October 2013 Book Club: Hardy Boys #175 Trick-or-Trouble

[MacGyver]

For the October 2013 Book Club selection, just in time for Halloween, we have #175 in The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories, Trick-or-Trouble. Leave your thoughts, comments and reviews below.

[tomswift2002]

Because of this book, every time that I see those "Magnum" ice cream bars I think of the "clue" from the book that leads the boys to the motorcycle helmet from Magnum.

[MacGyver]

Nice. Yeah- in reading this book, I couldn't help but keep thinking of Thomas Magnum from Magnum, P.I.- maybe Rod is his evil twin brother- lol.

[MacGyver]

Well, I've been rereading this book for this month's book club (and because I just wanted to read it again with Halloween coming up- I don't really celebrate that holiday, but I will say it's a nice excuse to read Halloween-themed or just scarier/spookier Hardy Boys books... - I'd do that anyway though.)
Anyway, I noticed a few things so far: for one, wouldn't Daphne Soesbee be disqualified from entering the contest since her mom's store is sponsoring it? Does she show up in other books? I feel like I've seen Daphne show up in other books at some point, but maybe I'm wrong. Also, the book mentions the Kings as a gang that the Hardys have had trouble with before- does anyone recall if they're mentioned in other books?
      It's also fun to see the friendly banter in this book and to just have Chet, Iola and Callie all on hand for the story too- and the fact that it pretty much all takes place in Bayport- that's cool. (And Iola is clearly identified as Joe's girlfriend in this book as Callie is clearly identified as Frank's girlfriend in the book too.) I love the old Niles mansion that they go to for the contest and li. It was neat that they had actual live bats there too. And the Vincent Blasko character sounds like he's based on Vincent Price and that's cool. It'd be neat if they had them going to the Applegate Mansion for the contest though. Anyway- the book's going good so far. It's been a while since I've read one of The Hardy Boys Digests books and it's fun to be rereading one. I can tell it's definitely a bit different from The Hardy Boys Casefiles style of writing- and I enjoy both. It's nice to come back to the Digests for a little while.

[tomswift2002]

I know that Daphne does show up in at least one other book in the 160 - 180 range, I just can't think recall which one.

And as I recall, the Kings first showed up in either #109 The Prime Time Crime (1991) or  #112 The Demolition Mission (1992) and then reappeared in #163 The Spy That Never Lies (2000).  But the Kings were definitely introduced back in the early-1990's.

[MacGyver]

Okay- thanks for the info. I'll have to go back and look those up.

[MacGyver]

A few other observances in rereading this book- it's nice to see a scene at Bayport High School. I think the Digests tended to do that more often than the Casefiles did (though that series has scenes at Bayport High as well, though perhaps not too many entire mysteries set there or just around the town of Bayport itself. But I know there are some.)
Also, I see that one of the places Frank, Joe and Callie go is to an old abandoned windmill in following the clues of the Halloween contest. This made me think of the old watermill that Frank and Joe solve a mystery at in The Secret of the Old Mill, but obviously this wasn't the same one- but it would have been neat to see it reused here.

[tomswift2002]

Unfortunately, after Grosset & Dunlap lost the rights, and Simon & Schuster bought out the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the continuity in the books sort of became hazy.  Even with the revised books, there were a few errors, but nothing like the post-Stratemeyer Syndicate stories.  In the " Mystery Of Cabin Island", in both versions, I got the feeling that High Street ran right to the waterfront.  In the later books, it seemed like the boys were driving on a number of streets to get to the waterfront.

[MacGyver]

Well, that is unfortunate then. But I suppose in a series that has run for 86 years now, mistakes happen every now and then.

[MacGyver]

Yay for Tony Prito showing up in this book! And it's mentioned that he works at Mr. Pizza in this book too! Another example of the later Digests taking on some of the Casefiles elements. The book also mentions that Mr. Pizza is located in the mall- anyone remember if that was ever indicated in the Casefiles as well?

[tomswift2002]

" Dead On Target" has the boys sneaking into the mall from Mr. pizza after the mall had closed for the day.

[MacGyver]

Okay- I thought it mentioned this fact in Dead on Target, but I couldn't remember for sure. Thanks.

[MacGyver]

I just read the chapter where Frank, Joe and Callie first meet Rod Magnum. He's described as "a burly man with curly hair and a bushy mustache". (on page 63) I couldn't help but picture Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum (from Magnum, P.I.) there. 

[tomswift2002]

Okay- I thought it mentioned this fact in Dead on Target, but I couldn't remember for sure. Thanks.

I don't even remember how many times Mr. Pizza was mentioned as being in the mall in the Casefiles (not to mention that Mr. Pizza first appeared in the Casefiles and then was put into the Original line; before Tony had worked for his dad's construction company).  But "Witness To Murder", "Highway Robbery" and "Beyond The Law" all have the Hardy's visiting Mr. Pizza in the mall.

[MacGyver]

Okay- thanks. I guess it's just been a while since I've read those books.