I have a brand new book for you to read and enjoy. This is the Hardy Boys the Mystery of the Missing Chums. The original version of this story differs quite a lot from the UK and indeed the American reprint that made its way to the bookshelves when I was small.
Here the boys have a bunch of hardened crims to deal with on the ominous Blacksnake Island. Of course Biff and Chet are still captured but this time the story, is much more believable. There is some genuine peril here, unlike the reprint which seems to hang around Shanty town too much and seems to involve the coast guard far too much.
The premise is that Chet, and Biff are off on a trip up the coast and the two boys can't come as they have to look after their mum. Fenton Hardy is off on the trail of a crook, called Baldy Turk, in Chicago. So the boys are stuck at home.
As I noted before, Aunt Gertrude shows up, and is a total beast in this. She's a surprise guest, and treats the two lads as if they were still little kids. She has a cat called Lavinia. She settles in and runs the house as if it was her own, this includes steaming open Fenton Hardy's personal mail. Will not spoil this for you any more, but with both versions up you can read the two side by side and see what commonalities they both have.
Next ones will be the Shortwave mystery. So will have to get my finger out and transcribe this.
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