The Gray Hunter's Revenge
Publisher: Aladdin
Publication Date (October 2018)
ISBN 10 - 9781534411500
ISBN 13 - 978-1534411500
124 Pages of Story
With this book, the Hardy Boys overtake Nancy Drew in the numbering with these new series. Nancy Drew was ahead of the game, as the "Diaries" series began publication before the "Adventures" series for the Hardys. However, because NDD 17 was delayed so that the ND Christmas Special could be published, this 17th Hardy Boys Adventures story now places the Hardy Boys in the lead. Of course, since the plots and writing of the Hardy Boys Adventures is actually better (did I really say that?) than that in the Nancy Drew Diaries, it almost makes sense to let the Hardys lead the way, so to speak.
That being said, The Gray Hunter's Revenge brings back the old-fashioned haunted house tale. Cliffside Manor has been empty for a long time. The legend goes that the people who built the house ignored the land ownership claims of a rough man who swore vengeance on them for stealing his land. One night, during a party, the man entered the home with a long gray jacket and an ax. No one survived the massacre. Now, all these years later, famed horror author Nathan Foxwood has moved into the mansion. The fame and fortune associated with his books has dwindled, and he is said to be writing a new novel, based on Cliffside Manor. But then something horrible happens. His mood darkens, and one night, with his assistant and his wife away from the manor, Foxwood drives off in his car and drives off the road and down a cliff, his car a mess of flames and metal. There were barely enough remains to identify Foxwood, leaving his wife a grieving widow...
That being said, The Gray Hunter's Revenge brings back the old-fashioned haunted house tale. Cliffside Manor has been empty for a long time. The legend goes that the people who built the house ignored the land ownership claims of a rough man who swore vengeance on them for stealing his land. One night, during a party, the man entered the home with a long gray jacket and an ax. No one survived the massacre. Now, all these years later, famed horror author Nathan Foxwood has moved into the mansion. The fame and fortune associated with his books has dwindled, and he is said to be writing a new novel, based on Cliffside Manor. But then something horrible happens. His mood darkens, and one night, with his assistant and his wife away from the manor, Foxwood drives off in his car and drives off the road and down a cliff, his car a mess of flames and metal. There were barely enough remains to identify Foxwood, leaving his wife a grieving widow...
Such a wonderful set-up for a haunted house mystery, as Frank and Joe are asked to quietly investigate the house by Foxwood's assistant, who is helping Mrs. Foxwood with the estate sale. Ever since Foxwood died, there have been strange goings-on in the house. There have even been sightings of the legendary "Grant Hunter." The media is all-over the events, but the Adam Parker, the assistant, knows there has to be a reasonable explanation and asks the Hardys to find it. Joe, a huge fan of Foxwood, is more the eager, but Frank is not exactly thrilled about the idea of spending a night in a haunted house. Before they can get started, though, Frank sees the shadow of the Gray Hunter, while Mrs. Foxwood is nearly attacked by the ghostly apparition!
The ghostwriter (seems appropriate for this story, does it not?) for this mystery, despite the short page count, knows how to build some tension, throw in some good scares and jumps, and keep the "horror" element of the story at the forefront. I can only imagine how much fun it would have been to curl up with this book under my covers had the author been allowed to truly flesh out the story with no limitation as to the length it would take to truly tell the story. I say this every time, and it bears repeating - I really wish Simon & Schuster would wake up and realize that it takes more than 124 pages to tell a really great story with character and story development sufficient to engage and draw in the readers. Kids today do not have the short attention span that S&S seems to think they do - the Nancy Drew Christmas special book proves that, I think.
Regardless, the plot and overall writing of this book were well done, and the cover art certainly sets the mood. Artist Kevin Keele captures the spookiness with the dark, decrepit house, the barren trees, the fog in the background, the shadows everywhere, and the hesitation of the boys to enter the house. (Admittedly, there is some similarity with the last Nancy Drew book, The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane, which also dealt with a supposed haunted house.) Overall, I would definitely call this book a winner.
RATING: 9 Foxwood Fan Club pins out of 10 for telling a good, old-fashioned Hardy Boys-type story and making it truly enjoyable.
Regardless, the plot and overall writing of this book were well done, and the cover art certainly sets the mood. Artist Kevin Keele captures the spookiness with the dark, decrepit house, the barren trees, the fog in the background, the shadows everywhere, and the hesitation of the boys to enter the house. (Admittedly, there is some similarity with the last Nancy Drew book, The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane, which also dealt with a supposed haunted house.) Overall, I would definitely call this book a winner.
RATING: 9 Foxwood Fan Club pins out of 10 for telling a good, old-fashioned Hardy Boys-type story and making it truly enjoyable.
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