Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye

Always, Sammy Keyes has been the one getting into trouble, discovering a mystery, and, of course, solving it. One day, during some investigation, Sammy suddenly falls three stories and enters a coma. But without Sammy, who can puzzle out who pushed her? Sammy’s friends must struggle though their fears and doubts to find Sammy’s would-be killer before he or she comes back to finish the job.

In this satisfying conclusion to the extensive Sammy Keyes series, the focus is on the relationships between characters and tying up loose ends. For example, Sammy’s mother is a movie star and has never had much time for her; now Sammy’s injury makes her mother realize how much she loves her. I liked how Sammy’s mother changed and you are privileged to view the softer, gentler side of her. You also get to know Sammy’s father. The witty dialogue was amusing. This book was very self-explanatory, so coming into it having not read any of the other books and being able to understand it was great. I liked how everything wrapped up so nicely. I recommend this book to children 10 and up.