Dead on Target

The Hardy Boys Casefiles #1

by Franklin W. Dixon

The Hardys run afoul of the largest organized crime ring on earth.

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

153 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

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

[Eh?Eh! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out with Nancy Drew before realizing most of the girls in my class were reading ND while most of the boys were reading The Hardy Boys. Pssh! I crossed the divide and read BOTH!

I nearly went crazy trying to find all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. The public and school libraries had patchy collections; combined it was frustratingly close to complete. I started to keep a list. Then I learned there were spin-off series, the equally infinite Files/Casefiles and I think there was a Nancy Drew Summer Love series or some crap like that.

I remember this particular book because this is where I stopped reading them. Instead of the charmingly light fluff mystery or cheesy Scooby-Doo-like suspense, they killed Iola! This was almost 20 years ago, but I ended the book feeling like the Hardy boys had started off on a quest for vengeance, that now that they've used guns and were fighting terrorists they would no longer be the nice boys-next-door who were entertaining, useful, and generically good-looking, leaving you at your door with a tame peck on the cheek. The newly serious HBoyz were out for blood. The bubble burst and I realized all the hundreds of books had the same storyline. Ah, the newly awakened feeling of betrayal. Bye-bye, Ms. Drew, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Hardy. Thanks for keeping me reading.

The cover of this edition is not what I remember...I think there was a jeep with a gun mounted on the back. One Hardy boy was at the wheel, the other was at the gun, both were squinting with the speed of the driving. Huh.

[Shreyas · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Dead on Target' (The Hardy Boys Casefiles #1) by Franklin W. Dixon.

“Revenge is always a personal matter.”

Rating: 4.5/5.





Review:
Never would I have thought that a simple act, such as discovering a Hardy Boys novel in my grandfather's dusty old attic, would end up becoming a lifelong obsession. I was so mesmerised by the two brothers' adventures that I ended up reading any book of theirs that I could find during my school days. Eventually, I decided to read the Hardy Boys Casefiles series in the order of publication. I successfully managed to read the first fourteen or so books in this manner before life took over and I became busy with academics. Slowly, over time, my interest in these books faded (although my love for them remained the same) as I discovered other genres, such as horror, fantasy, and science fiction. However, it wasn't until a couple of years back that I became serious about collecting the Hardy Boys books (Gotta catch 'em all!). My Casefiles collection ain't complete yet, but I have been successful enough to obtain most copies — a dream the kid me wouldn't have believed would come to fruition someday! So, that's how, after almost seventeen years since I read the first Casefiles book, I finally decided to restart my mission of reading these books in the order of publication back from scratch!


Time is a cruel mistress indeed, but when it comes to revisiting our favourite books from ages ago, time has always been like a generous fairy godmother. Apart from the basic premise (that is even mentioned in the blurb at the back of the book), I had forgotten most details, and, as a result, this reread turned out almost as if I had picked up the book for the very first time all those years ago!


The Hardy Boys Casefiles series was created in the late 80s to reboot these stories and make them more alluring to mature readers with higher stakes, a dark and gritty tone of storytelling, and more violence and gore. 'Dead on Target' delivers this promise by beginning the series with a bang! Quite literally, since the long-time girlfriend of Joe Hardy, Iola Morton, dies in a deadly car explosion right on the first page itself! (Not a spoiler, guys! This was literally how the reboot was marketed, and it is even mentioned in the plot blurb.) This sets off a series of events in which the two brothers strive to find out who Iola's killers were, but instead find themselves entangled in an intricate web of a cat-and-mouse game between a secret government agency (the Network) and a deadly ring of international terrorists (the Assassins).


Before I disclose my overall thoughts about this first entry, let me give you a brief rundown about its strengths and weaknesses first.


(A) Weaknesses:

1) Iola's Death:
While the maker tried to ramp up the stakes by initiating the reboot with Iola's unfortunate death, this didn't sit well with some of the long-term Hardy Boys fans who had been reading the digests for a long while. It does sound gimmicky, and at that time, it was a make-or-break point for such hardcore fans. But if you do persist, I'm sure this series will turn out to be a rewarding one.

2) Predictability:
It seems a bit unfair on the boys' established detective skills that it took them almost half a book to come to the conclusion that the reason behind the car bombing at a political rally was–wait for it–political (duh!). To be fair, the boys and their father have accrued a lot of ill will among the criminals over the years, so it would be obvious they might first think of the motivations to be rather personal than what they turned out to be. But, hey, when there are government agencies and terrorists involved, you should have thought of the larger picture way sooner than they did. I was also able to predict the secret identity of the main antagonist, Al-Rousasa, well before its eventual reveal. I rather think it was due to my muscle memory from an earlier read kicking in, but it seemed pretty obvious to me. That all being said, it might be highly unfair to point out the predictable nature of the plot of most Hardy Boys books, considering I'm not its intended target audience.



(B) Strengths:


1) High Stakes:
Iola's death did end up creating friction amongst the hardcore Hardy Boys fans back in the day, but this move made it clear to everyone that no one's safe in this series. Gone are the days when the antagonists used to play safe, and the Hardys used to get free of any predicament with just minor scuffles. These books open up with assassins breathing down your necks, trying to kill anyone who crosses their path. Even the boys and their friends aren't afraid to pick up guns and resort to violence whenever necessary. Iola's death also instils the fear that none of the brothers' friends are safe enough to guarantee surviving the entire run of the series. While we know that Hardys themselves would end up surviving the book, they don't have to deal with a few bruises and minor concussions like in the original run. Instead, what we get here is the Hardys' nearly missing assassination attempts—but things do get a bit bloody when the Hardys are even subjected to brutal stabbings and maiming attempts.

2) Characterisation:
If you have been reading the Hardy Boys Digests for a long time, you'll notice that the two brothers share almost the same character traits. They are athletic, nerdy, and proficient in almost everything boys of their age would dream of being. Basically, they were different in just their names. The Casefiles countered this by creating distinct personalities for the two brothers. Frank is the thoughtful, rational one of the two with his geekiness coming in handy during the technical aspects of most of the cases. On the other hand, Joe is the more athletic and impulsive brother. Iola's unfortunate demise also makes him brooding, depressed, and more vengeful, and the after-effects of her death are felt for a long while during the series' run. The distinct personalities introduced by the casefiles slowly seeped their way into the ongoing Hardy Boys Digest run, and later, you could see the authors using these during the Undercover Brothers reboot as well.

3) Callie Shaw:
Gone are the days when the boys' friends used to just be there for comic relief and the girls merely for the sake of it. What the Casefiles series excelled in is to utilise each of the Hardy Boys' friends and associates in a far meaningful manner. What strikes out most is how they handled Callie Shaw's growth as a character throughout this series. She is no longer a damsel in distress. She stands on her own, is fierce and independent, and slowly turns out to be a valuable ally to the brothers in most cases. And you get to witness her rise from this book onwards.

4) Plot:
'Dead on Target' offers you a gripping, fast-paced story that keeps you hooked until the very end. Sure, it would be unfair to compare it with some popular books in the adult thriller and espionage fiction genres, but it gets as close to them as possible while trying to reach its intended audience.




Overall, I had a great time rereading this book. Since it took me over seventeen years to revisit this story, I had forgotten most of the events that had transpired in this book, and it turned out to be as enjoyable as my first read. If you want to pick up some Hardy Boys books, but are sceptical about them since they appeal more to kids, you can definitely pick up any of the Casefiles books for their slightly mature content, high stakes, proclivity towards blood and gore, and a fast-paced story.

[Aashey Goel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi readers,

I read this book a few days ago and I was delighted to read a book like this. Actually this was the first book which I completed in my lifetime. I get bored of books and leave them unfinished . But this book kind of encouraged me to read books. From now on I only read The Hardy Boys Casefiles. STORY - Joe's girlfriend Iola dies from a bomb blast which was set for Joe, he wants to get revenge for Iola's death. MY REVIEW - This book is just awesome. It has some good suspense and the action sequences are also pretty good. I would suggest teenage readers to read this book.


This was my review on this book.
I hope it helps you! :D

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book honestly started out pretty fantastic. The action is well-written and the characters actually have personality. But, by the end, I was very disappointed. The villain was set up to be someone very harsh and cruel, and he made so so many mistakes that led to his downfall. Mistakes that should not have been made according to what the book was setting him up to be. So overall, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed.

[Daum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read I liked it

[Vaibhav Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Hardy Boys.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to read the shit out of these in elementary and junior high. I put this one up because it's the first of the "casefiles" which was the publishing company's attempt to modernize the old Frank and Joe franchise for a more modern audience. They started off with a bang, literally, killing off Joe Hardy's girlfriend Iola (who he'd been dating since about the mid-30's apparently) in a car bomb meant for the Hardys. Hilariously, I used to go to the Amarillo Public Library's Southwest Branch and choose these books based largely on the cover art. I remember being a bit crushed when, as a full grown literature grad student adult mind you, I discovered Franklin W. Dixon was not in fact a real person but the pen name for a syndicate of writers hired on a contracted basis by the publishing company of Grosset & Dunlap, most of whom penned between 3 and 6 titles under the Dixon monicker before moving on to the next freelance gig. The same is true of Carolyn Keene, the credited author of the Nancy Drew mysteries...another a syndicate in the employ of Grosset & Dunlap, and R.L. Stine, "author" of the ever-popular Goosebumps series for young readers, is another famous pseudonym for a writers' sweat shop. Anyway, only two stars because, let's face it, these are cheezy books, but Frank and Joe did help lead me down the road that led me to Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, so for that I'll give them due credit.

[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.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this book five stars, not becaue the writing or plot is that good, but because like the first Mandie book, "Dead on Target" represents a change in reading for me. It was the point where I gave up the kid section and finally moved onto the 'teenage' section of the library. Hardy Boys were safe xD I got into some bad books those first few months, but Hardy Boys were something I could trust. And I still think it would be sweet to have their gray, bullet-proof van!

[Daphne Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing this through adult eyes instead of a teenager's eyes is quite different. I dislike Joe in the beginning, then felt his pain the rest of the book. His maturity happens during this first book and sets the stage for his character in the rest of the Casefiles. It's no wonder why I loved this books when I was a teen.

[Austin G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franklin W. Dixon did an amazing job on his book Dead on Target which is the part of the Hardy boys series. He did a spectacular job describing the different situations the boys faced and always left the reader in suspense. The Fact that the boys were always fighting against the assassin and were trying to find him or even escaping his traps really added the the action packed books that the hardy boys portray. It really affected me an away because I was always wanting to read on. I never felt the thought in my head that I should do something else.
The way that Dixon writes the book is truly fascinating in the way that he never has a detail left out and he always makes sure that you are not bored or wondering what each situation that the boys were in felt or looked like. The many details he uses makes it so easy to create that movie in your head that should be with a well written books. The way that he comes up with the plot is very beneficial to the book because he always has the boys running for cover or fighting. The way that he writes deeply affected me was the way that the boys fight and think. They never just go out and fight they fight with a strategy. The scene when the boys were up in the plane when the assassin was there really kept me on the edge of my seat.
The book was truly fascinating and the story line was amazing. Over all the difficulty for the book was a bit to easy for me. I would recommend the book for people in 4th through 6th grade depending on the comprehension level you have. The book was truly great even though it was a bit to easy. Over all I give this book a 4 out of 5 star. It was a great book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the 1980s-Era Hardy Boys Casefiles series starts with a bang as a car belonging to the boys is blown-up by a bomb. The bomb kills Joe's girlfriend, Iola Morton.
This tragedy propels the Hardy boys into a completely new style of mystery where not only are they searching for a killer, they are drawn into a game of Spies Versus Assassins, terrorists, and attempted political assignation.
Frank and Joe meet Mr. Grey of The Network, a mysterious International Security organization that is mostly concerned with stopping The Assassins - a terrorist group. In this novel, they've targeted Philip Walker, a candidate for President, who promises to be tough on terrorism.
Sigh. I wasn't thrilled with the whole terrorist plot, or the racist depiction of the terrorists that the Hardys and Mr. Grey manage to catch (though often, not for long, since these Assassins are bound to kill themselves when captured).
The book is a very fast read, and quite short, with plenty of action.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only Hardy Boys series that was as good as the original series was CASEFILES, and given how hit or miss the quality of even that original series was, that may not be saying much. However, the first five works in this series serve as a wonderful loosely connected "PG-13" update to the series. I've read this series described as an attempt to bring The Hardy Boys into the world of James Bond and international intrigue. I would disagree with that description in that the adventures did not seem all that much more "international" than the original series, which often took place in multiple locales and countries and would involve secret societies and hidden government agencies. However, like all the Hardy Boys series even written, this series, after the 5th book, became hit or miss.

[Nikki Antonio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Nancy Drew and how fast the story progresses in that series, but Hardy Boys Casefiles isn't it. Nancy Drew might be cliché, but the ending of this book made me cringe. Maybe I was just not the target audience, since the chase scenes here were mostly formulaic for action movies, mostly targeted for men.

For me, I was expecting it to be all about getting clues, being a detective and all. Afterall, it is supposed to be a "casefile". Instead, I had a hard time going through this book mostly because of the plot.

I could only wish that the rest of the series isn't as bad as this one.

[Javier Trost · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I thought the story was interesting. Keeping in mind that I'm reading it in 2020 and the world has significantly changed from when it was originally published it still was a fun read. I don't expect much out of these books because they fall under young adult and the action is mostly PG these days. It was a fitting start to a new series. It's a quick read. A fairly decent start to a newer series. I would think it falls into the range of interesting to 11-13 year olds.

[Michelle Seckinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardy Boys mystery series was always one of my favorites as a kid. I read a few of the casefiles when I was a preteen but was never able to read all of them. It was great to read the series again.

Frank and Joe are two of the best brothers you could have. Their friend group is what everyone hopes to have. And their family is ideal.

This was a great introduction into the series. I hate how it started but it was a great mystery nonetheless.

[Yami · Rating 2 out of 5]

umm.. I was really curious about the Hardy Boys series, and well I didn't expect it to be like that, I though fun teen investigations, not a hard core assassins ,terrorists', and actual death of people.. I think if I read this years ago I would have loved it , but now it just kind of lame, I got me a pile though and am planning to go through them. I might change my mind, but man old school adventure series is just...

[Clem Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has haunted me since I read back when I was in grade 7 or 8. This was definitely a turning point in my reading career and is among one of my all time favourite books, and possibly the only book I have read and reread about 10 times... it was just so hauntingly good...

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesy, of course. But still worth reading if you're a fan of the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mysteries.

[Muhammad Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought the stories couldn't be more interesting I read this.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a bunch of these books as a kid. They are pretty good for a high interest YA book.

[Jerriannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and easy to read so I definitely enjoyed it as well as the relationship between the Hardy boys and their father. I would gladly read this book a second time.

[Rhosyn Goodfellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ridiculous, and I loved every second of it. Great, fast read for those days when you just want explosions.

[Faith]

Maybe my boys will like reading these when they're tween/teenagers

[Akanksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better than I thought Itd be! A quick easy read with semi predicatable plots is just what a busy week needs.
I missed the brothers.
I still love Frank hah.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the very first novels I read growing up.

[Connor Francois · Rating 1 out of 5]

because iola died

[David Randolph Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it....

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a little too mature for my grandsons. I’m glad I checked it out before ordering it as a Christmas gift. I enjoyed the book and look forward to sharing it with the boys in four years or so.

[Dhulkarnain · Rating 1 out of 5]

As usual hollywood cliché.