Hardy Boys Canon
The "Canon" refers to the 58 volumes published by Grosset and Dunlap from 1927 to 1978, as well as the Detective Handbook. For many collectors, these are the "true" Hardy Boys books. In any case, their long history means that there's a lot to say about them! A detailed booklist, with cover art, is shown below, and I've divided the rest of the information into the following parts:
- History - from the beginnings in the 1920s to the end in the 1970s.
- Revisions - a timeline of the revisions, an overview of the types of revisions that were carried out, and a list of ghostwriters.
- Interior art - information about the black-and-white interior illustrations.
- Cover art - a list of cover artists and a timeline that charts the date when each new cover appeared.
- Front cover design - classification and discussion of the graphic design of the covers.
- Spine design - description of the various spine colours and designs.
- Back cover design - description of the back cover designs.
- Endpapers - scans of the endpapers (the inside front and back covers) and a key to the scenes they depict.
- Interior formatting - layout of title page, contents, headings; fonts used.
Canon booklist
This list gives the following information for each book: publication dates for original and revised editions, plot summaries, ghostwriters, and cover art (image, artist, and date). You can also just view a simple Canon checklist.
- 1. The Tower Treasure
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- 1927: Leslie McFarlane
- The Tower Mansion has been robbed and the father of a friend is under suspicion. The boys discover the real thief and track down the loot.
- 1959: Harriet S. Adams
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, but follows same basic plot.
- 2. The House on the Cliff
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- 1927: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys crack a smuggling ring operating out of an old house on the cliffs of Barmet Bay and rescue their captured father in the process.
- 1959: Harriet S. Adams
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, but follows same basic plot.
- 3. The Secret of the Old Mill
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- 1927: Leslie McFarlane
- Counterfeit money is circulating in Bayport! The boys track down the counterfeiting gang at their base in an old mill.
- 1962: Alistair Hunter
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; old counterfeiting plot retained, but new subplot involving sabotage of U.S. missile development added.
- 4. The Missing Chums
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- 1928: Leslie McFarlane
- Chet and Biff are kidnapped and held for ransom by a gang of bank robbers, who mistakenly believe they are holding Frank and Joe.
- 1962: James Buechler
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, but many plot elements retained.
- 5. Hunting for Hidden Gold
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- 1928: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys head to Montana to track down a buried stash of gold.
- 1963: Alistair Hunter
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, but many plot elements retained.
- 6. The Shore Road Mystery
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- 1928: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys clear their friend's name and defeat a gang of car thieves operating in the Shore Road area by using a Trojan Horse maneuver.
- 1964: David Grambs
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; car-theft plot retained, but new subplot involving long-lost treasure added.
- 7. The Secret of the Caves
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- 1929: Leslie McFarlane
- A woman asks the boys to track down her missing brother, whom they discover is suffering from amnesia and living as a hermit in the caves near Bayport.
- 1964: Andrew E. Svenson
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; missing-man story retained as a subplot, but new main plot involves sabotage of a radar station.
- 8. The Mystery of Cabin Island
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- 1929: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys solve the mystery of a missing stamp collection while camping on an island in Barmet Bay during their Christmas vacation.
- 1966: Anne Shultes, revised by Andrew E. Svenson and Harriet S. Adams
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, but most plot elements retained.
- 9. The Great Airport Mystery
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- 1930: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys are framed for air-mail theft and must solve the case to clear their names.
- 1965: Tom Mulvey
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; new plot involves the theft of valuable electronics and the "ghost" of a pilot presumed killed in the Caribbean.
- 10. What Happened at Midnight
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- 1931: Leslie McFarlane
- Joe is kidnapped as the clock strikes midnight; after his rescue, the boys travel to New York in pursuit of a ring of diamond smugglers.
- 1967: Tom Mulvey
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; some plot elements retained, but new main plot involves the theft of a valuable invention.
- 11. While the Clock Ticked
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- 1932: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys discover how and why Raymond Dalrymple is receiving threatening notes in a secret room of the old Purdy mansion.
- 1962: James Buechler
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; most plot elements retained, but a different villain is added.
- 12. Footprints Under the Window
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- 1933: Leslie McFarlane (?)
- The boys crack a human trafficking ring smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants into America.
- 1965: David Grambs
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; a couple of plot elements are retained, but the illegal immigrants are now refugees from South America and the main plot centres on the planned theft of a top-secret satellite camera.
- 13. The Mark on the Door
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- 1934: Leslie McFarlane (?)
- The boys go to Mexico with their father in search of a missing witness in a court case involving fradulent oil stocks.
- 1967: Tom Mulvey
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; many plot elements retained.
- 14. The Hidden Harbor Mystery
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- 1935: Leslie McFarlane (?)
- In the course of solving a robbery for which they were unjustly accused, the boys go to the South and end a long-standing family feud, solving a case for their father in the process.
- 1961: James Buechler
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; only the central element of a family feud in the South is retained.
- 15. The Sinister Signpost
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- 1936: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys track down a stolen racehorse and save Bayport from destruction by the madman Vilnoff.
- 1968: Tom Mulvey
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; two elements (a stolen racehorse and an evil inventor) are retained, but the plot is otherwise completely different, involving the theft of top-secret racecar engine plans.
- 16. A Figure in Hiding
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- 1937: Leslie McFarlane
- The boys foil the "Eye Syndicate", a gang run by the phony eye surgeon Doc Grafton.
- 1965: James Duncan Lawrence
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; some themes and characters from the original are adapted into the completely different plot, which involves a theft ring and a facility offering plastic surgery to criminals.
- 17. The Secret Warning
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- 1938: John Button
- While searching for a million dollars' worth of treasure in a sunken ship, the boys must deal with unscrupulous diver Gus Kuntz.
- 1966: James Duncan Lawrence
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; the idea of treasure in a sunken ship is retained, but is now part of an insurance fraud plot.
- 18. The Twisted Claw
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- 1939: John Button
- The boys go undercover on a pirate ship to defeat the "Twisted Claw" smugglers and reveal their island stronghold.
- 1969: Tom Mulvey
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; many plot elements retained.
- 19. The Disappearing Floor
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- 1940: John Button
- The boys help to bring a gang of bank robbers to justice.
- 1966: James Duncan Lawrence
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; some plot elements retained.
- 20. (The) Mystery of the Flying Express
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- 1941: John Button
- The boys foil a foreign spy training operation using the "Flying Express" train.
- 1970: Vincent Buranelli
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, with no plot elements retained from the original; the new story involves the disappearance of the "Flying Express" hydrofoil.
- 21. The Clue of the Broken Blade
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- 1942: John Button
- The boys solve a series of truck thefts and locate Arthur Barker's stolen swords.
- 1969: Richard Deming
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; some plot elements are retained, but the new story involves a gang of bank robbers who are searching for the missing half of a sword belonging to the family of the Hardy Boys' fencing instructor.
- 22. The Flickering Torch Mystery
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- 1943: Leslie McFarlane
- While working at an experimental farm, the boys investigate the disappearance of valuable silkworms and the theft of government building materials.
- 1971: Vincent Buranelli
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, with no plot elements retained from the original; the new story centres on a scheme involving smuggled uranium isotopes.
- 23. The Melted Coins
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- 1944: Leslie McFarlane
- After receiving an amnesiac's warning about the "Curse of the Caribbees," the boys foil a gang that is stealing valuable coins and melting them down for counterfeit.
- 1970: Andrew E. Svenson
- Revision type: Completely rewritten, with no plot elements retained from the original; the new story involves a summer-school scam and the theft of a sacred Seneca mask.
- 24. The Short-Wave Mystery
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- 1945: Leslie McFarlane
- An investigation into stolen radio parts leads the boys to northern Canada, where they locate a group of missing scientists.
- 1966: Priscilla Baker-Carr, David Grambs
- Revision type: Completely rewritten; some plot elements are retained, but the new story involves industrial espionage and taxidermy.
- 25. The Secret Panel
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- 1946: Harriet S. Adams
- The boys' search for a kidnapped doctor leads them to a mysterious mansion whose doors have no visible knobs or locks.
- 1969: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 26. The Phantom Freighter
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- 1947: Amy McFarlane
- While attempting to arrange a cruise on a freighter for an eccentric stranger, the boys stumble upon a ring of smugglers and forgers who are holding scientists captive on a mysterious ship.
- 1970: Priscilla Baker-Carr, revised by Andrew E. Svenson
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 27. The Secret of Skull Mountain
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- 1948: George Waller Jr.
- The boys avert a crisis when they discover the reason why water is disappearing from a new reservoir in Bayport.
- 1966: David Grambs
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 28. The Sign of the Crooked Arrow
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- 1949: Andrew E. Svenson
- The boys travel to their cousin's ranch in New Mexico and crack a ring of thieves who knock out their victims using gas hidden in cigarettes.
- 1970: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 29. The Secret of the Lost Tunnel
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- 1950: Andrew E. Svenson
- The boys go to the South to solve a Civil War mystery involving a Confederate general's alleged theft of gold.
- 1968: David Grambs, June Dunn, Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 30. The Wailing Siren Mystery
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- 1951: Andrew E. Svenson, rewritten by Harriet S. Adams
- The boys discover that Central American revolutionaries are hiding stolen equipment and munitions in the North Woods of Bayport.
- 1968: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 31. The Secret of Wildcat Swamp
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- 1952: William Halstead, rewritten by William Dougherty
- In the West, the boys crack a gang of train robbers, nab an escaped convict, and recover a missing deed.
- 1969: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 32. The Crisscross Shadow
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- 1953: Richard Cohen
- The boys search for the deed to a Native reservation while tangling with a gang of saboteurs.
- 1969: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 33. The Yellow Feather Mystery
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- 1953: William Dougherty
- The search for a missing will takes the boys to Woodson Academy, where they unmask a dangerous villain.
- 1971: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 34. The Hooded Hawk Mystery
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- 1954: Charles S. Strong, rewritten by Harriet S. Adams
- With help from a trained peregrine falcon, the boys bring a gang of people-smugglers to justice and rescue a captive Indian prince.
- 1971: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 35. The Clue in the Embers
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- 1955: John Almquist
- A clue in a curio collection brings the boys to Guatemala, where they foil a plot to steal national treasures.
- 1972: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 36. The Secret of Pirates' Hill
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- 1956: John Almquist
- Hired to locate an old Spanish cannon, the boys encounter dangerous criminals as they dive for the sunken treasure.
- 1972: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 37. The Ghost at Skeleton Rock
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- 1957: James Duncan Lawrence
- A cryptic message from their father brings the boys to the Caribbean, where they foil a plot involving a Cuban revolution and an atomic bomb.
- 1966: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Minor revisions.
- 38. (The) Mystery at Devil's Paw
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- 1959: James Duncan Lawrence
- Tony Prito asks the boys to help him in Alaska, where his party has been attacked by a gang who turn out to be searching for a lost moon rocket.
- 1973: Priscilla Baker-Carr
- Revision type: Very minor revisions.
- 39. The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
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- 1960: James Duncan Lawrence (last 3 chapters by Andrew E. Svenson)
- The Hardys and Chet get more than they bargain for when they buy a Chinese junk that turns out to contain a hidden treasure.
- 40. Mystery of the Desert Giant
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- 1961: James Buechler
- The boys head to the California desert to rescue a missing industrialist and foil a clever plot to defraud the US government.
- 41. The Clue of the Screeching Owl
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- 1962: James Buechler
- In the Pocono Mountains, the boys search for their father's missing friend and solve the mystery of the purportedly haunted Black Hollow.
- 42. The Viking Symbol Mystery
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- 1963: Alistair M. Hunter
- The boys head to Canada's Northwest Territories in search of a stolen Viking runestone, and foil a group of thieves in the process.
- 43. The Mystery of the Aztec Warrior
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- 1964: Harriet S. Adams
- A handwritten will sends the boys on a series of adventures in Mexico in a hunt for the descendant of an Aztec warrior.
- 44. The Haunted Fort
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- 1965: David Grambs
- Chet asks the boys to help solve the theft of valuable paintings in New England, which leads to a hunt for a valuable gold chain in an eerie fort.
- 45. The Mystery of the Spiral Bridge
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- 1966: Andrew E. Svenson
- Saboteurs have kidnapped Fenton Hardy, and the boys must rescue their father while foiling a plot to blow up a bridge in Kentucky.
- 46. The Secret Agent on Flight 101
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- 1967: Tom Mulvey
- A magician who turns out to be the head of an international gang kidnaps Fenton Hardy, and the search for their father leads the boys to foil a jewel heist.
- 47. Mystery of the Whale Tattoo
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- 1968: Jerrold Mundis
- A traveling carnival and a valuable artifact lead the boys to a mysterious gang whose members each bear a special tattoo.
- 48. The Arctic Patrol Mystery
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- 1969: Andrew E. Svenson
- In Iceland searching for a man who is owed a reward, the boys come across a plot to foil the US moon project.
- 49. The Bombay Boomerang
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- 1970: Vincent Buranelli
- Investigating thefts of mercury shipments, the boys uncover a sinister plot to release nerve gas and overthrow the US government.
- 50. Danger on Vampire Trail
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- 1971: Andrew E. Svenson
- The boys and their friends go camping in the Rockies and track down a credit-card forgery ring.
- 51. The Masked Monkey
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- 1972: Vincent Buranelli
- The search for the son of a wealthy industrialist takes the boys to Brazil and helps them to bring an identity fraud gang to justice.
- 52. The Shattered Helmet
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- 1973: Andrew E. Svenson
- While searching for a priceless ancient Greek helmet, the boys help their father to crack an international crime syndicate.
- 53. The Clue of the Hissing Serpent
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- 1974: Andrew E. Svenson
- A stolen chess trophy and a mysterious hot-air balloon lead the boys to Hong Kong on the trail of an international crime ring.
- 54. The Mysterious Caravan
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- 1975: Andrew E. Svenson
- The boys' discovery of an ancient bronze death mask in Jamaica leads to adventures in North Africa.
- 55. The Witchmaster's Key
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- 1976: Vincent Buranelli
- In the British Isles to investigate a robbery, the boys must contend with a coven of witches.
- 56. The Jungle Pyramid
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- 1977: Vincent Buranelli
- The search for stolen gold bullion takes the boys to Switzerland and Mexico.
- 57. The Firebird Rocket
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- 1978: Vincent Buranelli
- Fenton Hardy enlists his sons to search for a missing rocket scientist in Australia.
- 58. The Sting of the Scorpion
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- 1979: James Duncan Lawrence
- As their father investigates a gang of terrorists, the boys find clues in an airship company and a newly-opened zoo.
- X. The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook
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- 1959: in consultation with Captain D. A. Spina
- Summary to appear.
- 1972: in consultation with Special Agent William F. Flynn
- Revision type: Summary to appear.
References
- Identification of ghostwriters follows James Keeline's paper, Who wrote the Hardy Boys? Secrets from the Syndicate files revealed.
- Identification of cover artists and cover art dates follows Bob Finnan's Hardy Boys Original Series page.
