Frank stumbles upon some documents in a hidden compartment in the wall of a tunnel under the museum. The boys learn that the Facchini brothers didn't own the speakeasy, and someone wants this information kept secret. The boys and the museum are threatened, and the boys search for answers.
I read Nancy Drew Diaries #24 Captain Stone's Revenge back in January. I decided to wait until after I had read the latest Hardy Boys Adventures book before publishing that review. I wanted to see how the new titles compare.
After not enjoying Captain Stone's Revenge, I wondered if I was the problem. A few other fans said that the book was good. Was I the problem? Have I been expecting too much of S&S? It must be hard thinking up plot ideas that are not sabotage.
I had forgotten about the new Hardy Boys book until this week, due to distractions mentioned in my recent posts. On Monday evening, I realized that I hadn't read the new book, so I purchased it.
If I was the problem, then I definitely would not enjoy this book since I had a bad attitude from the onset. I began reading, certain that I was going to be bored out of my mind.
I found that the book was pleasant reading and better than the extreme boredom that I felt during every page of Captain Stone's Revenge. Even though I liked the beginning of the book, I felt certain that it would go downhill. The book continued to hold my interest, and I found that I cared about the plot. Huh. Perhaps I'm not the problem.
This is an excellent book, and I loved it! This is what I want when I read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. My goodness, why can't more of the books be like this? S&S has an entire year to create each new book. It shouldn't be this hard to get a good one.
Is the story completely original? Of course not. It's standard Hardy Boys fare, but that is exactly what we want. Best of all, this book is not sabotage. The story never mentions sabotage. Splendid!
I like how the story blends fact and fiction. Some historical figures are mentioned during the boys' research, but their stories are blended with fictional content. This is a large part of why the story is so engaging; it feels real. I was intrigued by the story of the speakeasy and the different people who might have been involved in running it.
The humor is great in the better Hardy Boys Adventure books. Early in this book, Joe goes to the vending machine and gets a lot of stuff. It is referred to as the "leaning tower of snackage." I love that statement. The Nancy Drew books can't manage anything like that. The humor in them tends to be poking fun at Nancy or having her go to the restroom.
This story contains multiple warning notes, including one affixed to a brick that was thrown through a window. This is an example of standard Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys fare. We need more warning notes and bricks. We demand them!
The first-person narrative is a downside to these books. I've been okay with it, but after I finished Captain Stone's Revenge, I decided that I don't like the first-person narration. It weakens Nancy Drew's character. With the Hardy Boys, it doesn't weaken them, since we see one of the two names constantly no matter which brother is narrating.
The first-person narrative is still problematic in the Hardy Boys series because the books have two narrators who constantly switch. I continually forget which brother is narrating, so it is confusing. The Hardy Boys series needs third-person narration.
Now I will mention a few quibbles I have with the book. The curator's office is said to have fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lights have nearly as much radiation as direct sunlight, so this is a terrible choice for a museum and would be illogical.
On page 61, Charlene says that she's going to ask the librarian for "microfiche of newspapers from the twenties about the raid." For older readers, we know that the writer is referring to the 1920s as the twenties. That's what the twenties has always meant.
Let's not forget that we are in the twenties, approaching halfway through in fact. Young readers, who are the target audience, could very well be confused by the reference.
I dislike the tendency of these books to bring in references to politics. A political candidate's message includes the phrase "pulled themselves up by the bootstraps." That phrase is used often in modern politics, sometimes as a statement by candidates and sometimes while poking fun at the opposing party. My problem is that this pulls me out of the story. I don't want that.
This is the best entry in the Hardy Boys Adventure series since #16 Stolen Identity. Try this book if you want to sample a modern Hardy Boys book.
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