Books like Bad Rap by Franklin W. Dixon

For cliffhanging suspense and thrilling action read THE HARDY BOYS MYSTERY STORIES- featuring the thrilling adventures of America's favorite detective duo, Frank and Joe Hardy. Millions of young readers have teamed up with the Hardy Boys, helping them in their quest to bring criminals to justice.

Strange events involve Frank and Joe Hardy in a mystery which shrouds an ancient treasure -- the golden head of the Pharaoh Rhamaton IV. First, a cryptic unsigned warning from Egypt; second, the ghost of a bloodthirsty pirate of the eighteenth century, who, according to legend, haunted nearby Whalebone Island years ago and recently has reappeared. The owner of the million-dollar golden Pharaoh's head claims it was aboard the freighter Katawa, which sank not far from Whalebone Island. But suspicious developments indicate that Mehmet Zufar may be trying to defraud the shipping line's insurance company. Frank and Joe enthusiastically accept the challenge of their famous detective father to assist him in investigating the complex case for Transmarine Underwriters. A puzzling clue leads the Hardys to Whalebone Island, where they almost lose their lives in a violent explosion. Someone desperately wants to get rid of them. But who? Is it the ghostly pirate? Frank and Joe's perilous scuba-diving search in the ocean depths off the island yields electrifying discoveries that cap the climax of this exciting mystery. - Flyleaf.

At first the stunts were fairly harmless--sneezing powder in the fog machine of a dance club--but now they've become more dangerous. When a historic Bayport mansion is torched, Frank and Joe are concerned. The clues lead them to a bizarre secret society . . . and their friend, Biff Hooper, is a member!

"The annual Computer Horizons convention has brought the Hardys to New Orleans. The trouble begins in a jazz club down on Bourbon Street. Together with their friend Vanessa, they run into Billy Barta, a local guy from the convention, and its' one encounter they'll never forget ... Billy asks Vanessa to dance, Joe gets jealous, then gets into a fight. The next day Joe gets arrested - for the murder of Billy Barta! Billy Barta was into some serious criminal computer action and Frank and Joe are about to face some serious southern heat!"--Cover.

When the veteran Bayport police chief is accused of bribery and attempted murder, the Hardys investigate to clear his name and uncover a thirty-five-year-old police cover-up.

Hoping to feature Frank and Joe in his latest action-adventure novel, writer Oliver Richards sets off a series of events that bring the infamous Assassins back to town, and the Hardys fear that the Gray Man has turned traitor.

Terror to go A student exchange program brings Frank and Joe to sun-kissed Greece. But the moment they hit the scenic port of Piraeus, they land in deep trouble. What starts as a street fight soon escalates to a hornet's nest of espionage, kidnapping, and diplomatic double cross. Near Yugoslavia, the Hardys find themselves on a mission to rescue someone they don't know, for a cause they barely understand. Only one thing is certain - if the brother team fails this border run, they'll be ancient history.

When Frank and Joe's friend Phil, who works for a manufacturer of highly classified, high-tech military equipment, disappears, they are on the trail of what leads to be not only kidnapping but a massive threat to global security.

ATAC BRIEFING FOR THE REAL AGENTS FRANK AND JOE HARDY MISSION: Two guys are running around the state, committing crimes left and right -- and they're leaving a clear trail for the police. They'd be a cinch to catch, but the thing is, the police are too busy running after you. You've been framed. LOCATION: Around Bayport. POTENTIAL VICTIMS: The innocent bystanders caught between you and the guys who clearly want to see you busted. SUSPECTS: You tell us. Who are your enemies? Who do you trust? THIS MISSION REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. THIS MESSAGE WILL BE ERASED IN FIVE SECONDS.

*Book 1 of Ring of Evil Series* "When danger's at the controls, the final destination can be terminal. A sophisticated ring of luggage thieves has put a choke on Eddings Air, threatening to ground the young airline for good. Working undercover as baggage handlers, the Hardys agree to scope out the airline's center of operation in Atlanta. But their welcome is less than cordial -- Frank and Joe discover that they too may be headed for a crash landing! From the complex of tunnels beneath the airport to the enigmatic pasts of the airline's employees, the boys are drawn into a labyrinth of sabotage and deceit. Picking up clues to a conspiracy extending far beyond a few missing suitcases, they begin to suspect that much more than the future of Eddings Air is at stake. A scheme is in place, a plot about to unfold, in which murder is only the beginning." (Hardy Boys Encyclopedia 1993)

A shady past always leads to a dark future. While trying to help Annie Shea, the pretty new girl in town, Joe accidentally runs down her old boyfriend, Phil. Joe's in a tight spot, but Annie seems afraid to help. Then the Hardy's learn that Phil is the prime suspect in a million-dollar diamond robbery and Annie may be involved. But when Annie is kidnapped the brother detectives swing into action. They follow her to the lair of America's most infamous gem thief, Cutter. Outnumbered, the Hardys take on the diamond man's gang in an all-out effort to save Annie -- and clear Joe of murder.

Bayport High's newest soccer player, Carlos Capac, is nearly killed in an act of sabotage, which draws the Hardys into helping Carlos rescue his kidnapped father.

Joe's girlfriend introduces him to her friend Brett Cooper. Brett is targeted for murder, and the Hardy Boys must dig into the past of the new mysterious friend to find out why.

Race to danger! It's ninety degrees in the shade, and temperatures and tempers are boiling over. The Hardys are competing in the Suntex Solar Challenge, a race of super-charged, solar-powered cars across the Arizona desert. But for Frank and Joe, the 500-mile concrete speedway is about to turn into a crash course in sabotage! Not only is a $100,000 prize at stake, but so is the inside track on a multimillion-dollar contract for future car design. And someone's determined to win at any cost. Facing flash fires, stun grenades, and deadly electric shocks, the Hardys put the pedal to the metal in their scorching-hot chase after a high-speed, high-tech terrorist!

Frank and Joe travel to Mexico to search for hidden secrets at an archaeological dig. When ancient artifacts are stolen from the site, the boys search for clues but discover they must be careful--or they could be buried alive.

Studio sleuths When Frank and Joe visit a local movie and TV studio they stumble across a real-life drama - someone has murdered screenwriter Bennet Fairburn. To track the killer the brother detectives go undercover as gofers at the studio. From the start it's clear the Hardys have been cast as victims in a sinister plot. A series of deadly "accidents" stalk the brother team, and while shooting a TV series Frank and Joe find themselves on the wrong end of some lethal stunts. The clues they need are buried in the script, but unless they uncover the villain fast, the brothers Hardy will be show biz history.

Frank and Joe, in Tunisia for the anniversary of the Explorer's Guild, search for a killer in their midst when Thor Sonderstrom, who funds the expeditions, is mysteriously poisoned, and secrets, hatreds, and dangers lurk in every corner.

The Hardys go undercover to locate the saboteur responsible for the Lone Star Oil Company's frequent "accidents". But when Frank and Joe are left alone on a rig as a storm closes in, they realize a bomb has been planted. If it goes off, the Hardys--and all sea life in the Gulf--will be history.

Sometimes even dead men can murder. Frank and Joe are investigating a series of gangland killings. Crime kingpin Josh Moran is dead and buried, but his murderous legacy lives on. In his will, he left $10 million to be divided among his enemies. The catch is that the money will be paid in three months -- to those who survive! The Hardys find themselves in a deadly race against time, for one of the beneficiaries of Moran's blood money is a former detective for the NYPD -- their own father, Fenton Hardy. Frank and Joe must unmask the triggerman before the dead man's hit list reaches into their own family!

While studying at Oxford University for the summer, Frank and Joe Hardy discover the perils of international relations when their new friends, Soviet twins Pyotr and Petra Zigonev, are kidnapped to force their father, a Soviet peace negotiator, to sabotage a treaty.

The Hardys' summer construction job on a skyscraper is threatened by thugs who would threaten the multi-million-dollar skyscraper project as well as untold lives. Original.

A really cool book of baseball statistics was stolen from the school library--and it turns up in Frank's backpack! The Hardys know Frank is being framed, but finding the real thief and clearing Frank's name means standing up to the meanest, toughest bullies in school.

Frank and Joe have taken the ultimate challenge: a rigorous pre-astronaut training program at the Space and Rocket Center. But in a course designed to simulate the actual conditions of space flight, the Hardys discover that the risks are great: Someone is out to scuttle the mission!

Frank and Joe accompany a college champ preparing for a national championship in the sport of orienteering, but accidents begin to happen and they must find out who is trying to stop him from competing.

Frank and Joe witness a daredevil stunt smack in the middle of New York City. A group of parasailors leap off a skyscraper, and one of them ends up crashing to his death. When the Hardys investigate, they discover that the fall was no accident.

Danger pay Frank and Joe go undercover as apprentice stuntmen on a major movie. They've been asked to investigate a number of serious accidents that have delayed filming. Right from the first scene the action gets rough. Frank's stunt misfires, and the next one turns into a flaming disaster. The Hardys are certain it's deliberate sabotage. But the young detectives find the real drama is off the set when they become involved in a bizarre plot to steal a fortune. Unfortunately, they get themselves arrested! The brothers must break out of jail fast - or lose their only chance to be cleared of a million-dollar frame-up.

Frank and Joe travel to Germany to work with archaeologist, Dr. Maxwell, as he searches for a jewel-encrusted shield in an ancient Roman fortress.

The Hardy boys are at the eye of the storm, and they alone must find the answers before the Sea Spirit II plunges to the icy depths of the shark-infested sea.

The Hardy Boys head to Oklahoma, where crime is spinning out of control in the wide-open spaces of tornado alleyFrank and Joe encounter a bizarre phenomenon: the aftermath of a fierce twister that defies scientific explanation. To get at the truth, the Hardys will have to put themselves in the path of destruction -- and face the explosive fury of a criminal mastermind!

Frank and Joe are working undercover trying to solve a series of carjackings spreading terror through New York.