

Rating 5 stars

During a daring robbery of rare gems, Frank and Joe spot the thief. Their old enemy Charity has turned up in Bayport – and once again she manages to slip through their fingers. The Hardys track her to San Diego, where they run smack into a crooks’ convention.

A group of mater criminals are planning the crime of the century – and they think Joe is one of the dishonored guests. Joe joins the gang, but then he disappears in a bomb blast. Frank is left to avenge his brother’s death against all odds – as he tackles a killer tag team with a secret weapon… and a lethal lady named Charity.

Why this story is excellent – This is an example of a casefile where the love the brothers have for each other is shown through each page. Each thinking the other is dead, they vow to get justice. There is action in each chapter leading up towards the conclusion of the case. Charity makes an appearance in this casefile. An illusive person, this is the last appearance of this woman thief.

30 – The Deadliest Dare

Rating 4 stars

When Bayport is hit by a rash of vicious pranks, Frank and Joe investigate. They aren’t sure the tricks are meant to be funny, especially the mysterious phone tip that leads them to a spooky mansion that happens to be on fire.

After dousing the blaze, the brother detectives find a vital clue. The trail leads them to a bizarre club dedicated to danger. But the pranks may be only a cover for an ultraserious game plan. Soon the young sleuths find themselves playing straight men for a deadly practical joke – where the punch line is murder.

Why this story is great – A story that keeps the reader guessing until nearly the end. Frank and Joe meet another set of brothers that for once don’t want to try and out do them at everything. A nice twist really adds to the entire plot of the story comes as the final showdown plays out.

31 – Without a Trace

Rating 4 stars

Rancher Roy Carlson asks Frank and Joe to visit his spread in New Mexico after one of his cowboys disappears. While searching the area in an ultralight plane, the Hardys are forced to land.

Suddenly the brother detectives are fighting to survive in the vast wilderness – and along with rattlesnakes and tornadoes a deadly enemy is on their trail. There’s a million-dollar bonanza at stake as Frank and Joe uncover the real mystery of the Circle C Ranch. But unless the brothers make their way home, their lives won’t be worth a plugged nickel.

Why this story is great – It starts off by having the brothers coming by themselves to the ranch, so they only have to worry about themselves. It would have been nicer had they been stuck in the desert a few days, but it makes up for that in explosive action.

32 – Blood Money

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe are investigating a series of gangland killings. Crime kingpin Josh Moran is dead and buried, but his murderous legacy lives on. In his will, he left $10 million to be divided among his enemies. The catch is that the money will be paid in three months – to those who survive!

The Hardys find themselves in a deadly race against time, for one of the beneficiaries of Moran’s blood money is a former detective for the NYPD – their own father. Fenton Hardy, Frank and Joe must unmask the triggerman before the dead man’s hit list reaches into their own family!

Why this story is excellent – This story has all the markings of the best of the casefiles; action, angst, murder, plus a true criminal no one would believe. Frank and Joe have to work fast to protect their father, while at times protecting and saving the life of Sam Peterson.

33 – Collision Course

Rating 4 stars

Bayport is hosting its first Grand Prix race, and former world-champion driver Angus McCoy is on hand. But during his qualifying run, McCoy misses a hairpin turn, and his car plunges into the bay. When Frank and Joe try to help investigate, they are beset by violent “accidents”, including the destruction of a vital clue. The brother detectives find themselves trapped in a deadly duel of fast cars and freewheeling danger as they chase down the missing link to a murderer. If the Hardys fail to win the rat race, they’ll finish in a dead heat with the grim reaper.

Why this story is great – Here we have the Hardys trying to help Joe’s friend, Scott Lavin. This case pits Frank and Joe against each other as Joe is convinced Scott is innocent from the beginning while Frank isn’t so sure. It also features a bit where Callie actually helps Joe instead of being a pest for a change. Joe even gets to ride in an F1 car for bit. It’s one of the rare stories where Frank and Joe work together even thought they think the other is wrong.

34 – Final Cut

Rating 3 stars

When Frank and Joe visit a local movie and TV studio they stumble across a real-life drama – someone has murdered screenwriter Bennett Fairburn. To track the killer the brother detectives go undercover a gofers at a studio.

From the start it’s clear the Hardys have been cast as victims in a sinister plot. A series of deadly “accidents” stalk the brother team, and while shooting a TV series Frank and Joe find themselves on the wrong end of some lethal stunts. The clues they need are buried in the script, but unless they uncover the villain fast, the brothers Hardy will be show biz history.

Why this story is good but need work - The first thing that does bring down the story a little bit is that it starts out with Callie and Gertrude making their usual annoying appearances. Callie muscles her way onto the action and becomes the damsel in distress. This story would have worked had the brothers’ been on a larger studio to work the case.

35 – The Dead Season

Rating 4 stars

Callie Shaw invites Frank and Joe to Runner’s Harbor, a hotel in Barbados run by her cousins. But just as the brothers arrive, they’re met by a horrifying host. Then things get even scarier. From trap doors and secret passages to ghostly gunmen, the young detectives come face-to-face with the mysterious spirit world. It seems Runner’s Harbor has a skeleton in every closet – and they’re all out to put the brother team into an early grave.

What this story is great – The Hardys are determined to figure out what is behind the events at the hotel to prove that it’s not haunted. They are fooled by a pretty girl who turns out to be in on the search for missing jewels. The only thing that brings down this story from being 5 stars is Callie. As usual she seems out of place and doesn’t add much except give Frank more reasons to worry.

36 – Running on Empty

Rating 4 stars

Chet’s borrowed Corvette has been hot-wired, and Chet is steamed. But when he tries to nab the crooks, he gets nabbed instead. Frank and Joe put the pedal to the metal, in pursuit of Chet’s kidnappers.

The brothers go undercover to get the drop on the chop-shop ring – and find themselves riding with some pretty fast company. The hot Caddys, Camaros, and Corvettes are burning up the road, putting the Hardys on a crash course with danger. If they don’t hit curves just right, they’ll be eating the car thieves’ dust!

Why this story is great – In this one Chet is the one in need of help instead of a girl. Chet is shown to be not the chubby, hobby-crazy person, but a smart and tough guy who tried to get retrieve a stolen car. Frank and Joe don’t have to travel far, but that doesn’t mean the story lacks in action.

37 – Danger Zone

Rating 3 stars

When an ultrasecret project takes Fenton Hardy to Massachusetts, the Hardy Boys come home one afternoon to find that kidnappers have taken their mother. The kidnappers demand to talk to Frank and Joe’s father within the next twenty-four hours – or the boys may never talk to their mother again!

The key to the case is at Prometheus Computing, where Fenton is in charge of security. The company’s latest product is a highly advanced computer chip sure to shape the future of artificial intelligence. But to protect the chip and their family, the Hardys will have to rely on their natural intelligence and courage. They must find their father and infiltrate the DANGER ZONE before times runs out on their mother!

Why this story is good but could be better – In this story Aunt Gertrude ramblings about the dangers of detective work could have been left out. Laura Hardy getting kidnapped made for great angst, but it’s annoying that the only time she’s ever heard from is when she’s the kidnap victim or making the meal. It would have been better had Laura been heard from more in the beginning of the series and let the reader feel more of the brothers’ distress.

38 – Diplomatic Deceit

Rating 2 stars

The Hardys and friend Callie Shaw are off to Washington D.C. Callie finally has the chance to meet her Parisian pen pal, Madeleine Berot, whose parents have been assigned to the French embassy. But when Maddy is caught shoplifting, Frank and Joe suspect that there’s something rotten in the state of French diplomacy.

Determined to get to the bottom of the Madeleine Berot mystery, the Hardys find themselves caught in a web of international intrigue. They take off on a tingling chase through the nation’s capital, pursuing a gang of continental con artists. In a case of D.C. deceit, it’s up to Frank and Joe to nip the caper in the bud!

OK if you’re a fan - This story suffers from Callie syndrome and a mistaken identity that could have been cleared with one phone call. A story that has several flaws that need to be worked out, perhaps having the people using diplomatic immunity for something more than getting out of shoplifting charges.

39 – Flesh and Blood

Rating 2 stars

A tornado has hit Bayport, but the deadliest storm is still brewing – in the Hardy home. Years ago, Fenton Hardy sent a criminal named Leonard Mock to prison. Now Mock’s son has returned to Bayport to seek revenge. He has vowed to put Frank and Joe’s father away for good!

But Leonard Mock lost his son to adoption when the boy was five. His name changed, and the only clue to his identity is that he has since befriended the Hardy boys. Then the brothers uncover a shocking and horrifying piece of evidence. The person out to murder their father may very well be none other than Chet Morton – their best and most trusted friend!

OK if you’re a fan – This story started out being about Fenton Hardy but turned into a Callie centered story. Each chapter after she appears has her being rescued, showing off, or making fun of Joe. So the whole premise of the criminal’s revenge on the Hardys gets lost in the background.

40 – Freight Wave

Rating 4 stars

Surf’s up in Hawaii, and the Hardy boys are riding a crime wave into danger! Somebody’s trying to deep-six champion surfer Jade Roberts, and Frank and Joe are determined to keep her from going under.

From Waikiki to Diamond Head, the Hardys find themselves in hot pursuit of a powerful crime boss. In the face of bullet-spraying motorboats and killer copters, they run the risk of suffering the worst wipeout their lives!

Why this story is great – With bullets flying and several chases, this story has action from beginning to end. A bit of a sad ending with it, Frank and Joe work their best to keep Jade alive only to learn her darkest secret.

41 – Highway Robbery

Rating 4 stars

The highway can be a very dangerous place – especially when you’re carrying a heavy cargo. The Hardys have gone undercover, determined to crack a truck hijacking scheme, but a ruthless gang of thugs are just as determined to run them off the road.

The hijackers are spreading terror on the interstates, and whoever gets in their way could end up on a one-way dead-end street. Someone’s going to eat asphalt, but Frank and Joe are prepared. They’re gunning the engines and riding the roads on eighteen wheels of diesel-powered chrome and steel!

Why this story is great – While this does involve another case where Frank and Joe help out the relative of a friend, namely Tony Prito, it doesn’t mean that there’s a lull in the action. Tony gets involved as the brothers’ help to save his cousin’s hauling business. Although now it seems outdated that the price of a CD player would be too high for some people to pay, the story is still worth reading.

42 – The Last Laugh

Rating 4 stars

A San Diego comic book convention turns into a real blast when guest speaker Barry Johns, legendary publisher of Zenith Comics is kidnapped. But the Hardys can hardly believe their eyes. Johns is abducted by two characters straight off the illustrated page – the Human Dreadnought and Flame Fiend!

Frank and Joe’s investigation leads them into a confrontation with a rogues’ gallery of comic book villains come to life, each armed with sinister, super-sophisticated powers. But the boys are determined to have the last laugh by unmasking the criminal mastermind behind the crazy comic book caper.

Why this story is great – There are traps and threats throughout this story as bad guys try to imitate evil doers from comic books. While I would have preferred the Green Goblin or The Riddler, I guess they couldn’t mess with copyrights. Chet Morton helps out with this one.

43 – Strategic Moves

Rating 4 stars

While attending an international summer school at England’s Oxford University, the Hardys learn just how much times have changed. Frank’s roommate, Pyotr Zigonev, is the USSR junior chess champ, and he has become a pawn in an international power play. But just as the boys rally to help Zigonev, they discover that the CIA has joined forces with the KGB!

The American and Soviet spy masters are out to foil a master of terrorism, and Frank and Joe and Zigonev are caught in the middle. One false move and they’ll lose the ultimate game – a danger-packed contest played out in the cold gray shadows of Stonehenge.

Why this story is great – The story is outdated from the beginning as the USSR no longer exists though it involves people who don’t want the country to change, which still happens today. The action starts almost from the beginning as Gray Man and the Network become involved in stopping an act of terrorism. Frank and Joe are constantly on the move as the have to help keep their new friend alive and discover the identities of agents gone bad in the Network and KGB.

44 – Castle Fear

Rating 4 stars

Jed Shannon, a young American movie star on location in England, has received a threat against his life. When the Hardys set out to investigate, they are drawn into a case wirhty of Sherlock Holmes – and into a conspiracy as thick as the London fog.

Jillian Seabright, a beautiful British actress befriended by Jed, has vanished. The key to the mystery lies in her resemblance to missing emerald heiress Emily Cornwall. Frank and Joe trace the damsels in distress to a medieval mansion on the moors – Castle Fear. Dodging bullets and battle-axes, the boys are out to prove that chivalry is not dead – but one wrong move and they will be!

Why this story is great – It takes place in England so the background plays into the entire case. The Hardys have come into a strange case where a gang of criminals want to substitute an actress for a wealthy person in order to steal jewels. Frank and Joe get locked in a castle for time but still manage to put it all together.

45 – In Self-Defense

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys pay a visit to Bayport’s newest martial arts school and find that someone’s trying to run the place out of the neighborhood. The Scorpions, a tough street gang, say the building in on their turf, and the school’s students have already felt the Scorpion’s sting.

The home boys may want to rumble with the Hardy boys, but when high explosives come into the picture, Frank and Joe figure there’s more than a street fight at stake. The unknown enemy is willing to use a deadly force to destroy the school, and the Hardys will have to get down to business – and give a lesson of their own.

Why this story is great – To start one of the main characters, Kay Lewis, is a woman who is a black-belt in karate. It’s brought down a notch because as usual Callie becomes the damsel-in-distress and makes sure later one she’s included on the take down of the bad guy. Still this story has a lot of action in it as Frank and Joe figure out why the gang wants the building.

46 – Foul Play

Rating 4 stars

Someone’s embezzling major league money from the minor league Bayport Blues, and retired baseball great manager Stuart Murphy, is the prime suspect. He wants the Hardy boys to clear his name – and as a sign of good faith, he gives them a vintage baseball card valued at $100,000!

But the boys face a dangerous lineup of hoods and henchmen who want the card at all cards. The game is heating up fast, and every pitch is down and dirty. Frank and Joe are right in the line of fire, and they’ll have to come out swinging – or risk becoming the ultimate victims of foul play!

Why this story is great – There’s a lot of action in casefile revolving around a baseball card. It’s just before the holidays but not much of the story is focused on that. Frank and Joe are on their toes constantly as the action heats up. The only thing that brings the casefile down from being 5 stars is Callie. Not only does she complain that Frank hasn’t picked out her gift yet, she becomes the damsel in distress again.

47 – Flight into Danger

Rating 5 stars

Frank’s old friend Ray Adamec, former ace Navy pilot, has been hired to test pilot a superhot, supersleek jet – the MAX 1. But then Ray disappears, and the MAX 1 is nowhere to be found. Frank’s pilot license proves to be invaluable as the Hardys take control of the MAX 2. Their mission: find Ray and recover the MAX 1 before it falls into dangerous hands.

Finding a clue to the whereabouts of the MAX 1 in the Utah desert, the boys set out to investigate. Instead they find themselves outnumbered and outgunned in a high-tech, high-altitude air battle. They’ve flown into the middle of a subversive plot posing a deadly threat to the top levels of the U.S. space program and the U.S. government!

Why this story is excellent – First off, the girlfriends are left behind in a parking lot. Next, the Gray Man and the Network are there so you know the Assassins are tangled into the casefile. Frank’s flying skills are put to the test as he and his brother actually take the skies in an air flight to the finish.

48 – Rock ‘N’ Revenge

Rating 3 stars

When Buddy Death brings his heavy metal band to Bayport, danger takes center stage. For while hard rock fans would kill for a ticket, someone’s out to kill the star of the show! The Hardys, hired to help set up the concert, soon find themselves working overtime as Buddy Death’s bodyguards.

But saving Buddy’s skin is not an easy job, and Frank and Joe can’t afford to miss a single beat. The hot-shot rock star has more enemies than he does amplifiers – and every piece of high-tech equipment onstage is a potential Buddy Death trap.

Why this story is good but needs work – This story falls into the ‘protect the obnoxious person’ story where the star isn’t exactly liked by a lot of people. Not to mention Callie shows up in this story. It seems like Frank and Joe can’t solve a case in their neighborhood without her tagging along. It may have been a more believable story had Phil Cohen or Biff Hooper been with them since their skills seem better suited for this kind of case.

49 – Dirty Deeds

Rating 4 stars

Frank, Joe, and Callie are off to Virginia City, Nevada, heard of the Comstock Lode, to visit Callie’s friend Kerry Prescott. Kerry’s father, Ted, has developed a system to extract new gold from old mines – But the deeper Ted digs, the more danger he finds. Someone means to put him down for good!

Gold fever is running high, and lives are at stake. But Frank and Joe stake a claim of their own: they’re out to put a stop to a gold-digging, gun-toting gang of desperadoes. The Hardys head for a showdown eighty feet underground, where they discover just how wild the Wild West can be.

Why this story is great – Despite Callie being in this story, she remains for most of the time in the background, allowing Frank and Joe to focus on solving the case. It’s a nice case filled with the usual traps and action.

50 – Power Play

Rating 4 stars

Bright Futures Development has announced the invention of a powerful new solar energy cell, and the Hardy boys have gone undercover to protect it from industrial spies. But the action proves to be too hot to handle: a company employee assigned to the solar cell lab has turned up dead!

Was it an inside job? Or was it a rival company out to burn the competition? Frank and Joe follow a trail of deceit and double-dealing and discover that the truth behind the solar power source is much darker than the suspected. Plenty of high-energy action awaits them as they fly straight into a fiery web of danger!

Why this story is great – This is a first for the casefiles to use modern energy technology as the focal point of a casefile. Frank gets to use his flying skills to help out. While this story isn’t as in depth as other mysteries, it offers up a good story.

51 – Choke Hold

Rating 4 stars

Professional wrestler Sammy “The Kung Fu King” Rand is in trouble up to his triceps. He’s a marked man – the victim of a series of suspicious ringside accidents. Frank and Joe decide to go undercover to find out who wants to put Sammy down for the count – for good!

The Hardys will have to make some pretty slick moves and take on some pretty rough customers to pin this case down. When the boys square off against such muscle-masters as Tomahawk, the Constrictor, and Major Disaster, they’d better be ready for the match of their lives!

Why this story is great – Fans of wrestling will enjoy this story as it mirrors rivalries that go on between wrestling sections. Frank and Joe have to take on these guys as they try to figure out who is trying to kill a wrestling star. Joe gets to show off some of his wrestling moves as he and Joe spend time learning from a pro.

52 – Uncivil War

Rating 2 stars

Historian Andrew Donnell invites the Hardys to Tennessee to join in a reenactment of the battle of Shiloh – Frank in Confederate gray, Joe in Union blue. But soon both boys are seeing red, and Donnell falls to the ground – cut down by real bullets!

The Hardys check out the nearby Civil War theme park, where their fun soon turns to terror. The tunnel of love, the hall of mirrors, and the Rebel Yell roller coaster have been rigged to thrill the boys to death. The war games are over, the true battle has begun – And Frank and Joe are directly in the line of fire!

OK if you’re a fan – While this story has a different setting, the case is similar to other stories, a person killing and destroying things to keep a secret. While the Hardys friends don’t make appearances in this story, it would have been better had Chet Morton or Biff Hooper been there to help add more to it.

53 – Web of Horror

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys are working security on the set of the latest film in a cult classic series, Horror House V. Frank and Joe get the chance to appear on-screen as victims of the movie’s psycho murderer – the dreaded Reaper. But the fake fun soon turns to true terror when producer Andrew Warmouth meets a death as horrible as anything captured on film!

The movie is being shot on location at an actual haunted house, and the ghastly truth behind the murder is buried within. The investigation leads Frank and Joe into a living nightmare: They must face their worst fears and track down an elusive, cold-blooded killer before he strikes again!

Why this story is great – Since it takes place on a movie set, Frank and Joe have to figure out which weapons are real and which are just props. All the while they have to figure out who is behind all the mishaps and murder while keeping the sets in one piece. While the main culprit behind the motive is greed, in parts it was also envy.

54 – Deep Trouble

Rating 5 stars

Long-lost treasure beckons Frank and Joe to a deep-sea adventure in the Bahamas. The Hardys join a crew of divers seeking to unlock the gold-laden vaults of a long-ago shipwreck. But promise soon turns to peril as the treasure hunters become the hunted – and the Hardys boys become the targets of sabotage!

Frank and Joe discover that beneath the ocean’s surface lurk the deepest dangers. The plunge into a world of supercharged speedboat chases and underwater combat and are drawn into a deadly game in which winners go for the gold and the losers go to the sharks!

Why this story is excellent – Frank and Joe are involved in one of their favorite pastimes; scuba diving. It’s a new kind of plot involving not recovered but still sunken treasure. Some of the story does slow, but only because it involves the brothers’ during some of their dives.

55 – Beyond the Law

Rating 5 stars

Scandal rocks the Bayport police force! New commissioner Mark DeCampo has suspended veteran police chief Ezra Collig, saying he has proof that Collig was once a bagman in a bribery scheme. Now Collig is on the run, and when DeCampo barely survives a car bomb, the chief is accused of attempted murder!

The Hardys have had differences with Collig in the past, but they refuse to believe he’s a dirty cop. The boys head to Millerton, the town where Collig began his career, and expose a 35-year-old police cover-up. But they also stir up a new case – a case of deceit; dishonor; and danger that leads straight back to Bayport!

Why this story is excellent – In this story Frank and Joe see a side of Chief Collig they’ve never seen before. He actually works with them to find out who’s trying to frame him and destroy his career. Frank and Joe have to do serious detective work by themselves and work almost the whole case on their own.

56 – Height of Danger

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe are working security at the World Snowboarding Championship in Austria, and they‘re learning fast that the Alps can be as dangerous as they are beautiful – the perfect setting for sabotage. Ken Gibson is the number-one competitor and the number-one target. Reason: He’s been leading a secret life!

The race is on, and the stakes are as steep as they get. Frank and Joe discover that both the Network and an underground gang have gotten into the game. The Hardys are standing on top of a mountain of trouble – and it’s about to explode under their feet!

Why this story is excellent – The readers see that Joe is no slouch when it comes to snowboarding. The brothers have to help out an agent for the Network while trying to figure out who is after him. There’s plenty of action for them in each chapter as the Gray Man makes an appearance.

57 – Terror on Track

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe join Andrew Driscoll, the son of a professor, on a critical cross-country train ride. They are acting as decoys in a top-secret plan to transport a deadly virus from San Francisco to Chicago. In the wrong hands, the virus could unleash a biological catastrophe of unimaginable proportions!

But the plan goes haywire when Andrew disappears and the shocking truth about the Hardys’ mission becomes clear. The boys begin to suspect that they are the ones ticketed for disaster, and that the end of the line – for both of them and the virus – is dangerously near!

Why this story is great – Although the set up is quite routine; a deadly virus needs to be moved and someone bad finds out about it, it does make for one of the larger cases the Hardy brothers will solve. What made this case very unusual are the suspects and the eventual true mastermind, which throws the Hardys through a loop.

58 – Spiked!

Rating 4 stars

A vacation in Laguna Beach, California, together with a big-time volleyball tournament in the sun and sand, have put the Hardys in seventh heaven. The action promises to be hard and fast and fun – so what could possibly go wrong? Nothing… until the games begin and murder takes a hand!

The Frosty Soft Drink Company is sponsoring the event to promote their new sports drink, Hi-Kick. But the contest has turned into a tournament of terror, and one competitor has already paid with his life. Frank and Joe will have to high kick their game into high gear – before the cost of a cold drink puts someone else on ice!

Why this story is great – You have two set of people both trying to harm the same person but not because anyone hates him. On one hand you have an obsessed father who wants his son to be a champ no matter what the son or anyone else wants. On the other hand you have a bunch of greedy crooks that want to take over a company. So with a bunch of suspects and some death traps, Frank and Joe have to work by themselves to figure out the case.

59 – Open Season

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe take off on a cross-country skiing trip into the Colorado Rockies and soon find themselves facing the greatest challenge of them all: a test of survival! They’ve befriended conservationist K.D. Becker, a woman dedicated to saving the endangered mountain lion. But K.D.’s been shot – and now it’s her life that hangs in the balance.

The boys discover that K.D.’s mission, to create a wildlife preserve has stirred up passions as old as the frontier itself. Ranchers, hunters, and Native Americans all want the land – and K.D. stood in the way. The hunt is on, and the Hardys are hot on the trail of a suspect. But the shooter’s not about to give in without a fight, and now Frank and Joe have become fair game!

Why this story is great – It seems like Frank and Joe have bad luck when it comes to vacations. Instead of being in a place with a large amount of people and their friends and girlfriends, the brothers are on their own as they were cross-country skiing. It’s a little small compared to other mysteries, but it’s still a good story.

60 – Deadfall

Rating 4 stars

Crosscut, Oregon is a town divided. Two rival lumber mills are in fierce competition, while the tension between pro- and anti-logging forces threatens to tear Crosscut apart. And when an explosion at one mill claims the life of its owner, the police charge Callie Shaw’s uncle, environmentalist Stan Shaw with the murder!

Frank and Joe refuse to let Stan take the fall. But the land around Crosscut is rough country – and the men in it are even rougher. Before the boys can clear Stan’s name, they’ll have to clear a path through a dangerous world of chain saws and bulldozers, dynamite and double-barreled shotguns.

Why this story is great – This story is brought down a little bit because it involves a relative of Callie Shaw so naturally she brings the Hardy Boys with her just in case anything happens. It’s still a fast-paced action story that has all the bits that make it a good detective story.

61 – Grave Danger

Rating 3 stars

The Hardy boys have come to the Yucatan to take on a gang of grave robbers. Stolen Mexican artifacts have appeared in Bayport, and Frank and Joe intend to cu the smugglers off at the source. But the jungle is full of deception and distraction, including a bevy of beautiful models who have appeared at the site for a photography shoot.

A different kind of shooting though, quickly puts the Hardys back on track. The raiders of the Mayan pyramids are packing automatic weapons, and they’re not about to give up their lucrative looting without a fight. They plan to draw Frank and Joe into the jungle and add two deep new chambers to the ancient tombs!

Why this story is good but needs work – The crime in this story seemed to be a favorite with past Hardy boys ghostwriters. Callie Shaw and Gertrude make their usual annoying appearances in this story. While Frank and Joe do head out of the country to deal with the crime, it may have been nicer had it more of an Indiana Jones feel.

62 – Final Gambit

Rating 4 stars

A cool million in cash can raise temperatures in even in the hottest towns, and no city on earth sizzles like Las Vegas, Nevada. The Hardys have come to the Camelot Casino so Frank can compete in the National Computer Chess Championship. But before the first move is made, the boys find themselves pawns in a chilling kidnapping caper.

The daughter of a ruthless local businessman is the victim, and Frank and Joe are prime suspects. The only way to clear their name is to find the girl and grab her abductors. But the kidnappers are masters of the game. The Hardys must watch their step and make every move count – or they may end up walking into a deadly desert trap!

Why this story is great – Frank and Joe are on their own as they travel to Las Vegas, allowing them to solve a casefile on their own. The theme of city stays in the background allowing the focus to be on Frank and Joe piecing together the clues to the kidnappers. While they are separated for a bit in the story, it makes for great action pieces.

63 – Cold Sweat

Rating 3 stars

Will wonders never cease? Chet Morton, the original couch potato, has joined Bayport’s new state-of-the-art health club. But the Hardys know what’s really on his mind, and her name is Dawn Reynolds, aerobics instructor. One mystery solved, an even bigger one awaits: The boys have found that working out in the club’s weight training room may be hazardous to their health.

Chet ends up in the hospital, and another of the club’s members ends up in the bay… dead! Frank and Joe suspect that an underworld gang has muscled in on the action. The Hardys know they’re in the for the fight of their lives because when push comes to shove, these are the kind of thugs who’ll sop pumping iron and start spraying lead!

Why this story is good but needs work – When Chet Morton goes on a health kick, something always happens. This story is very small in that all the suspects are known because they’re in the same place.

64 – Endangered Species

Rating 5 stars

Operation Phoenix #1

The Hardys join their father on an undercover mission into the African wild. On the trail of a multimillion-dollar smuggling operation, they’re out to learn the fate of a missing U.S. customs official. Thrust into a world of poisonous snakes and man-eating lions, the boys soon confront the most dangerous beast of all…

Poachers armed with high-powered weapons are devastating herds of endangered species. Shocked by the slaughter, Frank and Joe are dead set on shutting the smugglers down. But they pay a terrible price for the truth: a tragic murder that will lead them out of Africa and into the most painful and perilous investigation of their lives!

Why this story is excellent – The beginning of one of the best stories from the casefiles series. A nice fact is that it takes place in Africa so Frank and Joe have to contend with all the perils of being in the desert climate. It deals with environmental crimes that were rarely dealt with in the past with any of the Hardy brothers’ stories. This casefile is a excellent in itself and sets the tone for the next two in the series.

65 – No Mercy

Rating 5 stars

Operation Phoenix #2

For Frank and Joe, a journey in search of justice has turned into a personal mission of revenge. Their intercontinental chase has led them from Kenya to Stockholm, Sweden. Target: Phoenix Enterprises, an international combine of supersmugglers that the Hardys hold responsible for their father’s death.

But the boys are just beginning to realize how powerful the group is. High-tech weaponry, terrorism, and human suffering are their stock-in-trade. Led on by a beautiful woman, pursued by a trained assassin, the Hardys find danger at every turn. But they’ll take any road and any risk to expose the truth – even if it leads across Europe and into the heart of the deadly Phoenix maze.

Why this story is excellent – The second part to the story as it shows the brothers’ raw emotions after what had happened to their father. Their hunt is taking them all over Switzerland while increasing the action and the scope of the mystery. In order to truly appreciate it, it has to be read with Operation Phoenix #1 and #3.

66 – The Phoenix Equation

Rating 5 stars

Operation Phoenix #3

The Hradys have come thousands of miles in search of their father’s killer and will go to the ends of the earth to complete the job. From Stockholm to Copenhagen to Berlin, the trail is getting hotter by the minute – and their mission is ever more critical. They’ve uncovered a shocking new piece of evidence: Fenton Hrady may be alive after all!

But the boys are working without a net, with no one to trust, not the beautiful Ilsa Khoo, not Interpol, not even the U.S. government. Someone inside the operation has betrayed the investigation, leaving Frank and Joe out in the cold. They’ll have to go it alone and infiltrate Phoenix Enterprises no matter the risks. The time has come to face the truth and face the enemy!

Why this story is excellent – The third part to the story as it shows the conclusion of the Hardy brothers’ quest for revenge and justice against their father’s killers. As the preview says, Fenton Hardy might still be alive. Frank and Joe switch gears to from revenge to a search and rescue as they try to locate him. The action doesn’t let up from beginning to end as the brothers’ have to use all their skills to find their father and bring down the criminal organization.

67 – Lethal Cargo

Rating 5 stars

The Hardys have agreed to sail a friend’s yacht from the island of Saint Martin to the coast of Florida. But sinister winds are blowing across the Caribbean, and the brothers’ voyage is about to take a deadly detour. In the middle of the night, a 5,000-ton cargo ship appears out of the darkness and nearly sends the yacht – and the boys – to the bottom of the sea.

When Frank and Joe investigate, they discover that the freighter’s crew is missing and that they’ve landed in a shipload of trouble. The ship’s secret cargo may have incited a mutiny and may soon ignite the violent overthrow of an island nation. From Puerto Rico to Panama, the boys pursue a gang of black marketers willing to sell anything – including human life – for a price!

Why this story is excellent – It would be hard for the writers to make a nice story, being that it follows the ‘Operation Phoenix’ trilogy, but they did well with this casefile. Frank and Joe are on the island of Puerto Rico, trying to solve the case, while trying to outwit the black marketers. This book is action-packed and is a nice way for the Hardys to start back to work.

68 – Rough Riding

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe are learning the true meaning of the words “Wild West.” Invited to stay at a ranch in the Texas Panhandle, they arrive just in time to attend the Dry Valley Rodeo. The star of the show is a rugged young cowboy named Buck – but his day in the sun is about to take a dark turn; he’s riding straight into a Texas-size setup!

Buck’s high-powered performance is abruptly cut short by a high-powered rifle, and the Hardys are determined to find out why. The truth may lie in Buck’s shadowy past or in his sudden success, but one thing’s for sure; money and lives are at stake. The boys had better learn the rodeo ropes fast, or they may be the ones to bite the dust!

Why this story is good but need work – The first problem this story runs into is the fact that Aunt Gertrude has tagged along. Why she feels she has to chaperone two nearly adult children is never explained. So the story suffers from the ‘Gertrude in the way’ syndrome. It would have been better had Chet been the one filming the trip.

69 – Mayhem in Motion

Rating 4 stars

Vanessa Bender has received a rude welcome to Bayport high – her car tires have been slashed in the school parking lot. But the Hardy boys learn that vandalism is the least of the new girl’s worries. Vanessa’s mother has just opened an animation studio, and her plane to unleash a collection of crazy cartoon canines on prime-time television has set off a deadly chain of events.

A fire at the studio and the death of one of the show’s creators may send the entire production up in smoke. But Frank and Joe soon bring the big picture into focus: it’s a clear case of arson… and murder. Using the art of illusion, the boys hope to draw the culprit out of hiding. The plan has only one flaw – the killer has already drawn a bead on them!

Why this story is great – This story introduces what will be Joe’s future girlfriend, Vanessa Bender. Instead of being a petite girl always in trouble, Vanessa is a very intelligent girl that isn’t used as ‘the girl needing rescuing’ character.

70 – Rigged for Revenge

Rating 5 stars

The Hardy boys are bound on a perilous trouble-shooting mission. Destination: the Deep Six, a floating oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The brothers have gone undercover – Frank as a helicopter pilot, Joe as a jack-of-all-trades – to find out who’s trying to destroy the operation, putting four giant rings and their crews at risk.

The Hardys learn that an eco-terrorist organization is openly opposed to the rigs. But they also rind out that bad blood is in this business flows as thick as the oil, and that the truth may be as treacherous as a tropical storm. They’ve landed in the middle of a high-seas battle-ground – a dirty war that could trigger ecological disaster at any moment!

Why this story is excellent– Frank gets to use his flying skills as he does some helicopter piloting while Joe uses his strength and mechanical skills. This casefile does take place in the unique environment of an oil rig allowing the Hardys to work on their own in their roles. Not only do the Hardys have to contend with the rigors of the rig but some of the natural hazards as well, allowing for an action-packed story.

71 – Real Horror

Rating 3 stars

Mark Stevens is America’s king of horror writers, but now someone is trying to knock him off the throne. He’s invited to of his biggest fans – Frank and Joe Hardy, into his home – Nightmare House – to investigate a bizarre series of threats against his life. The strangest twist of all is that in finishing his new book, Stevens may have written his own obituary!

The writer faces his worst nightmare – the terrors of his imagination have come to life. Evil poltergeists, deadly poisons, and razor-sharp guillotines have risen from the novel’s pages to torment Stevens in his own home. If Frank and Joe don’t find a way to demolish the plot and defuse the danger, the last chapter could be murder!

Why this story is good but needs work – Callie’s role could have easily been filled by Vanessa and would have made for more story time for the new character. The ghost aspect doesn’t work as unless the house was already haunted, it’s always fake.

72 – Screamers

Rating 4 stars

The Hardy Boys have come to Chicago with their father to attend a meeting of computer experts at the Evanco building. But suddenly, without warning, the 120-story skyscraper is turned into a tower of terror. A gang of gunmen invades the offices, snatches an attractive young college woman, and disappears into the night!

Her name is Sarah Evans, daughter of the rich and reclusive owner of Evanco, J.P. Evans, and her kidnapping is the key to a global conspiracy of computer destruction. The world’s most powerful computers have been turned into long-distance time bombs, and Frank and Joe are racing against the clock – both to save Sarah and defuse the ultimate high-tech weapon!

Why this story is great – This casefile has one of the more complex plots of the series. There are many subplots and possible suspects that the brothers have to work through in order to figure out what exactly is happening. The information in this story is outdated because computers are being updated so rapidly, but it’s still a great fast-paced story.

73 – Bad Rap

Rating 5 stars

Somebody’s ripping off rap artist Randy Rand by counterfeiting copies of his hottest tunes and cutting in on his profits. For Frank and Joe, the case is a piece of cake. The trail leads right to a hustler named Jack Martinelli, and the Hardys catch the con man in the act. But the act turns downright dirty when Martinellie turns up dead!

Suddenly rapster Randy faces a murder rap – and the Hardy boys face deadly danger on the mean streets of New York. They’re convinced the real killer is running free, and it’s up to them do their stuff – no matter how rough it gets. Because if they don’t find the dude who did the deed, cool man Randy Rand will soon be cooling his heels in jail!

Why this story is excellent – Frank and Joe help out the rapster while solving two mysteries at the same time. Traps and gang fights help add action to this story while the brothers’ become friends to Randy. They even mange to turn to rap singing rivals into friends.

74 – Road Pirates

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe are working on a high-risk, high-stakes undercover operation. A hijacking ring is spreading terror through New York, snatching high-priced cars at gunpoint. Posing as expert thieves, the boys follow the gang from the streets of the city to the islands of the Caribbean – into the heart of an international black-marketing scheme!

But down in the islands, it’s open season on the Hardy boys. Cut off from the outside world and from outside help, they discover that their cover has been blown. They’re driving a dangerous road – hard and fast and slick – and one slip of the wheel could lead to a deadly end. But when Frank and Joe get in gear, there’s no turning back.

Why this story is excellent – Frank and Joe are undercover for a change, allowing them to rely only on themselves to figure out everything behind the hijackings and keep each other safe. Not only do they have to stop the thefts, but they have to contend with a ruthless female murderer.

75 – No Way Out

Rating 3 stars

In the wilderness sport of orienteering, you have only three tools to guide you; a map, a compass, and your instincts. Frank and Joe have come to the mountains of Idaho to learn the game from a master, college champ Rob Niles. But on this particular course, the boys soon find that there’s only one instinct that counts – the instinct for survival.

A deadly trap has been set for Rob, and he and the Hardys are headed into treacherous terrain – a land of rattlesnakes, rock slides, and pinpoint sniper fire. As they blaze a trail to the truth, their courage, resourcefulness, and strength will be tested to the limit. Because if they lose their bearings, they may just lose their lives as well!

Why this story is good but needs work – This story starts off by having Callie, Liz Webling, and one of Callie’s friends along. A survival story is better if Frank and Joe were on their own instead of their friends being the ones they have to protect. Otherwise the story does have a good start, but the ending was a bit of a let down.

76 – Tagged for Terror

Rating 5 stars

Ring of Evil #1

A sophisticated ring of luggage thieves has put a choke hold on Eddings Air, threatening to ground the young airline for good. Working undercover as baggage handlers, the Hardys agree to scope out the airline’s center of operations in Atlanta. But their welcome is less than cordial – Frank and Joe discover that they too may be headed for a crash landing!

From the complex of tunnels beneath the airport to the enigmatic pasts of the airline’s employees, the boys are drawn into a labyrinth of sabotage and deceit. Picking up clues to a conspiracy extending far beyond a few missing suitcases, they begin to suspect that much more than the future of Eddings Air is at stake. A scheme is place, a plot about to unfold, in which murder is only the beginning.

Why this story is excellent– It’s the beginning of another trilogy that is some of the best writing in the series. It starts out with a simple case of figuring out who is stealing luggage that turns into the Gray Man appearing, and the mysterious death that opens up the way to the next story.

77 – Survival Run

Rating 5 stars

Ring of Evil #2

Working undercover for an Atlanta airline, the Hardys have uncovered an international terrorist ring – the Assassins – bent on high-stakes smuggling and cold-blooded murder. But who is in control? What is their ultimate aim? Who will be the next to die? The dangerous truth lies in the rough and rugged wilderness of faraway Alaska…

The perilous passage north takes Frank and Joe into the heart of a titanic struggle. The Assassins are preparing to square off against the ultrasecret government agency, the Network, and it is a battle in which no one is safe – and no one can be trusted. Caught in a treacherous cross fire, the boys have only one ally, the beautiful Gina Abend, and even she may be leading them into a fatal trap!

Why this story is excellent – In this second story of the trilogy, Frank and Joe have to prove their worthiness to the Assassins in order to keep up their covers. Using a lot of props and a improvised hang-glider, they’re able to stay on course, with the occasional help from the Gray Man. Finding out that their trusted friend Gina, is really not who she says she is, the Hardys find themselves alone as they get to the final chapter in this trilogy.

78 – The Pacific Conspiracy

Rating 5 stars

Ring of Evil #3

From Atlanta to Alaska to the exotic shores of Indonesia, Frank and Joe Hardy have penetrated the inner sanctum of a worldwide terrorist network: the Assassins. Now drawn into the enemy’s lair, the Hardys face their greatest challenge and greatest risk – to uncover the true purpose and power of the violent criminal conspiracy.

Trapped deep in the Indonesian jungle, their covers blown, the boys can’t afford to turn back. They confront a force so potent, an intelligence so evil, there’s not time to seek reinforcements. Braving the heights of terror, Frank and Joe alone will have to defuse an explosive scheme that could erupt into a catastrophe of global proportions!

Why this story is excellent – Far from home and deep inside the enemy’s lair, the Hardy Brothers face danger in every turn. No pesky girlfriends in this story or friends getting in the way. This story is fast paced from beginning to end as the Hardy brothers are at their best.

79 – Danger Unlimited

Rating 4 stars

Joe’s girlfriend, Vanessa Bender, has introduced them to an old friend of her family, Brett Cooper. Brett is the pilot and designer of Brett’s Beauty, the high-powered piston-engine prop plane set to compete in the upcoming Bayport Unlimited Air Races. But while he’s aiming to break the world speed record, someone else has targeted him for terror!

The key to the case is the mystery of Brett Cooper himself – his hidden past, his hidden enemies. For Frank and Joe, the investigation quickly turns into a crash course in danger, as they fly blind into a web of blackmail, sabotage, and murder. They’re about to learn that in a world of daredevil pilots and death-defying stunts, the risks can be sky-high.

Why this story is great – Vanessa gets a chance to help out. Instead of becoming the damsel in distress, she really proves herself to be someone who can help. Frank’s knowledge of airplanes comes through with this story. While Joe’s love for Vanessa grows as he shows how much he protects her.

80 – Dead of Night

Rating 5 stars

Trick or treat has turned to terror for the Hardy boys. Never before have they experienced a more horrific Halloween – a nightmare come true. First, it was Joe’s friend Vanessa Bender… Then Frank’s friend Callie Shaw… And now their own mother. Frank and Joe are the only witnesses to three shocking murders – and no one believes them!

Strange, unspeakable forces are loose in Bayport. Enemies the boys though long dead have risen like demons to taunt and terrorize them. Now they stand alone in a titanic battle against an awesome, unknown power – a chilling army of evil determined to pursue them into the grave… or to the very edge of madness!

Why this story is excellent – This story has everything in it; drama, action, excitement, angst, mystery, and horror. Everything that makes a casefile fun to read. It shows again how the brothers are nearly driven apart by an outside force, and how they fight to stay together to learn the truth.

81 – Sheer Terror

Rating 4 stars

An urgent call for help from their father’s friend chemist Sam Gentle has drawn Frank and Joe across the country to northern Arizona. The cryptic message offers no clue to the danger he’s in, and it’s one secret he will never reveal. Soon after their arrival, the boys find Sam Gentle lying at the bottom of Wolf’s Tooth Canyon – a victim of murder.

The Hardys suspect that Sam’s research at Titan Chemical Industries led to a discovery that turned him into a target for terror. But his death was only the beginning. The chemist left behind a deadly hidden legacy, and Frank and Joe are all that stand between the killer and Sam’s daughter, Tiffany!

Why this story is great – This has a good casefile with all the clues and detective work done by the Hardy brothers. There is the typical girl-in-distress, and the appearance of Fenton, Laura, and of course the ever annoying Gertrude at the end. Other than that, it’s a solid story.

82 – Poisoned Paradise

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys have come to an environmental conference in New York City at the invitation of their friend Ed Yanomama, son of a Venezuelan tribal chief. But in his struggle to save the earth, Ed may end up losing his freedom. Businessman Rodger O’Neill, a notorious exploiter of the rain forest, has been kidnapped in Venezuela, and the FBI has put the finger on Ed!

Convinced that Ed has been framed, Frank and Joe head for the jungles of South America. Even as they face blood-hungry bats, flesh-eating ants, and razor-toothed piranha fish, the boys discover that no animal is more vicious than man. Drawn into conflict with ruthless cattle barons and violent revolutionaries, they cut through a forest of lies toward a truth as shocking as it is deadly.

Why this story is great – Yes, the Hardy Brothers are helping another friend in need, but this casefile takes the boys to South America and a wild adventure in the jungle as they look for the evidence to clear their friend of murder. It’s a unique casefile as it deals with a new type of problem; environmental crimes.

83 – Toxic Revenge

Rating 4 stars

In an effort to protect the environment, the students of Bayport High have organized a massive recycling campaign – Project Planet Earth. Even the industrial giant United Plastics has expressed support for the idea. But someone has developed a more sinister plan – a campaign of sabotage designed to poison the entire project.

Frank and Joe’s investigation turns urgent when the dirty tricks turn deadly. A United Plastics security guard is crushed in a factory machine, and the Hardys have evidence of blackmail and murder. But they won’t be able to prove a thing until they put their own lives at risk... penetrating the company’s defenses and uncovering the darkest, dirtiest secret of all!

Why this story is great – It deals with a greedy company and it’s dumping of toxic waste. There’s someone else besides the main bad guy that works to try and keep things from being discovered.

84 – False Alarm

Rating 3 stars

There’s a new brother team in town – Ed and Peter Manson – and they’ve got Frank and Joe’s number. Ed has already put Joe down on the wrestling mat, and Peter’s robots are sure to put Frank’s science project to shame. And now the Mansons are putting their moves on Callie and Vanessa. All’s fair in love and war, but the Hardys don’t even know what’s at stake.

An even bigger test awaits them. Fenton Hardy has taken charge of a multimillion-dollar jewelry exhibit at the Bayport Museum, and his supersophisticated security system has suddenly gone haywire. Realizing that much more than their reputations are on the line, Frank and Joe close ranks with their father in the fight of their lives… against a criminal mastermind!

Why this story is good but needs work – Two brothers and a father coming to town to show up the Hardys. A nice premise but could have been better had Callie and Vanessa not been involved. Also, Gertrude and Laura make their appearances and as usual Gertrude speaks more than Laura. A good start with Fenton trying to protect his rep, but the bad guys are a little too easy to figure out because as soon as the new people show up, chaos starts.

85 – Winner Take All

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe’s friend Ben Martin has just hit the jackpot in the state lottery. His prize: a cool five million dollars’ worth of pure danger! Ben’s about to discover that sudden wealth can be a sure ticket to disaster… because there’s nothing like cold, hard cash to bring out the cold-hearted schemes of a greedy criminal mind.

The high-cost of living is already taking a toll – Ben’s sister, Emily, has been kidnapped for a king’s ransom. From small-time hustlers to big-time operators, just about everyone’s looking for a piece of the action, and the Hardys have no trouble finding suspects. The trick is getting to Emily and getting her home before she pays the highest price of them all!

Why this story is great – The first thing that jumps out is that Callie is not the kidnap victim. A lot of great technology makes for even better traps that the Hardys have to escape from, and they aren’t kidnapped and put in the traps to start. A very unlikely suspect keeps the action going all throughout the book

86 – Virtual Villainy

Rating 5 stars

In San Francisco to attend VidCon, a video game convention, the Hardys uncover a case of high-tech industrial espionage. The Xyrodian Corporation has lost some of its most futuristic designs to the black market. And as Frank and Joe seek to trace the piracy to its source, they discover that the video games have taken on a new – and dangerous – dimension!

In a world of virtual reality, the games have been programmed for terror. The Hardys match wits and reflexes with gangs of motorcycle marauders, back-alley brawlers, and Ninja warriors. But they know that the ultimate challenge will come at the hands of a computer and criminal mastermind – an elusive foe who has already demonstrated a real genius for murder!

Why this story is excellent – It deals with a new form of technology; virtual reality. It’s only a little outdated in that now the games would be produced on CDs not cartridges. The bad guy behind the whole scheme turns out to be someone who had completely lost it.

A debate always comes up as to which brother is which on the cover of this casefile. It’s generally accepted that Joe is in the T-shirt, while Frank is in the sweater.

87 – Dead Man in Deadwood

Rating 4 stars

The excitement, the thrills, the danger of the American frontier ride once again in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Attending the annual Wild West Week in the town of Deadwood, the Hardy boys land smack in the middle of a simmering brushfire – a feud that is about to burst into a full-blown war.

In the land of the Little Bighorn, the battle now pits the Sioux against a local developer. A multimillion-dollar deal is at stake, and the fight has already cost one man his life. The boys aren’t sure who fired the lethal shot, but they do know they could be next. The word is out among a new breed of desperado… Wanted: Frank and Joe Hardy, better dead than alive!

Why this story is great – The Hardy boys decide to divert from getting home to go to the show. Joe does mention that the only reason why they are trying to get home fast is because of Callie Shaw. It’s a fast paced story as the Hardys are racing to stop one of the tribal people from unknowingly signing away a very valuable piece of land.

88 – Inferno of Fear

Rating 5 stars

The Hardys have come to Alaska’s Denali National Park to experience the awesome power of America’s final wilderness. But in the face of a disastrous series of forest fires, they discover that the true test of survival will pit them not against natural forces – but against human evil. For the fires have been deliberately set!

With crime – and the flames – raging out of control, the boys leap into action, joining a crack team of parachuting fire-fighters. They uncover a trail of destruction, greed, and arson for profit, which leads them directly into the line of fire. The sparks are flying, and Frank and Joe are about to descend into the fight of their lives!

Why this story is excellent – This story has Frank and Joe trying out something new; smoke jumping. The action is solid from page to page as they have to figure out the identity of the arsonist. The brothers are there by themselves as they work to solve the case and survive the job. While there is no angst for Frank or Joe, this casefile is still one of the best out of the later stories.

89 – Darkness Falls

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys have come to the Hawaiian Islands to join in a scientific research project at the Mauna Kea Observatory. They have won the chance to witness an once-in-a-lifetime event – a total solar eclipse. But at the very instant day turns to night, the excitement suddenly turns deadly. The boys find the expedition leader… murdered!

Frank and Joe begin a research project of their own and make some shocking discoveries: The expedition has long been plagued by personal hatred, professional jealousy, and financial greed. They have plenty of theories but must come up with some hard facts. For evil lurks in the shadows… and more violence could erupt at any moment!

Why this story is great – The story has a lot of twists and turns so the Hardy brothers are not sure who the bad guy is for awhile. They have to work by themselves for a change as everyone in the experiment seems suspect at one point. Since the case is fast paced, the Hardys don’t have time for surfing or gawking at bikini-clad girls, which keeps the story focused on the mystery.

90 – Deadly Engagement

Rating 4 stars

It’s August in New York City, and Frank and Joe are feeling the heat. Jeweler Biju Kumar has asked the boys to find his missing son, Sanjay. But Sanjay may not want to be found. He had secretly been planning to elope with the daughter of his father’s worst enemy and not only is he gone, so is $10,000 worth of his father’s gold!

But even as they are drawn into a century-old blood feud, the Hardys begin to suspect that the real danger lies in the mean streets of the city itself. They discover that Sanjay may have crossed the most notorious criminal in New York’s Little India. Nobody knows the criminal’s true identity – nobody, that is who has lived to tell about it!

Why this story is great – Frank and Joe get in the middle of what almost seems to be a Romeo and Juliet style story. A man is using the feud to take over a business that he feels is his.

One of the interesting facts to come from this story is that the readers learn of Joe’s allergy to cardamom.

91 – Hot Wheels

Rating 4 stars

It’s ninety degrees in the shade, and temperatures and tempers are boiling over. The Hardys are competing in the Suntex Solar Challenge, a race of super-charged solar-powered cars across the Arizona desert. But for Frank and Joe, the 500-mile concrete speedway is about to turn into a crash course in sabotage!

Not only is a $100,000 prize at stake, but so is the inside track on a multimillion-dollar contract for future car design. And someone’s determined to win at any cost. Facing flash fires, stun grenades, and deadly electric shocks, the Hardys put the pedal to the metal in their scorching-hot chase after a high-speed, high-tech terrorist!

Why this story is great – The reader sees the Hardy Brothers using the latest technology as Joe is a driver in a solar racing car. It is the usual win and all costs case, but it’s different in that the technology used is very different from the usual devices. The faces and possible suspects are very different from the usual crowd the Hardys contend with.

92 – Sabotage at Sea

Rating 5 stars

The Hardy boys have signed on with the crew of the Sea Spirit II, a perfect replica of a century-old schooner. It’s a once-a-lifetime opportunity to test their skill, strength, and resourcefulness at sea. But the stakes suddenly turn dangerously real when the ocean-bound adventure becomes a true voyage into terror!

What is the source of the ghastly apparitions haunting the ship? What treachery lies behind the attempt to set her aflame? What unknown force has risen from the waves, bent on destruction? Frank and Joe are the eye of the storm… before the Sea Spirit II plunges to the icy depths of the shark-infested sea.

Why this story is excellent – One of the cases that take place in the smallest area possible, yet has a lot of action and mystery with it. While working with the crew, Frank and Joe have to pull double-duty of figuring out who is the saboteur while keeping themselves and the crew alive to make it back to port. No pesky girlfriends to rescue or keep entertained, no traveling across states, no assassins, just a great adventure story.

93 – Mission: Mayhem

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys have taken the ultimate challenge: a rigorous pre-astronaut training program at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. But in a course designed to simulate the actual conditions of space flight, the boys discover that the risk are dangerously real. Someone on the team is out to scuttle the mission… with potentially deadly consequences!

Launching their own investigation, Frank and Joe are drawn to the very cutting edge of space-age technology. But time is running out and that stakes are sky-high. They’ve entered a world where there’s zero margin for error, a world where each new act of sabotage puts an explosive new spin on terror!

Why this story is great – In this story, Frank and Joe are in a version of NASA’s Space Camp. Traps, explosions, and rigged equipment all make for a fast-paced story.

94 – A Taste for Terror

Rating 4 stars

Former astronaut Perry Housman has invited Frank and Joe to Tunisia for the hundredth anniversary of the International Explorers Guild. There they join some of the most intrepid young men and women in the world – trailblazers, mountain climbers, deep-sea divers. But of all the challenges the explorers face, none is more deadly than the killer now in their midst!

Thor Sonderstrom, who controls the money that can make or break an expedition, has been poisoned. Determined to unmask the murderer, the Hardys soon find that the site of the celebration, an ancient fortress, has turned into a perilous palace of intrigue. In a world of shadowy secrets and venomous hatreds, and danger of death lurk in the most unexpected places!

Why this story is great – Frank and Joe are by themselves as they visit Tunisia allowing for them to really get involved in solving the mystery. A lot of suspects are involved in this case including the Hardys’ friend Perry. While there’s not as many deadly traps that come in a 4 star casefile, there is no shortage of action and detective work.

95 – Illegal Procedure

Rating 5 stars

The Hardys have come to the West Coast for Christmas break, and they’re about to tackle a case of pro football foul play. Following the suspicious death of their star player, the San Diego Sharks have hit the skids, and the owner is convinced it’s a setup. The boys agree to go undercover and are soon mixing it up with some hard and heavy hitters.

Talk of contraband in the locker room, of blackmail and bribery, lead Frank and Joe to believe that a crime syndicate has infiltrated the team. Big money is at stake, and there’s no telling how fat the syndicate will go to protect its interests. The blitz is on, and if the Hardys don’t come up with a few trick plays of their own, they could face sudden death!

Why this story is excellent – The reader sees Joe playing professional football as his undercover work. Not only do he and his brother have to dodge the angry moves of a very big, very angry football player, they have to figure out how to expose a steroid scheme within the team. This is one of the rare casefiles where their female friend, can actually take care of herself because she’s a black belt!

96 – Against All Odds

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe make a special trip to Bayport Fairgrounds to check out the steeplechase races. They want to catch the champion horse Against All Odds in action. Fast, fit, and powerful, he’s a stallion with a million-dollar future ahead of him. But suddenly all bets are off. Soon after the race, the boys discover that Against All Odds has disappeared.

The Hardys know that this is more than a simple case of horse thievery. Whoever took Against All Odds is a master of deception, diversion… and intimidation. And the stakes in the race to recover the horse couldn’t be higher, Frank and Joe are in hot pursuit of a ruthless and desperate criminal – one willing to kill to cover his tracks!

Why this story is good but needs work – A horse thief stealing prized horses and substituting them with other horses. This was a story that was done earlier in the paperback mysteries. It seems like the authors wanted to include a casefile that included horse racing, but it ends up turning into a very small mystery about horses.

97 – Pure Evil

Rating 3 stars

Callie’s uncle Adam makes maple syrup in New Hampshire, and she’s invited Frank and Joe to join her there for spring break. The idea is to go cross-country skiing – a plan that quickly goes sour. Someone has deliberately tainted the crop, and if the Hardys don’t catch the culprit, Uncle Adam will soon be tapped out.

But the treat to Uncle Adam’s business is only the beginning. A gang has targeted other farmers in the area, and they’ve added tow new names to their list; Frank and Joe Hardy. The boys are in the thick of it, facing bomb-throwing saboteurs and chain saw-wielding thugs in an all-out battle to save reputations… and save lives!

This story is good but needs work - Callie and Vanessa are part of this casefile, but Callie does and talks the most. Vanessa seems almost out of place. Had the Hardys gone to visit their own relative (seems Gertrude is their own living relative outside their parents). Although the premise, a land swindle, is good seems that the Hardys could have done better had the crime been a little more elaborate.

98 – Murder By Magic

Rating 4 stars

The Hardy boys have signed on as stagehands for Legerdemania – the annual extravaganza showcasing the world’s master magicians. But this year’s spectacular proves to be a kill. Gideon the Great’s assistant, Miranda, was supposed to do a vanishing act. Instead she ends up dead… and the murderer disappears!

The competition onstage is fierce, and Frank and Joe soon discover that just about every magician has a motive for murder. And determined to avoid exposure, the real killer is more than willing to perform an encore. The Hardys will have to come up with some hocus-pocus of their own, or they might end up victims of the dirtiest, deadliest trick of all!

Why this story is great – It starts out by putting the brothers in an unusual situation of having to deal with magicians. So they have to figure out which is real and which is not. They don’t realize that the person that hired them in the first place might be responsible.

99 – Frame-Up

Rating 5 stars

The annual Computer Horizons convention has brought the Hardys to New Orleans. Folks call the city the Big Easy, but if the boys aren’t careful, they could both go down hard. The trouble begins in a jazz club down on Bourbon Street. Together with their friend Vanessa, they run into Billy Barta, a local guy from the convention, and it’s one encounter they’ll never forget…

Billy asks Vanessa to dance. Joe gets jealous, then gets into a fight. The next day Joe gets arrested – for the murder of Billy Barta! Frank bails his brother out, but if they don’t find the real killer. Joe’s bound to take the fall. Billy Barta was into some serious criminal computer action… and Frank and Joe are about to face some serious southern heat!

Why this story is excellent – Joe is framed by not by a pretty girl, by a crooked police chief. There’s plenty of action in this area as Frank and Joe both work to clear Joe and to clear themselves of theft. They make new friends in a bail bondsman and meet their Aunt Violet. (Finally another relative outside of crabby Gertrude)

100 – True Thriller

Rating 5 stars

Oliver Richards writes action-adventure novels, and he wants to make Frank and Joe the stars of his next thriller. But he’s unwittingly drawn them into a real-life tale of intrigue and danger. Thanks to him, the Assassins – an infamous international gang of professional killers – are back, and the Hardys are at the top of their hit list.

In their long and deadly war against the Assassins, the boys have always relied on the Gray Man, top operative in an ultrasecret government agency. But now he may have turned traitor, and they don’t know whom to trust. One thing they know for sure, the terrorists are cold and ruthless… and their latest evil scheme could put seven million lives at risk!

Why this story is excellent – It starts out with setting up the Hardys versus the Assassins. The Hardys can’t believe that the Gray Man is a traitor leaving them to find out what’s going on. Vanessa shows she’s got guts by showing up armed and knowing how to use a cross bow she bought off a shopping channel! Action goes through each chapter letting Frank and Joe show off their special talents.

101 – Peak of Danger

Rating 5 stars

Bayport’s High newest soccer player, Carlos Capac, is about to draw the Hardys into a deadly new game. When Carlos is nearly killed in an act of sabotage, the boys learn that his father has been kidnapped and there’s only one way to save them both: fly to the Capacs’ South American homeland… and into the middle of a political powder keg!

The country is ruled by a corrupt dictator and his ruthless military police, Los Lobos Blancos. Carlos’s father challenged the White Wolves, and now both father and son may pay the price. Taking on the power of the White Wolves. Frank and Joe find they face some pretty steep odds: an eruption of terror that could end in human sacrifice!

Why this story is excellent – Most of it takes place in another country allowing for Frank and Joe to work by themselves with their new friend Carlos. With traps in the jungle, superstitious people, man-made earthquakes, lots of guns, and the appearance of the Gray Man make for an action packed casefile.

102 – Wrong Side of the Law

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe stroll out of the movies straight into a real-life drama in progress: a lighting-quick bank robbery. Guns blazing, bullets flying, the same masked gang has hit a batch of local banks, always pulling off the heist right after the arrival of the new shipment of cash. But now the Hardys are in the hunt, vowing to make the robbers pay.

Cutting them down won’t be easy, though. Not only have the crooks crafted near-perfect disguises, they’re loaded with firepower and ready to let it fly. But the boys have come up with one lead from a very surprising source: Joe’s girlfriend, Vanessa. The clue could turn the case into the Hardys’ favor… if the gang doesn’t turn on Vanessa first!

What this story is good but needs work – To start, Callie is insulting and whining. Another problem is that all the officers seem to have it in for Frank and Joe and don’t believe anything they say unless Chief Collig approves it. This story would have been better had the people robbing the banks not been so easy to find.

103 – Campaign of Crime

Rating 4 stars

The New York State presidential primary is in full swing, and Nathan Webster, computer scientist turned independent candidate, is offering some exciting new ideas for the future. Frank and Joe are eager to hear his major campaign speech in Bayport. But Webster is also attracting a more sinister king of attention… a kind that could prove fatal!

When a bomb disrupts Webster’s Bayport appearance, the Hardys sign on as bodyguards – determined to insure that the candidate can run for office without running into danger. But in protecting Webster, they too become targets of terror. And if Frank and Joe don’t catch up with the stalker soon, they could all end up out of the race for good!

Why this story is great – This story does have a lot of action and let’s Frank show off his piloting skills when he takes the controls of a helicopter. The only things that bring it down is that Frank gets a serious head injury and is released that same day and no one tells Frank off for saying something very mean to Joe.

104 – Wild Wheels

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe’s new classmate Lindsey Nichols is more than drop-dead gorgeous – she’s pure trouble. An expert motorcyclist, she loves to take risks, and wherever she goes, danger is sure to follow. Her father’s company is putting a classic bike back on the market, and the plan has led to a high-stakes corporate dispute.

When the Hardys take sides, they also find they’ve taken their lives in their hands. Someone’s out to kill the new bike before it hits the market – and killing may be the only way to do it. Dodging firebombs, bullets, and muscle-bound, chain-wielding bikers, Frank and Joe vow to down the saboteur before the fight spins out of control!

Why this story is good but needs work – The new girl is caught flirting with Frank and Callie suspects she’s trouble, but no one believes her, and in the end she’s right and makes sure everyone knows it. It’s all about a girl who was willing to do anything for her father’s affection. A sappy story that would have been better had she been a target not the culprit.

105 – Shock Jock

Rating 4 stars

Ron Minkus was one of the hottest radio personalities around. His specialty: being a totally obnoxious, equal opportunity offender who’d make nasty jokes about anyone, anytime. In other words, he made a living making enemies. But he’s not making a living anymore. The electrifying personality has been electrocuted!

The Hardys’ investigation leads them to a gang of skinhead thugs known as the Bootstompers. The gang has had run-ins with Minkus before, and for Frank and Joe it quickly turns into a running battle of fists, fireballs, and firebombs. But the real trouble is beginning – the boys are closing in on a killer with a cold heart and a deadly plan.

Why this story is great – For the first time, Chet Morton gets in on the investigations full force, as he goes undercover instead of the Hardy brothers. The brothers have to figure out who would kill this Hardy Boys version of Howard Stern, and with so many suspects, there’s a lot of detective work for them to do.

Note that this is the first casefile to feature Colin Gray and Paul Popowich on the cover.

106 – Law of the Jungle

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe Hardy are bound for the jungles of Borneo, and the journey may be one of the most desperate and dangerous of their lives. Following a cryptic map sent to them by their father, the boys head into the heart of darkness, where they make a horrifying discovery: Fenton Hardy is on the brink of death!

Someone has injected Fenton with a fatal dose of anthrax-B, and the Hardys have only seven days to find the cure… or lose their father forever. The news gets worse when they learn who and what they are up against: the Assassins. Experts in terror, the Assassins are the epitome of evil – an international network that lives to kill!

Why this story is excellent – This story shows both how Frank and Joe solve a dual mystery in both stopping the Assassins and finding the cure for their father. They have to fight their way through the jungles, depending on the help of the locals while searching for the cure. There’s lots of fast-paced action throughout the story, only slowing when it needed to get into the angst of the story.

107 – Fast Break

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe’s friend Davis Johns is one of the hottest high school basketball prospects in the state, and two colleges are going all out to sign him. But the competition between the two programs is getting downright ugly. And now the game has taken an even more sinister turn: The head coach at Bayport U. has suddenly dropped dead!

The Hardys are convinced that the death came as a result of foul play, and they’re determined to slam-dunk the case. But the killer is running the show, he’s still got a few shots left, and he’s aiming them right at Frank and Joe. The boys know that the clock is ticking down and that losing this game could be murder!

Why this story is great – This case shows a problem that still comes up even today. The desperation some people will go through to have a winning college team due to money and prestige. The murderer used a way that never was used before in the casefiles allowing for a new twist. Frank and Joe have to stay on course in order to make sure Davis isn’t framed for anything.

108 – Blown Away

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe’s friend Phil Cohen, Bayport High’s resident electronics whiz, has landed a job at Futron, a manufacturer of highly classified, high-tech military equipment. But the work is loaded with occupational hazards. The Hardys learn just how hazardous when both Phil and his boss disappear... leaving only a trail of blood behind!

The enormous significance of the case becomes clear when the boys come face-to-face with the Gray Man, a top operative for the ultrasecret Network. The investigation leads Frank and Joe from kidnapping to murder… and ultimately to distant, dangerous shores, where a massive threat to global security is waiting to explode!

Why this story is great – Frank and Joe actually team up with the Gray Man to figure out what is behind the kidnapping of their friend Phil Cohen. The kidnapping turns out to be a small part of a larger mystery as the Gray Man comes and tells them what’s going on. While the angst would have been better had the kidnap victim been one of the brothers, it’s still a great casefile.

109 – Moment of Truth

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe’s spring vacation on South Padre Island is turning out to be anything but a day at the beach. Invited by their new friend, Rosa Galvan, to watch her brother Rigo’s bullfighting match, they witness an awesome spectacle. Following his brilliant victory over the bull, a helicopter descends from the sky and plucks Rigo out of the ring!

Rigo’s family has received a demand for ransom, and unless it is paid, the kidnappers vow to kill him. Rigo’s uncle is a powerful man with powerful enemies, and it’s up to the Hardys to walk into the ring of danger, stand tall… and bring them down. Their fate, as well as Rigo’s, will be determined in one blistering moment of sun, sand, and blood!

Why this story is good but needs work – Despite having one of the more unusual plots, a bullfighter being kidnapped in front of dozens of witnesses, this one of those cases that sets the story up almost from the first introductions. Joe, who has no skill in bullfighting, actually end up having to fight in this otherwise very bloody sport, made no sense either. This story seemed hastily flung together.

110 – Bad Chemistry

Rating 3 stars

Joe Hardy has a new interest in chemistry, and her name is Yvonne Ziebarth. Having quit her graduate studies at the university, she’s just signed on at Bayport High to teach, and she’s made up of all the right elements to get a reaction out of Joe: She’s young, she’s cute… and she’s the number one suspect in a murder.

Her former supervisor was killed by a deadly chemical, and all the evidence points to one conclusion: Yvonne Ziebarth deliberately mislabeled the poison in order to set her professor up. Convinced that she’s the one being set up, the Hardys are doing some research of their own… and if they’re not careful, the findings could prove fatal!

Why this story is good but needs work – The story’s plot was a good one, but the reader needed more of it in order to figure out why the murder was committed. Too much was left until the murderer spoke in the final chapter.

111 – Competitive Edge

Rating 5 stars

Frank and Joe have landed a couple of cool jobs at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Acting as volunteers, they’ll get to watch some of the world’s best athletes go for the gold. But from the very start of the opening ceremonies, they realize they are also witnesses to a serious outbreak of crime.

Someone is out to sabotage the entire spectacle – endangering the athletes and the spectators. The Hardys suspect that a distant war has come to the Olympics, turning the fields of competition into a terrorist battleground. Suddenly the boys are running the most important race of all… knowing this is one game that could deadly at any moment!

Why this story is excellent – Vanessa comes with the brothers’ but that doesn’t mean she gets in the way. She gets a chance to use her electronics skills to help out. Frank and Joe have to figure out who is behind trying to sabotage the games while making sure the games stay on track. Traps, crossbows, and hit-and-run vans are just the start as they work through to solve the mystery.

112 – Cliff Hanger

Rating 5 stars

The Hardys have come halfway around the world to experience one of the most spectacular and forbidding mountain ranges anywhere: the Himalayas. Their intention was to do some serious climbing, and they’ve gotten their wish… with one catch. Not only will they have to cope with the ice and snow and sudden drops, but they may also be heading straight into an ambush – set by a murderer!

Two climbers were killed in a recent avalanche and the leader of the expedition is convinced there was foul play. At the top of the list of suspects is Pasang, the uncle of Frank and Joe’s friend. When Pasang suddenly vanishes without a trace, the boys realize that the stakes in their climb have just gone up. They’re ascending a mountain of mystery… and their lives are on the ropes.

Why this story is excellent – The Hardys are on their own when they go to the Himalayas allowing the brothers’ to worry only about themselves. Avalanches, snipers, rigged equipment, and suspicions all make for an excellent story as the Hardys have to stay alive and figure out who is trying to frame Pasang.

113 – Sky High

Rating 4 stars

Chet has won a ticket to ride from the International Ballooning Club, and the Hardys have learned that it could be a ticket to disaster. A series of suspicious accidents have plagued the show, and with the upcoming Lift Challenge offering a $100,000 prize, the organizers of the even have received an anonymous threat: “Pay up or die!”

Frank and Joe recognize the gravity of the situation. What goes up must come down, but will anyone get hurt when the fall comes? The boys launch a high-stakes, high-risk investigation in search of the extortionists, knowing that the warning is morn than hot air. At these heights, a tiny flame could turn one of the balloons into a ball of fire!

Why this story is great – In this one, Chet proves he’s more than just someone who has a lot of hobbies. Frank and Joe have to figure out two separate crimes at the same time while trying to keep a lot of people from getting hurt.

114 – Clean Sweep

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys are off to college, and they’re about to get an education in deception, kidnapping, and murder! The boys already have an advanced degree in criminal investigations, so they’ve come to the right place. Frank and Joe are helping their friend Richie move into a dorm, when Richie’s roommate, Eli, is snatched by a couple of pistol-wielding thugs.

Passions on campus are at a fever pitch. Eco-terrorists have vowed to stop construction of a chemical incinerator. Meanwhile, a visiting American diplomat, based in the war-torn country of Gabiz, has been targeted for assassination. Whoever’s behind Eli’s kidnapping, they’re deadly serious… and the Hardys must take some serious action to bring him back alive!

Why this story is great – It takes place on a college campus, where practical jokes are expected. Dangerous traps and bombs are just some of the pitfalls Frank and Joe have to get around to figure out the assassin and stop him from reaching his target.

115 – Cave Trap

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe are headed out on a Kentucky spelunking expedition – exploring caves, that is. But on this particular descent, something stinks to high heaven. Joe stumbles onto an uncharted subcavern, and suddenly the entire expedition is under attack. Apparently Joe went too far, saw too much, and his curiosity could prove fatal!

The deeper the boys look into the cave, the more hazardous to their health it becomes. They’re attacked by a murderous fellow explorer, snared in a ancient booby trap, and caught in a vicious whirlpool. But the Hardys are not about to back down. They’re determined to unearth the deadly secret hidden in the cave… even if it takes them to the very bottom of a chasm of danger!

Why this story is good but needs work – This story had a good idea, spelunking, but didn’t really involve the sport. It would have been better to see Frank and Joe learning the sport or maybe with a team of spelunkers. Instead there were two at times three subplots that were blending into one.

116 – Acting Up

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe have come halfway around the world to investigate sabotage on a movie set. India’s culture and customs may be foreign to them, but when it comes to battling terror neither brother is a stranger to danger. And as soon as they set foot in this land of mystery it’s bombs away over Bombay!

The Hardys rush to the movie set, where there are lights, cameras, and nonstop action. Someone’s determined to put them out of commission by whatever means necessary: powerful explosives, razor-edged machetes, a cobra’s poisonous fangs. The Hardys can’t afford to miss their mark… because this is one flick sure to have a killer climax!

Why this story is great – A solid story with plenty of action. Frank and Joe are on their own as they come to Bombay, India. This book handles the native culture very nicely without it overshadowing the mystery itself.

117 – Blood Sport

Rating 5 stars

Frank Hardy has joined a Bayport fencing class and although just a beginner, he’s been selected to participate in a major tournament. But the competition is cutthroat – in more ways than one. He and his brother, Joe, who’s coming along for the ride, will have to keep their wits and their swords sharp if they want to stay alive.

One of Frank’s top rivals vanishes, and the boys suspect kidnapping. Their search leads them to the castle estate of a wealthy industrialist, sponsor of an elite – and deadly – fencing team. Doing battle with saber and samurai sword, the Hardys make a sinister discovery that could turn a single grudge match into a fight to the death!

Why this story is excellent – Frank has taken up fencing, but he too disappears shortly after his friend, leaving Joe to find him. It’s not the usual mystery in that if Joe doesn’t find his brother in time, he will be killed. An action paced story that takes place in a many of a few days.

118 – The Last Leap

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe witness a daredevil stunt smack in the middle of New York City. A group of parasailors leap off a skyscraper, and one of them ends up crashing to his death. When the Hardys investigate, they discover that the fall was no accident.

Murder is on the fly in Manhattan, and when crime flies, no one has a good time. Another series of jumps is in the works, and big money is at stake. So are lives. The Hardys will have to take some heavy-duty leaps of their own to catch the culprits and bring them down for good!

Why this story is great – Frank and Joe try their hands at sky-diving in this casefile as they try to figure out why a BASE jumper was killed. It would have been better had the Hardys tried BASE jumping, but I guess you can’t have them doing something illegal. This story is great with plenty of high-flying action and detective work.

119 – The Emperor’s Shield

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe have come to Germany to assist archeologist Dr. John Maxwell in his search for a legendary jewel-encrusted shield. The priceless artifact is rumored to be buried in the lost ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. But the boys discover more than the shield is missing: Maxwell himself has vanished without a trace!

Hunting for both Maxwell and the shield, the Hardys make some powerful, ruthless enemies. From vicious attack dogs to armor-clad thugs, they face a new fight at every turn. But as they descend into a labyrinth of lies, Frank and Joe are determined to unearth the truth… no matter how deep, dark, and deadly it is!

Why this story is great - Why if this is Frank’s friend, Callie tags along is not clear. What does happen is that as usual she’s turned into the damsel-in-distress, but Frank does slip out with his brother to do some detective work without telling her. There’s plenty of action and the reader learns that Frank not only has some knowledge in archeology but know some of the German language.

120 – Survival of the Fittest

Rating 3 stars

Frank and Joe have come to the ruggedly beautiful mountains of Utah to test their wilderness skills. But on their very first day out, after a frayed rope nearly sends Joe plummeting to the bottom of a rocky ravine, they discover that the challenge will be far more perilous than they imagined. This will be a test of survival!

The Hardys have stumbled upon a deadly scheme of greed and sabotage. But to uncover the secret behind it, they’ll have to follow the trail of infamous outlaws – Butch Cassidy and his Hole in the Wall gang. The gang may be long gone, but a new breed of desperado is on the loose… and they’re gunning for Frank and Joe!

Why this story is good but needs work – There were two plots that somehow combined into one just as Frank and Joe arrived in the area. It would have made for a better story had the casefile focused on one plot and expanded on it. The action would have been more exciting had the Hardys themselves been forced to survive in the desert.

121 – Absolute Zero

Rating 5 stars

Irene Weinhardt’s father, renowned physicist Kenneth Weinhardt, has been officially declared dead. But his body has never been found. When the Hardys agree to help Irene investigate her father’s fate, they discover that his supersecret research into superconductors may have been worth millions… making him a select target for foul play!

The search takes Frank and Joe from the famed laboratories at Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the frigid continent of Antarctica to the very frontiers of science. As the evidence mounts, it doesn’t take an Einstein to see that this equation adds up to danger. Add a shocking discovery in the ice that could leave the boys out in the cold for good!

Why this story is excellent – This has all the great points of a casefile; a group of bad guys, traps, fights, and a pretty girl who asks the Hardy brothers for help. This time it takes place in Antarctica where the brothers can’t enter or leave by their own means. They have to fight not only the bad guys but in this case, the environment itself as the South Pole is one of the most hospitable places in the world.

Note that this is the last casefile to feature Colin Gray and Paul Popowich on the cover.

122 – River Rats

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys have come to Montana to enjoy the challenges of the Big Bison River. Owen Watson runs a river rating outfit, and Frank and Joe are eager to test their skills. But their first day out on the fierce white waters turns into a life-and-death struggle when Owen falls victim to a sniper’s bullet!

Finding out who tried to kill Owen won’t be easy. Especially since Joe can’t take his eyes off Owen’s beautiful daughter. But a wake-up call in the form of a firebomb brings him back to this senses… and back into battle. It’s a ware over the environment, and the Hardys are sitting on a powder keg that’s ready to explode at any moment!

Why this story is great – Another use of environmental crimes as the Hardys try to figure out who is trying to get access to valuable lands. Joe’s eyes are diverted on a pretty girl, but he still manages to stay focused on the case. There is a lot of action to keep the story moving along.

123 – High Wire Act

Rating 4 stars

When Frank’s old school friend Freddie Felix landed a job as a circus clown, he thought it was his big break. Now he’s landed in big trouble instead. A suspicious fall has put him in the hospital, and the Hardys are determined to get to the bottom of it. They’ve decided to join the spectacle – a three-ring circus of crime!

Under the big top, Frank and Joe uncover a mix of dirty deals and sinister secrets. And they face a deadly nemesis willing to use any weapon – from poisonous snakes to man-eating tigers – to put a quick end to their act. They may be dealing with a bunch of clowns, but this case is no joke… because there’s nothing funny about murder!

Why this story is great – It takes place in the circus so you have the Hardys meeting and dealing with everything that happens in one. Frank and Joe work in the circus as movers, and in the end the real motive behind the murder turns out to be pure greed.

124 – The Viking’s Revenge

Rating 4 stars

The Hardys are visiting their pal Chet Morton, who’s taken a job as a Viking – in a historically authentic village on the Minnesota shores of Lake Superior. The idea is to re-create the bold spirit of the legendary explorers. But someone’s out to put on display a more sinister part of the Viking past: the burning, the looking, the terror.

The action in Viking Village begins with a few small acts of sabotage, which soon escalate into a full-blown assault. Frank and Joe are ready to meet the challenge – even if it means confronting the cold, hard steel of battle-ax and war hammer. And like true Viking warriors, they know that this fight could be a fight to the death!

Why this story is great – An unusual casefile in that one of the people committing the crimes really isn’t a bad guy. It’s a case where rumor sparks greed and some criminals are not smart enough to know real from fake jewelry. Chet’s role is actually good as he isn’t the chubby friend with the hobby.

125 – Stress Point

Rating 4 stars

Frank and Joe have taken summer construction jobs in the Hell’s kitchen section of New York City, and they’re feeling the heat. The site has been plagued with mishaps, and it’s no accident. The Hardys have found plenty of criminal sleaze mixed in with the concrete, and it threatens to turn the future skyscraper into a forty-story disaster!

Millions of dollars and untold lives hang in the balance as the boys seek out the source of the corruption. Organized crime and hired thugs have already taken a hand, creating a blueprint for murder. But as the danger builds to a climax and the bullets begin to fly, Frank and Joe find that they could end up taking the biggest fall of all!

Why this story is great – It deals with Frank and Joe working on summer jobs outside instead of inside undercover or inside a store. They have to deal with something new that they really didn’t tackle before; building safety. Though the part with Callie could have definitely been left out, this story offers a real twist at the end.

126 – Fire in the Sky

Rating 3 stars

The Hardys wanted to show Frank’s girlfriend Callie, how to celebrate her birthday in style. The plan: rent a plane and fly her to Maine for a lobster dinner. But the second they get in the air, they birthday surprise turns into a major blowout. The plan takes a dive and nearly explodes into a deadly fireball!

The crash sends Callie to the hospital and the Hardys on a high-stakes, high-altitude investigation. Their discovery: The accident was no accident. The planes – and bullets – begin to fly as the boys head from Bayport to Louisiana, where they uncover a shocking conspiracy of corruption leading to cold blooded murder!

Why this story is good but needs work - It seems almost sure that Callie would be the only one seriously injured in the accident. This girl throughout the series is always in the way, the damsel in distress, or the one injured. It would have made for better angst had Joe been the one hurt.

127 – Dead in the Water

Rating 5 stars

During the early years of World War II, the legendary and lethal Nazi U-boats spread terror from beneath the sea. Now, more than fifty years later, on a salvage operation off the coast of Florida, the Hardys plunge into the rustling hull of one of those awesome submarines… and discover that terror still lives!

When Alvin Mann, leader of the salvage operation, vanishes without a trace, Frank and Joe vow to rescue him – and find out what deadly secret lies hidden on the ocean bottom. But first they’ll have to confront a brutal adversary armed with knives, spearguns, and more – an enemy determined to blow them out of the water!

What this story is excellent – It is a great story but also sad as it is the last casefile made. It involved Frank and Joe helping out a salvage group as they find a very lucrative treasure. As usual there are others that want the treasure for themselves, but it allows for great action sequences both in and out of the water.