Cinnamon Crumb Baking Detective: The Great Cake Caper is the first book in a delightfully cosy mystery series – and what an absolute treat this proved to be! Baked to perfection, this kept me completely captivated throughout.
Cinnamon Crumb intends to spend her winter school holiday with best friend, Rafi as they enjoy the delicious delights of The Great Cake Carnival. The ultimate accolade for the bakers during the ten-day Carnival is to win the coveted Twelve-Tiered Crown. When two rival bakers ask her to investigate a sticky situation, involving cheating and sabotage linked to the Crown, Cinnamon finds herself acting as a double agent in a secret mission – and accidentally becoming a baking detective.
And so begins THE most wonderfully charming, cosy crime caper as Cinnamon, best friend Rafi and new friend, Amber, set out to investigate the two rival bakers, but what secrets will they discover during their search for the perfect proof of a crime?
I absolutely loved spending time with this terrific trio as they use their sleuthing skills to follow a tantalising trail of clues, leading them into danger and chaos, and towards a clever plan to catch a culprit. I adored the humour, the baking puns, the red herrings, the fast-paced action and the diverse and inclusive cast of characters.
Cinnamon, Rafi and Amber are incredibly likeable children who trust and support each other as they team up to solve the mystery. Whilst Rafi is outgoing and full of energy, Cinnamon is more observant, qualities that complement each other as they both bring strengths to the investigation. New friend Amber’s Tourette’s syndrome is captured sensitively and encourages empathy and understanding in readers. I also loved the strong, positive message of being true to yourself, not conforming to others assumptions: incredibly empowering for young readers.
The many full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout are absolutely gorgeous, and capture the charm, cosiness and joy of this mystery perfectly. They are energetic, expressive and humorous and really immerse the reader in the town of Marzipan and its baking-loving inhabitants. And there’s a map – the best baking map!
A wonderful reading treat, generously sprinkled with mystery, humour and charm, perfect to snuggle up with on a cold evening with your choice of baked goods. Readers of 8+ will absolutely gobble up this deliciously delightful whodunnit.
Thank you to Usborne Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. It was my decision to read and review, and my review is my honest opinion.
Book Craic 