Wednesday, September 28, 2022

The House on the Cliff


The House on the Cliff is a book I love just for the cover.   

Frank and Joe are enlisted by their dad- a famous detective- to help him with a smuggling case. First of all, why would Pops enlist his sons in a dangerous activity like that? It all starts out innocently enough when the boys are sent to a remote headland to scan for a smuggling ship- with an expensive telescope. It's stuff like this- the telescope, along with later ham radio enthusiasm and various other hobbies and interests- that mark these books as from a time when things were different. They have these wholesome home cooked meals, one of the guys who goes with them actually brings along sandewiches and dessert- I mean, I'd like to live there. 

At any rate, I am getting off track a little. They of course find a ship that is acting suspicious- and when they see a speedboat chase and one guy almost get blitzed- they are on their way. The action is quick in this one- they very rapidly go from innocent involvement to investigating a lonely old house on a cliff, some nasty villains, and hair raising escapes. I always love a good smuggling storyline. And their friends get in on the fun too- there's speedboats and some good bonding over, you know, life threatening danger. 

I haven't read one of these in a while, and it really is different. You get just a sense of the unsavory element below the surface, but these guys (and their cast) are so wholesome and clean cut that it feels like watching an old movie. It went quick too- they are a fast read. I can remember why I was hooked on these as a kid- who wouldn't want to investigate some mysterious goings on - with your pals no less- plus have some good food?  

24 comments:

  1. I read several Hardy Boys mysteries back in the day. I haven't read one for many, many years, but it would be fun. As you said, it was a very different time back then. Nice review, Greg.

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  2. I was into the 3 Investigators instead of the Hardy Boys but when I went and tried to re-read them, the magic was gone. Glad that wasn't the case here :-)

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  3. Oh, it's Throwback Thursday! Yes, it's great to revisit this series. I loved my Nancy Drew! And there was another series an older friend gave me Trixie Beldon!

    Caitlin&Megan
    Ivy&Ellie
    Carefully Listening
    Ellie
    The Book Group
    Holly&Stevie
    Cherry Blossoms
    Better Left Unsaid

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  4. These guys wear star trek uniform lol

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  5. Hardy Boys! Haven't seen one of those books around in a while.

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  6. I loved watching the Hardy Boys TV series back in the day, but I was more of a Nancy Drew girl when it came to the books.

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  7. What fun! I never read Hardy Boys as a kid, but I was a BIG fan of The Bobssey Twins, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden. And my younger son - who professes to hate reading (whose kid is that?) - LOVED the Hardy Boys when he was a kid. He even got totally hooked on the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew TV show from the 70's! I do have some old Nancy Drews here - I'll have to try a reread soon!

    Sue
    Book By Book

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  8. I didn't read too many Hardy Boys books when I was a kid but I was always surprised with how much more action there was in them than in Nancy Drew. This sounds fun and they have just the best covers!

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  9. I completely missed the Hardy Boys when I was a kid, but I thought they were pure fun when I read them as an adult.

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  10. When we moved to the country, and I couldn't just walk a few blocks to the public library during the summer, I was stuck reading my mother's old childhood books when I ran out of books to read from our last trip to the library. She had tons of Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys books, but only one Nancy Drew. Weird. Anyway, I've read a lot of Hardy Boys books. I should try a re-read of a couple. 📚

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  11. I loved these books (and the Nancy Drew ones) for exactly the reason you dscribed: the unsavoury elements lurking under the surface of the wholesome goodness. And of course, the only place you'd have dessert on a stakeout!

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  12. My dad loved these books as a kid. I can get on board with any character that is planning his meals ahead!

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  13. You can't go wrong with a classic like the Hardy Boys mysteries!

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  14. I used to read a few Hardy Boys, but am a Nancy Drew fan myself.

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  15. I haven't read any of these in so long! I should start reading them with my son, I'm sure he'd love them.
    I do love the cover of this!

    Ash @ Essentially Ash

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  16. I read the Nancy Drews, but my dad read a few of these ones to me. I wonder what I'd think of them now. The hobbies and lifestyle sure do date them, right? But it brings back good memories. Yep, it does make you scratch your head about why a dad would involve his kids in a smuggling case. That does sound pretty dangerous, but there wouldn't be a story otherwise, lol. Great review, and yes, I love the cover too, Greg!

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  17. I remember that my brother used to absolutely love the Hardy Boys when we were younger, I read a couple of the Casefiles ones I think. and I remember us getting a CB radio because we wanted to be like them!

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  18. I remember reading both the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. It would be interesting to read one now. Thanks for bringing up good memories.

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  19. How cool to revisit an old favorite? I remember the wholesome feel of these books, as well as Nancy Drew😁

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  20. I liked your off track bit lol. Dessert even! That's a good person to bring along. This seems like a fast-paced, fun book!

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  21. I am making note here of this review Greg! Need to show it to my kids at school who love The Hardy Boys so much. There's a lot of them!

    Elza Reads

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  22. My son isn't much of a reader these days, but 3 or 4 years ago, he was really into The Hardy Boys and it was fun reading them with him. Wholesome is the perfect word for them.

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  23. Your perfect cover... water and blue themed. ☺

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