A Recipe for Robbery: Mystery at the Biltmore #3

Ages 7 to 10, Grades 2 to 5

Elodie LaRue is back for a new page-turning mystery. Someone has stolen Chef Sebastian’s recipes and with few suspects, a tight timeline, and the LaRue Detective Agency’s perfect success rate on the line, could Elodie be biting off more than she can chew? 

With a 100% success rate, it is no wonder The LaRue Detective Agency has become the investigators to call at The Biltmore. But could the recipe robbery become Elodie’s own recipe for disaster?  Biltmore resident, Chef Sebastian, plans to open a new pastry shop where he will unveil his mouthwatering masterpiece—the cruffin (part muffin, part croissant, entirely delicious). That is until all of Chef’s recipes are stolen from his apartment. With a 100% success rate, it is no wonder The LaRue Detective Agency is hired to solve the recipe robbery, but when the mystery appears as layered as a French croissant—one may wonder: is a mystery this complicated worth risking a perfect reputation? Full-color illustrations by award-winning artist Peggy Collins are scattered throughout the story, bringing additional humor to the cast of quirky characters and enhancing the reading experience for new independent readers.  From the award-winning author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson brings another New York apartment building to life in Mystery at the Biltmore #3: A Recipe for Robbery. Written with charm and wit, Mystery at The Biltmore is Only Murders in the Building meets Harriet the Spy.  When Chef Sebastian’s recipes are stolen the day before his new pastry shop is set to open, the LaRue Detective Agency is on the case. But with few suspects, a tight timeline, and their perfect success rate on the line, it will take all of Elodie’s investigative skills to find the culprit. Full-color spot illustrations scattered throughout the story add additional humor to the quirky characters. The LaRue Detective Agency is hired to solve the recipe robbery, but with few suspects, a tight timeline, and their perfect success rate on the line, it will take all of Elodie’s investigative skills to find the culprit. Full-color illustrations throughout the story add additional humor to the quirky characters.

About the Author

An author and middle-school teacher, Colleen Nelson has lived in New York City and Japan. She currently lives in Winnipeg where she writes, teaches, and dreams up more mysteries for Elodie, Oscar, and Carnegie to solve. Her previous works include the critically acclaimed middle-grade novels The Umbrella House, a finalist for the TD Canada Literature Prize, and The Undercover Book List, winner of the Silver Birch Award.  Peggy Collins is an award-winning children’s book author-illustrator with more than 35 titles to her name, including the Blue Spruce Award-winner, Harley the Hero; the ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book, A Sky-Blue Bench; and her most recent work, Mystery at The Biltmore. She has also written and illustrated for animated apps teaching math, indigenous history, and education. Peggy lives in Napanee, Ontario, with her two children