Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders: 01 (Neil Flambe) - Softcover

"This exuberant culinary mystery has the behind-the-scenes panache of Disney's "Ratatouille "and is held together by a kid who is as cocky in the kitchen as Gordon Ramsay (whose blurb graces the cover!).

Fourteen-year-old Neil Flambe is pretty much a failure when it comes to math, chemistry, and art, but he is a genius when applying those subjects to his own recipes at his celebrated Vancouver restaurant. Neil has got a superdeveloped olfactory sense, and the police call him "The Nose" while using him to sniff around crime scenes. The latest call to detect trace evidence involves a series of murders of Vancouver's top chefs. Neil picks up an exotic chai spice mixture on the dead chefs' lips and a baffling "something else" that he can't quite put his nose on. The murders continue, and Neil himself, unable to solve the crimes, becomes the chief suspect. First published in Canada in 2010, this series starter is over-the-top fun and features an intriguing link to Marco Polo's last voyage."

"-- Booklist"

A teen chef detective has murder on his plate in this first book in The Neil Flambé Capers, a delicious blend of mystery, history, and top-notch cuisine.

Neil Flambé is a world-renowned chef and restaurant owner. He’s also a kid. And, in his spare time, Neil uses his super-sensitive nose to help the local police solve mysteries. But when some of the best chefs in town turn up dead, the crime scenes turn culinary.

The cops are stumped, and the only real clues are a mysterious smell and some equally mysterious notes that seem to have something to do with Marco Polo. As more chefs fall prey to the killer, Neil can’t imagine how things can get any worse—until he becomes the prime suspect!