FOREWORD
Following the success first with the initial seed books of fond memory, then the enormous popularity of the canon itself, it is now indisputable evidence expressed by the popular culture that the Hardy Boys series has shaped untold numbers of youth in not only their own formation of instinct and aptitude, but also in their love of reading. I have received scores of letters and notices from those who discovered the thrilling world of literature by first exploring the adventures of Frank and Joe Hardy.
Given the exalted position the Hardy Boys now find themselves, I felt it was due time to finally present to the public the mystery that began it all. Because the investigation you are about to read is officially attributed to Fenton Hardy, my publisher originally rejected my submission of this manuscript, opting to begin their series with the first official case solved distinctly by Frank and Joe in Bayport. That is of course detailed in a mystery-thriller called The Tower Treasure.
I consistently intended on returning to the following unreleased mystery, but recounting Frank and Joe's new cases while revising old ones has kept me far too busy. On an aesthetic level, I have always been particularly displeased that the reference to the secret syndicate case remained in the opening of both the original Tower Treasure and its revision. You may recall the very first sentence I wrote in that volume, in a chapter called "The Speed Demon": "After the help we gave dad on that forgery case I guess he'll begin to think we could be detectives when we grow up." I was advised by editors for the revision to still maintain reference to this first case, though in a much veiled form: "After the help we gave dad on his latest case, he ought to set up the firm of Hardy & Sons." Yet it nagged at me: Would readers be wondering what that case was, and what involvement Frank and Joe really had? The Secret Syndicate is the story of that first case.
I thought it best to publish, free of charge, onto a "Fan Fiction" site, after Web enthusiasts persuaded me such a platform ideal for this book, and I wholeheartedly agreed.
F.W.D