4 h 40 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 4 h 40 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A lonely house above the water draws two brothers toward smugglers—and danger that reaches close to home.
In The House on the Cliff by Franklin W. Dixon, Frank and Joe Hardy follow clues in the seaside town of Bayport. Their father, detective Fenton Hardy, has a case involving smugglers. The brothers want to help, but that means taking risks themselves. A house on the cliff, secret passages, and hidden places give their search plenty of dangerous turns.
Frank thinks carefully; Joe moves quickly and speaks his mind. Together, they bring different strengths to a mystery that calls for both patience and nerve. Their friends Chet Morton and Tony Prito lend a hand, while Aunt Gertrude keeps a sharp eye on the household. As the boys pursue the clues, loyalty to their father gives the adventure a personal stake.
What you’ll discover
- A house above the water Explore a lonely cliffside setting where smugglers and hidden places draw the brothers into danger.
- Two kinds of courage Follow careful Frank and bold Joe as they bring different strengths to the same risky search.
- Clues, chases, secret passages Enjoy a fast, clean adventure that moves from following clues to daring action.
- Family loyalty at stake See how the wish to help their father pushes the brothers to take real risks.
- Friends who lend a hand Meet loyal Chet Morton and boat-wise Tony Prito, companions in the brothers' Bayport adventures.
Who will love it
Readers who like old-fashioned detective adventures, secret passages, smugglers on the coast, brave brothers and friends, and a mystery that moves quickly from one cliffhanger to the next.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A haunted house dares five boys
- A boat chase ends in an explosion
- A smuggler's name and a vanished father
- A bloodstained cap and a hidden cove
- Courage, duty and false appearances
- How the mystery is built and told
Who’s who
- Frank HardyThe sixteen-year-old older brother, clever and steady, who does not believe in ghosts and wants to get to the bottom of every mystery.
- Joe HardyFrank's fifteen-year-old brother, fair-haired and quick to act, who follows his brother into every risk and is loyal to his family.
- Fenton HardyTheir father, a respected private detective who once served on the New York police and who is hunting the smuggler Snackley.
- Chet MortonA good-natured friend of the Hardys who loves a joke and a meal and is frightened by the house but returns to help.
- Tony PritoA schoolmate who is skilled with engines and boats and lends his father's motorboat, the Napoli, for the search at the cliff.
- Ganny SnackleyA notorious smuggler of drugs, said to be related to Felix Polucca, whose name sends the Hardys on a new trail.
- JonesA wounded stranger pulled from the bay who gives a false name and refuses to say why men are trying to kill him.
- Chief ColligThe pompous Bayport police chief who would rather play checkers than visit a house with a bad reputation.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 4 h 40 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 9 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The House on the Cliff
by Franklin W. Dixon · 1927
Two brothers follow a hidden cove, a smugglers' cave and a missing father to the shrieking house on the cliff.
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In short
The House on the Cliff is a Hardy Boys mystery written under the name Franklin W. Dixon, the shared pen name used for the series.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A haunted house dares five boys
On a bright June Saturday, five Bayport High School boys ride their motorcycles along the shore road beside Barmet Bay. Frank Hardy leads, his younger brother Joe rides close behind, and their friends Chet Morton, Jerry Gilroy and Biff Hooper complete the group. They have no plan until Chet suggests a visit to Polucca's place, the stone house on the cliff.
The others tell Jerry, who is new in town, what they know. Felix Polucca was an old miser who kept fierce dogs and shunned visitors, and he was found shot in his kitchen two years ago. No money was ever found, and people report odd lights at night. One motorist even saw an old man at an upstairs window who vanished when the man called out.
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What is The House on the Cliff about?
It is about Frank and Joe Hardy, who visit a haunted house near Bayport, rescue a wounded man from a burning boat, and then search for their missing father while tracking a ring of smugglers on Barmet Bay.
Who is Snackley in The House on the Cliff?
Ganny Snackley is a notorious smuggler of drugs, the leader of a ring that Fenton Hardy knows from his work. His name, spoken by a half-drowned stranger, first tells the Hardys that something serious is happening on the bay.
Do I need to read The Tower Treasure first?
No. This book recalls the brothers' first case and some of its people, but it introduces everyone clearly as the story goes on. New readers can follow the plot easily and enjoy it by itself.
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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