Hardy Boys #30 Wailing Siren and #31 Wildcat Swamp

In the original text of Hardy Boys #30, The Wailing Siren Mystery, the Hardy boys are stranded out on the water in their boat when they hear a wailing siren and a wallet loaded with money falls out of the sky.  These events plunge the boys into their latest mystery as they search for their missing pilot friend, Jack Wayne.

The wailing siren part is stupid.  The criminals could have just communicated via radio, perhaps using a code, instead of using a siren to announce the helicopter's arrival.  Why use a siren to announce to the entire surrounding area that something is happening?

As I recall, book title ideas were created first, then stories were written to match the title.  This book is a glaring example of that practice since the "wailing siren" part of the plot is so stupid.  Hey, they had to come up with something.

I greatly enjoyed this book and read it very quickly.

In the original text of Hardy Boys #31, The Secret of Wildcat Swamp, Bayport High School teacher Cap Bailey invites the boys to travel west with him on an archaeological dig.  Fenton Hardy approves of the trip, since he believes that the boys may find a clue that will help locate some escaped criminals.

The very beginning of the story is quite interesting, but then the book diverts to a trip to the prison where information is revealed about several criminals who mean absolutely nothing to the reader.  In short, the prison scene is boring.

The book redeems itself once the boys depart on their trip.  However, I was puzzled about the boys' attempt to make their true destination a secret.  Their true destination had already been published in a newspaper article, but the boys act like they are going somewhere else.  A fake destination was not going to fool the criminals.

I overall enjoyed this book, but I found several parts either boring or tiresome.