Sammy Keyes And The Cold Hard Cash (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
I really like this series. Teen mysteries have always been around, but often with mysteries which are just too difficult to believe. These are not about spies or elaborate murder mysteries, just simple, low-key crimes that a teen might stumble across. Well, maybe not so simple in this case, with a victim or a culprit dropping dead at her feet, leaving no clue as to which he is.The moral and practical issues centering around money are at the heart of this story, and there are plot threads hinting at the sequel, and this author rarely drops a hint without it meaning something.I do recommend starting with the first volume [Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief:], which introduces the key characters, and especially introduces Sammy's personality. I started reading Sammy Keyes books when I was in the fourth grade. By now I find the writing a little simple. There are still many ironic lines that I enjoy in Wendelin Van Draanen's writing style and this book has many. I liked this new Sammy Keyes. I always enjoy how the plot speeds up at the end so that the mystery clicks for Sammy before I understand what happened and why. Which is part of why I initially liked the series. Unlike other mysteries I hadn't figured out the mystery before the detective. That used to annoy me about the Nancy Drew series.The middle school drama aspect has never interested me and I disliked it more in this book. A subtitle for this particular book could be "Sammy gains a conscience" as she does start to think through lying and betraying the trust of her friends. I am interested in how the relationship between Sammy and Casey and then the relationship between their parents. There was a slight twist to the Heather relationship but I still find that part of the series dull. There are some interesting parts about Marissa and a few very sweet lines that Sammy and Marissa exchange.Reading Sammy Keyes at 15 I do realize that I enjoy the part about how she gets along so well with adults. She has Hudson who is a mentor type figure and is friendly with the guy who works at the hotel next door. The book ends with some commentary about money not being important which could have been left off in my opinion since that is an obvious theme of the book.
What do You think about Sammy Keyes And The Cold Hard Cash (2008)?
