Con Artist in Paris:

A crooked trail of artistic deception - in Paris!

The Hardy Boys are visiting Paris! Joe is excited to check out all the street art he's heard about. And Frank can't wait to go to all the museums he's researched.

On their very first day in the city, the brothers are woken up early in the morning by fireworks. But these are no ordinary fireworks. They are a part of elaborate cover for the heist of a priceless artifact. What's worse, the theft seems to have been orchestrated by Joe's favorite street artist, an unidentified outlaw and activist that goes only by the name Le Stylo. Everyone seems sure that it's him, but the Hardys are suspicious. From everything they know about Le Stylo, the crime is out of character. Sure, he makes a habit of provoking the authorities, but he's an activist; not a thief. Could the artist known for his mystique have been framed? Frank and Joe are determined to find out.

A race to find the real thief has Frank and Joe following clues that lead them all over Paris, where they hobnob with rich art patrons, travel in a car that can only be described as a small Batmobile, and explore the extensive Catacombs under the city. Deep in the world of artistic deception, the boys have to wonder, are they in over their heads?

Stolen Identity:

A criminal that seems to be straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel is out to get brother detectives Frank and Joe in the 16th book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.

An original Sherlock Holmes manuscript was stolen from the Bayport Museum and now pages keep showing up in Frank and Joe's things: their lockers, menus, even the backseat of their car. It's clear someone is out to frame them. But who could it be?

The boys try their usual means of deduction, but everything leads to a dead end. They just keep finding unsuspecting people who were paid to hide the pages by a mysterious third party. Frank recognizes this tactic - it's exactly what Moriarty would do to throw off Sherlock Holmes. So the brothers decide to use one of Sherlock's signature ideas: The Baker Street Irregulars. Though instead of street kids, Frank and Joe use a group of skateboarding tweens to keep their eyes and ears open around town.

It's a battle of wits as the brother detectives try to clear their name. But this Moriarty wannabe always seems to be one step ahead. Can the Hardy boys find the real culprit before it's too late?