Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash - by Wendelin Van Draanen (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" --Midwest Children's Book Review

Sammy Keyes has three wads of cold hard cash in her hot little hands. An old guy gave them to her. Well, actually, he told her to throw them away. Begged her. With his last dying breath. Which he was taking because Sammy had just scared the life right out of him. So . . . she's got to get this man some help. She's got to do it without being seen herself. And she's got to figure out how to stash that cash. Aw, c'mon! You'd keep the money too, right? No one ever needs to know. . . .

The Sammy Keyes mysteries are fast-paced, funny, thoroughly modern, and true whodunits. Each mystery is exciting and dramatic, but it's the drama in Sammy's personal life that keeps readers coming back to see what happens next with her love interest Casey, her soap-star mother, and her mysterious father.

Review Quotes

Praise for the Sammy Keyes series:

"Van Draanen offers such an explosive combination of high-stakes sleuthing, hilarity, and breathlessly paced action that it's impossible to turn the pages fast enough." --Kirkus Reviews

"There's no stopping Sammy."--Publishers Weekly

"An intelligent, gutsy, flawed, and utterly likable heroine."--Booklist

"Move over, Nancy Drew--a new sleuth is on the scene."--Girls' Life

"Think a combination of Carl Hiaasen's Flush and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and you'll be right on target." --School Library Journal

"A high-quality, high-amp mystery series." --The Horn Book

"This funny, clever series is NOT for kids only. I challenge the most seasoned mystery reader to guess 'who done it.'" --Cozies, Capers, and Crimes

"Sammy Keyes comes armed with attitude." --Orlando Sentinel

"Sammy doesn't find mysteries to solve--they find her." --Arizona Republic

"Humor, romance and adventure; this story is an absolute blast." --Chicago Tribune

"If you haven't met Sammy Keyes yet, now is the time." --Children's Literature

About the Author

Wendelin Van Draanen spent many years as a classroom teacher and is now a full-time writer. She is the author of many award-winning books, including the Sammy Keyes mysteries, Flipped, The Running Dream, Runaway, Wild Bird, Confessions of a Serial Kisser, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones, Swear to Howdy, and Hope in the Mail, Reflections on Writing and Life. Ms. Van Draanen lives with her husband in California. Her hobbies include the "three R's" reading, running, and rock 'n' roll. To read more about Wendelin Van Draanen's books, please visit WendelinVanDraanen.com.