A Recipe for Trouble (Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire 1) by Sarah Todd Taylor

What worked:

Readers must remember the story is set in the mid-1930s when Hitler and Germany became a growing threat to Europe. This is when spies pass secret, classified information to their governments using ciphers and hidden messages. The book opens with Alice retrieving some microfilm that was stolen from a French agent. Alice’s uncle was a spy who she thinks drowned two years ago. However, he’s still alive and has been training Alice to follow in his footsteps. She’s learned to read codes, follow maps, create detailed diagrams, and be more observant of people and her surroundings. These skills are useful as she tries to thwart a spy from sharing information that might lead to a German invasion of England.

Many young readers enjoy cooking with their parents, and Alice is a gifted pastry chef working in her mother’s bakery. She’s the greatest young baker in Paris, France, and maybe the most talented in the whole country. The first pages describe Alice artfully putting the finishing touches on a baked recreation of the Eiffel Tower with glittery fireworks as a highlight. Her talent opens the door for her to board an exclusive train, trying to stop the person working for the Nazis. There are descriptions of Alice mixing and baking different pastries to maintain her cover. She’s also able to apply her baking skills and knowledge in unexpected situations.

The story presents plenty of suspects for the unknown spy, and readers' attention will fluctuate as more information is shared. Is it the singing/dancing twin brothers who’ve been performing in locations around Europe where previous incidents have occurred? Is it Stella, the reporter with notebooks written in strange language (code?), who has also been traveling around Europe? Maybe it’s the mysterious professor, who’s often poring through books rather than interacting with other guests. Or could the spy be someone else who Alice hasn’t noticed? The author saves a huge surprise as the story nears its climax and leaves the resolution open for the sequel.

What didn’t work as well:

This book is the first in the series, but it doesn’t feel like it. References are made to spy-like activities Alice has done that might have been in previous editions. This results in her backstory and character not being as developed as they might have been. We don’t know a lot about Alice beyond what happens in this book. Also, the plot isn’t overly suspenseful until the surprise mentioned above.

The final verdict:

This book is a nice introduction to a new spy-sleuth in pre-WWII France. Alice’s talents as a pastry chef and the surprise during the book’s climax add novelty and interest to this series. I recommend you give it a shot!