This is the original 1931 story of What Happened at Midnight: The Hardy Boys book 10. The book has undergone one major revision since originally published in 1931, resulting in two different stories bearing the same title.

The Hardy boys and their chums join Chet Morton at the new automat. While rough housing, Joe bumps into a blond haired man. Later that day, he again falls against the same man causing him to drop his package. Unbeknownst to Frank and Joe, this is the start of much trouble and a deep mystery over a series of midnights. At the first midnight, in the middle of a party at Chet Morton’s home, Joe disappeared. Is it a joke? Was he kidnapped? He was! Many days later and with some odd clues inadvertently given by Aunt Gertrude, Frank and his chums finally rescue Joe from a cave. All this only led the Hardy boys deeper into the mystery of diamond smugglers. After an unplanned visit to New York City, a disastrous plane ride and many dead ends, they finally find the ringleader right in Bayport. With the help of men from the Department of Justice, the ringleader and gang are all arrested. At the last midnight, they attend another party at Chet Morton’s home to tell the whole story.

Much has changed in America since 1931 The modern reader may be delighted with the warmth and innocence of the characters; but uncomfortable with the racial, social, sexist terms and stereotypes. As such, this book is a part of our heritage, a window into our real past.