Customer Reviews

The Secret of Wildcat Swamp (The Hardy Boys, No. 31)

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This review is based on the original version published in 1952 but it should be noted that the plot of the revision closely follows that of the original. It is at times difficult to compare the very early volumes with the latter volumes but I regard this story as one of the best overall in the canon. The opening two chapters might be regarded as a bit weak compared to other volumes in the set, since a mystery is dumped into the brothers laps when Cap Bailey pays them a visit at their home.
After laying down a framework for the mystery before them, the brothers hope to gain some information by going to the local prison to see some unsavory men who are mixed up in the affair. We are introduced to three memorable criminals: Willie The Penman, Jessie Turk and Gerald Flint. Willie and Flint are already on the loose, Turk is in jail but stages a prison break by the end of chapter 1.
The next several chapters are very eventful. The brothers make their way out of Bayport, heading west with the criminals hard on their heels. By Chapter 5, the brothers and Cap Bailey are in Wildcat Swamp, on horseback camping in the desert and the woods near and in the swamp. Immediately they are attacked by "an enormous wildcat", letting the reader know that the beasts are forever lurking through the swamp. Strangely though, no more appear throughout the remainder of the book. From this point onward the book is suspenseful, well written and adventurous with a fairly good mystery that is not solved by dumb luck.
The trio spend the next few chapters dodging perils in the swamp while digging for fossils, which is the underlying plot throughout the book. By chapter 9 they are approached by Snake, Snide and Willie, who identify themselves as Forest Rangers and order them out of the swamp in a memorable scene. Later that night the boys eavesdrop on the Rangers in conversation, only to be shot at. The trio stand their ground and refuse to leave the swamp. These middle chapters are fascinating and one experiences that wish fulfillment that the Hardy Boys series is famous for, as we can envision ourselves camping by fire in just such a swamp.
While further digging for fossils in the swamp, round about chapter 10, Frank finds a sign ending in "ERS", which fits a sign found in earlier chapters that read "Here lie the Bodies of Twenty Wildcat" Deducing that it was wildcatters, not wildcats, that were buried there suddenly leads to the speculation that oil lies on the property. This detective work blends in beautifully with the title of the book. The Boys visit Mrs. Sanders, the owner of the property, to alert her of their findings then return to their camp.
Chet arrives quite unexpectedly and he remains with Cap at the camp while Frank and Joe are away alerting Sanders. Here the book takes its greatest turn as the Rangers, in yet another memorable and suspenseful scene right out of a movie, overwhelm Cap and Chet in a cave and tie them up until they are rescued at the end of the book. Frank and Joe are ambushed on route to Sanders property, but escape a couple chapters later.
This book is like something out of 1881 rather than 1952. They hop a freight train, only to have it wrecked and roll off the tracks, hijacked by the Flint's gang. They eavesdrop on a campfire of thieves and eventually learn enough to put away the gang. All that remains is to capture them, which is done over the remaining chapters.
This book contains non-stop action and appeals to one's sense of adventure. It is similar to The Twisted Claw, in that it belongs to another era. Often underrated, Wildcat Swamp should be regarded as one of the best books of the series, certainly among the volumes from The Mark on The Door onward.

I never realized there were swamps in the West. I had assumed that swamps were generally located in the Southeast. However, in this mystery Frank and Joe Hardy meet one wildcat near one swamp, so I guess there are both in this story.

This book begins with Frank and Joe Hardy telling their best friend Chet Morton that their father, Fenton Hardy, has told his sons that they might be able to help him in a mystery involving train robbers. Before the boys can get involved in their father's mystery, Thomas "Cap" Bailey, a track coach and science teacher at Bayport High, asks the boys to go out West with him to locate a source of valuable fossils near Wildcat Swamp. He also asks the boys to help him solve the mystery of why he was robbed the first time he attempted to travel out West.

When Frank and Joe ask their parents for permission to go out West, their father advises the boys that one of the train robbers said something like "twenty wildcat," which Cap Bailey told the boys was on a sign at wildcat swamp. Thus, the boys could also be in a position to help their father when they go west.

The boys are prepared to journey west, but before they leave Cap Bailey is robbed and injured and a map of the area around Wildcat Swamp showing where the fossils are located. As the boys try to take off with pilot Jack Wayne, their plane loses a wheel and the trio crash. Uninjured, the three borrow another plane and head west. They soon realize that someone is following them.

Once the boys finally arrive out West, they head for Wildcat Swamp, where the one and only wildcat in this story leaps on Frank. Fortunately, Joe killed the wildcat before it could do whatever it thought it was doing. Incidentally, wildcats are not really a species as such. In this case, the cat described sounds like a mountain lion, or a cougar. It is unlikely that a mountain lion would attack three men on horseback, so the scenario in this book is moderately implausible.

From this point forward the excitement builds rapidly. The criminals the boys encounter kidnap lawmen and plan to ruthlessly execute them. The criminals also capture the Hardy Boys more than once and plan to kill them as well. The criminals also derail a train and plan on forcing a woman to sign her land over to them; the land that contains Wildcat Swamp! These criminals are utterly ruthless. The question the Hardys keep asking themselves is why the criminals want Wildcat Swamp and why they have been trying to prevent the Hardys from seeking out fossils.

This story is yet another nicely paced and plotted Hardy Boys book. There are parts of the mystery that the author reveals early in the story, and other parts that the author keeps hidden until a significant portion of the way into the story. Thus a reader has things to learn about the mystery a good way into the story, maintaining reader interest throughout. I was also pleased that the story was generally plausible, with only a few moments of weakness. I would rate this story as one of the better books in the Hardy Boys series and I would recommend this book as an introduction into the series.

This review concerns the original 1952 edition and the revised 1969 edition, which is an editted, shorter version of the original. Frank and Joe must find out why the group of train robbers their father is after are determined to keep Frank, Joe and their science teacher from going to Wildcat Swamp to search for fossils. This book is excellent; it is one of the top three books of the series. The book is well-written and is loaded with action from the first chapter to the last. There is an interesting collection of memorable criminals and the Hardys frequently come into contact with them. Both editions are excellent, but I recommend reading the original, only because it prolongs your enjoyment. This is a great book that all Hardy Boys fans should read.

The Hardy Boys Series is a nostalgic treat for me. I owned the entire series as a child (and was very proud of this achievment) so it was interesting to re-read the first one I ever bought and read. The Secret of Wildcat Swamp is still a straight forward read that makes up in memories what it lacks in substance. It is,though, an exciting adventure story for kids with the usual roster of bad guys, chums, mystery and danger. The first three in the series are the strongest but this particular volume is one of the strongest of the later adventures. It is nice to spend a few hours of the day soaked in my past and a dangerous swamp with those intrepid Hardy kids.

Its a toss between The Secret of Wildcat Swamp and Hunting For Hidden Gold, as to which book I liked the best in the entire set. Loved this one from start to finish. Good plot, good action, excellent twists throughout, especially in the middle chapters. Can't rave enough about it.

this book is great it has train robbers and cap the science teacher of the hardy boys looking for bones of an old old old prehistoric horse.
P.S this book is great !!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is called The Seceret Of Wildcat Swamp. It is about the Hardyboys and their science teacherCap Baily. I like it because it has action. Maybe you could make mystries from it.

This book was probably the 5th best, especially since Joe used his gun. This also contained some exciting events, such as Chet and Cap capturing Willie, all the captures of the criminals, the Hardys, and Harry. Also, it was weird of how the plane accident was caused at the beginning, because it all happened too quick. But too fast or not, you can't miss this one.

Originally published in 1952 - Depending on what day you speak with me, more often than not I regard this book as the absolute best among the original 58. It is often difficult to compare those books written before The Mark on The Door with those composed after Footprints Under The Window. That being said this book opens with an introduction to a mystery when a friend of the Hardy's asks their assistance with a small mystery regarding fossil hunting in Wildcat Swamp. Thus the title plays a part in the opening. We learn of a trio of what I think are some of the more memorable Hardy crooks: Jessie Turk, Gerald Flint & Willie The Penman. For the next several chapters as the Hardys & Cap Bailey prepare to leave Bayport they frequently encounter Flint & Turk on their way to Wildcat Swamp. By page 45 or so, the trio of fossil hunters arrive in Wildcat Swamp and enter was is my favorite part of the book and what I often find is phase two of the volume. The book seems to be broken into three sub volumes within the volume. The opening to their arrival in the swamp and the third phase after Underground Ambush. During this second part of the book the trio initially encounter a wildcat which lets the reader know that the beasts are forever lurking throughout the swamp - but strangely after that one attack on Frank, no more wildcats appear. Before long they meet Harry Sanders, son of the owner of the swamp who reveals its true name and that men have been interested in purchasing the property. The Hardys then encouter 3 phony forest rangers Snake, Snide and Willie The Penman in a memorable scene and shortly afterward are caught eavesdropping by darkness on the rangers. Trying to communicate with their father is cut short when their radio balloon is shot out of the sy by the rangers. The memorable scenes in this book are endless - Frank's clue regarding "Three Odd Letters", the encouters with the rangers, Chet's arrival and he and Cap's
subsequent ambush in the underground cavern. Enter the next phase in the book when the Hardys are ambushed themselves by the gang of outlaws. This book beckons back to the days of 1881 and the old west - not 1952, and draws parallels with "The Twisted Claw", another book seemingly written during another era. After their escape the brothers hop a train which eventually derails thanks to the gang and after a few more very well written chapters the Hardys assist in the capture of the gang. This volume was packed with adventure, action, a great mystery and plot. What young boy or grown man for that matter would not want to camp out in Wildcat Swamp and battle a gang of outlaws from the old west. This is "wish fulfillment" at its best. Again - I regard this as arguably the best book in the series. RATED A+