The Cookie Crumbles: 10/23/24

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow (2024) is a middle grade mystery set during a cooking competition. Laila is competing for a scholarship to a prestigious school. Lucy is along for the ride, hoping to get in on the merits of her skills as a reporter.

Laila is competing in a three day baking competition with other kids vying for a spot at the school. At the end of the first day the kids are stuck at the school because of inclement weather and one of the chef judges is dead and some are saying Laila's cookie did him in.

Note to self: I need to stop reading cooking competition mysteries. I am not a fan of cooking shows and the competition aspect just gets in the way of the mystery solving.

These competitions do okay with setting up the murder as it's usually done during the competition. But then there's a mystery to solve and the on-going competition. If more time is spent on competition, time is lost from letting the main character and the reader find clues and solve the mystery. If too much time is spent on the mystery, the competition feels like a dropped plot threat. It's a careful, tricky thing to balance the demands of the two types of story.

Here things are even more implausible given the age of the contestants. Plus the set up seems hokey from the get-go and as soon as the chef falls ill the contest should be called off. That it isn't and that the adults in charge aren't doing everything in their power to contact parents and get the kids home — or at least make plans to do so once the weather the clears — sends up huge red flags. I would think Laila and Lucy, the two outsiders would be quicker to ken to the adults' odd behavior.

Three stars

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