Review: The Tower Treasure (The Hardy Boys #1) by Franklin W. Dixon

SUMMARY FROM GOOODREADS:

A dying criminal confesses that his loot has been secreted "in the tower." Both towers of the looted mansion are searched in vain. It remains for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that clears up the mystery.

MY TAKE:
Growing up, I was more interested in Nancy Drew stories, so it's only recently that I started reading Hardy Boys books.

In The Tower Treasure, Frank and Joe Hardy are the sons of a well-known detective. They crave to follow in their father's footsteps. One day, while chasing a mystery involving a friend's missing car, they come across a much bigger mystery.

The summary was a bit misleading. The events described don't happen until over halfway through the book. The first half of the book sets the stage for the event described in the summary.

The mystery was interesting enough. It was solved much in the same way books like these are: a combination of hard work, deduction and luck. Since this is the first book, Mr. Hardy mentors Frank and Joe and gives them clues or steers them in a particular direction worth exploring. It would be cool to see how their relationship changes as the series continues.

This book was first published in the late '50s, which explains why I got a distinct Pleasantville vibe while I was reading it. There were multiple uses of slang that don't really exist nowadays, even if a lot of us can still understand what they mean. Some examples include: chum, jalopy and fella. Personally, I liked it. It was a simpler time, and it made me feel a little nostalgic.

THE GOOD:

1. It's an interesting mystery.
2. The use of '50s slang makes you feel nostalgic.
3. It's nice to see how Frank and Joe Hardy got started as detectives.

THE BAD:

1. The structure and the pacing probably is something you've seen before if you read a lot of mystery novels, especially those for kids. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

"No workee, no eatee," said Iola flatly. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like mystery novels.
2. You want to learn how the Hardy Boys got started.
3. You like the movie Pleasantville or anything set in a similar era.

RATING:


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