Hardy Boys Fall Mysteries
Franklin W. Dixon and Santy Gutierrez
Aladdin
Published Published September 8, 2026

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About Hardy Boys Fall Mysteries

Brothers Frank and Joe Hardy tackle three spooky investigations in this fall-themed Hardy Boys Clue Book three-books-in-one paperback bind-up!

In The Bad Luck Skate, Frank and Joe are excited to be supporting their friends on the Bayport Checkers hockey team. But when someone dumps paint all over the team’s lucky skate, their star player worries their luck has run out. Then his stick breaks before he takes the ice! Has the team really lost their luck or is someone trying to psych them out so they lose the game? Without a clear suspect, Frank and Joe are on thin ice.

After Frank and Joe’s friend Jason wins a treasure map at Bayport’s Pirate Palooza, a message in a bottle warns him not to hunt for the treasure! Could it be the legendary ghost of Captain Scurvydog? In The Pirate Ghost, the Hardy Boys are on the case to prove that spirits definitely do not exist…or do they?

In The Great Pumpkin Smash, Frank and Joe can’t wait to celebrate Halloween at Bayport’s annual party, Boo at the Zoo. But when the brothers go to check out the painted pumpkin display, they’re all completely squashed! The two detectives must find out who pummeled the pumpkins or else this will be the last Boo at the Zoo.

My Review

This volume contains three shorter, illustrated books, each with ten chapters and about 90 pages. The stories have been updated a bit to include references to things like computers, but they still have an older, small-town feel. In each story, the Hardy brothers answer the 5 W’s to gather clues and solve a mystery.

The mysteries are very kid-sized. Who poured paint on a hockey team’s lucky skate? Is it a ghost causing mayhem when someone announces they’ll seek buried treasure? Who smashed the pumpkins at the zoo? The boys use a methodical approach to find clues and piece together what happened. Before readers encounter the answer, the story pauses, and a page encourages them to think through the clues the brothers uncovered and guess at the conclusion. It adds an opportunity for readers to put the pieces together themselves and see if they paid attention to all the right clues.

Illustrations break up the text periodically, and the plot moves along at a steady pace. I could see this collection being a winner with mystery fans transitioning into middle grade fiction from shorter chapter books.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The boys listen to a ghost story and wonder if a ghost could be causing mayhem around town.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

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