The Mystery of the Flying Express facts for kids
Original edition
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| Author | Franklin W. Dixon |
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| Illustrator | Paul Luane |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Hardy Boys |
| Genre | Detective, mystery |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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January 1, 1941 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| Preceded by | The Disappearing Floor |
| Followed by | The Clue of the Broken Blade |
The Mystery of the Flying Express is the 20th book in the original The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series. It was published by Grosset & Dunlap.
This exciting mystery was first written in 1941. It was created for the Stratemeyer Syndicate by John Button. The Stratemeyer Syndicate was a group that planned and wrote many popular children's book series. Later, in 1970, the book was rewritten by Vincent Buranelli. The new version was given a slightly shorter title: Mystery of the Flying Express.
The Story
The Revised Adventure
In the updated story, the Hardy Boys are guarding a brand-new, super-fast boat called the Flying Express. It's a hydrofoil, which means it can lift out of the water to go faster. But then, the Flying Express is stolen!
Frank and Joe Hardy face many dangers as they try to solve this mystery. They discover that the criminals use signs of the zodiac to plan their crimes. The boys are eventually kidnapped and taken aboard the stolen Flying Express. Luckily, their friend Chet Morton manages to escape. He uses a special emergency light from their car to signal the Coast Guard. With the Coast Guard on the way, the Hardy Boys cleverly mess up the hydrofoil's propellers. This stops the ship, and the mystery is solved!
The Original Adventure
In the first version of the book, the story is quite different. The Hardy Boys help their father, Fenton Hardy, find a secret spy camp. This camp is hidden somewhere in the western United States. In this original tale, the Flying Express is not a boat. Instead, it's a daily passenger train. The spies use this train to send their secret messages to each other.
