Review: Archie and the Gang Meets the Hardy Boys!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 25, 2013
I really liked the group dynamics of Jerry and his gang.  They look out for each other and all have distinct personalities. Jerry's gang reminds me of Archie Andrews and all in the Archie comics.  Jerry is Archie, Ash is Betty Cooper, and Kate is Veronica Lodge.  To me, that was the strong part of the novel.  The gang gets into trouble, and its members bail each other out and rely upon their numerous contacts within the small town, especially Kate, who is the wealthy socialite.The book was portrayed as a crime investigation by an amateur sleuth like the Hardy Boys, but my attention kept drifting to the dynamics of the group of teenagers.  The depiction of the disappeared heiress was so-so, and the methods of Jerry to solve the mystery were sometimes clueless, relying upon good luck and very willing victims to help him in his task.It would be fun for A.J. Raven to keep writing the series as a sort of "Archie's Crime Mysteries" where Jerry relies upon his gang to help him out as he resolves to launch a career as a junior investigator.  In that sense, it is similar to an old book series, "The Three Investigators" with Jupiter Jones and gang.  In The Three Investigators, the trio of boys don't have the same range of emotions and interests as does A.J. Raven's gang, which is why I liked this crew. (The Three Investigators are very popular in Germany).One twist in the book that made it more up-to-date and refreshing, even if brief, was the topic of forbidden love.Don't let the three stars throw you off... I really enjoyed this book, for a light read, and would probably read it over and over again.  Sharpen the plot on the crimes and you'll have a feast!  Use more old fashioned detective methods, like talking to police, checking for fingerprints and footprints, researching the old newspapers at the library, and so on!This could easily become a series.