“Nelle is a sturdy, intrepid, practical character surrounded by a colorful cast of candy-obsessed children and adults in this fast-paced mystery.. . . there’s plenty here to satisfy tween mystery lovers. . . .mystery, humor, plenty of action, and a red herring or two with an explosive climax.” —School Library Journal
★ “Tidhar folds in plenty of noir tropes and contretemps (not to mention a stolen teddy bear for a McGuffin), while in his sparse but atmospheric line and fill drawings, Duncan depicts the young gumshoe properly clad in fedora and trenchcoat. It won’t take a detective to spot Willie Wonka, as well as Sam Spade, hidden in the tongue-in-cheek caper’s literary DNA.” —Booklist, Starred Review
“Noir tropes loom large in Tidhar’s fast-paced story, with a gutsy gumshoe, a hardboiled narrative voice. . . and enough action to keep young readers on their toes.” —Publishers Weekly
“Snappy dialogue. . . Food fights, an abandoned candy factory break-in, and more sweets-themed antics add to the fun and intrigue. . . . Combining chewing gum and gumshoes, this comical mystery begs to be read aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews
