What Happened at Midnight (Hardy Boys, Book 10)

My older brother had a collection of the Hardy Boys, which I read because I read everything I could get my hands on. I particularly remember this story because Joe Hardy gets kidnapped and is missing for much of the first part of the book while Frank and the gang hunt high and low for him and try to figure out why he was grabbed in the first place. Their acerbic aunt arrives on the scene and is very amusing. I remembered this part of the book very well, including the beginning where the boys are introduced to the joys of an automat, "The invention of the age!" as chubby Chet Morton proclaims.So when I had a young boy staying with me I got this book to share with him to help him with his reading skills. Imagine my surprise when I was reading it that almost none of the foregoing occurs. I thought I was losing my memory--or was it the first stage of Alzheimers? At any rate, I did some reasearch and discovered that The Hardy Boys were part of a syndicate (one of the all-time most popular in juvenile literature) and were ghost written by a series of writers who all wrote under the pen name that's on all the books: Franklin W. Dixon.The first fifteen were written by Leslie McFarlane and are considered far more engaging and entertaining, not to mention charming, than any by the other writers. I would have to agree. He writes with humor and a keen understanding of how boys think. His stories almost always end with the boys tucking into a giant repast described in delicious detail. There was more attention to detail and relationships as well, and enjoyable banter.However, because he was writing in the twenties, he also included cultural mores that today are politically incorrect. So, volumes 1-38 were re-written between 1959 and 1973, bringing them "up to date." In the process, this revising work took out almost all the character and humor and most definitely the charm. Some books, like What Happened At Midnight, were revised until they hardly resembled the original--which was why I didn't recognize it when I read it in its revised form.Mystery solved! So, when buying these books, please be aware that the story lines may differ according to whether they are the original (in brown clothbound with a black silhouette of the boys on the cover) or the revised version. In my opinion the revised versions are bland and simplistic and dumbed down quite a bit, not to mention five chapters shorter. If you want to meet the Hardy Boys in all their unPC glory, give the original versions a try.

What can I say it's a Hardy Boys classic. My 10yr old son loves these books and follows along with the mysteries. In my opinion, they're better for kids' minds than a lot of other books that are available, though my son reads a large variety of it all. It's all about a group of teen boys who stumble into a mystery and have to solve it together. They often fall into trouble and help each other get out, to then solve the mystery at the end. My son loves the adventure.

Book was good, but the binding is all torn out of the inside cover! I think I should get a replacement for a newer copy? How would I do that?

This is a good story but, it's got some things that annoy me.For one thing, Leslie McFarlane seems to be pandering to his audience here. The "innocent horseplay" that is so glibly dismissed as youthful hijinks in the first two chapters is only slightly short of criminal behavior and certainly is not what we expect of our heroes or their chums.And how about that party at Chet's for 15 to 17 year olds that goes on until 2 AM, complete with orchestra and in the middle of the greatest economic depression in the country's history?For another thing, Aunt Gertrude is at her obnoxious, overbearing worst in this story. For whatever other faults the villian Chris may have had, one can only admire his audacity for standing up to the old hag. Just once I'd like to see perennial jellyfish Laura Hardy get enough gumption to stand up to Gertie and say something along the lines of "Gertrude, you old battle axe, this is my house and these are my boys, so kindly shut up and mind your own business if you wish to continue sponging off us!" but, alas, Laura has never said a word.Another odd thing is the complete absence of Fenton, who is out west on a case. Not a word from him or to him, even when Joe is kidnapped! I kept expecting him to show up and somehow tie his current case into the plot but he never did. Instead, those two dopey government agents show up for the climax. It would have been just as easy to tie Fenton into the plot, so why use those two dopes at all?....We also discover another Hardy relative, a "Cousin Hattie" of Gresham. Just who she is related to is open for speculation but it is Gertie who refers to her as cousin. We also learn the Gertie is 65 years of age, which has to make her Fenton's elder, if not eldest, sister.The one part of the story I particularly enjoyed was the Boys' trip to the city. Their adventures there are plausible and well written. The recounting of their trek back to Bayport (sleeping in Central Park, taking trollies etc.) lends an air of authenticity to the story.Rating: B-Originally reviewed by me in my Bayport Times Issue #21

I was disappointed since it was totally rewritten from the version I read many years ago. With some friends I had made a home movie pretending to be characters in the book based on the original plot (at least 60 years ago). The new version is probably much better and I have grandchildren who will probably like it. My rating is personal.

With my COVD lock down these books kill an afternoon...they are nice.. it's like going back in time

Those is a classic Hardy Boys tale updated to keep it more current. It still has the classic Hardy Boys feel.

The Hardy Boy's series is for my great grandson. He enjoys the series as I did as a young boy. He keeps his books in his library, and it is important to him that the books arrive in apple pie condition.

One of my kids got hooked on the Hardy Boys, passed it onto the next, and I have three children (plus myself) who must read every Hardy Boys book. This one was no exception. A very entertaining and page-turning novel.I recommend it wholeheartedly.

What a great product, I’m still being told it’s being delivered and it’s late, but it arrived in perfect condition the next day

Another hardy boys classic

Bought this for my grandson as I loved reading them as a young child. He too is loving the story.

I loved this book. Im now on the 11th book but I have still got a long way to go! I must recomend it.