Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen Book

Sammy’s never been what you might call lucky. But finding a dead cat on her birthday? That ranks up there in her top-10 unluckiest moments. And not just because it was the ugliest dead thing she’d ever seen. No, it was more the chain of events that happened after.
Like getting hosed down by a crazy cat lady who blames Sammy for her pet’s violent end. And being chased through an alley by a guy with a cleaver. And being thrown in the ring by a cranky pro-wrestler called El Gato—oh, no wait, that was the good part of her day.

Children's Literature

America's most amazing young super sleuth is at it again, in this ninth book of the "Sammy Keyes" mystery series. It is Sammy's birthday, and all kinds of crazy things are going on. Her cat disappears and, much worse, she starts finding dead cats in random dumpsters. Could there seriously be a neighborhood cat killer? Dealing with such things is all in a day's work for Sammy, but still, it's pretty gross. Not only that, her mom comes back from Hollywood, only to mess with her head with some pretty upsetting news. Van Draanen weaves a seamless plot full of suspense and adventure, as she also reveals Sammy's inner struggles to believe in herself. Her worldliness gives her a tough and compelling edge, while a relentless honesty is funny and refreshing. It is no wonder this series is so popular.