Hardy Boys #170 Kickoff to Danger, #171 Test Case, and #172 Trouble in Warp Space

In Hardy Boys #170, Kickoff to Danger, Bayport High's star football player, Terry Golden, is a bully but nobody calls him out on it.  Golden is too valuable to the team, and he has a staunch group of supporters.  When Biff is severely injured, Frank and Joe try to find the culprit, but no one will talk.

The plot deals with a bully on the football team whose behavior is either excused or ignored by the coach, teachers, and administrators.  Sadly, this type of situation plays out in real life all too often.

This book is interesting from the beginning, although it is a bit strange.  The bullying is the sole plot until page 59.  And even then, the reader can be almost certain who is the probable culprit, although it turns out that someone else unexpected is involved as well. 

Even though atypical for a Hardy Boys book, this is an excellent story.

In Hardy Boys #171, The Test Case, a sealed standardized test is found in Tony's backpack.  Joe is present when Tony pulls the test out of his backpack, and both Joe and Tony are suspended.  Frank and Joe must prove that Joe and Tony did not steal the test.  Frank investigates at school while Joe investigates around Bayport during his suspension.

I like it when books have repeat characters.  The assistant principal, Old Beady Eyes, and student Liz Webling are repeat characters from recent books. 

This is an excellent book.

In Hardy Boys #172, Trouble in Warp Space, Iola has won a contest in which she gets to appear on a science fiction television show.  Frank, Joe, and Chet accompany Iola to the set, where they learn that someone is sabotaging the show.  Frank and Joe try to find the saboteur.

This is another boring sabotage book.  It fits the "sabotage on a movie set" premise, although the setting has been changed to a television show. 

On page 23 Frank says that "sometimes I feel like we've been chasing criminals for seventy-five years or so."  They have indeed, since this book was published in 2002. 

This book is boring.  I skimmed it.