What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hardy Boys #186
Hidden Mountain
Here today -- but where tomorrow?
Frank and Joe have gone hunting -- but instead of sniffing out wildlife, they're out to find the Wilkersons. Darren Wilkerson, the Hardys' classmate, and his family were living in Bayport under the safety of the Witness Protection Program -- until someone found them out. Unable to get in touch with the government, the Wilkersons were forced to flee without its assistance. Now Darren and his family have made it to Canada, but they're not yet out of the woods.
The Hardys quickly arrive on the scene to help. But just when they're hot on the Wilkersons' trail, they get caught in a trap. Can Frank and Joe escape in time to save the Wilkersons from their predators?
Frank and Joe have gone hunting -- but instead of sniffing out wildlife, they're out to find the Wilkersons. Darren Wilkerson, the Hardys' classmate, and his family were living in Bayport under the safety of the Witness Protection Program -- until someone found them out. Unable to get in touch with the government, the Wilkersons were forced to flee without its assistance. Now Darren and his family have made it to Canada, but they're not yet out of the woods.
The Hardys quickly arrive on the scene to help. But just when they're hot on the Wilkersons' trail, they get caught in a trap. Can Frank and Joe escape in time to save the Wilkersons from their predators?
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2004
8 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
775 books997 followersFranklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who were part of a team that wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate (now owned by Simon & Schuster). Dixon was also the writer attributed for the Ted Scott Flying Stories series, published by Grosset & Dunlap.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
Canadian author Leslie McFarlane is believed to have written the first sixteen Hardy Boys books, but worked to a detailed plot and character outline for each story. The outlines are believed to have originated with Edward Stratemeyer, with later books outlined by his daughters Edna C. Squier and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Edward and Harriet also edited all books in the series through the mid-1960s. Other writers of the original books include MacFarlane's wife Amy, John Button, Andrew E. Svenson, and Adams herself; most of the outlines were done by Adams and Svenson. A number of other writers and editors were recruited to revise the outlines and update the texts in line with a more modern sensibility, starting in the late 1950s.
The principal author for the Ted Scott books was John W. Duffield.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 26, 2020
Ridiculously contrived premise. Noticeably bad writing quality in this one too. Worst retroactive introduction for a character ever. Super-secret double extra witness protection program that you can never leave? Yeah ok sure. Whatever.
In the opening pages it said, "Although neither one of the Hardy boys was in a serious relationship, from time to time Joe dated Iola and Frank dated Callie." DAMN, that's cold.
Like that they met a guy with the last name Hardesty. Like Hardy but harder... in fact hardest. The Hardesty.
I did like that the adventure took a sort of different arc than normal stories here with the trip with the fake FBI agents. Made it a little more interesting.
And uh... uh... did the Hardy Boys basically kill the enemies at the end? Like holy shit. Oh my god. This book went there, or at least close enough. The real FBI basically gave them a note that told them to kill people and they did it. I mean, right???
Weird denouement though when they're still being followed and now have to outlast a crime family, the end?
This was a strange book.
In the opening pages it said, "Although neither one of the Hardy boys was in a serious relationship, from time to time Joe dated Iola and Frank dated Callie." DAMN, that's cold.
Like that they met a guy with the last name Hardesty. Like Hardy but harder... in fact hardest. The Hardesty.
I did like that the adventure took a sort of different arc than normal stories here with the trip with the fake FBI agents. Made it a little more interesting.
And uh... uh... did the Hardy Boys basically kill the enemies at the end? Like holy shit. Oh my god. This book went there, or at least close enough. The real FBI basically gave them a note that told them to kill people and they did it. I mean, right???
Weird denouement though when they're still being followed and now have to outlast a crime family, the end?
This was a strange book.
January 30, 2026
I just realized that I've been reading Hardy Boys books for over five decades! This particular volume attracted me because of its high overall rating (I should have checked the reviews) and the question "how do you hide a mountain?"
This is a very peculiar Hardy Boys book (in a bad way). It starts OK (if you dismiss the Norton family scene and the flirting on the airplane), but things go south (well, actually North) when they reach Canada. Instead of the usual sleuthing, we have Joe and Frank on a long trek to the Hidden Mountain, with no proper plan.
The other characters act erratically. Some scenes make no sense; it looks like the author was having trouble reaching a minimum number of pages.
When we finally get to the Hidden Mountain, things are solved by Deus-Ex-Machina, with something very rare in Hardy Boys books - a death. After the exhausting journey, life-threatening situations, and many unanswered questions, what do Joe and Frank do? They sit in front of a TV to watch a sitcom!
And then there is a very strange, open-ended last chapter that, if taken into account in the next books, could have changed the setting forever. Thankfully, continuity is not strong in the series.
So we got a very flawed book, but I was surprised to find I couldn't put it down. Maybe I forgot it was supposed to be a Hardy Boys book, or just expected it to turn out better.
This is a very peculiar Hardy Boys book (in a bad way). It starts OK (if you dismiss the Norton family scene and the flirting on the airplane), but things go south (well, actually North) when they reach Canada. Instead of the usual sleuthing, we have Joe and Frank on a long trek to the Hidden Mountain, with no proper plan.
The other characters act erratically. Some scenes make no sense; it looks like the author was having trouble reaching a minimum number of pages.
When we finally get to the Hidden Mountain, things are solved by Deus-Ex-Machina, with something very rare in Hardy Boys books - a death. After the exhausting journey, life-threatening situations, and many unanswered questions, what do Joe and Frank do? They sit in front of a TV to watch a sitcom!
And then there is a very strange, open-ended last chapter that, if taken into account in the next books, could have changed the setting forever. Thankfully, continuity is not strong in the series.
So we got a very flawed book, but I was surprised to find I couldn't put it down. Maybe I forgot it was supposed to be a Hardy Boys book, or just expected it to turn out better.
May 30, 2023
I’m a big Hardy Boys fan, though I really haven’t read any of their mystery books since I was a kid several decades ago. Hence my surprise when my son brought home this book from school as I did not realize that Hardy Boys books were still being published after the millennium. Excited to relive the nostalgia, I decide to see what the Hardy Boys were up to now.
Well, they are still stumbling onto and solving mysteries and the writing style is basically what I remembered. It was familiar but also a little disappointing simple. I’m sure that being older has changed my perspective on what I want from a story book, but it also may have to do with this particular mystery which wasn’t really told as a traditional Hardy Boys’ mystery where they explore different places and talk to different people to get clues. It’s basically just a trek in the same environment negotiating various obstacles until the end. I was surprised at the darker twist at the end (which seemed downplayed and not what I was used to for a Hardy Boys story).
Well, they are still stumbling onto and solving mysteries and the writing style is basically what I remembered. It was familiar but also a little disappointing simple. I’m sure that being older has changed my perspective on what I want from a story book, but it also may have to do with this particular mystery which wasn’t really told as a traditional Hardy Boys’ mystery where they explore different places and talk to different people to get clues. It’s basically just a trek in the same environment negotiating various obstacles until the end. I was surprised at the darker twist at the end (which seemed downplayed and not what I was used to for a Hardy Boys story).
February 16, 2016
My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.
http://spreadthewordnevada.org/
Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.
I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.
June 14, 2010
This was pre 1930's book and a typical Hardy Boys novel where there is a mystery involved and they come and save the day. This is an interesting novel where the Hardy Boys must use their thinking skills and strength in order to outsmart the bad guys. Overall it's a very well written book that is fun to read.
July 3, 2010
The hardy boys are on another mystery because on of his friend just took off on night and not telling anyone .When questioned their father they realized their friend family was in the withesed protection program and thier were in danger.So the hardy boys took off to find their friends .Can they find them before it is too late?Read this book
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews