#56 Height Of Danger (31st Anniversary Review)

[tomswift2002]

Published: October 1991
Publisher: Archway Paperbacks (1991-1999)
Author: Unknown as of March 2022

Plot:On the slippery slopes of international intrigue the competition can be deadly!

Frank and Joe are working security at the World Snowboarding Championships in Austria, and they're learning fast that the Alps can be as dangerous as they are beautiful -- the perfect setting for sabotage. Ken Gibson is the number-one competitor and the number-one target. Reason: He's been leading a secret life!

The race is on, and the stakes are as steep as they get. Frank and Joe discover that both the Network and an underworld gang have gotten into the game. The Hardys are standing on top of a mountain of trouble -- and it's about to explode under their feet!

Review:  I'm about half-way through this book.  So far the Network hasn't shown up, but it's interesting in that the last book to feature the Network was #47 Flight Into Danger and then #43 Strategic Moves.  And so far there's been no sign of the Gray Man. 

However, Height Of Danger does have a huge Soviet Union-era vibe to it, which is interesting, considering that when this book hit book store shelves in mid-to-late-September 1991, the Soviet Union would only be around for another 2.5 months. The Soviet stuff is toned down from where it was in Strategic Moves, since I guess the editor at the time could see that the world was headed to a point where there might've been a massive political change occurring soon, that they didn't want the book to seem dated as soon as it was released.

[tomswift2002]

The Gray Man finally shows up at the end of Chapter 8.  His first appearance since the Hardy's last saw him in England in Strategic Moves.

[MacGyver]

Nice review. About all I remember of Height of Danger is that The Hardy Boys are at a snowboarding competition in Austria and The Network is involved.
  As I've said before, one of these days I should reread the whole series in order.

[tomswift2002]

I actually finished Height of Danger a few days ago.  Really I felt the author left a few plot threads dangling and really introduced them just to pad out the story.  What was up with the code book?  The author really didn't explain, and Frank and Joe gave it to the Gray Man before they could decipher even a part of it.  Then, in the end it turned out that the Network was tracking down a counterfeiting ring that was counterfeiting a bunch of European currency (such as Swiss Francs and German Marks).  Also, as this book was printed in 1991, this was before the Euro was introduced on January 1, 2002, so the book is dated in that way.

Overall, it's not the best Casefile, but it's also not the worst.

Rating: 6/10

[NZone]

Swiss Francs are still around.

In this book Joe is said to have a weakness for redheads, although that's the one hair color he hasn't dated.

[tomswift2002]

Swiss Francs are still around.

In this book Joe is said to have a weakness for redheads, although that's the one hair color he hasn't dated.

Swiss Francs may still be around but German Deutsche Marks are not.

[MacGyver]

Yep- Switzerland is still quite independent and has its own currency.  

[tomswift2002]

Yep- Switzerland is still quite independent and has its own currency.  

Well you can pay in Euros in Switzerland, but you'll get francs back.

[MacGyver]

Yeah- I imagine that's probably the case throughout Europe (that Euros are accepted.) And you can pay with a Visa card pretty much worldwide it seems. (Or at least I've been able to use it in Switzerland and other countries anyway.)