Whose Footprints Are Under My Window? (The Hardy Boys: Footprints Under the Window - Franklin W. Dixon)

Member Name: keeperofthematri

Product:	The Hardy Boys: Footprints Under the Window - Franklin W. Dixon
Date:	18/06/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pacy adventure

Disadvantages: Slightly dated in parts

Frank & Joe Hardy are the teenage sons of famous private detective Fenton Hardy & his wife Laura. Together, (& sometimes from help with family & friends) they investigate all sorts of crimes & strange occurences....

Footprints Under The Window was published in the US in 1933 & was the twelfth in the series. It was revised in 1965. The book first appeared in the UK in 1972 & was numbered 23 when it was published by Armada.

Following "What Happened At Midnight" & "While The Clock Ticked" we have
another book with a title which deviates from the usual "The Secet of so & so" or "The so & so Mystery". The "Footprints" of the title refer, as one might think, to some footprints under a window (no surprise there then!).

The book opens with Frank & Joe witnessing a man attempting to break into Micro-Eye, a company engaged on hush-hush top secret work for the government.
Later, whilst in their motorboat "The Sleuth" they see a man jump overboard from a ship & pull him out of Barmet Bay. The man runs off once they reach the docks, but not before mumbling something about "footprints".
A new housing development, built by Tony Prito's Dad with sales being handled by Chet's Dad is being vandalised, a local shipowner called Orrin North seems very interested in the Hardy's investigations concerning the runaway man from the docks and top secret documents are getting out of Micro-Eye despite secruity being tightened.

Are all of these events connected &, if so, how?

It takes a trip to a South American island group controlled by an anti-US dictator to finally piece the puzzle together but events take a sinister turn as Frank & Joe fall into the hands of their enemies.......


The usual supporting characters who appear in the story are:-

+ Fenton Hardy
+ Aunt Gertrude
+ Chet Morton
+ Tony Prito
+ Iola Morton
+ Callie Shaw
+ Jack Wayne
+ Oscar Smuff
+ Laura Hardy (mentioned but does not appear)


As with the other books in this series some elements are slightly dated. But, countries with dictators & illegal immigrants are as current now as they where when the book was first written. The book itself is pacy & involving although you have to ask just how many times Frank & Joe can be hit over the head without any adverse effects!


At the time of writing the book is available in hardcover for £7.55 from Amazon Prime. New & used paperback versions can be otained from 1p upwards both as a standalone book and in a number of 3 books in 1 combinations.

Summary: The 12th book in the series. All as usual