Mr. Pizza's Hardy Boys Forum

Other Hardy Boys Series Discussion => Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers => Topic started by: Hardy Man on December 03, 2009, 08:36:38 PM

Title: Private Killer
Post by: Hardy Man on December 03, 2009, 08:36:38 PM
The name says it all, folks. Feel free to post any spoilers... or trash talk you have to include about the next UB time-shredder.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: tomswift2002 on December 04, 2009, 10:14:12 PM
Well, considering that the last book just came out in November we won't be seeing this one till the new year. 
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: Lola on January 08, 2010, 10:32:11 PM
Just finished reading this yesterday. It wasn't too bad. More about a secret, secret sociaty, The Brothers of Earubus. And it end with a cliffhanger.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: Hardy Man on January 09, 2010, 02:26:05 PM
Don't they all?
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: SDLagent on January 09, 2010, 06:39:01 PM
Quote from: Hardy Man on January 09, 2010, 02:26:05 PM
Don't they all?

Not really.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: 4567TME on January 17, 2010, 10:32:09 AM
The book gets a:
5.2
Moderate
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: SDLagent on January 19, 2010, 07:56:54 PM
I picked-up my copy of Private Killer, today.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: Hardy Man on February 04, 2010, 09:36:11 PM
I haven't really heard about this book yet. I'm hoping to read a recap or something so that I know whether or not I'll be wasting my time by reading it.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: 4567TME on February 18, 2010, 02:34:50 PM
Well, Hardy Man, the book definitely goes deeper into the characters, but not too much. 
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: tomswift2002 on March 10, 2010, 07:47:56 PM
I just received my copy of Killer Connection today, so I'll be reading all three soon, but I was looking at the spines and I noticed that on my copy of Private Killer the Aladdin "Lamp" is missing from the top of the spine.  Anyone else notice that?  It might be interesting to see if it reappears with subsequent printings, in which case it might be that this was an error (similar to how #33 The Yellow Feather Mystery RT's first printing was missing the White Text on the back of the book).
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: MacGyver on March 10, 2010, 11:15:02 PM
Now that you mention it, my copy is also missing its lamp. I'm thinking it's just a printing error- but if they do fix it in subsequent prints, it does make a neat little collectible of the first printing for OCD collector types. (I'm not quite to that level - yet.) ;D
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: tomswift2002 on March 13, 2010, 05:17:13 PM
I just read this book today and I found the story telling was still as strong as it had been in Killer Mission and I'm really enjoying having Frank and Joe tagged up with Killer the dog. 

But I've got to ask: did an editor actually bother to proof-read this book?  I found so many grammatical and spelling errors in the text, plus there was even one sentence that made no sense.

Quote from:  page 92 [iPrivate Killer[/i]]
For every point any other play on the team got, Lee seemed to get at least one.

And then on page 83 the vieqwpoint switches from Joe's point-of-view to Frank's, since Joe is commenting on how the school pathway's were lined with torches and then mentions how they remind him of the torch that he had seen in Spencer's bag...although it hadn't been Joe who had seen Spencer's bag in his room---it had been Frank when Frank broke into Spencer's room to check his room for clues and had to dive under the bed in order to avoid being spotted by Spencer, and Spencer dropped his bag. 
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: tomswift2002 on March 13, 2010, 05:18:18 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on March 13, 2010, 05:17:13 PM
I just read this book today and I found the story telling was still as strong as it had been in Killer Mission and I'm really enjoying having Frank and Joe tagged up with Killer the dog. 

But I've got to ask: did an editor actually bother to proof-read this book?  I found so many grammatical and spelling errors in the text, plus there was even one sentence that made no sense.

And then on page 83 the vieqwpoint switches from Joe's point-of-view to Frank's, since Joe is commenting on how the school pathway's were lined with torches and then mentions how they remind him of the torch that he had seen in Spencer's bag...although it hadn't been Joe who had seen Spencer's bag in his room---it had been Frank when Frank broke into Spencer's room to check his room for clues and had to dive under the bed in order to avoid being spotted by Spencer, and Spencer dropped his bag. 

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 (it would've been a 7.0, same as Killer Mission, but with the number of errors in the book...)
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: MacGyver on March 13, 2010, 07:50:37 PM
I can understand that 2nd. person point-of-view allows readers to more identify with the characters as they can really view it as their own experiences and all- but honestly I can't think of many other books written in that form that I really like. I just like the good ol' 3rd. person point of view. Then you don't have the issue of jumping back and forth from characters' points of view and getting lost in that. You can still do that in 3rd. person- you just do it by mentioning the characters' thoughts or you can write separate chapters of the same events (if of course, it really adds something.)  Oh well- that's just a stylistic thing that I'm not too fond of in the Undercover Brothers series. But I still love The Hardy Boys in any form.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: SDLagent on March 14, 2010, 01:30:08 AM
Pretty favorable reviews. I may have to read it.

Quote from: tomswift2002 on March 13, 2010, 05:17:13 PM
And then on page 83 the vieqwpoint switches from Joe's point-of-view to Frank's, since Joe is commenting on how the school pathway's were lined with torches and then mentions how they remind him of the torch that he had seen in Spencer's bag...although it hadn't been Joe who had seen Spencer's bag in his room---it had been Frank when Frank broke into Spencer's room to check his room for clues and had to dive under the bed in order to avoid being spotted by Spencer, and Spencer dropped his bag. 

This has happened at least two other times in the series. As if switching every chapter wasn't confusing enough.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: tomswift2002 on March 14, 2010, 03:34:36 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on March 14, 2010, 01:30:08 AM
Pretty favorable reviews. I may have to read it.

Well, be warned all three books still feature the gang of "one" formula.

Quote
This has happened at least two other times in the series. As if switching every chapter wasn't confusing enough.

Well in Private Killer there was one chapter (it was like Chapter 14 or 15, near the end) where they marked that Joe was taking over for a while, but this part that I mentioned occurred about half-way through the book.  And I know that it has happened in the past, but not to the extent of "Joe" suddenly remembering something that only "Frank" had seen.
Title: Re: Private Killer
Post by: hardycats on September 03, 2010, 02:56:35 AM
Another odd thing, is that on page 94, Destiny asks Frank, "wheres your cute brother?" when i thought she and mostly everyone else thought, that they were cousins