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The Hardy Boys #66
The Vanishing Thieves
Chet Morton's cousin, Vern, is on his way to California to find a rare and valuable coin mysteriously missing from his uncle's bank vault. When he stops in Bayport, his brand-new car is stolen. The Hardys take on a double mystery-and double danger as they head for the West Coast to investigate this sinister mystery.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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About the author
Franklin W. Dixon
752 books994 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 20, 2023
'The Vanishing Thieves' (The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories #66) by Franklin W. Dixon.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer:
This was my first time reading this book. I have, probably, read the first 63 Hardy Boys books multiple times, but the same can not be said for the subsequent books in the series. It isn't because I'm partial to the Originals, but more so because the latter books were hard to find growing up. However, with the advent of digital books in recent times, I'm eager to pursue my childhood ambition of reading all 190 Hardy Boys books at least once.
The Hardy Boys books are a nostalgic affair. Had it not been for these books, it would have been difficult for me to cultivate my interest in reading and to later expand my reading preferences to include the fantasy and sci-fi genres. So, yeah, that's the main reason why you would rarely find me giving a rating of fewer than 3.5 stars (out of 5) to these Hardy Boys books.
Review:
'The Vanishing Thieves' has all the classic flair of the typical Hardy Boys books. Although the mystery isn't as intriguing as some of the better books in the series, it is filled with tense action and excitement.
The Hardys find themselves embroiled in a chaotic case involving a stolen rare coin, a care smuggling gang, and a mad person claiming to be the Maharaja of Kashmir. The boys are aided in this case by Chet and his cousin Vern. I'm a bit partial to books containing Chet. He was one of my favorite Hardy pals growing up, and he tends to make the book funnier simply by his association.
As a grown-up adult, I cringed every time the Hardys and their friends did something reckless behavior – like staking the same place multiple times despite being caught by the goons every single time, only to be caught by the goons again. But it makes for an equally entertaining read once you consider the target audience it was intended for.
The Hardys' (mis)adventures and their escapades made reading this book an enjoyable affair. My only gripe was that the resolution seemed rushed and was crammed into the last chapter, but then again, it has been the same tradition with all the old Hardy Boys books I have read recently. Nonetheless, I had a great time reading this book and reliving childhood memories with my fictional chums.
“Have you found Vern’s nickel?” Aunt Gertrude asked.
“We haven’t had time to look yet,” Frank said. “Maybe we’ll get to it this afternoon.”
“All right. I’m glad that this time it’s just a simple mystery, and you’re not involved with criminals.”
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer:
This was my first time reading this book. I have, probably, read the first 63 Hardy Boys books multiple times, but the same can not be said for the subsequent books in the series. It isn't because I'm partial to the Originals, but more so because the latter books were hard to find growing up. However, with the advent of digital books in recent times, I'm eager to pursue my childhood ambition of reading all 190 Hardy Boys books at least once.
The Hardy Boys books are a nostalgic affair. Had it not been for these books, it would have been difficult for me to cultivate my interest in reading and to later expand my reading preferences to include the fantasy and sci-fi genres. So, yeah, that's the main reason why you would rarely find me giving a rating of fewer than 3.5 stars (out of 5) to these Hardy Boys books.
Review:
'The Vanishing Thieves' has all the classic flair of the typical Hardy Boys books. Although the mystery isn't as intriguing as some of the better books in the series, it is filled with tense action and excitement.
The Hardys find themselves embroiled in a chaotic case involving a stolen rare coin, a care smuggling gang, and a mad person claiming to be the Maharaja of Kashmir. The boys are aided in this case by Chet and his cousin Vern. I'm a bit partial to books containing Chet. He was one of my favorite Hardy pals growing up, and he tends to make the book funnier simply by his association.
As a grown-up adult, I cringed every time the Hardys and their friends did something reckless behavior – like staking the same place multiple times despite being caught by the goons every single time, only to be caught by the goons again. But it makes for an equally entertaining read once you consider the target audience it was intended for.
The Hardys' (mis)adventures and their escapades made reading this book an enjoyable affair. My only gripe was that the resolution seemed rushed and was crammed into the last chapter, but then again, it has been the same tradition with all the old Hardy Boys books I have read recently. Nonetheless, I had a great time reading this book and reliving childhood memories with my fictional chums.
May 6, 2023
Crafty Kraft dalam kisah ini adalah jaringan alap-alap mobil. Tapi kenapa saya malah jadi teringat dengan salah satu tokoh di film kartun, Mr C.
Kali ini Hardy bersaudara membantu sepupu Chet Morton yang kehilangan mobilnya. Tak hanya mobil, ia juga kehilangan berupa warisan koin kuno yang selama ini tersimpan dalam save boks milik sang paman. Dalam kisah ini, koin tertentu menjadi barang yang sangat luar biasa berharga.
Kali ini Hardy bersaudara membantu sepupu Chet Morton yang kehilangan mobilnya. Tak hanya mobil, ia juga kehilangan berupa warisan koin kuno yang selama ini tersimpan dalam save boks milik sang paman. Dalam kisah ini, koin tertentu menjadi barang yang sangat luar biasa berharga.
April 17, 2019
2 1/2 star. It reads quickly and is a typical Hardy Boys. It has some of the typical far-fetched threads that end up connected. It is pretty unbelievable that a man that tries to hijack the plane the Hardys are on just happens to go work for the car thieves they are after. I did like the almost death by shark and being saved by dolphins.
July 21, 2022
A wonderful read! Really enjoyed the storyline! Only thing I did not like was how it was so mysterious as must Hardy boys. Also wished the plot has been more involved with the missing coins. But overall a great story!
February 16, 2018
Another awful Steven Assel cover. The story itself is better than the previous one but not exactly memorable.
October 11, 2018
Another good book by Dixon.
March 31, 2024
A rather abrupt ending, but otherwise enjoyable.
February 15, 2023
The Hardy Boys who have always treated Chet nicely are super fatphobic and talk to and about him horribly. The two sentences is, "Quick, eat the rest of the pizza!" Frank Hardy urged. "Here comes Chet!" There were several instances of outright. Making fun of Chet Morton and he mainly thinks or talks about eating during the entire book. Frank, Joe, and Vern also make fun of Chet for being dumb when he's the one who has all of the good ideas and such in this book. Chet is the only one who figured out that the hijacker was still on the plane and Chet is the only one the boys trust as a getaway driver.
In this book we find out that the Hardy Boys households rarely has their alarm on.
Also when did the Hardy Boys get a Mom? I don't remember her at all, although I do remember Aunt Gertrude.
In this book we find out that the Hardy Boys households rarely has their alarm on.
Also when did the Hardy Boys get a Mom? I don't remember her at all, although I do remember Aunt Gertrude.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
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.
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.
September 9, 2013
This is the first Hardy Boys book I've read that wasn't part of the original series written in the 30s. I found it to be a bit lacking in comparison to those, but still a fairly fun read. I could have done without the illustrations, and it seemed like the whole thing ended pretty abruptly after a whole lot of buildup and then maybe a chapter or two of action. Overall, a decent read, but not all that memorable.
May 20, 2016
Hardy Boys - Mysteries, intelligence, solving the mysteries, and two cute boys - who can resist?
But after a while reading The Hardy Boys, the theme are all the same, so I could guess who's the bad guys in each books before the ending.
But after a while reading The Hardy Boys, the theme are all the same, so I could guess who's the bad guys in each books before the ending.
April 8, 2008
It was fun.
May 25, 2009
The Hardy Boys solve a mystery with their friend Chet
May 23, 2012
read when I was 10 through 13
September 30, 2012
I read this hardy boys adventure when I was about 11 years old and I really liked it. There is one particular villian who is a madman and he calls himself the maharaja of Kashmir.
June 6, 2014
It was a very good and best book. The hardy boys get entangaled in 2 mysteries at once.
July 5, 2020
Hobi sekali menjemput bahaya
August 31, 2015
Nice book and easy to read. I like these kind of books lot in kid. :)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews