4 h 41 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 4 h 41 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
False bills are spreading through Bayport, and a lonely old mill holds more than dark corners.
In The Secret of the Old Mill by Franklin W. Dixon, counterfeit money cheats honest people in the waterfront town of Bayport. Teenage brothers Frank and Joe Hardy take on the mystery. Frank looks closely and reasons things out. Joe is quick, bold, and eager to act. Together, they face false clues and close escapes.
Their father, professional detective Fenton Hardy, gives the brothers an example to follow. But this case draws them toward a lonely mill, away from busy streets, where a criminal operation lies hidden. Short chapters and brisk prose keep the action moving, with little pause for description. The challenge is to find the truth when clues can lead the wrong way.
What you’ll discover
- Two different kinds of courage Follow careful Frank and bold Joe as they bring different strengths to the same mystery.
- False money, real harm See how counterfeit bills turn an everyday exchange into a crime against unsuspecting people.
- A mill full of shadows Enter a lonely building whose dark corners give this adventure its atmosphere of danger.
- Clues that test your judgment Watch the brothers notice details and reason through a case complicated by false leads.
- Adventure without the wait Enjoy short chapters, lean description, and close escapes in a story that puts action first.
Who will love it
Readers who love brisk boys' adventure, small-town pranks, speedboat chases and young detectives who match wits with crooks will feel at home here, as will anyone who enjoys a clue-by-clue mystery.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A friendly stranger can hand you trouble
- Bayport pranks lead the boys to the mill
- A boy in the millrace needs saving
- A new boat brings an armed passenger
- Blum escapes and the friends give chase
- Clues add up to one old mill
- Being fooled teaches the brothers to look closely
Who’s who
- Frank HardyThe older, taller Hardy brother, quick to reason out clues, who suspects the old mill and plans the night visit.
- Joe HardyThe stockier, fair-haired younger brother, brave in the water and in a fight, who looks a little like Lester.
- Fenton HardyThe brothers' father, a famous detective, working with federal agents to trace the flood of counterfeit money.
- Chet MortonA plump, loyal friend who loves practical jokes and always has a trick or a snack ready.
- LesterA lonely, fair-haired boy living at the mill who longs for school and friends and trusts the brothers.
- Uncle DockLester's harsh guardian, who runs the mill with two partners, claims to make breakfast food and wants no visitors.
- Paul BlumA red-haired man who passes bad bills, pulls a gun on the brothers and keeps trying to escape.
- Con RileyA proud Bayport policeman who dreams of a promotion and falls for Chet's alarm-clock trick.
Formats and delivery
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- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
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- The key ideas in about 5 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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El secreto del viejo molino
by Franklin W. Dixon · 1927
Two brothers swap their money for a crisp five-dollar bill from a stranger, and the bill is fake.
Easy read2–5 hours to readEspañol
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if a smiling stranger on a train platform asked you to change a five-dollar bill? Frank and Joe Hardy do it without a second thought, and the bill is fake.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A friendly stranger can hand you trouble
The Hardy brothers meet the afternoon express in Bayport, hoping to find their father, the detective Fenton Hardy. A well-dressed young man hurries up and asks them to change a five-dollar bill. Frank and Joe pool their coins and notes, take the fresh bill, and feel pleased to have helped.
They go to Moss's store to buy pie plates for their mother. The shopkeeper holds the bill to the light and refuses it, and the bank cashier says plainly that it is counterfeit. Soon Callie Shaw tells Frank that her cousin Pollie lost fifty dollars the same way to a well-dressed woman customer.
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
- First published
- 1927
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 3 h 0 min
- Level
- Easy read
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What is The Secret of the Old Mill about?
Two Bayport brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy, are swindled with a fake five-dollar bill. As counterfeit money spreads through town, they follow clues to a strange flour mill on Willow River and decide to investigate.
Do I need to read the other Hardy Boys books first?
No. The story stands on its own, and the narrator briefly recalls the earlier cases, The Tower Treasure and The House on the Cliff. A new reader can meet Frank, Joe, their father and friends right here.
Who are Frank and Joe Hardy?
They are teenage sons of Fenton Hardy, a famous detective. Frank is older and thoughtful, Joe is a year younger and bold. They attend Bayport High School and love solving mysteries as amateur detectives.
The author
Franklin W. Dixon
Collective pseudonym for mystery writers
Franklin W. Dixon is a shared pen name, not one person. Several writers used it for the Hardy Boys mystery series, which began in the United States in 1927. Canadian writer Leslie McFarlane wrote the first three books, including The Tower Treasure. The name has no birth or death dates.
More by Franklin W. Dixon
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