The Cannibal Caper

Mad Cannibal Terrorizes Downtown!

Orphaned 11-year-old amateur girl sleuth Sparky returns in another noirish adventure, set in the sketchy milieu of 1930s Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles.

The clock is ticking as Sparky tries to track down stolen precious jewels . . . while, at the same time, a gourmet cannibal is on the loose in the city, seeking new prey. Just who is this devious diner?

As the suspect count escalates, Sparky's protector, the former silent-movie star Tootsie, is oblivious to the danger. She's too busy getting Sparky back to school. No! Meanwhile, with her stalwart pal Bobby out of town, Sparky finds herself sometimes annoyed, sometimes fascinated by the mysterious boy who works in a most peculiar pet shop.

With so much crime and so little time, can Sparky avoid being collared for the caper-and elude being the next item on the dining menu!-by uncovering the identity of the cannibal?

Rosalind Barden's follow-up to bestselling The Cold Kid Case is a fast-paced, unforgettable romp through Depression-era downtown Los Angeles that's a fun cozy historical read for tweens to grownups. Follow more crime-solving misadventures of Sparky, the most unlikely amateur sleuth, with The Monkey Island Murder: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery, The South Seas Shenanigans: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery, and coming in 2025, The Catalina Cahoots: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery.

Critters Readers Poll Winner for Best Young Adult Book and Top 10 Finisher for Best Mystery Novel.