Great, now they're expected to restore democracy to war torn Africa! (The Hardy Boys: Revenge of the Desert Phantom - Franklin W. Dixon)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	The Hardy Boys: Revenge of the Desert Phantom - Franklin W. Dixon
Date:	06/05/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very well written

Disadvantages: Farcical plot is just too much

Revenge of the Desert Phantom is the 84th Hardy Boys book, and the 26th published by Simon & Schuster. I find it to be well written, with good characterisation and plenty of action, but the roots are wildly unrealistic, thus providing a balance to the good and the bad.

Most Hardy Boys books, I can look past the unlikely nature of the adventures they embark upon, but it is rare that they are very well written. This book has a rather ridiculous plot, as our two heroes, teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are employed to take a young girl to safety. Nothing wrong or unlikely about that, I hear you say. No, nothing, apart from the fact that 'safety' in this respect means flying out to the war-torn African nation of Zebwa to get her to the offices of those trying to restore democracy to an otherwise dictator ruled land.

There are guerillas and other dangers lurking round every corner for the brothers, who bring along faithful dog, er.... I mean friend, Chet Morton ('t' in Morton being optional!!) for backup. Okay, so a farcical plot. The books are all published under the pseudonym Franklin W Dixon, but are written by a series of ghost writers, and this particular ghosty has done a decent job of patching up and making realistic an unlikely plot indeed.

The characters are well explored, even those who appear in countless books beforehand, and the character of Nikki, the girl they are taken to safety, is given a thorough look under the characterisation microscope as the story develops. For once, there is also a bit of a twist to the story, too, although it's obvious and not really much of a surprise once it happens.

Needless to say, political correctness is thrown somewhat out of the window when it comes to the description of Africa and its surroundings, even though everything is fictional. The author does quite well with the action side of things, keeping the book moving along at a decent pace and ensuring that the target audience, teenage boys, have enough to get their teeth stuck in to.

Overall, it's a well worked book. Those unfamiliar with Hardy Boys books will find it easy enough to read as a stand alone book as the characterisation is decent. Those who have experienced the Hardys already will probably enjoy the storytelling aspect of the book, but the farcical nature of the basis of the plot spoilt it for me in some respects. Take this negative out, and it's a very good book. With it, however, I just couldn't completely enjoy it.

Revenge of the Desert Phantom is currently available from amazon.com for low prices, but be aware that you'll have to pay P&P from the States, as the book is hard to get hold of in the UK.

Summary: Good Hardy Boys book completely spoilt by unbelievable plot