Book excerpt: When eccentric Thaddeus McClintock invites Frank and Joe Hardy to accompany him on a sea voyage, the teenage investigators become entangled in a web of mystery. Who is trying to block the three from securing reservation on freighter ships that carry passengers? The determined efforts of Frank and Joe lead to a hazardous game of wits with a ring of slippery smugglers and to a dramatic confrontation on the high seas. Here is an exciting, action-filled mystery that will keep the reader on edge with suspense.