Wendelin Van Draanen

A Hollywood actress, who had been competing with Sammy's mother for an important role, is murdered, but thirteen-year-old Sammy and her friend Marissa are on the case.

When Justice Jack, a self-appointed superhero, begins trying to track down the missing Mrs. Wedgewod and some stolen cash, the older folks in Santa Martina are delighted but Sammy knows it will be up to her to really solve the mystery.

Streetwise stray dog Mr. Whiskers and sisters Misty and Zelda follow clues through the streets of San Francisco in their search for the sibling's kidnapped father.

When her history teacher begins receiving death threats and her own name is near the top of the suspect list, eighth-grader Sammy is determined to find the real perpetrator, but she is distracted by her mother's relationship problems, her almost-boyfriend inexplicably avoiding her, and her duties as a reluctant bridesmaid.

In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.