The House on the Cliff
Encyclopedia
The House On The Cliff is the second book in the original The Hardy Boys
Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap
. The book ranks 72nd on the Publishers Weekly
's All-Time Bestselling Children's Book List in the United States with 1,712,433 copies sold . This book is one of the "Original 10" Hardy Boys books and is an excellent example of the writing style used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate
's writers. This style influenced many other "youth adventure series" books that the Stratemeyer Syndicate
also published, including the Nancy Drew
series (designed as a corollary to The Hardy Boys written from the perspective of young girls). the Tom Swift
adventure series, the Bobbsey Twins
and other lesser known series. All of them used a unique writing style that made the very recognizable as Stratemeyer product.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate
by Leslie McFarlane
in 1927. Between 1959 and 1973 the first 38 volumes of this series were systematically revised as part of a project directed by Harriet Adams, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter. The original version of this book was rewritten in 1959 by Harriet S. Adams resulting in two different stories with the same title.
smuggling of stolen drugs. Hardy directs Frank and Joe to a house on the cliff, whose location overlooking Barmet Bay offers an excellent vantage point to watch for smugglers. The Hardys are tricked into the house by cries for help, and are trapped for a short time in the attic; meanwhile, their telescope and motorcycles are damaged, possibly by the smugglers. On the way home, they observe a man boating on Barmet Bay being chased by another motorboat. After his boat explodes in flames, Biff and Joe swim out while Frank and Chet get a rowboat to rescue the man. Once brought to shore, the man regains consciousness and says his name is Mr. Jones, which the Hardys believe to be a thinly-disguised alias. The next day, both Mr. Hardy and Mr. Jones disappear. Frank and Joe seek out Mr. Hardy's informant at the maritime docks, Pretzel Pete, to see if he knows anything about the smugglers. Frank and Joe revisit the Shore Road area, and inside the house not far from the house on the cliff, Frank sees Mr. Hardy's hat. With their friends Chet Morton, Biff Hooper and Tony Prito, they use a boat to search for a secret tunnel at the base of the cliff. Frank and Joe try to rescue Mr. Hardy but they are also captured at gunpoint. Chet and Tony go to the United States Coast Guard
and find Biff Hooper, Jerry Gilroy, and Phil Cohen there and lead them to the smuggler's secret cave. It turns out that Mr. Jones was a spy working for the Coast Guard. At the end the Hardys escape into the house on the cliff, and capture Snattman while he is negotiating with police. Snattman apologizes and says he will turn the house on the cliff into a Boys Home - a place where boys without proper home training can come to live.
published The House On The Point by Benjamin Hoff
. Hoff wrote this book as a tribute to Franklin W. Dixon
and The Hardy Boys, who had provided him with much entertainment during his youth. He did this by taking the original 1927 edition and stripping out all the details to form an outline of the story similar to, in his opinion, the outline Leslie McFarlane would have received from the Stratemeyer Syndicate. He then reimagined
the story using his own version of the familiar Hardy Boys characters, making many minor changes, such as the case which Fenton Hardy is investigating, and more significant changes to the characters and their personalities. For example, in this reimagined version Callie Shaw and Iola Morten play an active role in investigating the Polucca residence and Callie shows her concern for Frank by giving him a kiss on the lips.
The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional teenage brothers and amateur detectives who appear in various mystery series for children and teens....
Mystery Stories published by Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
. The book ranks 72nd on the Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
's All-Time Bestselling Children's Book List in the United States with 1,712,433 copies sold . This book is one of the "Original 10" Hardy Boys books and is an excellent example of the writing style used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
's writers. This style influenced many other "youth adventure series" books that the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
also published, including the Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
series (designed as a corollary to The Hardy Boys written from the perspective of young girls). the Tom Swift
Tom Swift
Tom Swift is the name of the central character in five series of books, first appearing in 1910, totaling over 100 volumes, of American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention and technology. The character was created by Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of...
adventure series, the Bobbsey Twins
Bobbsey Twins
The Bobbsey Twins are the principal characters of what was, for many years, the Stratemeyer Syndicate's longest-running series of children's novels, penned under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The first of 72 books was published in 1904, the last in 1979, with a separate series of 30 books published...
and other lesser known series. All of them used a unique writing style that made the very recognizable as Stratemeyer product.
This book was written for the Stratemeyer Syndicate
Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...
by Leslie McFarlane
Leslie McFarlane
Leslie McFarlane was a Canadian journalist, novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker. McFarlane is most famous for ghostwriting many of the early books in the very successful Hardy Boys series using the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon.- Early life :The son of a school principal, McFarlane was raised in...
in 1927. Between 1959 and 1973 the first 38 volumes of this series were systematically revised as part of a project directed by Harriet Adams, Edward Stratemeyer's daughter. The original version of this book was rewritten in 1959 by Harriet S. Adams resulting in two different stories with the same title.
Plot summary (revised edition)
Fenton Hardy, the famous private detective and father of the Hardy Boys, asks his sons to help him with his latest case involving a criminal named Snattman and the illegal drug tradeIllegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
smuggling of stolen drugs. Hardy directs Frank and Joe to a house on the cliff, whose location overlooking Barmet Bay offers an excellent vantage point to watch for smugglers. The Hardys are tricked into the house by cries for help, and are trapped for a short time in the attic; meanwhile, their telescope and motorcycles are damaged, possibly by the smugglers. On the way home, they observe a man boating on Barmet Bay being chased by another motorboat. After his boat explodes in flames, Biff and Joe swim out while Frank and Chet get a rowboat to rescue the man. Once brought to shore, the man regains consciousness and says his name is Mr. Jones, which the Hardys believe to be a thinly-disguised alias. The next day, both Mr. Hardy and Mr. Jones disappear. Frank and Joe seek out Mr. Hardy's informant at the maritime docks, Pretzel Pete, to see if he knows anything about the smugglers. Frank and Joe revisit the Shore Road area, and inside the house not far from the house on the cliff, Frank sees Mr. Hardy's hat. With their friends Chet Morton, Biff Hooper and Tony Prito, they use a boat to search for a secret tunnel at the base of the cliff. Frank and Joe try to rescue Mr. Hardy but they are also captured at gunpoint. Chet and Tony go to the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and find Biff Hooper, Jerry Gilroy, and Phil Cohen there and lead them to the smuggler's secret cave. It turns out that Mr. Jones was a spy working for the Coast Guard. At the end the Hardys escape into the house on the cliff, and capture Snattman while he is negotiating with police. Snattman apologizes and says he will turn the house on the cliff into a Boys Home - a place where boys without proper home training can come to live.
Mistakes on the Cover Illustration
The front cover of the revised edition shows three boys in a boat, but in the text of the revised edition four boys are described being in the boat. The boys include Joe Hardy, Frank Hardy, Chet Morton and Tony Prito.Alternative Version
In 2002 St. Martin's MinotaurSt. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
published The House On The Point by Benjamin Hoff
Benjamin Hoff
Benjamin Hoff is an author based in the United States. Two of his books on Taoism, The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet, were on best seller lists. Hoff grew up in Sylvan, Oregon, where he acquired a fondness of the natural world that has been highly influential in his writing.Hoff obtained a...
. Hoff wrote this book as a tribute to Franklin W. Dixon
Franklin W. Dixon
Franklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate...
and The Hardy Boys, who had provided him with much entertainment during his youth. He did this by taking the original 1927 edition and stripping out all the details to form an outline of the story similar to, in his opinion, the outline Leslie McFarlane would have received from the Stratemeyer Syndicate. He then reimagined
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
the story using his own version of the familiar Hardy Boys characters, making many minor changes, such as the case which Fenton Hardy is investigating, and more significant changes to the characters and their personalities. For example, in this reimagined version Callie Shaw and Iola Morten play an active role in investigating the Polucca residence and Callie shows her concern for Frank by giving him a kiss on the lips.