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#21

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMysteries / Re: New Year's Evil (32nd Anni...

Last post by tomswift2002 - March 15, 2024, 07:18:46 AM

So Chapter 2 has a passing reference to The Paris Connection.  It's very slight, since Bess just says that she's been to Paris.

#22

Hardy Boys on TV / Re: Eric Carmen has passed awa...

Last post by MacGyver - March 13, 2024, 12:39:53 AM

I just saw on the news that 1970's hit maker, Eric Carmen died yesterday.  His Hardy Boys connection is that he wrote Shaun Cassidy's #1 hit "That's Rock 'N' Roll" )"(from Cassidy's self-titled album) that was featured on the 1977-1979 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.  Shaun Cassidy also recorded "Hey Deanie" for his second 1977 album, "Born Late" and the song was also featured in the show as well.  Both songs were included on Cassidy's 1979 "Shaun Cassidy Live" album.

Yes- sad news indeed.   I saw Shaun Cassidy post a nice tribute to Eric Carmen on his Facebook page. I pray God brings comfort to Mr. Carmen's family and friends. I watched "The Mystery of the Flying Courier" of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries last night in tribute.

#23

Hardy Boys on TV / Eric Carmen has passed away

Last post by tomswift2002 - March 12, 2024, 07:28:32 AM

I just saw on the news that 1970's hit maker, Eric Carmen died yesterday.  His Hardy Boys connection is that he wrote Shaun Cassidy's #1 hit "That's Rock 'N' Roll" )"(from Cassidy's self-titled album) that was featured on the 1977-1979 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.  Shaun Cassidy also recorded "Hey Deanie" for his second 1977 album, "Born Late" and the song was also featured in the show as well.  Both songs were included on Cassidy's 1979 "Shaun Cassidy Live" album.

#24

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMysteries / New Year's Evil (32nd Annivers...

Last post by tomswift2002 - March 07, 2024, 07:19:24 PM

Published: November 1991
Publisher: Archway Paperbacks (1991-2000?), No Digital Edition
Author: Unknown as of March 2024

Plot: America's Hottest Teen Detectives Team Up To Quell A Crime Wave In Quebec

Nancy Drew heads to Quebec City to investigate sabotage on the set of the romantic TV thriller Dangerous Loves.  But the action behind the scenes is far more chilling than anything on camera.  Somebody is secretly determined to turn the film into a flop.  The movie's title adds an ominous twist to the case when Bess falls for its very attractive star---one of Nancy's prime suspects!

Meanwhile...

Frank and Joe Hardy are also in Quebec for the Winter Carnival's spectacular auto ice-racing event.  But they soon find themselves in a race of their own---to catch a murderer!  Racing champion Andrew Junot has turned up dead.  At the same time a photographer from the movie set has turned up missing.  Nancy, Frank, and Joe form a single resolution: infiltrate the criminal conspiracy in...New Year's Evil

Review:  I mentioned New Year's Evil in my review of River Heights #13 A Mind Of Her Own where I mentioned that the first name book-only character is given the name of Emily, and New Year's Evil could've been that rare book where there was a triple crossover event in the Files-Casefiles Continuity.  Unfortunately, they didn't do that.  The Emily in New Year's Evil is not Emily Van Patten from River Heights who had acted in TV, but Emily Anderson who is Bess Marvin's second cousin.

#25

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by tomswift2002 - February 29, 2024, 08:50:42 AM

I finished the book last night.  One thing I noticed with the cover and text is that in the text the train has a caboose, but the cover doesn't have a caboose.  I'm not sure when Amtrak last used a caboose on their trains (and the train's colors on the cover are clearly Amtrak's colors, but Amtrak is never mentioned in the story), however, even here in the 90's Canadian trains were very rarely using caboose's because of changes in the train regulations in the 80's because of new technology that eliminated the need for a caboose.  So I don't know if the author was simply unaware or what, or he just took author's liberty to have a caboose on the train...

Anyway, the mastermind turned out to be Frank's flame, but the author kind of dropped the ball on her.  The author didn't want the Hardy's to beat up a woman so he kind of jumped through hoops to get Frank to be in possession of her gun.

Also, in the end, while it was about the serum, the author clearly did not think that Talia might've had bigger plans to sell the mutated virus for even more money.  She could've name dropped selling it to the Assassins, however, that never occurred.  Instead she put it in a bomb wired to the train's water boilers.

Rating: 7/10

#26

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by tomswift2002 - February 28, 2024, 07:48:37 AM

Honestly, that's one thing I like about reading these books now. It's nice to be back in a world for a bit where it doesn't feel like technology has taken over everything.

Well, with the Casefiles, considering that the last book was published nearly 4 years before 9/11, besides technology there's a lot of things that were done in the series that if the books were written now wouldn't fly.  I just read Chapter 13 of "Terror On Track" and the killer was able to get a gun onboard.  And there was no mention of metal detectors or other terror-deterrents mentioned at any of the train stations.  So it is interesting to see how much has changed in just 30 years.  But so much has changed with 9/11 and 2020, that Simon & Schuster even allowed Grosset & Dunlap to take the Detective Handbook (which was part of the 1980 court settlement that G&D was able to keep the print rights too) out-of-print a few years ago because the basics of police and detective work have had to change majorly because of 9/11. 

#27

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by MacGyver - February 27, 2024, 01:59:34 AM

Reading Terror On Track shows the datedness of the book.  At one point Frank and Joe receive a telegram when the train pulls into a station, and then there are a few times where they want to update Fenton, however they can't because they do not have a cellphone, whereas nowadays in 2024, they probably both would have had a cell (along with the conductor, who after Andrew Driscoll is found murdered, says that he needs to let the engineer know to radio the station ahead to have the police waiting to come aboard and conduct an investigation) that they could have called Fenton, even if they had entered an area with no cellphone reception for a little while, rather than waiting.  (Of course there were cellphones in 1991, but outside of big cities the reception was spotty. Also they were expensive.)

Honestly, that's one thing I like about reading these books now. It's nice to be back in a world for a bit where it doesn't feel like technology has taken over everything.

#28

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by MacGyver - February 27, 2024, 01:58:19 AM

This book contains one of the few instances of Frank being a flirt:

That is pretty funny!

#29

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by tomswift2002 - February 26, 2024, 08:49:09 AM

Reading Terror On Track shows the datedness of the book.  At one point Frank and Joe receive a telegram when the train pulls into a station, and then there are a few times where they want to update Fenton, however they can't because they do not have a cellphone, whereas nowadays in 2024, they probably both would have had a cell (along with the conductor, who after Andrew Driscoll is found murdered, says that he needs to let the engineer know to radio the station ahead to have the police waiting to come aboard and conduct an investigation) that they could have called Fenton, even if they had entered an area with no cellphone reception for a little while, rather than waiting.  (Of course there were cellphones in 1991, but outside of big cities the reception was spotty. Also they were expensive.)

#30

Hardy Boys Casefiles / Re: #57 Terror On Track (32nd ...

Last post by NZone - February 24, 2024, 12:34:28 PM

This book contains one of the few instances of Frank being a flirt:

"Can't you watch where you're going?" a female voice demanded.

Joe stepped back. The woman he'd rammed in to seemed to be in her early twenties. Her eyes were green, and her honey blond hair just touched her shoulders. She wore a green blouse and black jeans. Hanging from her slim neck was a camera fitted with a small tele-photo lens. At her feet was a brown suitcase. "Sorry," Joe said.

Frank picked up the girl's case. "Forgive my brother," he said. "He's the family klutz."

The woman glanced from Joe to Frank. Her full lips relaxed into a slight smile. "Your brother?" she said.

"I'm Frank Hardy, and, yes, he's my brother, Joe." Frank nodded toward Andrew Driscoll.
"And this is our friend Andrew."

"Pleased to meet you," the young woman replied. "I'm Talia Neiman." She gestured at the platform. "I'm taking the Chicago train. Are you traveling or just meeting someone?"

"We're on the Chicago train, too," Frank said.

"Maybe we'll bump into each other again," Talia said with a grin. "Or maybe-hey, Frank, want to catch a late lunch in the dining car?"

Frank's eyebrows went up. "Sure."

Talia gave him a smile. "Good. Long train trips get so boring without someone to talk to. Shall we say three-fifteen?"

Frank nodded, and Talia set off across the platform and disappeared in the crowd.

"If I knew that's what happened on long-distance trips, I'd take the train more often," Andrew said.

"Some people are just born lucky," Frank told him with a grin. "Come on, let's find our compartments."

. . .

Picking up a towel, Frank went out into the corridor to wash his face in the lavatory. He filled the basin and splashed cool, refreshing water on his face.

"Beautifying yourself for lunch?" Joe asked Frank as he returned. He was still a little jealous. "She should have asked me. I'm the one who bumped into her." He gave his brother an evil smile. "Funny how she looks a little like Callie Shaw."

At the mention of his girlfriend's name Frank's head snapped around. "You know, she does." For a second he felt slightly guilty.

"But don't worry. I won't tell Callie that you go out with strange women whenever her back is turned. You can trust me, Frank." Joe was enjoying teasing his brother.

"It's just lunch," Frank protested.

"Sure. Just think of Callie while you're out enjoying your lunch. And maybe you can spare a thought for Andrew and me, while you're putting pleasure in front of business."