Sam’s age is not one of the central mysteries in this series, but her age, along with other facts in the stories, can be deduced if you’ve picked up on some of the hints and clues that are dropped in the book.

The first clue is that Sam mentions that Ben, Penelope, Drew, Wade and Cara are all in her grade or in her classes at school, making them all about the same age.

A second hint comes during the groupings for the Alpine Survival Challenge. Lorne mentions that Sam and Jose are the leaders for groups of participants aged thirteen to eighteen.

A third clue is that Drew is a new driver, who is required to drive with an “L” sign. Learners are required to drive for a minimum of one year before graduating to the next level, “N” and the minimum age to apply for a driver’s licence in B.C., Canada, is sixteen years old. Considering Drew’s enthusiasm for cars and driving, he likely applied for his driver’s licence as soon as he was eligible.

The final clue comes from Chief Constable Joe when he mentions the lost hiker’s age during his public statement at the community center.

Did you figure it out? If not, here’s the answer:

Sam and her friends are sixteen years old in Fool’s Bluff.

Glacier Village exists in imagination only, although the story takes place on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada and locations such as Vancouver and Whistler are mentioned in the book.

Yes! But not all at once.

Fool’s Bluff is the first book in the Sam Shepherd mystery series and I wanted to give you an introduction to some of the characters, settings, mysteries and adventures that you will be visiting throughout the series. And though the main mystery of Fool’s Bluff will be resolved by the end of the book, some of the questions that arise in this book are part of the larger series arc and will get addressed and resolved as the series progresses.