#44 Castle Fear (30th Anniversary Review)

[tomswift2002]

Published: October 1990
Publisher: Archway Paperbacks (1990-2000)
Author: Ron Goulart
Other Hardy Boys by author: Casefiles # 23 Disaster for Hire, #30 The Deadliest Dare

Plot: A double-edged sword always cuts close to the heart.

Jed Shannon, a young American movie star on location in England, has received a threat against his life. When the Hardys set out to investigate, they are drawn into a case worthy of Sherlock Holmes -- and a conspiracy as thick as the London Fog.

Jillian Seabright, a beautiful British actress befriended by Jed, has vanished. The key to the mystery lies in her resemblance to missing emerald heiress Emily Cornwall. Frank and Joe trace the damsels in distress to a medieval mansion on the moors -- Castle Fear. Dodging bullets and battle-axes, the boys are out to prove that chivalry is not dead -- but one wrong move and they will be!

Review:  So this is author Ron Goulart's last Hardy Boys book.  And quite frankly, even as a kid, I remember this was a book that was tough to get through, and even now, I'm having a hard time trying to get into it. 

Interesting fact, but Castle Fear takes place only days after Strategic Moves, so it is another Hardy Boys that is dated, although, so far nothing really political, like in Strategic Moves has really popped out.  But still, Castle Fear takes place between 9 of November 1989 and the 31 of December 1991.

[tomswift2002]

So, apparently, Strategic Moves & Castle Fear take place within at least a 10-day period.

[tomswift2002]

So I just finished Castle Fear.  I was having a hard time visualizing which version of the Hardy's I was reading, but then I'd turn the page and they would sound like Shaun Cassidy or Parker Stevenson's version of the Hardy's rather than the Casefiles. 

The story I really found was missing something.  It was never explained how Nigel Hawkins heard about the emeralds and his explanation for stealing them was a little thin.  Plus I kept wondering how the crooks kept showing up.  Aside from some phone bugs early on, there's no mention of the Hardy's having a tracking device on them, and yet even when they shake their tails, the crooks still find them.  Also I found Goulart had to many characters and didn't know what to do with them.

Also the plot felt more like it could've worked better in the Mystery Stories.  It's funny, but looking back at my 2019 review for The Deadliest Dare, I said the same thing about that book.  Also, just like that book and Ron Goulart's first Casefile, Disaster For Hire, Castle Fear has a pretty forgettable story.  It's a good thing Goulart only wrote 3 books, he wasn't a great FWD.

Rating: 6 out of 10

[MacGyver]

Nice review, as always. I remember little about this book, other than it's set around a movie set in England. So the review of it being not real memorable is one I would agree with I think.

[tomswift2002]

Nice review, as always. I remember little about this book, other than it's set around a movie set in England. So the review of it being not real memorable is one I would agree with I think.

Actually, there is no movie set in the book.  There's a theater that the Hardy's visit (kind of reminded me of the scene from The Tower Treasure where Fenton Hardy interviews the actor, but this time it's Frank and Joe as Fenton is on a case in the Southern US) but otherwise, the actor they are helping is on a promotional tour for his newest movie.

[MacGyver]

Oh, okay. Well, I knew there was a movie involved somewhere- lol.

[CalvinKnox]

I think the ghostwriter's understanding of England was based fully on Sherlock Holmes, from foggy London streets to the  desolate moors and a crumbling castle, all the characters and settings are straight from Sherlock Holmes. With very few changes, the whole story could take place in 1880 instead