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Summary: Search for the old, original version instead.
Review: The "Hardy Boys" books that you can buy at stores and on this site today are not the original stories. All the books were rewritten a few decades ago with two goals in mind: to dumb them down, and to make them more politically correct. The first goal was thought necessary because modern kids couldn't read as well; the second, because some of the books contained stereotypes unacceptable to modern sensibilities. The problem is that in making these changes, the stories were left far less interesting, and far less well written, than the originals.
I recently found a copy of the original "Secret of the Old Mill". It is far, far superior to the version people are reviewing here. And that story, at least, contained no offensive stereotypes.
You can find the original versions at used book stores (I found "Secret of the Old Mill" in good shape for seven bucks), and there is an online company that sells re-issues of the originals (I won't name it on Amazon's site, but you can search for it).
Find the originals and read them -- it's worth the effort!
Rating: 
Summary: A Rich and Luminous Triple Decker
Review: The Secret of the Old Mill is disconcertingly lengthy, has little of laconic intellect, contains tedious catalogues of scarecly developed characters, exhibits lapses in stylistic consistency, and often verges on melodrama. Yet despite all of this, it is a vibrant and scathing portrait of mid-20th century Bayport society and a luxuriant horde of nuanced characterizations and delightfully fascinating personas. Who can resist the manipulative charms of the cunning Frank Hardy, the author's wry yet ambiguous account of the foolish Paul, the pompous arrogance of the witless Ken Blake? The novel is enriched with refreshingly orignal characterizations and improvizations which converge within the context of a festival of luxuriously self-important peoples delightfully naive at their own vapidity. The compelling lives of Frank and Joe weave through the narrative and bind it with textual unity even within the context of a tale spilling over with an astounding diversity. Stubbornly "modern", instantly readable and blessed with a sense of interest and immediacy, The Secret of the Old Mill truly is a landmark in American fiction, and a novel worthy of its lofty reputation.
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Summary: Heart Poundin' Action Packed Book!
Review: This book is a really suspensefull book though but overall, it is very good! I recommend it for kids who are starting to read. Franklin W. Dixon really knows how to write good novels.
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Summary: Very good book
Review: This book is great. The Hardy Boys go down to the train station and there they cash change for a stranger, Later when going to buy cake pans, they find out it is counterfeit. The next day, they find out the Callie's aunt has also been a victim of the counterfeiters. Much later in the book they go down to the mill and save a boy in the mill stream and are given rewards only after a man turned his back and took the original award from them. Then they capture counterfeiter Paul Blum. He escapes and their new boat, The Sleuth is stolen. They find Blum out on the bay and then a night later...
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Summary: Secret Of The Old Mill
Review: This book is so great!!! It's been my 11th and I think this is second best, since reading The Mystery Of Cabin Island. I read this in half a day, and there's so much going on in the book that I don't remember a lot of it. But it is especially good in the ending. Joe falling into the wheel would make me surprised and laugh for an hour! Then next good part is the kitten in the lighted room. Imagine a kitten strong enough to knock down a lamp! Then again, it's not impossible. I like the secret door, and I'd like all that money if it were real. The rest is too much to describe, but this is a good book for ages 9-12. It would be suitable for a bedtime or school story, too.
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Summary: Secret of the Old Mill
Review: This Hardy Boys mystery is a facsimile of the original edition. It is neither condensed nor expurgated, in other words, non of the politically correct claptrap that has invaded the Hardy Boys. It actually uses words like "swell" and "chum." It was a fun read that brought me back to my first books and down memory lane.
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Summary: Another Good Book
Review: This review concerns the original 1927 edition. Counterfeit money is being circulated in Bayport and Frank and Joe attempt to track down the criminals. A great book and, like all of the low editions of the original set, very well written. These books are interesting enough just for the little glimpse of life back in the 1920s that they provide. This book has a good, realistic mystery and plenty of action. The only problem with this book was the ending, which was surprisingly boring. Despite this, I'd still recommend this book.
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Summary: An Interesting Book
Review: This review concerns the revised 1962 edition. Counterfeit money is being circulated throughout Bayport and Frank and Joe try to track down the culprits. While not as good as the original edition, this book is still interesting and exciting, with plenty of action. Read the original edition if you can, but if not the revised edition should not disappoint you.
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Summary: Can the counterfeiters be stopped before they fleece Bayport
Review: This review is of the 1962 Revised Version of "The Secret of the Old Mill". The first 38 titles in the series were revised over the course of 15 years (some with minor changes, others were completely re-written). "The Secret of the Old Mill" is the third Hardy Boys mystery.Counterfeit money is being passed around Bayport. Chet Morton, the best friend of the Hardys, makes change of twenty dollars for a stranger and when he tries to purchase a microscope he learns that the bill is counterfeit. When the boys bring the bill into the police station, they learn that the chief has known about the counterfeits being passed but is keeping it quiet so as to not alert the criminals. The Hardys start some investigating on their own. Threats are made to the Hardys telling them to get off the case; but are the threats about the counterfeit case or the secret mystery that their father, Fenton Hardy, is investigating? Reading the Hardy Boys as an adult is a nostalgic pleasure. I loved these books as a child and remember so much from when I read them years ago. What makes these books special is that I can enjoy them almost as much now as I did back then. "The Secret of the Old Mill" remains a good Hardy Boys mystery and a great story. It is fast paced and always interesting. I remember that after I read this book as a child, I started checking all of my money (such as it was) to see if it was counterfeit. That's the mark of a good story, that it can make a child interested in what is around him and comparing it to what was learned in the book. -Joe Sherry
Rating:
Summary: Can the counterfeiters be stopped before they fleece Bayport
Review: This review is of the 1962 Revised Version of "The Secret of the Old Mill". The first 38 titles in the series were revised over the course of 15 years (some with minor changes, others were completely re-written). "The Secret of the Old Mill" is the third Hardy Boys mystery. Counterfeit money is being passed around Bayport. Chet Morton, the best friend of the Hardys, makes change of twenty dollars for a stranger and when he tries to purchase a microscope he learns that the bill is counterfeit. When the boys bring the bill into the police station, they learn that the chief has known about the counterfeits being passed but is keeping it quiet so as to not alert the criminals. The Hardys start some investigating on their own. Threats are made to the Hardys telling them to get off the case; but are the threats about the counterfeit case or the secret mystery that their father, Fenton Hardy, is investigating? Reading the Hardy Boys as an adult is a nostalgic pleasure. I loved these books as a child and remember so much from when I read them years ago. What makes these books special is that I can enjoy them almost as much now as I did back then. "The Secret of the Old Mill" remains a good Hardy Boys mystery and a great story. It is fast paced and always interesting. I remember that after I read this book as a child, I started checking all of my money (such as it was) to see if it was counterfeit. That's the mark of a good story, that it can make a child interested in what is around him and comparing it to what was learned in the book. -Joe Sherry
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