Hardy Boys Adventures #11 Showdown at Widow Creek and #12 Madman of Black Bear Mountain

In Hardy Boys Adventures #11, Showdown at Widow Creek, Frank and Joe get to go on a cattle drive.  During the cattle drive, it becomes apparent that someone is trying to cause injury to the ranch hands.  Too late, Frank and Joe realize that the true purpose of the sabotage is to delay the cattle drive.

On page 17, Frank and Joe learn that they cannot use their cell phones on the cattle drive.  I love it when modern books take away the cell phones.

This is a very good book.

In Hardy Boys Adventures #12, The Madman of Black Bear Mountain, Frank, Joe, one of their teachers, and several students travel to Black Bear Mountain to work with a scientist who lives on the mountain.

Soon after their arrival, the scientist tells them to leave and warns them about the insane hermit who lives on the mountain.  This sets off a chain of events that places everyone in grave danger.

The culprit and the mystery are too obvious.

The hermit is a man from Russia who has lived in the woods for 30 years.  He has been in contact with one other person, the scientist. I find it strange when the hermit calls someone a "party-pooper lady" on page 95.  I very much doubt that a Russian living outside modern society in the woods and in communication exclusively with a scientist would use that expression.

This book could have been an excellent book if the mystery and solution had not been so obvious.  The book is overall good, but it could have been much better.