As a dedicated fan of The Happy Hollisters, you may already know that “Jerry West” was a pseudonym for author Andrew Svenson. But did you know that Andrew Svenson was also known as “Franklin W. Dixon,” author of The Hardy Boys?
In 1948, Andrew Svenson was hired as a staff writer for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book packager that produced many popular series books for children. His first assignments included the Mel Martin Baseball Series (1948) and The Bobbsey Twins (1950). He later become the head of the Boys’ Series Division and was made a partner in the Syndicate in 1961.
In addition to The Happy Hollisters, Andrew Svenson has more than 80 children’s books to his credit. He played an active part in all stages of production, including outlining, writing, editing, rewriting, and art direction for The Hardy Boys (as “Franklin W. Dixon”), The Bobbsey Twins (as “Laura Lee Hope”), and The Tollivers (as “Alan Stone”), among others. The list below details his contributions to The Hardy Boys.
1949
The Sign of the Crooked Arrow (Volume 28)
Written by Andrew Svenson based on outline by Harriet S. Adams
Synopsis:
With only the slender clue of an arrow-shaped tie clasp, Frank and Joe Hardy pick up the trail of a cunning gang of thieves responsible for a wave of jewelry-store holdups. But their investigations are interrupted when a desperate plea for help comes from their widowed cousin who lives on a cattle ranch in New Mexico. Frank, Joe, and their pal Chet fly there immediately, and manage to put an end to the trouble at the ranch and solve the jewelry-store robberies.
1950
The Secret of the Lost Tunnel (Volume 29)
Written by Andrew Svenson based on outline by Harriet S. Adams
Synopsis:
Difficult assignments are nothing new to the Hardy boys and this one that takes them to the Deep South is particularly challenging. Their mission: to vindicate a long-dead Confederate general, disgraced during the Civil War because he was accused of stealing hidden gold belonging to a bank. Skillfully avoiding booby traps and flying bullets, the boys persevere in their perilous quest. The arduous search is full of surprises that will thrill all fans of the Hardy boys.
1951
The Wailing Siren Mystery (Volume 30)
Written by Andrew Svenson and Harriet S. Adams based on outline by Harriet S. Adams
Synopsis:
Caught in their motorboat the Sleuth by a sudden storm at sea, Frank and Joe Hardy are relieved to see the lights of a yacht. But their SOS ignored. The shrill sound of a siren fills the night air and moments later a helicopter drops an object alongside the Sleuth: a wallet containing two thousand dollars! The next day, a truck carrying a shipment of high-powered rifles has been stolen. These two apparently unconnected events are clues in a tangle of mystery which turns out to be one of the detective brothers’ most exciting adventures.
1953
The Crisscross Shadow (Volume 32)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Richard Cohen
Synopsis:
When a man selling leather goods door-to-door steals the key to their detective father’s file cabinet, Frank and Joe Hardy set out to track him down. An odd mark on a key case which the man sold to their mother leads the teenage sleuths to an Indian village, whose chiefs begs them to help him find valuable tribal possessions and the deed for his land. How Frank and Joe find the missing deed and Ramapan treasures, how they prevent the phony leather-goods salesman from carrying out a ruthless scheme and how they help their father solve the top-secret case he is working on for the U.S. government makes exciting reading for all fans of the Hardy boys.
1954
The Yellow Feather Mystery (Volume 33)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by William Dougherty
Synopsis:
The famous young detectives Frank and Joe Hardy are caught up in a dangerous web of intrigue when they agree to help Greg Woodson search for his grandfather’s missing will. When Henry Kurt, the temporary headmaster of Woodson Academy, insists that he is to inherit the property from Greg’s grandfather, the case becomes even trickier. Frank and Joe must risk their lives several times before they solve the mystery of Yellow Feather and trap a sinister criminal who will stop at nothing–even murder–to satisfy his greed for money.
1956
The Secret of Pirate’s Hill (Volume 36)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by John Almquist
Synopsis:
In a series of hair-raising adventures both on land and undersea the teenage brother detectives pit their wits against some of the most ruthless criminals they have ever encountered. It all starts when Frank and Joe are skin diving just for fun and the thrill of exploring the undersea world. Suddenly, deep in the waters that flow near the foot of Pirates’ Hill, a mysterious skin diver fires a spear through Frank’s air hose. From this moment on, danger is never far away. The very lives of the boys are at stake as they, along with the help of their pals, uncover a mystery involving an old Spanish cannon and a fabulous sunken treasure.
1957
The Ghost of Skeleton Rock (Volume 37)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by James Duncan Lawrence
Synopsis:
A cryptic message from their famous detective father and a note concealed in a ventriloquist’s dummy lead Frank and Joe Hardy on a dangerous search to the tropical islands in the Caribbean. There the teenage detectives are constantly beset by vicious henchmen of a criminal mastermind. Danger stalks the boys’ every move, once in an isolated sugar mill, another time in a shark-infested sea. But when Frank and Joe come face to face with the ghost at Skeleton Rock, it will be as much of a surprise to the reader as it was to the young detectives themselves.
1959
The Mystery at Devil’s Paw (Volume 38)
Outlined by Harriet S. Adams and Andrew Svenson; written by James Duncan Lawrence
Synopsis:
When Frank and Joe Hardy receive a telegram from Tony Prito in Alaska telling them that his life is in jeopardy, they immediately make plans to fly to Tony’s rescue. Unknown enemies dog the Hardys and their pal Chet Morton even before they start the 4,000-mile journey. Puzzling questions lead the Hardys into dangerous sleuthing in the wilderness of Alaska and British Columbia. The astounding secret that the young detectives uncover, in the shadow of the forbidding mountain peak Devil’s Paw, winds up one of the most perilous adventures they have ever encountered.
1960
The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (Volume 39)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by James Duncan Lawrence
Synopsis:
The Hardys purchase a Chinese junk to use as a ferry service, in order to make some money over the summer. It soon becomes apparent that others are very interested in the ship.
1961
The Mystery of the Desert Giant (Volume 40)
Outlined by Harriet S. Adams and Andrew Svenson; written by James Buechler
Synopsis:
In a search for the missing Willard Grafton, Frank Hardy and younger brother Joe, encounter a gang of criminals intent on defrauding the US government, and are lead across California and even into Mexico.
1962
While the Clock Ticked (Volume 11; Revised Text)
Outlined by Harriet Adams, Grace Grote, and Andrew Svenson; written by James Buechler
Synopsis:
A banker who has been receiving threatening notes enlists the help of the Hardy boys. Before long, the young sleuths find themselves entangled in the investigation of a notorious band of thieves.
1963
The Viking Symbol Mystery (Volume 42)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Alistair Hunter
Synopsis:
The Canadian Northwest beckons Frank and Joe Hardy to mystery and adventure. It all starts when a French-Canadian trapper, Caribou Caron, makes a historical and valuable find–-a carved rune stone left by Vikings centuries ago near Great Slave Lake. When Caribou Caron attempts to sell the artifact to a representative of a museum, it is snatched by thieves. Like the intrepid Vikings of old, Frank and Joe, with their close pal Chet Morton, set off on a perilous quest in the Northwest Territories to recover the valuable artifact before the robbers can decipher the symbols leading to the buried treasure.
1964
The Secret of the Caves (Volume 7; Revised Text)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
Triggered by the disappearance of a brilliant young professor, this mystery takes the Hardy boys first to Kenworthy College, where they find a puzzling message on an examination paper. But then, a new clue is unearthed that sends the young detectives to the Honeycomb Caves. After many dangerous encounters, Frank and Joe discover a powerful searchlight in one of the craggy caverns along the seacoast. In the brilliant white glare of the searchlight, the startling secret of the caves is dramatically revealed.
1966
The Mystery of the Spiral Bridge (Volume 45)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Fun fact: This book mentions “Andy and Eric, two brothers who live on Church Street”—a reference to his sons and their home on Church Street in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Synopsis:
Frank and Joe Hardy are determined to bring to justice the vicious criminals who kidnapped their detective father while he was investigating sabotage of a road-building project in the Kentucky wilderness. After Mr. Hardy’s escape, the two young sleuths are spurred into action when he mumbles the word “Felix,” and they discover a dossier of a notorious ex-convict was stolen from his files. The trail leads them to New York City but ends abruptly in a cemetery! With the new clue of a spiral symbol the boys head to Kentucky as part of a highway construction crew to track down the kidnappers and saboteurs.
1966
The Mystery of Cabin Island (Volume 8; Revised Text)
Outlined and written by Anne Shultes with revisions by Harriet S. Adams and Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
With two mysteries to solve, Frank and Joe must climb aboard their iceboat the Sea Gull to reach Cabin Island, where a belligerent stranger orders them off. Sabotage to the boat, danger to themselves, and a ghostly prowler do not daunt the Hardy boys in their search for Johnny Jefferson and for clues to stolen antique medals. How the teenage investigators outwit a ruthless foe and succeed in solving both mysteries make for mounting suspense in this brisk-paced adventure.
1968
The Mystery of the Whale Tattoo (Volume 47)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Jerrold Mundis
Synopsis:
One exciting event follows another when Frank and Joe Hardy are hired to apprehend the pickpockets who have been plaguing Solo’s Super Carnival. When their friends Tony Prito and Biff Hooper exhibit a stuffed whale dug up at a construction project, they all but put the carnival out of business. In this thrilling mystery the young detectives pit their wits against a gang of thieves whose bizarre identification, a three-part whale tattoo, proves to be a nearly insolvable riddle.
1969
The Arctic Patrol Mystery (Volume 48)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Fun fact: Andrew Svenson visited Iceland in 1968 to do on-the-spot research for this book and The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls.
Synopsis:
Private investigator Fenton Hardy enlists the aid of his teenage detective sons in a search for a missing man being sought by an insurance company. All leads to the sailor’s whereabouts have petered out and the boys fly to Iceland, the man’s native land, hoping to find a new clue. From the moment Frank and Joe arrive in Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, they are in constant danger. In the spine-chilling pursuit that follows, Frank and Joe uncover a diabolical espionage plot that threatens the life of a U.S. astronaut and NASA’S moon project.
1970
The Bombay Boomerang (Volume 49)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli
Synopsis:
Frank and Joe Hardy become involved in a case affecting national security when Joe dials a wrong telephone number and gets the Pentagon. Two words— “Bombay Boomerang”— that the boys hear before the line goes dead plunge them into a whirlpool of danger and intrigue. At the same time, Frank and Joe must save their father from a murderous gang stealing mercury shipments in the Baltimore harbor. With clues linking the mercury thefts to the top-secret Super S missile mysteriously stolen from a government arsenal. In a race against time, the three Hardys foil a diabolical scheme to create widespread havoc in the United States.
1970
The Mystery of the Flying Express (Volume 20; Revised Text)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli
Synopsis:
A sleek new hydrofoil is scheduled to start ferrying passengers between Bayport and Cape Cutlass. But business enemies of the hydrofoil owner have stirred up a hornets’ nest of violent opposition among small boat owners. Fearing sabotage, he begs Frank and Joe Hardy to guard the Flying Express on her maiden trip. Startling developments plunge the teenage detectives into a dangerous chase by sea, air, and land in pursuit of a gang of hardened criminals who operate by the signs of the Zodiac. Tension mounts when the Flying Express vanishes – and so does Sam Radley, Mr. Hardy’s skilled operative. Peril stalks Frank and Joe’s every move as they hunt down the terrifying gang leader Zodiac Zig and his vicious henchmen.
1970
The Clue of the Broken Blade (Volume 21; Revised Text)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Richard Deming and subsequently rewritten by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
Frank and Joe Hardy become involved in an intriguing mystery which revolves around their fencing master, Ettore Russo. Proof that Russo is the rightful heir to his grandfather’s estate hinges on retrieving the guard end of a broken saber lost many years ago in California. The young investigators’ quest is complicated by a bank robbery during which some of their father’s important records are stolen. A chase ensues in the grape-growing region of California as the boys engage in a dangerous game of hide-and-seek with the bank robbery gang.
1970
The Melted Coins (Volume 23; Revised Text)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
Frank and Joe Hardy suspect that their best friend Chet Morton is the victim of a summer school swindle and offer to help get his money back. While probing a baffling burglary at the Seneca Indian Reservation in New York State they investigate Zoar College located nearby. A startling connection between the Zoar College swindle and the theft of the Seneca’s gold tribal relic Spoon Mouth propels the teenage sleuths into a series of perplexing and dangerous situations.
1970
The Phantom Freighter (Volume 26; Revised Text)
Written by Priscilla Baker-Carr with substantial editing by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
When eccentric Thaddeus McClintock invites Frank and Joe Hardy to accompany him on a sea voyage, the teenage investigators become entangled in a web of mystery. Who is trying to block the three from securing reservation on freighter ships that carry passengers? The determined efforts of Frank and Joe lead to a hazardous game of wits with a ring of slippery smugglers and to a dramatic confrontation on the high seas. Here is an exciting, action-filled mystery that will keep the reader on edge with suspense.
1971
Danger on Vampire Trail (Volume 50)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
An assignment from their famous detective father to track down a ring of credit-card counterfeiters takes Frank and Joe Hardy on an exciting camping trip to the Rocky Mountains. But the cross-country trek with their pals Chet Morton and Biff Hooper is jinxed from the very first day. Strange happenings on a nearly impassable mountain lure Frank, Joe, Chet, and Biff to almost certain death before they discover the sinister reason for the danger on Vampire Trail.
1971
The Flickering Torch Mystery (Volume 22; Revised Text)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli (may have been rewritten by Andrew Svenson)
Synopsis:
Two unexplainable plane crashes near an airport on the East Coast plunge Frank and Joe Hardy into a bizarre case. From the moment Frank and Joe find a radioactive engine in an airplane junkyard, unexpected dangers strike like lightning. Despite the repeated attempts on their lives, the teenage detectives pursue their investigation, discovering two vital clues and others that provide the solution to one of the most baffling mysteries the boys and Mr. Hardy have ever encountered.
1972
The Masked Monkey (Volume 51)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli
Synopsis:
Frank and Joe are called upon to find a wealthy industrialist’s son who has mysteriously disappeared. The only clue in the case leads the two young detectives to South America, where the intrigues of evil adversaries almost cost them their lives. Only through their courage and perseverance do the Hardys solve one of the toughest cases they have ever tackled.
1973
The Shattered Helmet (Volume 52)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
Danger is the name of the game when the Hardys agree to help their pen pal from Greece, Evan Pandropolos, search for a priceless, ancient Greek helmet. Years ago, Evan’s uncle had loaned it to Hollywood movie company for use in a silent motion picture, but the treasured helmet had been lost. Picking up foes along the way, the young detectives unearth clues that keep them constantly on the move—from their Greek college campus to California and finally to Greece.
1974
The Clue of the Hissing Serpent (Volume 53)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Fun fact: This book was written after visit to the Indianola, Iowa, balloon races held near his son’s home; characters in the book were named for three of his grandchildren, Jennifer, Kurt, and Wendy.
Synopsis:
Why is a wealthy sportsman so frightened by the serpent design on a mysterious balloon that he begs Frank and Joe Hardy to protect him? And who stole the ancient life-size chess king which is to be presented to the winner of the world chess championship? Targets of diabolical enemies, Frank and Joe find a clue that leads them across the Pacific to Hong Kong to help the police smash an international criminal organization.
1975
The Mysterious Caravan (Volume 54)
Outlined and written by Andrew Svenson
Synopsis:
When the Hardy Boys take a winter vacation in Jamaica, Joe finds an ancient bronze death mask washed up near their beach house during a violent storm. Helping the Hardys and their friends in this bizarre mystery is William, a Jamaican boy, who flies to New York with startling news, only to be intercepted and held for ransom—the death mask! Frank and Joe must rescue William, plunge into their father’s airline-ticket theft case, and fly into a maze of danger in Africa.
1976
The Witchmaster’s Key (Volume 55)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli
Synopsis:
There is not time for explanations when Mr. Hardy telephones Frank and Joe form the West Coast and sends them flying off to England to help his old friend Professor Rowbotham. Their stay in East Anglia begins with a weird omen, as they witness the bizarre funeral of an old witchmaster. From then on, strange things happen. When the Hardys learn about the strange disappearance of Lord Craighead, the plot deepens. Danger follows them to Ireland as Frank and Joe survive a shipwreck and find a clue from a frightened white which that leads to the torture chamber of a black witches’ coven, all in search of the telltale Witchmaster’s Key.
1977
The Jungle Pyramid (Volume 56)
Outlined by Andrew Svenson; written by Vincent Buranelli
Synopsis:
A million dollars’ worth of gold bullion has been stolen from the Wakefield Mint under strange circumstances. Mr. Hardy is asked to investigate but before long his life is threatened, and he asks Frank and Joe to help him. The boys fly to Zurich, Switzerland, hoping to get information at the Swiss Gold Syndicate and to find the man who has stolen a valuable ancient gold figurine from a New York museum. Their search on both counts seems futile as they return to the United States where they uncover clues that lead them to an adventure in the Yucatán jungle. But the Hardy’s travels lead to nothing but new doubts and nagging suspicions. And now their lives are in danger.