Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary is the fifth book in the series, and it takes place around New Year's.
Overview[]
Another whirlwind adventure for the amateur sleuth. While biking out to Dot's house for New Year's weekend, Sammy and her friends literally run into a boy on a skateboard that looks suspiciously like the one that was stolen from Sammy. Taylor lures the girls to a party with the promise of getting the skateboard back, but he is really interested in seeing Marissa. Before they can leave, however, Sammy shares a few exciting and confusing moments with Casey, a boy who holds her hand and promises to help her retrieve her board. Meanwhile, a fire has destroyed the cabin of Moustache Mary, a pioneer woman who was one of the area's original settlers. Her descendant Lucinda Huntley is convinced that it was set by the neighbors with whom her family has feuded for generations. Sammy puts the clues together and finds the real culprit. Van Draanen deals with some serious issues here. The New Year's party is unchaperoned and there are several young people drinking and smoking marijuana. The girls eventually learn that one of Lucinda's hired hands is operating an underground meth lab.