A fond-very fond-memory from my childhood is recalling the enjoyment I had reading "Franklin W. Dixon's" (as you probably know already, no such person actually existed) Hardy Boys mysteries. 

--Spoilers Ahead-- 

 The Hardy Boys are Frank and Joe Hardy, ages 18 and 17, and they reside in the fictional town of Bayport, USA (as a teen-ager, I used their ham radio call sign to narrow Bayport down to somewhere along the coast of New Jersey...yes, I apparently had a lot of free time on my hands). The two brothers are the sons of Fenton Hardy, the world-famous private detective who made his reputation working with the NYPD. 

 Frank and Joe are hoping to follow (and, as amateur detectives, are off to a great start) in their father's footsteps...I should add that aside from Mr. Hardy, they also live at home with their mother, Laura, and their irascible Aunt Gertrude.

 Growing up, The Bombay Boomerang was one of my favorite HB books...and, despite the "usual" plot holes contained within it (including one so ridiculous, I'm too embarrassed to mention it in this review...something about a disc jockey and his dog), it still remains one of my favorites today.

By the way....Yes, I still have my Hardy Boys (and Nancy Drew) books, and I do get them out from time to time and re-read them.

The Bombay Boomerang stands out to me due to the high amount of violence (and action) contained within it. Frank and Joe are assisting their father in tracking down a gang of mercury thieves (the element, not the car) and the gang is very much "in their face" right from the beginning. I believe the Hardys have more attempts made on their lives in this one book than in any 2-3 of their other books combined.

I do not want to give away the whole story, but the Hardys' mistakenly call a Washington, DC number and get a cryptic message: Bombay Boomerang. This message (miraculously) coincides with their father's abrupt disappearance and their search for the "Merc Gang." The trail leads them to Baltimore (Mr. Hardy's last-known whereabouts--Fenton went missing), so they head there, along with their best friend, Chet Morton: loyal, chubby, loves to eat, not too brave, always has a new hobby each HB book--this time it's boomerangs (go figure, huh?). 

In Baltimore, the Hardys get shot at (in the aforementioned unusually high number of times); barely rescue their father from an execution attempt on his life; end up in the cemetery Edgar Allen Poe is interred; and barely, just barely, manage to make it out of Baltimore alive, well, and in the nick of time to stop World War III.

Wow. All of this in only 180 pages (or so). And, yes, boomerangs do save the day. Thank you, Chet Morton.

All kidding aside, I loved this book as an eleven-year-old--and maybe more importantly, I still very much enjoy it today. It is a fun, entertaining read that children of all ages (I'm the proof) will enjoy.

The Bombay Boomerang was ghost-written by Vincent Buranelli. Mr. Buaranelli "ghosted" several of my favorite HB books, including The Flickering Torch Mystery and The Masked Monkey. 

I recommend this book and, taking into account its intended audience, I rate it with five stars.

Thank you for reading.

The Bombay Boomerang

Volume 49 was originally published in 1970 by Grosset & Dunlap.

Recommended: Yes