The Bicycle Thief

The Hardy Boys: Secret Files #6

by Franklin W. Dixon, Scott Burroughs (Illustrator)

It's time for the annual Junior Bike Race in Bayport, and Frank and Joe are the top contenders. Midway through the race, Frank runs over a nail and blows a tire. It seems as if the day couldn't get worse--until Frank's bicycle goes missing!

Bayport's leading bully, Adam Ackerman, seems to be the prime suspect. But when he proves that he wasn't the bicycle thief, everyone turns out to be a potential culprit--even Mr. Mack's dog, Lucy! Can Frank and Joe crack the case and bring Frank's bicycle home?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Detective

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2011

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

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sort of annoyed at this particular case, because it's thoroughly for comedic value, as Frank's bike is stolen... then stolen again... then stolen again... ...it basically feels like a running gag by the end of the book with almost nothing else to go on. There's no clever mystery to solve so much as following a trail to its end, and having the final explanation presented after everything's said and done.

The bonus comic is also sort of iffy. Pulling a Tom Sawyer and having other kids hunt for money while they clean the house? Wouldn't happen! They would absolutely trash things while searching! (I don't care if they ONLY got the Good Samaritan friends from the main mystery, nobody's cleaning as they "play.")

Okay read, but I personally prefer other mysteries.

[Readergirl77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up

[CA Darshana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has all mysteries in it.

[Daksh Faria · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S A GOOD STORY

[Bradman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was really exiting at the end when there was a ''parade". I also liked this book because I like racing.