The Hardy Boys series, first published in 1927, has sold more than 70 million copies! Now with a brand-new look, this is an edition that collectors won't want to miss! In  The Missing Chums , the fourth book in the incredibly popular, long-running series, Frank and Joe Hardy must save their friends from a rogue group of kidnappers. A special treat for Hardy Boys fans and any reader who's new to the series. Franklin W. Dixon is a pen name used by a variety of authors writing for the classic series, The Hardy Boys.  The first and most well-known "Franklin W. Dixon" was Leslie McFarlane, a Canadian author who contributed 19 of the first 25 books in the series. Other writers who have adopted the pseudonym include Christopher Lampton, John Button, Amy McFarlane, and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.