The Disappearing Floor (1940)

[tomswift2002]

The Disappearing Floor
Copyright 1940 Grosset & Dunlap
Written by: Dr. John Button

Plot:  The Hardy Boys are tracking down a bank robbery gang while going through a house with moving rooms.

Review:  This is the first time that I've read the book, and I must say that it is a pretty terrible written book-but a book that managed to grab my attention.  Even though it was very badly written and plotted, I still found that there was enough of a thread that managed to pull me through the entire book---even though I don't know what that thread was. 

I must say that after reading The Disappearing Floor (1940) I am pretty convinced that The Secret Warning was written not only by John Button, but definitely by someone else, since, just as an example, I never once came across a passage written in the same style as the description for Captain Hornblower and his tale that was written on pages 105-106 of The Secret Warning (1938), and I've never come across a similar passage in any of the other accredited John Button Hardy Boys books.

But stil there were scenes where I thought that had Leslie McFarlane written The Disappearing Floor, he would've added a lot of pathos and heart-wrenching scenes.  There was one scene in the last 10 chapters where Fenton Hardy comes across his boys car and he thinks that the boys are dead.  Button presented it as a very bare-bones, no feeling scene.  I think McFarlane would've added some feeling to the scene so that people could really get Fenton's heartache.

Rating: 2.5 out 10.

[003Robin457]

I heard this was one of the worst originals.

[tomswift2002]

I heard this was one of the worst originals.

Personally I would have to give the Honor of Worst Grosset & Dunlap Hardy Boys Book[/u] to The Secret Warning.  SW just had too many different writing styles trying to work together that it was a total mess, plus there really wasn't that much of a story.

[Fenlaur]

The Disappearing Floor (1940) is my favorite original.