#122 Carnival of Crime (28th Anniversary Review)

[tomswift2002]

Published: October 1993
Publisher: Minstrel Books (1993-2000)
Author: Unknown as of September 2022

Plot: Frank and Joe take the ride of their lives -- and find terror at every turn!

There's a thrill a minute and a chill a minute as the Hardys hunt a fearsome fairground felon!

Come one! Come all! The carnival's in town. But, Bayport, beware -- a saboteur is on the loose, determined to crash the party and bring the big show to a crashing halt. Frank and Joe have taken the case, and they're fast running out of time. The crowds may have paid the price of admission, but for the Hardys the danger comes free of charge.

A fun house transformed into a house of horrors ... a tunnel of love turned into a tunnel of fire ... a Ferris wheel spinning out of control. The carnival is a catastrophe waiting to happen, and the boys know it's a rigged game. But no matter the risks, they won't stop until they've unmasked the elusive monster of the midway!

Review:  The last time I read this book was way back in April/May 1997.  I had been given it as a birthday gift back in 97, and I remember that on my birthday I was reading Gene Roddenberry's novelization of Star Trek The Motion Picture and then I started Carnival of Crime right after.  Also at the same time, I was writing a book report for school for the Casefiles #65 Operation: Phoenix #2: No Mercy and #66 Operation: Phoenix #3: The Phoenix Equation (I wasn't able to get my hands on a copy of Operation: Phoenix #1: Endangered Species so I relied on my memory from having just read it in the 1995-97 period a few times and the recaps in the other Phoenix books) and I remember, in a daily journal that we were suppose to keep as an assignment the teacher asking if Carnival of Crime was a part of that book review. 

As far as the story goes, while I've looked at the cover numerous times over the past 25 years, since it's a good action cover, with Joe trying to stop the bumper car with his leg, the story has just not stuck and aside from the cover write-up, I've got no clue as to what happens, although I remember in 97 finding it just okay. (As compared to the Operation: Phoenix storyline.)  And I see on the back this book has a Reading level of 6.3 meaning someone with Grade 6 reading level can read and understand the book, and I was in Grade 7 when I first read it, so I was at the age that the book was aimed at when I first read it. 

[MacGyver]

Good memory there! Carnival of Crime was one of the Hardy Boys Digests I picked up years after it had been written. I can't say I recall anything about it either but I agree that the cover is nice.

[tomswift2002]

I've been reading Carnival of Crime and, unfortunately it is rather boring.  So it's been tough reading through it. 

[tomswift2002]

Just read the end of Chapter 9, which is where the front cover scene comes from.  Daniel Horne, the front cover illustrator must've been working from an early draft of the book, as the bumper car is suppose to be blue, and the guy driving it is wearing a red ball cap rather than the bluish-purple one, the guy was suppose to have a bushy moustache.  Also Frank's not getting out of his car.

[tomswift2002]

Clearly the author barely had an understanding of the characters.  At one point the author has Chet calling the Hardy's "bums" when he was angry, which I found completely out of character for Chet.  Although at one point the author seems to subtly reference Chet's clown training from Three-Ring Terror.

But it's also surprising that more of the Hardy's friends don't show up.  I mean, at one point they talk about needing more help, but only call in Chet!  Why didn't they call in Callie and Iola as well, since I'm sure the girls would've enjoyed a day at the fair.

[tomswift2002]

I finished the book.  Yeah it was rather dull and I really didn't enjoy it.  The bad guy was really predictable, and the plot really felt half-baked.

Now then early on there was mention of The Mystery In The Old Mine having taken place only shortly before Carnival of Crime and I have to wonder if both books were written by the same author. 

Rating: 2.5/10