The Tower Treasure, by Franklin W. Dixon, is the first volume in the original Hardy Boys Mystery Stories. The book ranks 55th on Publishers Weekly's All-Time Bestselling Children's Book List for the United States and is generally considered by historians and critics of children's literature to be the best Hardy Boys mysteries.
The story begins with Frank and Joe Hardy barely avoiding being hit by a speeding driver, who they notice has bright red hair. Later, this same red-haired driver attempts a ferry boat ticket office robbery and successfully steals a yellow jalopy called Queen from the Hardys' friend, Chet Morton. Due to one witness reporting that the villain had dark hair, the Hardys assume he is using a red wig. It is learned that the thief returned to Chet's home to steal a tire, helping Frank and Joe to find Queen abandoned in a public wooded area. The excitement of finding Queen is quickly gone when it is reported that there has been a robbery of forty thousand dollars in securities and jewels from the Tower Mansion owned by siblings Hurd and Adelia Applegate. Hurd Applegate is convinced that the Tower's caretaker, Henry Robinson, is the guilty party.
Frank and Joe Hardy investigate...