Customer Reviews

A Figure in Hiding (The Hardy Boys #16)

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As Hardy boys mysteries go, this one is less thrilling than the others. The mystery revolves around eye symbols, and a gang called the Goggler Gang, also known as the Evil Eyes. The gang used simple hand symbols to alert fellow gang members when to stay away or when everything was okay. Then there was the mysterious eye the Hardy boys found on a hydrofoil, the Sea Spook.

This mystery begins with a blind peddler passing a mysterious note to the boys after a baseball game. The cryptic note read, "WATCH OUT FOR THE FIRST SIGNS OF BAD EYESIGHT!" Scribbled in pencil on the opposite side of the card was "Tell FH!" The boys rightly assume that they should tell their father, Fenton Hardy.

Soon the boys are encountering eye signs everywhere. Since the boys persist in investigating a group that they learn is called the Goggler Gang, someone arranges for an accident that was to murder the boys and the blind peddler. The gang tries several times to warn the boys, without (of course) success. As the boys persist in their investigations they encounter a gang of suspicious characters, and Malcolm Izmir, who is apparently an ordinary businessman. Yet, Izmir seems to turn up far too often during the boys' investigation. The boys also find a mysterious fake eye while on the hydrofoil Sea Spook. The boys realize that the eye is probably part of their mystery, but they do not understand how it is related.

As with most Hardy boys' mysteries, the excitement builds to the end. Even Fenton Hardy is in danger when the Goggler Gang discovers that he has been spying on them. Fortunately ever-faithful friend Chet Morton helps save the day, along with the always timely Chief Collig.

The level of excitement in Hardy Boys books varies a lot. There have been several of the first sixteen books where the pacing was quick, and I was anxious to get to the end. However, this book moved along too slowly, and the action portions seemed to either develop too slowly, or so quickly that they were over before I had a time to register that action was upon me. While a person interested in the Hardy boys will likely want to read all the books, a casual reader may want to pass this one as this story is the weakest of the first sixteen books in the series.

Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

This review concerns the original 1937 edition. Frank and Joe aid their father in rounding up an unscrupulous, phony surgeon, who dupes his victims by promising miracle cures for their eyesight problems. The book is well-written and the action level isn't bad, but there is no real mystery to solve. Frank and Joe aren't trying to find out who did what, or where something is hidden or what this gang is up to; they are just trying to get evidence that this surgeon is a crook. For this reason, I found that the book never really made me curious to find out what was coming next. The book is really good from pages 192-204, but unfortunately that isn't enough to make this a great book. I'd only recoomend this one to true Hardy Boys fans.

This review concerns the revised 1965 edition. Frank and Joe are drawn into a new mystery when a blind peddler gives them a glass eye and a warning. Through the course of the mystery they are confronted with the theft of the Jeweled Siva, a valuable Oriental idol; an innovative hydrofoil speedboat; a terrified wealthy businessman and a health farm run by a mysterious doctor. You would think that all of this would make an interesting book, but it doesn't. This book rarely held my interest and many of the chapter endings did not make me want to read more. The book is completely different from the original written in the 1930s, but neither book is very good and it is obvious the author of the revised edition had to force the story to fit the title by dropping the line "a figure in hiding" in various places in the book, even though it sounds awkward everytime. The very end of the book is particularly bad. Without spoiling it for anyone who decides to read the book, you go from the criminals having the upper hand to them being caught in a matter of three short paragraphs. This is definately not one of the better Hardy Boys mysteries.

Mr. DIXON died. I think people shoudn't critisize what he worked on so hard. But it doesn't have any mystery....but at least its good.

This book was all right, but I would rate it below average compared to other volumes in the set.

THIS BOOK IS VERY WEIRD INDEED! HOW ANY SURGERIES CAN YOU DO ON YOUR FACE?!?!?