Asbury High and the Thief’s Gamble: (Asbury High YA Cozy Mystery Series)
Young Adult Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Purple Milk Publishing (February 1, 2020)
Paperback: 260 pages

Synopsis

Asbury, although a haven to shoobies (tourists) in the summer, is a divided coastal town. With the rich half living in the East, and the rest living in the West, most friendships stay within their boundaries. Luckily for a spunky-smart tomboy, a clever billionaire athlete, a gossipy-in-the-know cheerleader, and a wrong side of the tracks technological genius, boundaries are a foreign concept. In fact, Maddie, Cornelious, Carly and Pilot have been Asbury’s strongest quartet for years, despite their vast differences.

 

Nevertheless, after a few weeks of starting high school, the foursome’s friendship is tested.

 

After a string of burglaries in East Asbury, the gang decides to solve the crime as a reason to make time for each other. 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.

 

With upperclassmen, teachers, and teammates vying for their attention, the gang must work even harder to root out the red-herrings from the true thief. Aided by Carly’s gossip, Maddie’s boldness, Cornelious’ quick-wit, and Pilot’s knack for technology, the gang soon discovers its edge over the local police department.

Guest Post

Maddie Petrozza joins us today to share her thoughts about this book and series.

Who is your favorite fictional character and how do you think you’re alike?

My favorite fictional character would have to be Neptune’s finest Private Eye, Veronica Mars. She is just too cool. And she doesn’t care what anyone has to say or thinks about her…mostly because she knows how awesome she is. I wish I could apply for my private investigator’s license, but it might be for the best that I don’t actually. Sometimes it’s nice to fly under the radar, and—on the rare occasions that my friends and I get caught— we can just act like we didn’t know any better.

Honestly, I like to think we have quite a few similarities. I may be more athletic than she is, and she may already have her private investigator’s license… but we both love mysteries. And the feeling must be mutual because mysteries sure do have a way of popping up in both of our lives. Which leads to another similarity, I guess. We may not necessarily go looking for crimes (despite what Carly might tell you), but once involved we’re like an opera singer at a karaoke party—we can’t be stopped, and most people won’t even try to anyway.

The last thing we definitely have in common is our 100% faithfulness to our closest friends. Veronica is so successful because she knows she can’t solve crimes all on her own, and although she had to find out the hard way which friends weren’t real, once she realized who her true friends were, they were unstoppable. Just like me and my gang!

About the Author

For as long as she could remember, Kelly Brady Channick loved making up stories and leaving her listeners/readers on the edge of their seats.

Perhaps that’s why she always managed to talk herself out of trouble…

After graduating from NJ’s own Ocean City High School, Kelly accepted a basketball scholarship to Holy Family University, in Philadelphia. As a lifelong athlete, Kelly understands the importance of teamwork and overcoming adversity, something she hopes translates into her books.

Before writing page-turners, she taught first, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade — like a dessert menu, she simply had to test them all out. But her favorite job is the one she’s now doing full time: writing. Kelly loves to craft whodunit mysteries, leading readers through various twists and turns filled with red-herrings, hidden clues, and more peculiar characters than a reality show.

Kelly lives in South Jersey with her handsome husband, energetic baby boy, two cookie-stealing dogs, and an awfully smart cat.

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