Blood Relations

The Hardy Boys: Casefiles #15

by Franklin W. Dixon

After the Hardy boys uncover evidence incriminating upstanding Walter Rawley, one of Fenton Hardy's oldest friends, of spying and murder, Walter's second wife, Linda, is kidnapped and Frank and Joe try to crack the case

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Juvenile

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

About the author

Franklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.

Reviews

[The Curious Reader]

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.

[rabbitprincess]

A reflection from my Grade 6 reading log:

"I feel sorry for Walter Rawley. His wife Linda was kidnapped by vicious brutes. I can't imagine the torture he's going through. I wonder if Linda will ever get back to her family. She'd better! I was surprised that *Linda* was kidnapped. It could have been Walter that got kidnapped. Maybe Walter is part of the gang! This mystery should be given serious thought and lots of caution. I think the John Dunn guy (he met the Hardys) is NOT a private investigator. His name sounds a bit phony. I think Frank and Joe should be very careful. Walter Rawley might be leading them into a trap -- a death trap! I predict that Walter will get his wife back, with some surprises along the way!

[Hannah]

My best advice is to not read the back-cover summary. It completely spoils what is, I thought, a pretty cool twist. The mystery in this one was interesting, and, if you weren't already spoiled by the back cover, keeps you guessing. There was plenty of action and some well-executed suspense. The boys got a chance to show off a lot of different skills, especially Joe. There are also some good scenes of the brothers interacting. Callie got to play a pretty big role in this one, and she was fun. Again, I think would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I hadn't read the summary. In any case, it's an exciting read with solid characterization. It kept me turning the pages.

[Daniel Rose]

This book was very intresting as the Hardy's are thrown into a loop when two highschool classmates ask for help in the belief that there new step dad is trying to kill their mom and that he also killed his previous wife. The hardy's are dumbfounded because the man is non other then walter rawley a good family friend.

[Chris]

I always love reading the adventures of the Hardy Boys. This run of the Casefiles series always cracks me up. I love how it tries both to be edgy and still really clean cut. The pure joy this series gives me cannot be given a price tag.

[Joni]

The plot was a bit predictable.Maybe because I've read a lot of the same concepts? But still, it was still good. XD

[Dannuel Delizo]

lascivious people.