I am for the very first time reading Time Bomb. I am also adding the entries into the encyclopedia database.
This book takes place after Hardy Boys Casefiles #66 The Phoenix Equation, since it is mentions that Fenton was recently thought to have been killed. I think both books came out the same month too so this makes since. There are other Casefile references too (death of Iola for instance) that make this a good fit within the Casefiles series.
I am only about half way through so far though. So far I like the book. I feel like I would enjoy it more if I knew about Tom Swift more (never read any of his books before), but not necessary it seems to at least understand what is going on.
A few years ago I put all the Tom Swift and Hardy Boys Casefiles references on the Tom Swift Wiki. https://tomswift.wikia.com/wiki/Time_Bomb
But, yeah, Time Bomb is easily one of the best Hardy Boys every written, although I do have to disagree with the whole old earth/evolution angle, especially since science has disproven it time and time again.
But when you thing of the whole Files-Casefiles universe overall,
Spoiler
the events of Time Bomb cause a split of universes, in which the Hardy Boys Casefiles come to an end with the Operation Phoenix Trilogy, the Nancy Drew And Hardy Boys SuperMystery ends with Spies And Lies, the Nancy Drew Files end with the Passport To Romance trilogy and the Tom Swift series ends with Fire Biker and a parallel universe picks up for the rest of the Files-Casefiles universe right through to Process Of Elimination, albeit with a very different even occurring for the Time Bomb story.
Nice! I'm glad to have the Ultra Thrillers included. I much enjoyed them when I finally read them a few years back. :) 8)
On the cover of Time Bomb (https://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/series/tomswift.php?book_no=1), which one is Joe and which one is Tom?
I think Joe is meant to be the one in the green shirt and Tom the one in the red shirt.
Joe's the one holding the keyboard and has more the classic crew cut, whereas Tom's the one firing the laser and has the early-90's California surging hairstyle. Frank is the one taking on the robot.