The Secret of the Old Mill

The Hardy Boys #3

by Franklin W. Dixon

The Hardy boys are determined to learn the secret of an old mill and employ a clever ruse to gain entrance. But soon they are trapped.

In this adventure, there is danger on two levels for Frank and Joe. First, they confront a nasty gang who will stop at nothing to halt their investigations and second, their father Denton Hardy is on a confidential mission that may deal with sabotage.

Will the Hardys unravel the mysteries?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Classics, Adventure, Middle Grade

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1927

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

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret of the Od Mill is a pivotal Hardy Boys mystery where we are re-introduced to their friend (and my son's favourite of the friends of the Hardys) Tony Prito and his boat the Napoli - but more importantly, it is the episode when they receive the infamous Sleuth as a gift from their father Fenton. This boat plays a large part in this story (and in many, many more!) of how the boys break up a counterfeit ring. With a mix of brio and brilliance, the boys take us breathlessly from clue to clue as they unmask the gang. A great Hardy Boys book!

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the third of the blue hardback Hardy Boys novels, Dixon ups the stakes with several attempts on the brothers’ lives. In the last book, they were captured and threatened, but in this one, they are knocked unconscious and stuck in their boat in circumstances that were intended to lead to an accident where they would have presumably died. Similarly, their boat is later sabotaged so that a potentially lethal accident would result. This is a serious upping of the tension from anything we saw in the first two novels. It was somewhat troubling that their father accepted these attacks as something detectives needed to expect to happen once in a while.

The basic plot revolves around two mysteries. The first, affecting the boys, is a counterfeiting ring which appears to be operating in the Bayport area and which tricks two of their friends into accepting bogus money. The second mystery is a secretive case their father is working on. When the threats begin to come in, it isn’t immediately clear which mystery is inspiring the criminals to warn them off.

This is a fast-moving book, but it didn’t grab my attention to the same extent that the previous one did. I felt like at times Frank and Joe were just a little too dense in not picking up on obvious clues that they stumbled upon. They were especially slow to become suspicious of a security guard who lies to them. But overall, it was a pretty standard feeling Hardy Boy adventure.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a reason for this series' continued appeal: It's timeless fun.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. This one moved. Fast action and well written. The pace is relentless. Yes, it's for young adults, mostly teenage boys I'm sure, and yes, it came out in 1927 with significant revisions in 1955, but I enjoyed the adventure. Fenton Hardy, the father of 18 year-old Frank and 17 year-old Joe is a private detective. His sons adore him and do their best to emulate his sleuthing. Dad isn't on the scene as much this time as compared to the first two entries. He is off consulting with the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service on a case which has national security implications. One question quickly comes to mind, "Will the crimes the boys encounter turn out to be related to ones their father is investigating?" Take a wild guess! It all starts when Chet Morton, Frank and Joe's friend with the old yellow jalopy, it would now be 100 years old and very valuable, gets conned and left holding a counterfeit $20 bill. The boys are told by Police Chief Collig that local businesses have been having the same problem. Then an old green van gets tied into the counterfeiting, and unsigned warnings start arriving including an arrow narrowly missing one of their girlfriends. A quick read. I liked it. (April 2023)

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[St[♥]r Pr!nc:$$ N[♥]wsheen pictures, pictures, pictures ||| ♥ Zin Uru ♥ |||| · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say I had a very different childhood from everyone else in the neighbourhood or even in the crappy school i went to. Cos, while all the other girls played with dolls and dreamed of an early marriage, I used to spend endless hours reading Hardy Boys mysteries. My dad was the one (as usual) who introduced me to these two fearless American brothers when I was 7 or 8. The Clue of the Screeching Owl (Hardy Boys who else) was the first real book that was presented to me at a special family event by my Dad. My older cousin who in those days was quite into taming me to be a perfect obedient wife, was a bit jealous when he took the book my dad had gifted on my special day, but smiled well with what he had wrote. (He's happily married now).

I have chosen this book for my review cos I always liked its cover the best. The Hardy boys books were available at my local book store only, which was right round the corner. And the pictures were always different, I have a hard cover of this book and it looks exactly the same. So, my most memorable summers were when I would force all the males in the house (just my dad and my brother) to beg borrow and get every copy they could ever find from neighbours, even private collections from other lanes we used to visit in the old city. It was a crazy innocent time, I didn't know anything about where I lived or even who I lived with in the outside world. Just our playfriends and cousins and dreams and American books and movies.

The secret of the old mill , is about Frank, Joe and all their girlfriends (just two) and their old friend Chet and his old car and how they sneak into an old mill and solve an exciting mystery. Their father is a famous detective and their mom is a perfect housewife, their Aunt Gertrude always comes over for a stay and bakes cakes and cookies for the boys and always fears they will die or something. Frank's girlfriend is Callie and Joe's girlfriend is Iola, we never get to know the girls and that is the best part, lol, but they are always around to help out the brave brothers. If you follow the series, we get introduced to several of their other friends, including Biff whose dad is a realtor, and they live in this small town called Bayport and even have their own boat. Oh man what I would do to go back to those old days. It got so bad, the bookstore guy used to smile everytime my dad went over and said, 'we didn't get the new book yet'. One of my girl cousins was so well girly but she liked my Hardy Boys book (the one i lent her) better than her nancy Drew one and our affection knew no bounds.

Someone in school offered me their Nancy Drew, I did read some of those books, but somehow my heart will always be with the Hardys. I even told everyone how I had special feelings for Frank Hardy and just why, Franklin Dixon doesn't describe a lot, it's just like a small book but his stories painted images I will always remember as my very own special memories.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

COUNTDOWN: Mid-20th Century North American Crime
BOOK 207 (of 250)
Hook=3 stars: The Hardy Boys question the mystery their father might be addressing as they look for their dad's return via a train. But Dad isn't on the train.
Pace=2: Each chapter title offers an adventure: Chapter 1, an Escape; Chapter 2, the Trailing of a Detective; C3, a Return; continuing to a final Solid Evidence chapter to explain it all. And at the end of each chapter, a cliff-hanger. But this is the standard formula and it wears thin here.
Plot=3: This, like a recent Nancy/Keene novel, has adult-like themes. First, there is counterfeit money floating into the Hardy's city and the Boys focus on that issue. But Mr. Hardy has his hands full also as he investigates the destruction of armament plants. Both themes converge, as does Mr. Hardy and his sons, on the truth.
People=2: Over the course of the entire series, readers might learn much about the Boys, Mr. Hardy, the girlfriends, the city inhabitants. But as a stand alone novel, there isn't much character development.
Place=2: There is an old mill, but that's bout all there is as far as the description of the mill: it is old. And the action could happen in Any Place, USA. (A place that has a mill, true, but that's about it.)
Summary: 2.4. Our Boys have to outplay and outlast a hand-full of villains amid 2 good plots. I read many of these as a young reader and I don't remember, first, that the Hardy Boys start the series in their late teens and, second, that these novels are fine as an escape for adults.

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hardy Boys may have been the first reading experience where a fellow school friend turned me on to it. So, this was last year. Kidding!

But really, I remember going to my friend's house who was a couple of doors away from me, and he had the whole collection of Hardy Boys. Most of it were old, and I gather he got them used or his parents just hand them their copies which they saved for some reason.

Nevertheless as a small teenie bopper, I went to many used bookstores and picked up the Hardy Boys books as well as Tom Swift Jr. Both titles had a strong effect on my reading tastes - even today.

So yes, Frank and Joe Hardy and their detective Dad solved mysteries that took place in their neighborhood - or not far from their high school. And like Fantomas, it was remarkable that so much evil can be done right in the bright sunlight or next door to your house! I bet David Lynch is a fan of the Hardy Boys. There is a bit of Hardy Boys in Blue Velvet - and for sure in the new Thomas Pynchon novel as well. Right Chums!?

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I once read an article about how the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series were written. Unsurprisingly, given the sheer number of books in each series, they weren't all written by one person -- "Carolyn Keene" and "Franklin W. Dixon" were pseudonyms for a variety of authors. They'd start off with an outline that was given to them and then fill in the rest of the story themselves. Well, whoever wrote this one didn't take any pains to stick to the two books in the series that preceded it. He completely changed Chet's character from a Nervous Nellie to a big prankster. What's worse, the writing style in thie one is horrible -- far too flowery, wordy, dwelling on every minute detail, dragging the action out in a way that's yawn-inducing rather than suspenseful. What a mess. But again, I must say: My son liked it!!

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fenton Hardy is hard at work on a top secret case. When Frank and Joe go to pick him up from the train station, their friend Chet is passed a counterfeit bill. Can the brothers find the counterfeiters? What is their father working on? And what is happening at the old mill outside of town?

While the big picture of the plot may be obvious to adults early on, I remember enjoying this one as a kid, and I got caught up in the action again. It does help that the details still need to be filled in and there is plenty of action along the way to the climax. The characters are shallow, but I didn’t mind as a kid, and I’m sure today’s kids won’t mind either.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hardy Boys try and figure out a mystery that they cannot gain access to. Not as good as Nancy Drew, but still a good read.

[Gary Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

They aren't great literature, but they call to the young boy's soul in me, and I love them anyway.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Secret of the Old Mill" is the 3rd book in the original Hardy Boys series. I loved the reboot books growing up so I've been returning to the original series occasionally for a nostalgia boost. I enjoyed this one less than the first two. Don't get me wrong, it still had lots to like:
- fat shaming!
- caves!
- arrows!
- fast cars, boats, bikes, motorcycles!
- climbing, climbing, climbing!
- bad guys who are really bad at their jobs!

But it just lacked the pizazz of the first two. I'll definitely keep coming back though. I love these books.

[Harold Cheetham · Rating 5 out of 5]

like all the Hardy Boys books another great adventure!

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boy, are these books poorly written.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing My Past Reads:

Hardy Boys (Read between 1990 and 1996 in M.P. Birla School library and punctiliously collected and read thereafter.)

This book marked the point where my Hardy Boys reading became less a casual library habit and more a small personal industry.

By then, I was already scanning the M.P. Birla School library shelves with the efficiency of a seasoned collector, mentally cross-checking my to-be-read list against the worn spines in the Dixon section.

This third outing finds Frank and Joe Hardy entangled in a counterfeit money racket, the trail leading them to the titular abandoned mill — a textbook piece of Hardy Boys set design. Mills, like cliffs and towers, were part of the series’ enduring architecture: structures with shadowy interiors and the promise of concealed mechanisms.

Here again, the formula clicks into place — clues pursued with moral clarity, villains revealed without messy ambiguity, and danger met with unflappable composure.

As a child, I was hooked less by the procedural logic than by the tactile thrill of the setting: the creak of the mill’s timbers, the imagined damp smell of the machinery, and the dim corners where smugglers and counterfeiters might lurk. Each scene was a compact invitation to step outside the ordinary geography of school and home.

Now, I read it as a tightly wound artefact of its publishing system — brisk, bloodless, and engineered for return visits.

Yet the nostalgia remains intact.

The Secret of the Old Mill was another brick in the long wall of Hardy Boys adventures, each book promising — and delivering — that same clean hit of juvenile escapism.

[morgan ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to find a man that loves me just as much as Chet loves his microscope.

Also shout out to Andy Gomez who's copy I bought from a second hand shop.

[Shaleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting & not too tedious. I like this one certainly.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally have a complete set of vintage Hardy Boys books, of various editions. I am celebrating by reading them in order. The first two I read were from 1927, but with this one I jump to the 1962 version. What a difference! Now the police officers with whom they interact are "old friends" rather than bungling opponents. Oscar Smuff, originally a police deputy, is still bungling but as a private detective wannabe. In this edition, there are no cooks and servants, but there is Aunt Gertrude, the character who taught me what "arms akimbo" meant.

I really didn't like how much Chet is made fun of. The Hardy Boys tease him almost incessantly in the first two chapters about his appetite and his new hobby; even aunt Gertrude makes fun of him later with regard to his getting a summer job. Do we see less of Tony Prito and more of "chubby Chet" just to make the Hardy Boys look more awesome? Lame.

Notably, the entire sequence of events is spilled by the crooks at the end of the book, while they are holding the Hardy Boys captive. Even as fellow conspirators join them, the boys just keep questioning them and getting full details of their scheme; and THEN the conspirators argue about what to do with them.

[نورا نورالدين · Rating 3 out of 5]

أحداثها قديمة ومكررة.. ومع هذا سريعة ولطيفة جدا للمراهقين

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m collecting both ‘Stratemeyer Syndicate’ series. By coincidence of reaching “Hardy Boys” #3 back-to-back with “Nancy Drew” #6: “The Secret Of Red Gate Farm”; I stumbled upon duplicated subject matter. It stands out because both volumes deal with counterfeiting and laundering currency and it strikes me as a crude subject for the youths targeted by these series. I’m an adult who didn’t mind this theme. Perhaps the all-age success may attribute partly to presenting topics worth warning audiences about and because each book’s adventures are rather bold.

By now, we know the Hardy family and circle of friends very well. I sink better into novels past introductory stages. I’d like to see Laura Hardy more but at last, we have the pleasure of her name. I don’t find ‘Aunt Gertrude’ a necessary character but Fenton having a sister adds a dimension of reality. We acquaint Chet Morten’s parents better. My complaint is if the lad lost out on $20.00 as a result of counterfeiting; most parents would replace the sum rather than lend it with expectation of repayment. It’s much harder for him to earn it than his real estate Father. These novels already emphasize honest values and a sense of loyalty. That ensures their appeal too. At a moment’s notice any friend will help each other for any reason; heedlessly inserting themselves in dangerous situations. In fact I find their parents lackadaisical about that.

Fenton is on a confidential case, as his sons investigate Chet’s forged money. Frequent encounters with a suspicious boy are coincidental but this story is mostly driven by dogged sleuthing. Keen observation must be credited for maximizing moments of happenstance. Most would be oblivious to the significance the Hardys glean. Additionally caves, cats, and secret rooms are forever guaranteed as sources of delight for me!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

More from my series of "books from my dad's basement." We have so many Hardy Boys books in Dad's basement. Some are the very old 1920s versions, and some are the 1950s "updated" versions. I read a ton of them when I was a kid. I also remember reading some of the Hardy Boys Casefiles books in the 80s, though we don't have any of those in the basement.
I wanted to do an experiment by reading one of the earliest versions to my son as a bedtime story book, to see if it was just hopelessly outdated or what. Somewhat surprisingly, this one turned out OK. It's funny, there are definitely old fashioned elements - a counterfeit five dollar bill is treated like a fifty, basically, and obviously everyone travels mostly by train. The Hardys are given their own boat, and they have motorcycles too, so they have a somewhat surprising amount of freedom to tool around Bayport and get into trouble. My son and I laughed a lot at the unrelenting use of the word "chums." The cover story for the counterfeiters - patent breakfast cereal? - is a bit weird.
But honestly, the fundamentals of the book are pretty timeless. Frank and Joe go to high school. They hang out with their friends, go fishing, study for tests. People take the train to and from "the city" (Boston? New York?). All of that is basically still relevant now. Also of note - much better writing than the Tom Swift book we read last time. The plot here is extremely predictable, but the actual writing is not bad.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Hardy Boys series of detective stories for children. I used to love these when I was a kid, so when I found this title at the local library while I was looking for something else, I thought I’d pop back to my childhood to meet Frank and Joe Hardy and all the gang again. This story was originally published in 1927, with various revisions up until the most recent in 1990. That’s already more than 30 years ago, and it’s dated badly, with old technology and strangely antiquated language in both descriptions and dialogue, but that makes it all the more endearing. The text is very short (174 pages in a large font), with a limited vocabulary written in a simplistic style to make it easy to read, but the action sequences are well-rendered, and the characters’ logical reasoning is surprisingly sophisticated considering the young readership that it’s aimed at. And unlike modern children’s books, which seem to be full of identity politics, it teaches basic values – good manners, personal responsibility, friendship and family – all those “old-fashioned” principles that are actually universal and make life better, wrapped up into a rollicking good adventure story in which the reader can have a bit of fun, stretch the imagination, and build their reading skills. There’s no reason why today’s kids couldn’t read it, too.

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

titular-ish sentence:
p21: "I suggested to them that the old mill would make an attractive gatehouse for the plant's rear entrance...."

ocr errors:
p10: "I'm going to the Scientific Specialties Store and buy a twin-lensed, high powered micrascope- and an illuminator to go with it."

p30:"Aunty, this is a terrific cluel I think we have four detectives in the family!"

p87: "Before yesterday's explosion, when we saw the gate guard admit the green truck, the driver didn't stop--didn't: show any identification at all!"

p102: Docker and Markel, with drawn revolvers, had stepped into the cave,

A counterfeiting case! Not too elaborate, but definitely superb skill at engraving to pull it off like that.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wildly predictable, but still lots of fun due to the great narration, over the top sound effects, and good wholesome adventure. The Hardy boys and their good friend Chet get caught up in a counterfeiting case after getting a phony twenty dollar bill. Their sleuthing (as always) puts them in some tight scrapes and they get into some nasty boat trouble (the teen aged detectives have motorcycles and a boat of their own... color me jealous), but as is the case, they make it out just find and discover that their is more than counterfeiting going on. Cheesy, yet fun.

[Villette · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Hardy Boys mystery that I've read since I was about 10 years old and so there was a fair amount of nostalgia here, reading it to my newborn daughter. Things I enjoyed: The language was straightforward for a young reader, though I like how occasionally there was a complex word or idea thrown in. I wonder as a young reader how I grappled with those words, whether I plowed through it or asked one of my parents for clarification.

The plot, though, seemed to plod and could have used some editing.

[Phil Voelker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the 1927 version of this third in the Hardy Boys series. I loved the series as a boy. I dreamed of being a Hardy Brother and investigate mysteries. The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries was a weekly family watch when I was a teen.

A book that’s nearly 100 years old held up well. Chet’s crazy antics are still funny and the only questionable issue was the stereotype of the brother’s Italian friend. I’d recommend this to any teen mystery fan that wants to step back in time.

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting Hardy Boys Mystery involving counterfeit $20 bills and saboteurs in an electronics plant. Definitely one of the good ones, though I'm amazed at how the bad guys always stood around and confessed to, or explained, everything they'd done. Those were the days.

[Molly Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio. I love a good hardy boys!

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re Reading the classics