This is the original 1927 story of The Tower Treasure: The Hardy Boys Book 1. Frank and Joe Hardy, brothers who are high school students, use their investigation skills to solve the mystery of the stolen treasure from the eccentric Applegates. After finally finding out who did it, the dying criminal confesses that the loot had been hidden "in the old tower." The tower is searched in vain, but it remained for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that cleared up the mystery.

Much has changed in America since 1927. The modern reader may be delighted with the warmth and innocence of the characters, but uncomfortable with the racial, social, and sexist terms and stereotypes. As such, this book is a part of our heritage, a window into our real past.