The Candy Mafia

By Lavie Tidhar, Daniel Duncan (Illustrator)

A young detective uncovers a candy smuggling ring in a city where sweets are banned.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 192 ratings

296 pages· 42,518 words· Est. 6 hour read

$16.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon.

Bookroo's summary

In a city where candy is illegal, twelve-year-old detective Nelle Faulkner takes on a peculiar case: finding a lost teddy bear for a kid-gangster. But when her client vanishes, Nelle dives into a dangerous world of candy smugglers and hidden threats. As she unravels the mystery, Nelle must decide if she's in over her head. Can she solve the case before it's too late, or will the sweet underworld consume her? Join Nelle on a thrilling adventure filled with twists, danger, and unexpected allies.

From the publisher

Twelve-year-old private detective Nelle is swept up in a world of candy smuggling in this illustrated, middle grade mystery-comedy from World Fantasy Award-winner Lavie Tidhar. In a city where candy is outlawed, Nelle Faulkner is a preteen private detective working from her mother’s garden shed. When Eddie de Menthe, a notorious kid-gangster from a criminal candy ring, asks for help finding a lost teddy bear, Nelle Faulkner is on the case. But one sinister turn of events leads to another and Eddie himself goes missing! Nelle and her friends quickly find themselves navigating a shady underworld of sweets smugglers, back alley-deals, and storefront firebombs. If Nelle has any hope of tracking down her missing client, she’ll first have to unmask the true faces behind the smuggling operation. Is this the easy case Nelle thought it would be, or has she unknowingly put herself and everyone around her in inescapable danger? Daniel Duncan’s comical illustrations add a smooth layer of fun to Lavie Tidhar’s tongue-in-cheek narrative. Hand this fun detective adventure to fans of Bugsy Malone and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

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