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The Hardy Boys #40
Mystery of the Desert Giant
The Hardy boys travel to Mexico to solve the mystery of a missing plane and its passengers. Their only clues are giant desert drawings made by Native Americans hundreds of years ago.
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1960
74 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
735 books991 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
November 27, 2018
A great entry into the Hardy Boys series. Frank and Joe pick up a case that ties into one their father's (but when don't they) investigations. Soon, the boys find themselves flying out to Arizona with their buddy Chet. Their rotund companion got conked on the head in the second chapter, which may just be the earliest ever concussion inflicted during a mystery!
Standards jokes aside, this really is one of the better books in the series. The Dixon formula was in full effect here, and left us with not just a couple of twists, but also provided a few false trails just to make the reader think more clearly than he/she might on average.
Everything is wrapped up at the end, with just a bit more sap than normal. It was worth it though, and is certainly worth your time, especially if you enjoy the adventures that involve flying sequences.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
Standards jokes aside, this really is one of the better books in the series. The Dixon formula was in full effect here, and left us with not just a couple of twists, but also provided a few false trails just to make the reader think more clearly than he/she might on average.
Everything is wrapped up at the end, with just a bit more sap than normal. It was worth it though, and is certainly worth your time, especially if you enjoy the adventures that involve flying sequences.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
April 26, 2017
This book was amusing. I enjoyed the suspense, action, and cliffhangers. It was like my eyes were glued to the book. Frank and Joe are in search of counterfeiters...will they find them or be outsmarted? I would recommend this book to anyone that likes action and mystery.
February 17, 2024
5 stars, why not.
id never read a hardy boys book so figured I should see what the popularity was all about. & now I've caught a glimpse and I may go snag the other one in our cupboard someday soon.
id never read a hardy boys book so figured I should see what the popularity was all about. & now I've caught a glimpse and I may go snag the other one in our cupboard someday soon.
August 31, 2022
This is the first of the sizeable Hardy Boys series I have read. My Dad has the whole collection in hardback in his bedroom, and for years I have intended on trying them out. I am sure I will read at least one more some time in the future, but for what it's worth, this book was not a great entry for me.
Mystery of the Desert Giant, even for its time, proves very mediocre and predictable. There is almost no tension whatsoever until the climax, as Frank and Joe Hardy just know exactly what to do in any given scenario, and the universe just bends to their favour. I never once feared for their safety. And how do these indistinguishable pricks know all the random shit they know when they seem to have no thought whatsoever for school? They do no such learning, nor do they appear to even have time for private research. They just gallivant across the country solving mysteries, being a nuisance to people that in any realistic situation would quickly have them "permanently disposed of", their mugs adorning missing posters across whatever state they've decided to "sleuthe around" in.
I also didn't like the constant, if benevolent, fat-shaming reserved for Chet. Every time he is mentioned, the author feels the need to make sure we know he is a tubby bastard. He's always talking about food, or getting puffed out, and can never escape the extra adjective every time he's mentioned. Dixon exhausts the synonyms for "fat" in this book.
The villains were a bunch of bumbling fools. All the good guys - and 98% of the characters are guys - are exactly the same. There isn't a flaw to speak of in any of the protagonists. And even the setting for this story was so boring. Maybe the southwest desert just doesn't do much for me, but I found the location wholly uninspiring. Who cares about boating up and down the Colorado River in search of non-deadly counterfeiters? Everything is just so low-stakes.
The Hardy boys are just a bunch of squares who make fun of their overweight friend and call their mum "mother" and seem to just live off their dad's endless wallet. They ain't got a patch on Tintin.
Mystery of the Desert Giant, even for its time, proves very mediocre and predictable. There is almost no tension whatsoever until the climax, as Frank and Joe Hardy just know exactly what to do in any given scenario, and the universe just bends to their favour. I never once feared for their safety. And how do these indistinguishable pricks know all the random shit they know when they seem to have no thought whatsoever for school? They do no such learning, nor do they appear to even have time for private research. They just gallivant across the country solving mysteries, being a nuisance to people that in any realistic situation would quickly have them "permanently disposed of", their mugs adorning missing posters across whatever state they've decided to "sleuthe around" in.
I also didn't like the constant, if benevolent, fat-shaming reserved for Chet. Every time he is mentioned, the author feels the need to make sure we know he is a tubby bastard. He's always talking about food, or getting puffed out, and can never escape the extra adjective every time he's mentioned. Dixon exhausts the synonyms for "fat" in this book.
The villains were a bunch of bumbling fools. All the good guys - and 98% of the characters are guys - are exactly the same. There isn't a flaw to speak of in any of the protagonists. And even the setting for this story was so boring. Maybe the southwest desert just doesn't do much for me, but I found the location wholly uninspiring. Who cares about boating up and down the Colorado River in search of non-deadly counterfeiters? Everything is just so low-stakes.
The Hardy boys are just a bunch of squares who make fun of their overweight friend and call their mum "mother" and seem to just live off their dad's endless wallet. They ain't got a patch on Tintin.
May 29, 2015
This was a pretty boring installment of The hardy Boys series, with the boys not exactly solving the mystery but more being harrassed by the villains and having clues thrown at them by some really stupid crooks. The crime didn't even make sense - the crooks find gold and spend it on a counterfeiting machine? Why not just settle on the money they got from selling the gold?
January 10, 2023
This one would have been better had Chet not met a person who was so instrumental in helping the Hardy boys at the end of the story, and yet there was no explanation as to who this guy was, how Chet met him, or why Chet would have given him information about the case.
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August 8, 2010My book has the 1960 cover.
September 10, 2025
#Binge Reviewing My Past Reads: Hardy Boys
(Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)
The Mystery of the Desert Giant by Franklin W. Dixon is one of those Hardy Boys adventures where the setting itself becomes the hook. When I first pulled it from the M.P. Birla School library shelf, the cover image—two boys against a vast, parched wilderness—already felt different.
After so many sea-bound, Bayport-centred adventures, the desert promised a change of pace. And the book delivered: it was a Hardy Boys tale baked under the relentless sun, full of mirages, secret maps, and the looming enigma of a desert giant.
At the heart of the story is Frank and Joe’s involvement in solving a riddle connected to a treasure hidden in the desert. What makes this book memorable is the way Dixon layers the landscape into the mystery. The desert isn’t just background—it’s obstacle, menace, and companion. Shifting dunes, sudden sandstorms, and the sense of isolation and immensity—it all adds a tone of grandeur and peril. It also forces the brothers to stretch their resourcefulness in ways distinct from their usual coastal exploits.
The titular “desert giant” captures the imagination right away. Is it a rock formation? A coded clue? A hidden relic? Dixon wisely keeps it ambiguous, letting suspense build as Frank and Joe follow fragments of information through desolate stretches. That sense of chasing whispers across an unforgiving terrain is what makes the book pulse with tension.
There’s a streak of classic pulp adventure here, too. The boys face villains who are opportunistic, ruthless, and just as hungry for the hidden treasure. But while the adversaries are menacing, the desert itself often feels like the greater foe—testing endurance, patience, and sheer courage. Dixon balances the physical challenge with mental puzzles, giving readers both action sequences and deductive payoffs.
Reading it in the early ’90s, I remember how vividly the desert setting gripped me. Growing up in Kolkata, deserts were distant, almost mythical. Through the Hardy Boys’ eyes, I felt the dry heat, the crunch of sand underfoot, and the looming silhouette of the so-called giant. It was escapism, yes, but also an expansion of horizons.
Looking back now, Mystery of the Desert Giant marks an adventurous high point in the series. It’s proof that Frank and Joe could step into any landscape—oceans, swamps, mountains, deserts—and make it their own. The boys remained constant, but the mysteries stretched ever wider.
(Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)
The Mystery of the Desert Giant by Franklin W. Dixon is one of those Hardy Boys adventures where the setting itself becomes the hook. When I first pulled it from the M.P. Birla School library shelf, the cover image—two boys against a vast, parched wilderness—already felt different.
After so many sea-bound, Bayport-centred adventures, the desert promised a change of pace. And the book delivered: it was a Hardy Boys tale baked under the relentless sun, full of mirages, secret maps, and the looming enigma of a desert giant.
At the heart of the story is Frank and Joe’s involvement in solving a riddle connected to a treasure hidden in the desert. What makes this book memorable is the way Dixon layers the landscape into the mystery. The desert isn’t just background—it’s obstacle, menace, and companion. Shifting dunes, sudden sandstorms, and the sense of isolation and immensity—it all adds a tone of grandeur and peril. It also forces the brothers to stretch their resourcefulness in ways distinct from their usual coastal exploits.
The titular “desert giant” captures the imagination right away. Is it a rock formation? A coded clue? A hidden relic? Dixon wisely keeps it ambiguous, letting suspense build as Frank and Joe follow fragments of information through desolate stretches. That sense of chasing whispers across an unforgiving terrain is what makes the book pulse with tension.
There’s a streak of classic pulp adventure here, too. The boys face villains who are opportunistic, ruthless, and just as hungry for the hidden treasure. But while the adversaries are menacing, the desert itself often feels like the greater foe—testing endurance, patience, and sheer courage. Dixon balances the physical challenge with mental puzzles, giving readers both action sequences and deductive payoffs.
Reading it in the early ’90s, I remember how vividly the desert setting gripped me. Growing up in Kolkata, deserts were distant, almost mythical. Through the Hardy Boys’ eyes, I felt the dry heat, the crunch of sand underfoot, and the looming silhouette of the so-called giant. It was escapism, yes, but also an expansion of horizons.
Looking back now, Mystery of the Desert Giant marks an adventurous high point in the series. It’s proof that Frank and Joe could step into any landscape—oceans, swamps, mountains, deserts—and make it their own. The boys remained constant, but the mysteries stretched ever wider.
March 16, 2025
Although well into adulthood, I still enjoy series books I read as a child. I own all of the original canon Hardy Boys books. I grabbed this one off of the shelf for a reread and must say, it stinks. The plot is all over the place, the desert giants themselves have little to do w/ the plot and are in fact completely unnecessary to the story. Coincidence, implausibility and stupidity abound in this offering.
Franklin W. Dixon is a pen name fabricated by the syndicate that published the Hardy Boys. Many different writers actually penned books in the series. This fact creates a severe inconsistency in the quality of the writing. Even though the plots were all generated via an outline from the syndicate, these too vary greatly in quality. Most serious Hardy Boys fans feel that the books written by Leslie McFarlane are the best, and for the most part I would agree. But the Hardys in general are inferior to several other series of the same period: Ken Holt, Rick Brant, Bret King, and Connie Blair. The aforementioned series did not condescend to young readers with wildly implausible plot elements nor the coincidence ridden "detective" work the Hardys employ.
So, this book stinks. I was glad to be done it and although I will re-read other Hardy Boys volumes, this one will collect dust on my shelf.
Franklin W. Dixon is a pen name fabricated by the syndicate that published the Hardy Boys. Many different writers actually penned books in the series. This fact creates a severe inconsistency in the quality of the writing. Even though the plots were all generated via an outline from the syndicate, these too vary greatly in quality. Most serious Hardy Boys fans feel that the books written by Leslie McFarlane are the best, and for the most part I would agree. But the Hardys in general are inferior to several other series of the same period: Ken Holt, Rick Brant, Bret King, and Connie Blair. The aforementioned series did not condescend to young readers with wildly implausible plot elements nor the coincidence ridden "detective" work the Hardys employ.
So, this book stinks. I was glad to be done it and although I will re-read other Hardy Boys volumes, this one will collect dust on my shelf.
March 4, 2021
The Hardy boys and their friend Chet head to the desert to find Mr. Grafton and Mr. Wetherby who have gone missing. Their plane was found in Ripley, CA but the men weren't there and haven't been home. The sight of a giant near where the plane landed has the Hardy Boys searching around the area for clues. Right from the beginning, even before they took on the job the boys were being spied on and followed. One thing after another happens to prove that men are after the boys and want them to stop their search. Boats, planes, long walks, deserted areas, heat, snakes close calls all add to the adventure but have the boys looking over their shoulders for trouble which seems to be on their tail. Mr. Fenton Hardy is off on his own job working with government agencies. The boys begin to think their mystery is tied to the one their father is working on. Will their foray into the desert yield results or are they on a giant goose chase?
May 25, 2023
This version was actually listed as being published in 1961, not Dec 1960 as in this version.
The story is typical - Frank and Joe get involved in a mystery about two missing airmeen that their father doesn't have time to solve. It takes them to several states and Mexico in their hunt for the men. Along the way, they find some forgers.
Once again, the Boys are captured on page 175, but manage to get free and subdue their captors by page 182 when they move on to the next mystery.
Overall, the story isn't bad. However, once again, the Boys do a a lot travelling that teenagers would never be allowed to do, plus they spend money like drunken sailors on whatever they need. Rent a boat, rent a cabin, rent a plane. Money is no object.
This particular book is not the best or worst in the series, so I child may find it interesting or boring.
The story is typical - Frank and Joe get involved in a mystery about two missing airmeen that their father doesn't have time to solve. It takes them to several states and Mexico in their hunt for the men. Along the way, they find some forgers.
Once again, the Boys are captured on page 175, but manage to get free and subdue their captors by page 182 when they move on to the next mystery.
Overall, the story isn't bad. However, once again, the Boys do a a lot travelling that teenagers would never be allowed to do, plus they spend money like drunken sailors on whatever they need. Rent a boat, rent a cabin, rent a plane. Money is no object.
This particular book is not the best or worst in the series, so I child may find it interesting or boring.
March 29, 2024
This story was a bit baffling! The desert giants referred to ancient engraving and gigantic figures incised in the ground in California, by Native Americans!
Now that being said and established in the first few chapters, how did the limbs of ancient figures point towards the treasure hidden much later!? Or was it hidden in the direction the limbs pointed, so as to use it as a clue?
The chase into Mexico is also riddled with multiple plot holes! The Hardy boys trap a gang of veteran criminals with the help of a civilian ranch owner! How does that work? It defies logic! The end was the only interesting part: knowing that the best friend was part of the criminal organization.
Now that being said and established in the first few chapters, how did the limbs of ancient figures point towards the treasure hidden much later!? Or was it hidden in the direction the limbs pointed, so as to use it as a clue?
The chase into Mexico is also riddled with multiple plot holes! The Hardy boys trap a gang of veteran criminals with the help of a civilian ranch owner! How does that work? It defies logic! The end was the only interesting part: knowing that the best friend was part of the criminal organization.
September 18, 2019
Simple
and
easy to read.
This is my first time reading a Hardy Boys Book and I must say I enjoyed it. Easy to read, a little too ficticious at times, very fast paced (there's barely time to breath between action scenes and big revelations). It is a simple read. On the downside: you don't learn much about the characters themselves (it's more about the case) and some deductions seemed far-fetched for me.
February 26, 2017
It is not one of the better hardy boys books. I wouldn't recommend it. There was too many different stories and it was just confusing. It was boring and non interesting. There was no suspense and they really didn't do any mystery solving.
August 24, 2017
Definitely one of the best Hardy Boys books I have ever read! This book took place mostly in the Southern California and Mexico desert. It was pretty fast paced so I never got bored, and overall it was really fun to read. Highly recommend.
June 5, 2018
Ate these up as a kid and usually got them as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other events. This edition would be quite dated now and I believe they have updated the books. The author was a pseudonym for a plethora of writers who contributed to this series.
September 24, 2018
A fun romp in classic Hardy Boys style. That said, I think this adventure suffers somewhat from too much running around, and changing of settings. The payoff isn't that exciting and I found that this book wasn't as interesting as when the intrepid sleuths stick around the Bayport area.
December 28, 2024
This was a bit of an odd one 😂 From what I could tell, the author wasn't too familiar with the desert (my dad grew up in Arizona, and he pointed out several inaccuracies). Plus there were several (mostly minor) things that were head-scratchers 🫠
November 28, 2017
Great thrilling exciting mystery!
February 16, 2018
I loved this one! A really good Hardy Boys book. I love the government tie-ins and the title of this book really evokes a magnificent feeling in me. Good one.
March 15, 2018
typical Hardy book. Probably not quite as exciting as some of the others. In my collection this book is # 6.
September 26, 2019
I think this book was good, but not a book that you would stick your nose into all night.
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June 1, 2020blythe intaglio
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August 25, 2020Nappi wrap DJ needed
April 25, 2022
Not the best. This one's in the southwest, with a little bit in Mexico. I like the way these books became little travelogues, but the actual story here is disjointed, unsuspenseful, and hasty.
July 17, 2022
it was a long read like really long in story time but overall it was good
September 7, 2022
Love these books
September 21, 2022
This is one of the weaker entries in this series. Not much mystery like usual, but also a lot less action than normal. Pretty slow.
May 15, 2023
What nostalgia do I have after reading this book? It's fun to go back to a fun, campy mystery where there are good people and not a tone of overdone drama. This was a fun one-day read.
April 11, 2024
I learned about some new geoglyphs in this one, so that's pretty cool.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews