And I'd appreciate it if someone could refresh my memory. I'm pretty sure it's a HB mystery original/digest. It's been bugging me endlessly now. All I could remember from the plot roughly was that it involved the president, surgery and a doctor (I think his name was Nathan). Frank figured out the kidnapping (?) plot, and that the unknown third person wanting the ransom money was the doctor (something about the million dollars was divided into 3 parts). I know the hints I'm giving are very very vague, so here's hoping that someone here could help tell me which book it was.
I'm almost certain that the book you are talking about is "The Billion Dollar Ransom".
There's also one of The Hardy Boys Casefiles that has a presidential candidate named Nathan. (#103 "Campaign of Crime"), but the plot you describe does sound more like "The Billion Dollar Ransom" (#73 in The Hardy Boys Digests series.)
It's probably the Billion Dollar Ransom, then. I should look it up and read it. It's been years. Thanks!
The part about the President of the US having surgery gave it away. There has only ever been one Hardy Boys book written about the US President having surgery and the boys stopping the attempted kidnapping and that was #73 The Billion Dollar Ransom from 1982.
And that was a pretty cool plotline and book. 8)
I went to pick up a copy of The Billion Dollar Ransom from the local community library, and the librarian, who collected the book for me from the archives, remarked, "Wow, you're the first person to check this out in 30 years!"
LOL
And yep, it's definitely this book. Nice trip down the memory lane. I first read it when I was... 9? I remember envying Frank's mental mathematical ability about the whole splitting the ransom money in three ways :D
30 years??? That's sad. LOL- oh well, someone's keeping it alive in circulation now. ;D