[.ca] Hardy Boys 57 The Firebird Rocket (ISBN 0448089572)

Very simple plot, nothing more than we are used to:
The Firebird Rocket is not very exciting. There are no overly exciting action sequences, no twisters, just one main thing--the Hardys are directed to Australia where they DO NOT go to very extensive means to search for Doctor Jenson. Also, it just happens that Mike Moran, another person they are looking for, pops out of the dark just when Doctor Jenson does! This is very rare and not likely to happen, for we are given no hints that the two are connected. But everything else, including the trapping of the criminals, the surprise of Professor Young being on the enemy's side, and the ruthless attempts on the brothers' lives, is okay. (I don't mean I want the Hardys to die, however, as the previous sentence may try to reveal.) So go ahead and read this book, but don't expect too much.

The "FIREBIRD ROCKET" Needed More Fuel:
Frank and Joe are asked by their father to assist him in his case in tracking down a scientist that has suddenly disappeared. Clue suggest that the launch of a high tech firebird rocket has something to do with his disappearance. Meanwhile Frank and Joe have to turn down a case of their own involving the disappearance of a prominent senators son named Mike Moran. The Hardys along with chum Chet Morton travel to Australia to continue their investigation. They start out in Sydney where their quarry last known destination is thought to have been. Meanwhile the Hardys are being shadowed everywhere they turn and try to shake him off. Finally their case leads them to the outback where they discover the gang hideout and listen in on their plans. As it turns out both mens disappearance have lead them to the same gang. The book was allright but tit could have had more excitement and action. The ending was good and had a bit of a twist.

Something went wrong:
The author really missed when he wrote this one. No excitement, no mystery, and the action seems added on to take up space on the pages. What could have been a good book jumps around and there are too many coincidences even for the Hardy Boys.

Decent considering The Era:
Like all volumes after The Mystery of Spiral Bridge, in plain English they were "bad". However this volume is worth reading and did manage to hold my interest. The brothers travel down under and like so many books during this era incorporated way too much educational material about the place they were visiting. Hello - This is a Mystery series - not an atlas! Horrible artwork. No surprise there. Overall the book ranks between horrible and average. It did contain a little suspense in a few places. That is more than I can say about some of the other higher volumes. RATED C-

Below Average:
FRank, Joe and Chet travel to Australia to search for a missing scientist, kidnapped by a gang that is trying to prevent the launch of the Firebird Rocket. This book was not one of the better books of the series. The mystery is average, but lacks any original thought. The first 100 pages of the book are somewhat boring and rarely entice the reader to continue. After that, the book gets better and is fairly interesting until the end. If you can make it through the first half of the book, the second half is worth reading.