NEW EDITION!Can four teens solve a puzzling whodunit that captivates their small town and baffles the police, all while starting high school?“Asbury High is a quick paced, Scooby-Doo-esque story that features a strong storyline and even stronger bonds of friendship. [It] is a mystery that will appeal to anyone that enjoys a light and fun sleuth story featuring a group of likable young amateur … young amateur detectives.” (Indies Today, ★★★★★)
Available in paperback!
Take one spunky smart tomboy, one clever billionaire athlete, one gossipy in-the-know cheerleader and one technological genius, and throw a string of burglaries into their usually quiet, coastal hometown and what do you get?
A freshman year of high school, filled with intrigue and humor. What starts out as a fun hobby for the four friends, turns serious when someone close to the gang becomes the fall guy. Using their unique, individual skills, Maddie, Cornelious, Carly and Pilot embark on a mission to stop the crime spree and put things right.
Unfortunately, solving crimes isn’t as easy as it seems on TV. The further they investigate, the more they find themselves constantly side-stepping tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum-like policemen, outsmarting local bully JB and his gang of misfits, and dealing with Cornelious’ billionaire father and Governor—who has disapproved of his son’s choice of friends for years. In addition to these obstacles, the foursome must also adapt to their evolving friendship with each other and their peers.
But with upperclassmen, teachers, and teammates vying for their attention, the amateur sleuths must work even harder to root out the red-herrings from the true thief, before it’s too late. Asbury High and the Thief’s Gamble is the first book in a young adult cozy mystery series, that fans of Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and Scooby Doo will love.
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Amazing book with so much suspense and mystery! I am so excited to read the next books in this series!
Asbury High and the Thief’s Gamble by Kelly Brady Channick is a modern-day Scooby-Doo gang in high school solving crimes.
Can Maddie, Cornelious, Pilot, and Carly figure out who the culprit is before the police arrest the wrong person?
The teenage sleuths
The teenage sleuths are Maddie, Cornelious, Pilot, and Carly. Each one is very different but they work well together. I dubbed them in my head the new Scooby gang despite the fact that they don’t have a talking dog and that they don’t resemble one of the gang members individually. Maddie and Pilot are from the west side of Asbury which puts them on the poor side while Cornelious and Carly are from the east side of Asbury which puts them in the rich part of town. Cornelious is very rich though. Despite these outward differences the four friends don’t care and they work great together. The four of them have grown from the beginning to the end on how they act not just with each other but with the people around them. Whether that be their peers or sometimes their parents.
The Mystery
The mystery happens to be one person going around the rich people’s house’s in East Asbury and stealing from them. I had no clue who the person could be, but I had an inkling, and that inkling turned out to be true. Our new Scooby gang has been dealing with trying to figure this out a lot because they want justice to be done correctly. I am honestly impressed with how they were trying to solve the case while doing their sports and doing their homework for school.
Five Stars
Asbury High and the Thief’s Gamble by Kelly Brady Channick is an excellent book. I was hooked from the beginning of it and could only think of when I first found out that it’s like a younger version of the Scooby gang. I have to say that this group is fascinating and completely different than the Scooby gang. Certain things that they did in the book made me think of them in that way. I am giving this book five stars, and recommending it to anyone that loves a good cozy mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! What do you think of Asbury High and the Thief’s Gamble by Kelly Brady Channick?
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Asbury High and The Thief’s Gamble is a little bit “Scooby Doo”/”Nancy Drew” with a little bit of “Riverdale” thrown in. The main characters in the book have been friends for years even though two of them are from the East side of town and two are from the West side. The East-siders are the ones with money, but that hasn’t stopped these friends from sticking together. As we know, high school comes with challenges. The gang are involved in sports and activities plus they’ve got their homework. They still find time to hang out though.
When the East-siders’ homes begin being robbed, the West-siders come under suspicion. This doesn’t sit well with the gang since they know trouble comes from both sides of town. Investigating the string of robberies comes with its challenges, but thanks to Pilot, the tech genius, the gang can get some inside information.
The author has called this a young adult cozy mystery, and for the most part, I agree. It has some swearing, but it seems like cozy mysteries these days do have more swearing than in the past. There is also underage drinking and sexual innuendo, so be aware of this if you’re getting this for your young reader. It has the feel of a cozy mystery due to the close knit group of friends and non-gruesome mystery. In addition, the main characters are the real sleuths much to the consternation of the local police, and that’s usually the case in cozy mystery books.
I thought that the interaction among the gang was fun and realistic…typical of high school friends. I liked getting to know members of Maddie’s close-knit family and appreciate the fact that they are supportive of one another. All the family members are expected to pitch in without question. I felt sorry for Cornelius since his dad thinks success, money, and knowing the right people are what life is about.
Asbury High and The Thief’s Gamble is the first book in this series. Who knows what mystery the gang’s sophomore year will hold?