Tag Alasdair Beckett-King

Alice Eclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Sprinkling of Danger / Montgomery Bonbon: Death at the Lighthouse

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Alice Eclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Sprinkling of Danger
Sarah Todd Taylor
Nosy Crow


Gifted young baker and spy, Alice is back for a third adventure, set in and around the grand Palace of Versailles which is being used as a film set for a team of American movie makers.


Arriving at Claude’s flat, she learns that he thinks the film director, Glen Carmine, could be a spy and wants Alice to get herself onto the film set and discover what is going on. In addition she is to take on a new agent recruit, Pierre, whom she soon finds out, resents her ‘nannying’ as he calls it. He gets himself a role on the set as hairdresser to star, Catrine Bell, but thanks to her patisserie skills, Alice gets herself hired on set too, to the chagrin of Pierre, who appears to have his own agenda. She does though make an ally of Milton, nephew of the director.


The weather becomes increasingly worse and so too does Alice’s feeling that somebody is trying to get rid of her, perhaps even kill her. Then due to heavy snow, the cast, crew and staff are forced to stay overnight in the palace, giving Alice opportunities to snoop around for clues. In addition she is beginning to suspect that Pierre isn’t to be trusted.


As more alarming things happen to Alice, she starts to think that maybe she’s not up to this case; does she even want to continue being a spy? But then things happen to make her change her mind; she just has to get to the bottom of this, her hardest mission yet.


Sarah Taylor-Todd’s crafting of the setting for this tale is superb, as are the details of the splendid sweet treats that Alice herself crafts. Readers will find their mouths alternately watering over the descriptions of Alice’s confections, and going dry at the life-threatening events that happen to her.
Definitely as tasty as the previous books in the series, though also, I think, the most perilous.

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Montgomery Bonbon: Death at the Lighthouse
Alasdair Beckett-King, illustrated by Claire Powell
Walker Books

Ten year old Bonnie and Grandpa Banks head to Odde Island for a much needed holiday, but when you’re a private detective, it’s unlikely that a quiet rest without mystery, intrigue or murder is what will transpire even if you have deliberately left your sleuthing gear safely at home in your bedroom.
They’ve barely set foot in the place when they learn of the death of lighthouse keeper, Maude Cragge who had supposedly been blown by the storm and fallen from the top of the lighthouse.
Fortuitously, so it would seem, Grandpa just happens to have packed Bonnie’s yellow bag of equipment after all. It’s time to investigate. And it looks as though the two holiday hopefuls have a murder mystery to solve.


It’s not long before Bonnie decides it isn’t just the one mystery relating to this strange island that she needs to get to the bottom of.

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She can however call on the assistance of friend Dana, who is also staying on the island.


Wit and humour abound, there’s a plethora of puns, and at the same time, intrigue and high drama, and I love the Poirot speak. All this accompanied by Claire Powell’s delightful illustrations which help elucidate some of the clues. A terrific sequel with more to come.

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum

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Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum
Alasdair Beckett-King, illustrated by Claire Powell
Walker Books

With a moustache and beret at the ready, there’s a new sleuth on the block; it’s ten-year-old Bonnie Montgomery aka Montgomery Bonbon, Widdlington’s best detective. He is always at the crime scene on the look out for likely suspects and searching for clues, usually accompanied by erstwhile ice-cream seller, Grampa Banks whose van comes in very useful for stake outs. Clever, easily ignored by adults and with excellent powers of observation, this unlikely crime-fighting duo are the stars of this first in a mystery series.

As the story starts, Bonnie and Grampa Banks are visiting the Hornville Museum – Widdlington’s oldest building. Suddenly there’s a frightful scream and they are plunged into darkness. A security guard has been murdered and a carved stone eagle has been stolen. On goes her disguise and transformation! There is Montgomery Bonbon, on the case in an instant. Quickly on the scene too is Inspector Sands; she is definitely not a fan of Montgomery Bobbon and in return Bonnie has a very low opinion of the detective.

A few clues are soon found and Bonbon is immediately on the trail of suspects, the thief and the appropriately named Blowpipe Killer. Could any of the museum staff have played any part in the murder or theft? I love the clever way illustrator Claire Powell provides readers with a look at Bonbon’s case notes throughout and her depictions of the characters are superb.

With some tricky red herrings, an interfering scarlet macaw, seagulls, crisps and scones along the way, can our determined young detective maintain her cover and solve the case before disaster strikes again?

Beckett-King has created some superb characters in his gently humorous, thought-provoking debut novel, not only team Bonnie and Grampa whose fondness for one another and their age difference are a big asset, but several others too including Bonnie’s new friend Dana Hornville. Youngsters will love meeting them and like this reviewer, eagerly anticipate more of Bonnie. Has she been perhaps taking lessons from a certain Belgian detective whose voice (or rather David Suchet’s) I caught echoes of as I read.