Why Don't You Just Flick Off? (The Hardy Boys: The Flickering Torch Mystery - Franklin W. Dixon)

Member Name: keeperofthematri

Product:	The Hardy Boys: The Flickering Torch Mystery - Franklin W. Dixon
Date:	25/06/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Aunt Gertrude is featured more than normal

Disadvantages: Dated. Badly plotted. Dull.

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....

The Flickering Torch Mystery was published in the US in 1943 & was the twenty second in the series. It was heavily revised in 1971 when a new story was written mainly using new ideas rather than material from the original. The book first appeared in the UK in 1972 & was numbered 15 when it was published by Armada. This review is for the Armada edition which is different to the one that pmcds has reviewed.

The story begins with scientist Asa Grable visiting the Hardy household in the hope of persuading the boys father, Fenton, to work on a case for him. He's a scientist whose experiments involve silkworms & a number of them have gone missing recently. Fenton Hardy tells the scientist that he's going away on a trip but recommends that Frank & Joe take on the case, promising that he'll take over when he gets back if they haven't solved it by then. All seems agreed until a threatening phonecall makes Mr. Grable backtrack & try to pretend that nothing's wrong at all. Eventually it's agreed that the boys can investigate but that they'll have to do it undercover & that nobody can know who they really are.

By a lucky coincidence the boys had already arranged to work on the Scientific Experimental Farm which just happens to be right next door to Mr. Grable's. Who would have thought it? They have also arranged to stay with a Mrs. Trumper whilst working at the farm so, rather than be left alone in the house, Aunt Gertrude decides that she'll go along & stay with Mrs. Trumper as well.

Fenton Hardy tells the boys that he's working on a case involving theft of parts from government construction sites & that the gang concerned appear to be using a "flickering torch" as their way of communicating. He warns them to be on the look out for trouble if they should ever see a flickering torch.

The boys work at the Experimental Farm & their investigations of the silkworm thefts turn up a number of suspicious characters who may or may not be involved with the silkworm thefts and / or the Flickering Torch gang. Even Asa Grable is suspected at one point of being involved in the case in some way.


The usual supporting characters who appear in this book are:-

+ Fenton Hardy
+ Laura Hardy
+ Aunt Gertrude
+ Chet Morton


This is another book I read as a child, possibly more than once, but which I didn't remember anything about. I can only assume that I've blocked it out of my mind as it's without doubt, the worst book I've reviewed to date. The story is dull & turgid, the majority of the other characters in the book all act suspiciously & are hostile towards the boys and the overall structure of the book lacks cohesion. The clues, such as they are, don't really link anyone to the Flickering Torch gang or the silkworm thefts & it's only after the gang is rounded up & everything is explained that we get to find out who was involved with the thefts of the silkworms & the construction equipment & who wasn't.

Definitely not the book to introduce your kids to the Hardy Boys with!

At the time of writing used paperback versions can be otained from 1p upwards.

Summary: One for the diehard fans only.