The Arctic Patrol Mystery (1969) by Franklin W. Dixon is the 48th book in the Hardy Boys series. This time Frank and Joe are off to Iceland to help their father track down a missing seaman who is the beneficiary in an insurance case. The man is believed to be a native of Iceland and so far there have been no leads to his whereabouts. The boys are encouraged to take their friend Chet Mortan along to provide some muscle as well as cover--a sight-seeing vacation. Fenton Hardy also has a second line of investigation on tap--a top-secret case that puts him in touch with the White House. Then Biff Hooper is dispatched to Iceland to bring the boys some much needed equipment. As Frank and Joe and their chums begin the search for Rex Hallbjonsson, they make friends with an Icelandic teenager by the name of Gudmunder Bergsson ("Gummi" to his friends). They also manage, unknowingly, to make enemies of some very dangerous men who think the boys are on their track. Fenton Hardy's case--which involves American astronauts and the space program--and the insurance case become intertwined and soon the Hardys are in a desperate race to rescue a missing astronaut as well as Chet and Biff who have disappeared.... This installment of the Hardy Boys was much more action-packed and dangerous than most of the stories I remember reading when I was young. I mean, after all, Chet & Biff are nearly blown up in cave by the bad guys! If it hadn't been for perfect timing on the part of Frank and Joe, their buddies would be history. Overall, a suspenseful and fun read--with some interesting background information on Iceland thrown in for good measure. The Hardy Boys stand up pretty well after nearly forty years. ★★★★
[Finished on 6/26/17]
****************
This counts for the "Plane" category on the Silver Vintage Scavenger Hunt card.
You have to love the Hardy Boys.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty dramatic cover! Is there a polar bear in it, too? It sounds like a big adventure.
ReplyDelete