The Mystery Of Cabin Island (1966)

[tomswift2002]

Plot: The Hardy's have received permission from Elroy Jefferson to vacation on Cabin Island, an island that Mr. Jefferson owns.  However, Mr. Jefferson has also promised the boys that he would have a mystery for them to solve after Christmas and their vacation---unfortunately, one of the elements of that mystery starts wreaking havoc on Cabin Island even before the Hardy's arrive!

Review:  I just re-read this book about a week ago.  I remember that I first read it back in November/December 1994, and I still have an old Duracell coupon in the book from that year where you could send away to get a plush Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.  But The Mystery of Cabin Island, even the revised 1966 version, is a classic Christmas story, just like the 1964 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special and the Nativity Story. 

And while the revised story does introduce new plot points to the story, it still sticks to the same storyline as the original 1929 version.  Some plot things are changed though, such as the boys celebrating Christmas with their on December 25 in the this story, while heading to Cabin Island on Boxing Day, while the original had them celebrating their family Christmas's on December 23, and then heading to Cabin Island on Christmas Eve.  Also the boys bring Elroy Jefferson to their home for Christmas in the revised, something that is not done in the 1929 version.  Also the fox hunting scene that occurs on Boxing Day in the 1929 version has been removed, although Amos Grice does make an appearance in the 1966 version.  The contents of the rosewood box are now medals instead of stamps---and there seems to be some confusion as to how long the stamps have been missing since (I don't have the book with me right now) the medals were apparently stolen 2 years prior to the story according to pages 38-40, but the chimney and cabin, from other parts of the story, were built long before the 2 year time frame, and a number of characters refer to the medals as having been stolen "years ago". 

Anyway, I have to give the 1966 version of The Mystery of Cabin Island an A+ (Honors).

[MacGyver]

Whether the 1929 or 1966 revised version, The Mystery of Cabin Island is a classic Hardy Boys story and by far the best when it comes to Christmas stories. (Though we have seen The Hardy Boys celebrate Christmas in a number of the books, it seems to be a fairly small number- I do believe this is probably the only time in the first 58 books.) In any case- in my opinon, it's the best Christmas book in the series and just one of the best books period. (Of course, as I said in the other thread, while I understand the comparison to other classic elements of Christmas- and for Hardy Boys fans, I do think this is a Christmas must- nothing can top The Bible and its account of the birth of Jesus the Savior. ) Merry Christmas!
(I get excited about these things- only 20 more days!)
     

[VLoneWolf]

The Mystery of Cabin Island is one of the best Hardy Boys Christmas stories  that I have read.

[tomswift2002]

After The Mystery of Cabin Island, the only book that's the closest to Christmas is The Yellow Feather Mystery which takes place after New Year's.

[MacGyver]

Well, in the original series, yes.