Friends Laila Thomas, an avid baker, and Lucy Flores, a budding journalist, are back for their second baking-themed mystery that reads like a tasty combination of The Great British Bake Off and Agatha Christie (or Knives Out, if you prefer a more contemporary analogy).
The two girls are trying to get used to the attention that their previous crime-solving has brought them, all while balancing the pressures of eighth-grade, Lucy’s internship with a leading investigative journalist, and Laila’s baking vlogs and possible new boyfriend. Then Jaden, a boy who competed with Laila in the previous book, reaches out for help. His two dads were supposed to be producing a holiday-themed kids’ baking competition, but when one is accused of stealing diamonds from the mansion where the show is being filmed, he needs the girls’ crime-fighting expertise.
For reasons I won’t delve into here, however, Laila is tapped to host the show, while Lucy, whose baking skills don’t match Laila’s, gets roped into being a contestant. This puts pressure on them individually and tests their already-strained friendship.
The story is again told in Laila and Lucy’s alternating perspectives, blending both first-person narration, excerpts from their diary entries, and (in this volume), snippets of dialogue from the show. It’s full of legitimate baking details (co-author Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef) and amusingly exaggerated characters (particularly the adults). Underlying the mystery and fun, however, is a nicely told thread about change and growing up and doing so at one’s own pace.
It’s a delightful story with two protagonists of color (Laila is Black and Lucy Filipina), and additional secondary characters of color as well. Two characters are also living with single mothers. While those identities are not core to the plot, the authors do not ignore them, but weave in some authentic-seeming references to their heritage and to microaggressions that the characters have (unfortunately) experienced.
My only disappointment is that none of the delicious-sounding recipes mentioned in the story are included anywhere (at least in the review copy I received)! (Perhaps Dow or the publisher will provide them on social media at some point.) The story itself is a tasty treat, however; the mystery-baking storyline and relatable characters make it a highly recommended combination of winning flavors.
