The cover of The Shattered Helmet practically dared me to pick it up. It’s book #52 in The Hardy Boys Mysteries — and, unless I’ve completely forgotten, the first Hardy Boys book I’ve ever read. After finishing it, I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t discover the series as a kid. I vaguely remember watching a few episodes of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, which was created in the late ’70s, and thinking Frank and Joe were so cool. So how did I miss the books?
First published in 1973, The Shattered Helmet is a 180-page adventure that takes Frank and Joe from America to Greece. They team up with their Greek friend Evangelos (Evan) Pandropolos, who is taking a summer filmmaking course in America, to track down a priceless bronze helmet that vanished under strange circumstances.
Get this: it may once have belonged to King Agamemnon. In the early days of cinema, the helmet was supposedly loaned to a Hollywood silent-film company and used in The Persian Glory, a film that has since disappeared into the shadows of lost cinema. But where is the helmet now?
The Hardy Boys #52: The Shattered Helmet Review
Now, let’s take a closer look at The Shattered Helmet (The Hardy Boys #52). Evan, their Greek friend, draws Frank and Joe into a family mystery involving a missing helmet, and the boys are more than happy to help. But someone seems determined to stop them. Their search takes them from a film school to California and the mountains of the American West, with motorcycle races, explosions, mysterious figures, and diabolical enemies along the way.
Then the adventure heads to Greece, taking the Hardy boys to Athens, the Hermes Hotel, and Delphi, sacred home of Apollo. A helicopter even gets caught up in the action. Before long, the boys are on Corfu. The mystery keeps getting bigger, and you never know what’s coming next — or how it will all end.
After reading it, I have to say The Hardy Boys #52: The Shattered Helmet would make a pretty cool movie: an ancient helmet, a lost film, secretive strangers, danger at every turn, and a globe-spanning chase. It’s a very cool Greek mystery, full of twists and old-fashioned adventure. I only wish more of it took place in Greece, since much of the story is set in America. The adventure would have been way better if Frank and Joe had gotten more of a full-on Greek adventure.
I’d give it a 6.5 out of 10. Some parts move too quickly, but it’s still a pretty fun read.
And here’s the coolest part: while carrying the book on a trip to Sydney for the Let’s Go Greek Festival Parramatta, I came across my own shattered helmet at the University of Sydney’s museum, which had some fascinating Ancient Greek displays. Coincidence? Probably. But then again, maybe it was all on the cards…
Put it this way: never in my wildest day out did I imagine I’d get a picture of this book next to another bronze-like, ancient-looking Greek helmet.
Check Price & Availability: The Shattered Helmet: The Hardy Boys, No. 52)
If The Hardy Boys #52: The Shattered Helmet has stirred your imagination, you might also enjoy The Immortal by Christopher Pike. It’s a great pick, especially for girls, while The Shattered Helmet may appeal more to boys — and anyone who’s young at heart.
Andrew E. Svenson wrote The Shattered Helmet under the pen name Franklin W. Dixon. It’s generally recommended for ages 8–12, but I enjoyed it too, so don’t let the age range stop you!
Interest facts: The Hardy Boys began in 1927 with three adventures: The Tower Treasure, The House on the Cliff, and The Secret of the Old Mill. Grosset & Dunlap published the first 58 titles between 1927 and 1979. But the books didn’t stay frozen in time — many were revised over the years, including the first 38. Simon & Schuster took over with book 59 and continued the series through book 190, in paperback and digest editions. The main series wrapped up in 2005.
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