Published: December 1990
Publisher: Archway Paperbacks (1990-2000)
Author: Larry Mike Garmon
Plot: When you're playing hardball, the game is bound to get rough.
Someone's embezzling major league money from the minor league Bayport Blues, and retired baseball great, manager Stuart Murphy, is the prime suspect. He wants the Hardy boys to clear his name -- and as a sign of good faith, he gives them a vintage baseball card valued at $100,000!
But the boys face a dangerous lineup of hoods and henchmen who want the card at all costs. The game is heating up fast, and every pitch is down and dirty. Frank and Joe are right in the line of fire, and they'll have to come out swinging -- or risk becoming the ultimate victims of foul play.
Review: It's a week before Christmas, and Frank is still trying to figure out what to get Callie for Christmas (shouldn't be too hard, she'd probably like a lovely diamond ring and for Frank to ask her that all important question!), but before he can finish, a delivery man drops off a registered letter, addressed to F. Hardy. Frank immediately opens the package, forgetting he's not the only 'F. Hardy' in the house and finds himself holding an extremely rare 1911 Honus Wagner baseball card. From there things only escalate, and Joe has to solve the case with his arm immobilized.
Joe really gets beat-up in this book as the Hardy's tackle what turns out to be a major issue with the mafia. And it turns out that the General Manager of the Bayport Blues is heavily indebted to the mafia, as he likes to gamble.
Rating: 7.5/10
I forgot this book was set at Christmas time. Cool! I will have to remember this one for a Christmas reread. (I think Perfect Getaway and Shock Jock are the only other Casefiles books set at Christmas.)
#82 Poisoned Paradise is also set at Christmas, and of course the SuperMystery'88 book A Crime For Christmas.
Okay- I didn't realize Poisoned Paradise is set at Christmas. I will have to look through that one again. And yeah- I definitely remembered A Crime for Christmas but that's technically a different series. (But the Supermysteries are obviously set in the same universe.)
Plus there's also New Year's Evil that takes place just after Christmas (like December 27/28-January 1/2) and over New Year's.
And of course, while not in the Casefiles, there is always the 2 Original Classics of The Mystery of Cabin Island.
Yep. I recall we did a holiday reading list thread a few years back.
https://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/forums/index.php?topic=2276.0