Hitchhiking Vampire

After a farcical birthday dinner sends their flimflam father to jail, Jamie and her brother, Luke, are faced with the task of driving from California to Utah. With only $30 and an old clunker of a car, the trip promises to be exciting. They pick up a hitchhiker named Hank, a vampirish-looking old codger who happens to have a paper sack full of money, which they promptly bet on a baseball game. They lose, and after many adventures, the three manage to recover Hank's money and solve all problems. Mooser's one-liners and comic observations pack a punch, but the story and characters seem thin. This novel just misses the hilarity for which it aims. Ages 10-14. (May)