#23 Disaster For Hire (30th Anniversary Review)

[tomswift2002]

Disaster For Hire
Written by: Ron Goulart
Other Hardy Boys stories by author: Casefiles #30 "The Deadliest Dare" & #44 "Castle Fear"
Published: January 1989

Plot: Fenton Hardy is missing and is accused of murder!  Frank and Joe race to Seattle to clear their father's name and to find out just where is Fenton Hardy!

Review:  I remember reading this book for the first time back around 1995-96 and I think I e read it since, but aside from a foggy recollection of Fenton's arrest, I don't really recall the book. 

"Disaster For Hire" seems to take place only a few weeks after "Double Exposure" as "Double Exposure" was taking place at the end of August, beginning of September, while "Disaster For Hire" takes place in late-September (although I kind of question the September part, as apparently all the bad guys are running around wearing parkas and winter coats.  I think Seattle's at about the same latitude as Ottawa, and in late September in the Ottawa area you only really need a windbreaker/light coat, not a winter parka!

[MacGyver]

I read this book years ago and remember very little except that I think this is one that has one of my favourite Joe Hardy one-liners!

[tomswift2002]

Which one-liner was that?

Anyway, I'm finding that this book is similar to Breadown in Axeblade.

[MacGyver]

After flipping through the book again, I can't find it. I guess I was thinking of another book. One of them though has a scene where Frank and Joe are visiting some place that gives them a cold welcome. Ironically, there's a welcome mat at the place that says "Courtesy is contagious". Joe quips something like, "Looks like they stamped that out around here."

[tomswift2002]

After flipping through the book again, I can't find it. I guess I was thinking of another book. One of them though has a scene where Frank and Joe are visiting some place that gives them a cold welcome. Ironically, there's a welcome mat at the place that says "Courtesy is contagious". Joe quips something like, "Looks like they stamped that out around here."

I don't remember anything like that.  So maybe it was another book.

But the similarities between "Disaster For Hire" And "Breakdown In Axeblade" are:

-the Hardy's visit a small town and discover trouble
-the local sheriff is on the crook's payroll (although in DFH, the sheriff is not arrested)
-the Hardy's discover an environmental problem (in Axeblade in BIA it is illegal toxic waste dumping while in Crosscut in DFH it is a bio-engineered virus that is killing trees and has mutated into an airborne flu-like virus)

[Raven]

After flipping through the book again, I can't find it. I guess I was thinking of another book. One of them though has a scene where Frank and Joe are visiting some place that gives them a cold welcome. Ironically, there's a welcome mat at the place that says "Courtesy is contagious". Joe quips something like, "Looks like they stamped that out around here."

That's from Danger Zone. I was re-reading it a few days ago.

[MacGyver]

Okay, thanks.