The first in a new cute mystery series about French pastry chef and spy, Alice Eclair! Alice is a 13 year old in 1930s France when she is recruited to be a spy. She soon finds herself traveling on the luxurious Sapphire Express to try to retrieve documents from an unknown spy.

I thought this was a really cute mystery! I loved Alice as the main character and thought the pacing and chapter length were perfect for the targeted age group. Alice was also a great protagonist! I do wish there had been something about the time period early on because it took me a little bit to figure out when the time period was. Even like a year at the start of the first chapter would've been helpful! But that was such a minor thing, and I overall just had a good time reading this. I'm definitely going to read the next ones in this series!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic. It would be great for both a child to read on their own. But it was also the kind of children's book that would be enjoyable for an adult too, so it would make a read aloud book.

Delightfully Entertaining Twists and Turns

Alice, an extremely talented French baker, has to figure out who to trust as she works frantically to solve a mystery before it’s too late. I really enjoyed this story because it is a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat pure delight. The only downside for me what that I didn’t study French, which was sprinkled throughout the first portion of the book. But no worries – I just kept the google translate page open in my browser.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of the book for review.

While it started out seemingly as an adventure book, it ended up taking a more serious turn at the end. The book was quick paced and engaging. I typically enjoy books that Nosy Crow publishes, and this was no different.

I think it would’ve been helpful for the summary to include a bit more historical context so the reader knows what they’re getting into. Otherwise, I found this to be an interesting book, and would read the next one in the series.

I honestly thought this would be a much lighter read than it ended up being. It's good, it's just very heavy.

Alice, a 13-year-old, is an accomplished baker and helps her mother run a bakery in 1930s Paris. One day, a series of messages lead her to accept a spy assignment from someone she thought dead. Her mission takes her to the Sapphire Express, a luxury train where she can work in the kitchen while spying on the passengers to retrieve a microfilm.

I loved the scenes where Alice bakes and the descriptions of 1930s Paris. I also enjoyed her friendship with Penelope, a girl about her age. The setting is a bit of a blur until the very end which took me by surprise. The identity of the culprit and the conclusion were just so dark. It was just too intense for me.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for this ARC!

The premise of this children's mystery novel is a familiar one (spies, European luxury passenger train, etc.) but the writing made it fresh and original. I loved reading all the detailed descriptions of Alice Eclair's baked creations and I was actually surprised when the true villain was revealed. This was a very cute, fun story and I'm interested in reading the sequels.

Thank you to Nosy Crow for approving my request for this ARC!

middle-grades, spies, adventure, trains, treasure-hunt, baking, pastries, quirky, twisty, paris, historical-fiction, codes*****

Excitedly awaiting delivery of pre-order to GD in another state!
What a fun historical mystery story with sneaky ways for readers of any age to learn about STUFF!
Great for gifting to anyone, but especially to school library and your local public library. I feel that it is totally fun for ESL, too!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected advance proof from Nosy Crow Inc via NetGalley. Thank you!
Avail Mar 18, 2025 #AliceÉclairSpyExtraordinaireARecipeforTrouble by Sarah Todd Taylor🕵️‍♀️
@scraphamster #AliceÉclairBk1 #NetGalley @NosyCrow #Mystery #MiddleGrades #FUN

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Alice, a young girl who is a master baker and also a spy in training. She is sent on a mission on a train and things quickly unfold.

This was a fun story! I thought Alice was a great character and she was fun to follow. I love the food references throughout. It was also fast paced and just a fun book to read.

I would definitely recommend to middle grade readers!