#101 The Money Hunt (31st Anniversary Review)

[tomswift2002]

Published: April 1990
Publisher: Minstrel Books (1990-1996?) no digital edition
Author: Unknown as of May 2021

Plot: A Haunted Hunting Lodge Hides A Heart-Stopping Secret...

WHEN GHOSTS WALK...

Frank and Joe fly to Maine to help their father's friend, Steve Johnson.  Steve's lonely hunting lodge has been plagued by a series of strange accidents---and a ghost has been seen prowling the grounds.  As soon as the brothers arrive they are targets of a mysterious knife thrower.  They also find the lodge is full of likely suspects, from an expert skeet shooter to a reporter on the trail of a sensational story.

But the brother team uncovers a disturbing reason for the unusual happenings---a fortune in stolen money.  The loot from a big bank robbery pulled years ago is rumored to be hidden in the area.  Meanwhile, the Hardy Boys must fight off ghouls, bears and gangsters as they join in THE MONEY HUNT.

Review:  I first read this book in the fall of 1996.  I borrowed it from the local library.  Unfortunately, the library soon got rid of the book after I had read it, and up until just a few weeks ago, I hadn't read the book since then.  So reading this book this time felt like reading it the first time 25 years ago.  I really didn't remember much about the book, except for the cover, which I had seen online numerous times during the last 25 years. 

I will say that the cover is a really strong cover with Frank being menaced in the woods by a brown bear. 

As for the story, I was reminded of the later Hardy Boys Mystery Stories Ghost Of A Chance, in terms of the Hardy's looking for a "ghost" and money that's been missing for years.  Plus, Fenton's injury was a throwback to Hunting For Hidden Gold, where Fenton gets injured before the book, and needs his sons to take up the investigation (although in The Money Hunt, the Fenton gets the call from his friend about the case just as the book opens and he's at home, whereas in Hunting For Hidden Gold Fenton is out west, and calls in his sons to help finish the case).

Overall, I must say that this is one book that doesn't seem to stay in my memory for long, and it's rather forgettable otherwise. 

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

[MacGyver]

I like the idea of The Hardy Boys trying to find long lost stolen money while dealing with a ghost. It seems rather like a Scooby-Doo episode, of which I am a big fan. It's been a long time since I read this one but I enjoyed it well enough.