A Spoonful of Spying (Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire!)
This exuberant romp of a spy thriller is set against the backdrop of a fictionalised grand exhibition like the one which took place in Paris in the 1930s. Alice Éclair is a girl who makes patisseries in her mother’s shop and who also leads a double life as a spy. In this, the second book in the series, Alice’s mission is to solve the disappearance of France’s top aeroplane engineer.
In the pursuit of this, she inveigles her way into the Fashion pavilion and befriends young Sophie, a talented aero-engineer, and Eva – a motorbike-riding model. All three girls excel in their different professional worlds of fashion, aeronautics, and high-end baking. Taylor makes fascinating use of intricate details in all three areas in ways that always serve the plot. So, the beading on the gorgeously described gowns is being snipped away to make messages in code. Sophie’s newly invented glider, due to be launched from the Aviation pavilion, is flown by Alice at one point in a hair-raising chase, during which she has to follow shouted instructions on how to loop the loop. And we stand at Alice’s shoulder as, under pressure, she messes up a batch of delicate spun-sugar confectionary that is her passport as a spy into the fashion show.
This pacy, action-packed read is historical fiction with the lightest touch. It contains many fun elements (such as a wilful cat!). Not least, it features three strong female characters who absolutely make the action happen. It can be read as a stand-alone novel and is suitable for readers of 9+.
