Line of Fire

The Hardy Boys Casefiles #16

by Franklin W. Dixon

Bull's-eye revenge

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 spot marksman, 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 Denny before he turns on them?

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Mystery Thriller, Crime

151 pages, Paperback

First published June 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

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite character is frank

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern Hardy boys yarn with Frank and Joe banging on and then solving the crime.
Average fare.

[Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one. Did not disappoint!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was still schooling, I tried to read all of the Hardy Boys books. I didn't come close to finishing the whole series, and by now I had already forgot most of the content of those that I had read. But I do recall how much I loved reading each and every one of them.

[Dannuel Delizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

MMkay. What they discovered was Crowell's dirty past, and they realized Denny was in serious danger.

[Div · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want these books to come to an end. Loving them so much <3

[Joni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm getting old with the Hardy Boys. It was a bit short.
But it was still okay.