Not your ordinary baking competition when the recipe includes an attempted murder mixed into the plot. THE COOKIE CRUMBLES will have readers on the edge of their seats figuring out whodunit among the seven suspects.
Laila and Lucy have been best friends since kindergarten. Laila’s passion is cooking while Lucy hopes to become a famous news writer and broadcaster. They both have a chance to attend the prestigious Sunderland Boarding School when they start high school in a year. Laila must win the cookie bake-off competition while Lucy has to impress the board with her journalism skills to get the coveted scholarship.
One of the judges is the world renowned Chef Remi who unfortunately gags on one of Laila’s cookie creations and ends up in the hospital with a life threatening diagnosis. The competition continues with accusations sent one way and the other. A bad storm has also closed roads leaving the group isolated from the outside world.
Both girls investigate the attempted murder with some surprising results. Their friendship is tested but also becomes stronger as the pages turn toward the exciting end. Mystery lovers and those who like a competitive bake off will be rewarded with a the perfect recipe for an engaging story.
BOOK BIRTHDAY: June 11, 2024 PAGE COUNT: 320
FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE COOKIE CRUMBLES by Tracy Badua & Alechia Dow
- The story unfolds with alternating viewpoints from Laila and Lucy. This allows a much deeper view into their friendship and each of their strengths and weaknesses.
- The clues keep coming about who the guilty party might be and it had me changing my guess many times. That’s the way a mystery should be written.
- You have to love a first line like this: Generally speaking, cookies don’t kill people.
- Chef Remi is one of the most obnoxious characters, but he also might remind you of some real life TV chefs. His comments to the young bakers provided many cringe worthy reactions from the kids.
- Well thought out character arcs for all the characters, not just Laila and Lucy.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tracy Badua is an award-winning Filipino American author of books about young people with sunny hearts in a sometimes stormy world. By day, she is an attorney who works in national housing policy and programs, and by night, she squeezes in writing, family time, and bites of her secret candy stash. She lives in San Diego, California, with her family.
Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef, a librarian, and an award-winning author of acclaimed young adult sci-fi fantasies, several short anthology pieces, and magical (sometimes mysterious) middle grade stories. When not writing, you can find her having epic dance parties with her family, baking, reading, taking teeny adventures, and exploring her local food scene.
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Always in the Middle... 
I have to read your recommendation!
Sounds a great story, a mystery, bake-off and great character arcs! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been seeing this book around. You’ve got me excited to read it. I just reserved it at my library. Thanks!
Yeah, glad you liked this too. Lovely review. Happy MMGM
Another one I’ll have to read! I like to see how MG authors handle mystery stories, and I’m always glad to study a well-written mystery, whatever the reading level (I mostly write mysteries these days, though not for kids).
Sounds like a fun book that will appeal to kids! Who knew that baking would become such a “thing”?
this sounds like the perfect book to read with cookies and tea! Definitely going to look for it.
Baking and murder! Fun.
That is an awesome first line, lol.
Ooooh, this sounds like a lot of fun. I do love a good mystery. Thanks for the heads up.
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