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 the 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 kill... to keep from being shipped home in matching boxes.
Franklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap. Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s. The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
When I first read Hardy Boys, I think I was in class 5, I had such a crush on Frank Hardy. I liked the brainy one over the brawny one and that sums up my first impression of Hardy Boys. In their late teens, Frank and Joe Hardy take after their detective father Fenton Hardy. Frank is the older of the two and has more breakthroughs in the cases because he is the brainy one. Joe is the younger brother who more often than not is useful when things get hot and they need to fight their way out. Like Nancy Drew, the books in the The Hardy Boys series re written by ghostwriters under the collective pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. And yes, the earlier books were better than the latter ones.
Synopsis: The Hardy Boys are at it again - they've got to solve a mystery in order to save their own necks.
My Review: I read literally dozens and dozens of these books growing up - and I've got to say that I'm not impressed... I found an old stack of these at my parent's house and I thought I'd give them all one last read before sending them off to the DI, but I'm not sure that I can stomach reading many more. While I loved them when I was younger, they seem to be a poor choice now.
When Frank win's a all expense vacation to spain it seems like a dream come true. Framed for murder and on the run from the police and KGB Frank and Joe have no where to turn. With the help of a beautiful women they begin to uncover a game of espionage between the Russian's and the American secret organization called the Network.
Overall this book was an ok read. I've lost track of how many times I've actually read this one.
While on a trip to Spain to relax, Frank and Joe end up back in even more danger when they try to solve the mysteries surrounded a case of espionage, all while dealing with a tense situation with their father back home regarding a close friend. Dixon offers an adequate trip across the seas, though one riddled with unnecessary family drama. Will the boys make it home in time to set things straight with their father?
Now, everything about this book was cheesy. From the title to the cover art to the (as implied by the cover) overabundance of turncoats in the narrative.
Still, it had some good and memorable action scenes (I still remember a couple after more than a decade) so it must have been somewhat enjoyable.