The Mysteries at the Biltmore Continue in Book 3 of the Popular Picturebook Series

The LaRue Detective Agency has a spotless track record, and they’re not about to let one flaky mystery ruin it. In Mystery at the Biltmore #3: A Recipe for Robbery, celebrated picture book author Colleen Nelson returns with another charming installment set in the bustling halls of The Biltmore apartment building. When a top-secret recipe disappears just days before its grand reveal, junior sleuth Elodie LaRue takes the case, determined to maintain her agency’s perfect success rate.

Chef Phillipe is preparing to launch his dream pastry shop, where he plans to unveil his greatest creation yet, the cruffin, a decadent blend of croissant and muffin. But when his prized recipe book vanishes from his apartment, panic sets in. Elodie jumps into action, but this mystery may be trickier than she expected. As the clues pile up like layers of dough, Elodie must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her reputation and uncover the truth.

Filled with colourful illustrations by acclaimed artist Peggy Collins, this fast-paced mystery delivers both laughs and suspense. With a delightful cast of quirky characters and a vibrant New York setting, Colleen Nelson serves up a middle-grade caper that fans of Harriet the Spy and Only Murders in the Building will find absolutely delicious.

We've got an excerpt from this exciting new picture book to share with our readers, so dig right in!

An Excerpt from Mystery at the Biltmore #3: A Recipe for Robbery

Chapter 1

ELODIE

Elodie LaRue was determined not to let the thief get the best of her. It had taken some clever planning and all her investigative know-how, but as the lead sleuth at the LaRue Detective Agency, Elodie was up for the challenge. After all, her agency was gaining quite the reputation at The Biltmore, her Upper West Side apartment building. From jewel heists to catnapping, she and her trusty assistants had yet to meet a case they couldn’t crack.

“Ah-ha!” Elodie leaped onto the couch, startling Carnegie, her West Highland Terrier, who had just squeezed behind it. Carnegie, or in this case, the thief, looked up at Elodie with a shoe dangling from her mouth. “Got you!”

Miss Rosa poked her head out of her studio. “Did she steal another shoe?” Elodie’s nanny was also an artist and spent many hours every day painting in the small room with a big window behind the kitchen.

“Yes, but it was all part of my plan.” Elodie leaned over the back of the couch and held out her hand for the shoe. A bell attached to the buckle jingled when Carnegie dropped it. “When I heard it ring, I knew she’d struck again.”

“Very clever,” Miss Rosa said. “Are you going to put bells on all your shoes, or just keep them in the closet like I suggested?”

“What would be the fun in that?” a deep, unfamiliar voice asked. Elodie turned and gasped. A stranger was in the apartment! The boy had a large nose, bushy eyebrows, glasses, and black hair. Elodie gasped and opened her mouth to cry, “Intruder!” when Carnegie raced around the couch and rolled over for a belly rub.

Disguises couldn’t fool her. “Oscar?” Elodie asked, still not sure it was really her friend and neighbor from down the hall.

“What do you think? I picked all this up at a costume store in the Theater District. I need to learn how to move wearing it. You know, in case I have to double for someone.” Oscar Delgado’s dream was to be a stuntperson.

Self-taught, he showed a lot of promise and spent all his free time practicing his skills. “Plus, I thought disguises might come in handy if we ever go on a stake-out.”

“You will never go on a stake-out,” Miss Rosa quickly replied. They might run the most successful detective agency at The Biltmore, but they were still eleven years old. She put down her paintbrush. “But we can go for a walk. Shall we go to the park?”

“Can I wear my disguise?”

There was no point in arguing. Elodie had become accustomed to Oscar’s antics and now she’d add disguises to his list of skills which also included parkour, unicycling, and magic, all of which had proven surprisingly useful when solving mysteries. “Do you have a name for this…character?”

“I’m Finley McAllister, from Edinburgh, Scotland.” Oscar’s accent was spot-on.

“Okay, Finley. Let me get changed. I may as well pack a picnic too,” Miss Rosa said.

“That’s pure, dead brilliant, ye bonnie lass!” Oscar’s Scottish accent made Miss Rosa laugh out loud.

Elodie ran to get Carnegie’s leash. It was shaping up to be another lovely afternoon. What could be better than good food and good friends enjoying a fine summer day in the best city in the world? A mystery, perhaps?

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Colleen Nelson earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba in her hometown of Winnipeg. Her previous novels include Blood Brothers, selected as the 2018 McNally Robinson Book of the Year for Young People, and Pulse Point, selected as one of the CBC’s Most Anticipated YA Books of 2018. Colleen writes daily in between appearances at hockey rinks and soccer fields in support of her two sports-loving sons.

Peggy Collins is an award-winning children’s book author-illustrator with more than 35 titles to her name, including Harley the Hero, A Sky-Blue Bench, Whistling for Angela, In the Snow, and In the Garden. She has also written and illustrated for animated apps teaching math, indigenous history, and education. Peggy lives in Newburgh, Ontario with her two children.