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.

A series of museum thefts launch the Hardy Boys on this baffling mystery. Rare collections of ancient pirate treasure are being stolen, so Frank and Joe are asked to stake out the Black Parrot, a suspicious freighter docked in Bayport Harbor. This whirlwind chase after a self-styled pirate king in the Caribbean stronghold of the Empire of the Twisted Claw makes a gripping tale of suspense and high adventure.