Hardy Boys Adventures #14 - Attack of the Bayport Beast

[kosmicdust]

Attack of the Bayport Beast https://www.amazon.com/dp/1481468340

Brother detectives Frank and Joe come face to face with...a sasquatch...in the fourteenth book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.

The legend of the Bayport Beast has haunted the town for almost a century. Each summer brings rumors of a gigantic sasquatch creature roaming the nearby woods.

However, this summer brings more sightings than usual, causing all kinds of people to flock to town, including a few UFO enthusiasts who are convinced the beast could be some kind of stranded alien. More than that, the sightings cause a media blitz!

Frank and Joe have never believed in the Bayport Beast, but when Frank catches a glimpse of a furry creature running through the woods, he changes his mind fast. And when reports surface of the beast attacking people—including a few friends—the Hardy brothers are on the case!

After Frank and Joe are cornered by not one but three fearsome creatures, they have to wonder: is the Bayport Beast real after all? And is it multiplying?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71WIHsinYTL.jpg

[MacGyver]

Nice! Sounds like The Hardy Boys are facing off against a hometown legendary creature, like a lot of those urban legends that abound in various cities. This one sounds interesting to me. Thanks for the cover art and description.

[tomswift2002]

With today being Family Day today I started to read this book.  I'm upto Chapter 9 and really this is an unusual plot for the Hardy's.  It almost reminds me of the 1938 "The Secret Warning", where the story is an adventure story rather than a mystery story, and "Ghost Of A Chance".  And in this case it is a science fantasy adventure story, because it is a take on the numerous stories about people hunting Big Foot, Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster or any number of legends (such as Oak Island and "The Hand Of Robin Squires").

[MacGyver]

Even with a fantasy element in an adventure story like this, there's still a bit of a mystery, insofar as proving whether or not the creature exists. But yeah- I see what you mean.
I take it Family Day is a Canadian holiday? What does that entail? In the USA, February 20 is Presidents' Day, celebrating the birthdays of President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln. I didn't realize other countries celebrate holidays on that day too- nice!

[tomswift2002]

Yeah Family Day is a Canadian Holiday, but it's also controversial, as it is only set at the provincial level, so retail stores and provincial & municipal services tend to close, but the Federal government doesn't recognize, along with a few companies don't recognize it.  And if you were in BC then Family Day was a week ago, while Ontario and other provinces had it yesterday, and some provinces don't even call it Family Day, and yet others wonder why we need a specific Family Day when ithey could just reintroduce noshopping on Sunday.

[MacGyver]

Okay- that's interesting. Well, it's nice that Canada has a holiday (even if somewhat unofficial) to emphasize spending time with your family.

[tomswift2002]

I finished the book a few days ago and while it was interesting to read in one sense, in another it really felt like the author needed to rethink the story.  The whole A-plot is about the Hardy's searching for the afore-mentioned mythical Bayport Beast.

But then the author thinks it's best to have a "friend" of the Hardy's appear in the middle of nowhere dressed as the Beast, at which point the boys figure out that he's creating sightings to drum up business. 

And then during the last 20 pages the author thinks that we need a really bad guy, so he brings back a character, who he sloppily introduced early on, to be a "bad Doctor" from whom a Girilla, Orangutang and a Chimpanzee escaped after he rolled his truck trying to kill them, because his lab had gone bankrupt.

I'm giving this book a 3.5 out of 10

[MacGyver]

Does the scene on the cover happen- with Frank and Joe riding their motorcycles? (or dirt bikes- whichever would be more accurate)

[tomswift2002]

Actually those aren't their bikes---they were dirt bikes that they found abandoned (and fully gassed) out in the middle of the forest that surrounds Bayport.  Apparently they are also within Chief Olaf's jurisdiction in this forest, even though I would assume that they would be within the State Police's jurisdiction, not Bayport's jurisdiction.

[MacGyver]

I take it Chief Collig has retired?

[tomswift2002]

Chief Collin hasn't been mentioned in the series.  Neither has Riley!

[MacGyver]

Bummer. I guess Adventures is in another continuity?.......Or is it supposed to fit in to the Hardy Boys universe as established by the Originals/Digests?

[tomswift2002]

It seems to be its own continuity.  The only other series that it seems to be connected to is "The Secret Files/Clues Books".

[MacGyver]

Interesting. Not even the Undercover Brothers series? I thought maybe ATAC was the detective work they were "retired" from.

[tomswift2002]

ATAC hasn't been mentioned in the series.  And, besides in book 1, the Hardy's were forced to give up their careers as amateur detectives because they were facing a lawsuit.