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"In the cult of the Rajah, death is a way of life." -Quote on Front Cover
Cult of Crime is the third book in The Hardy Boys Casefiles series. It was first published by Archway Paperbacks (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) in May 1987.
Plot summary
End of Casefile #2: The Hardy boys attempt the daring rescue of their friend Holly Strand, who has fallen into the clutches of the Rajah, a sinister cult leader. And when the Rajah captures Frank, he tries every mind-twisting trick to convert him too. With all the odds against them, the Hardys just barely escape with Holly. Now they must survive a terrifying chase through rugged terrain, with the Rajah's fanatical followers on their trail. But the worst danger is much closer- a human time bomb, programmed to kill on the Rajah's orders! Can Frank and Joe break the Rajah's twisted web of power?
Back of Book: High in the untamed Adirondack Mountains lurks one of the most fiendish plots Frank and Joe Hardy have ever encountered. On a mission to rescue their good friend Holly from the cult of the lunatic Rajah, Frank and Joe unwittingly become the main event in one of the madman's deadly rituals -- human sacrifice. Fleeing from the gun-wielding "religious" zealots and riding a danger-infected train through the wilderness, Frank and Joe arrive home to find the worst has happened. The Rajah and his followers have invaded Bayport. As their hometown is about to go up in flames, the boys look to Holly for help. But Holly has plans of her own, and one deadly secret.
Appearances
Characters
- Regulars
- Frank Hardy
- Joe Hardy
- Fenton Hardy
- Phil Cohen
- Callie Shaw (mentioned only)
- Ezra Collig
- Arthur Edward Gray (over radio only)
- Biff Hooper
- Chet Morton
- Tony Prito
- Con Riley
- Bobby
- Chandra
- Duke
- Kadji, aka 'Brother Raphael'
- Matt
- Rosie
- Mary Hadley (mentioned only)
- Hobart
- Sheriff Keller
- Shakey Leland, aka 'Vivasvat'
- Mr. Reis
- Emmett Strand
- Holly Strand, aka 'Yami'
- Paul Michael Strand, aka 'the Rajah'
Locations
Business and organizations
- Strand Bank
- Mr. Reis' Soda Paradise
- Miller Hotel
- Bayport Mall (mentioned only)
- Cult of the Rajah
- Bayport Police Department
Notes
By modern standards (2018) the Rajah has a very dated home entertainment setup since the book mentions that he has a "high-end VCR", which is most likely a stereo VCR, that back in 1988 would've been at the "high-end" of VCR's.
