I've read the first 76 books in this series and comparing this book to them, I thought it was a slower book (usually the first book in a series isn't as good anyways). They did use more detective skills though. If possible, read this book first and then you can read the other books out of order without missing anything.
I enjoy a good mystery, and Hardy Boys is a great series for young readers. I remember being captivated by each book that were filled with cliff hangers and clever twists.
The Tower Treasure is the first in the series where Joe and Frank Hardy use their detective skills to solve a mystery.