🔹The artwork is truly exceptional! When I reviewed the first book in this series, “The Incredible Hotel,” I was already in love with it, but the artwork is what really sets it apart from other children’s picture books. The imagery is simply phenomenal!

🔹I adore the Regency feel of these books! They are often described as a blend of “Downton Abbey” and “The Great British Bake Off,” and I couldn’t agree more.

🔹This latest book introduces a mystery: a stolen chocolate cake recipe, with everyone pointing fingers! Thankfully, young chef Stefan and his best friend, detective Matilda, are on the case. There are clues hidden throughout the pages, so be sure to pay close attention as you read. It’s a fantastic way to introduce the mystery genre to your kids!

🔹In my opinion, both books are outstanding. Be sure to add them to your library today!

Thank you @netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A fast-paced book that keeps both adult and child intrigued in the story! Myself and my son thoroughly enjoyed reading this together and we got through it easily as it was such fun. The illustrations were absolutely flawless and we have no negative points here.

Thank you NetGalley! I love children’s mystery books. This was set in the perfect place, a hotel. What a fun read with colorful characters. I loved the illustrations

This title was utterly adorable with both the content and the illustrations. I didn't realize this was part of a series but I am so glad it is. I can't wait to see if any more titles are published.

This book was pure charm, so much so that I ordered a physical copy straight away. With brilliant illustrations, a sumptious colour palette and a big dose of Paris chic, it was a joy to spend time at the hotel. The plot felt cosy but with a high-stakes mystery that had a humorous resolution. A hug in a book and totally joyful - for the older end of the picture book market.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel is a fun and mouth-watering read for children, sure to be a hit with its audience for the cake alone!
The Incredible Hotel is a prestigious hotel that runs like clockwork. Chef Stephan enters a cake baking competition hosted by the hotel, and he prepares a recipe to enter with. Bit just as the competition starts, his recipe has disappeared! Stephan has to compete without it and finds ingredients along the way to add to his new recipe in the teachings of friendship, loyalty, fairness, self-judgement, equality, love, fun, competitiveness, understanding and self-worth. The mystery element is fun and intriguing to children, and the illustrations are eye-catching, fun, and colourful with plenty going on.

We've gone through this book several times. There's reading the story, of course, but there's also doing the "look at this!" and just enjoying the illustrations.
The characters in the mystery are fun and easy to relate to, the investigation nudges the reader to examine everything and come to reasonable conclusions. Now I have to get copies of this and also The Incredible Hotel in print so it's easier to read together!
The illustrations by Isabelle Follath are finely detailed, intricate, imaginative, colorful, and fun.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, hospital, or your local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books | Frances Lincoln Children's Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you to the author, Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book set at The Incredible Hotel, and with the memory of the fantastic first one, we sat down to read this one with great anticipation - and it did not disappoint! We meet up with Chef Stefan again, with the story centering around a baking competition and a mystery, and a lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Many of the characters from the first book reappear here, but the spotlight this time is on Miranda the bellhop, who solves the mystery and is promoted to hotel detective. She saves the day, and Chef Stefan wins the baking competition with an amazing creation. The illustrations are magnificent, filled with innumerable small details that leave you with new things to discover with each reading. Highly recommend!

Book Review: A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel by Kate Davies & Isabelle Follath

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel" by Kate Davies, illustrated by the incredibly talented Isabelle Follath, and wow, what an enchanting experience! As a follow-up to The Incredible Hotel, this delightful picture book takes us back to the whimsical world of the hotel where a prestigious baking competition is about to unfold.

The story kicks off with the much-anticipated World Baking Competition, where talented bakers, including our friend Stefan, are gearing up to impress the esteemed Chef Tartine. Everything seems to be going smoothly until—drumroll, please—the morning of the event arrives and Stefan discovers that his prized chocolate cake recipe has mysteriously vanished! Talk about a baking nightmare! Thankfully, the clever and resourceful Matilda, Stefan’s best friend and the sharpest detective in Delaunay, is on the case. Who could have pulled off such a dastardly deed? With fingers pointing in all directions, including Mr. Starch, the hotel manager, there’s no shortage of suspects or theories.

Now, let me tell you, this book was nothing short of AMAZING. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful! Isabelle’s artwork adds so much depth and character to each page, making it incredibly engaging. As I flipped through the pages, I found myself getting lost in the details—each fabulous illustration is like a treasure chest filled with clues and surprises. I love how every time you look closely, you discover something new. It’s like a puzzle waiting to be solved!

This enchanting tale is not just for kids; it’s a delightful experience for adults too! The combination of whimsical text and captivating illustrations creates an atmosphere that you can’t help but get lost in. With a strong and principled female lead like Matilda, it also sends a wonderful message about friendship and problem-solving.

In short, if you’re looking for a charming story that will entertain readers of all ages while tickling your detective instincts, A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel is a must-read! I can’t recommend it enough—it’s a delightful adventure that will leave you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel is a beautifully illustrated children's book.

There is an upcoming baking competition and Chef Zagat's recipe goes missing on the morning of the competition.

Text is by Kate Davies; illustrations were created with watercolour and pencil by Isabelle Follath. There really is a lot going on with the amount of detail in the illustrations.

I would highly recommend this book for young readers.

Looks like the original publication date was Sept 7, 2023. 39 pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Childrens Books (publisher) for approving my request to read the advance read copy of A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel in exchange for an honest review.

This picture book has intricate, whimsical illustrations that are lots of fun to explore. The story itself is rather bland, however, since the mystery is extremely predictable and all conflicts get resolved immediately, without any time to build suspense. I wasn't impressed with this book as a whole, but I would still recommend it to people who are interested in the marvelously detailed, humorous illustrations.

Captivating, heart-warming, and a wonderful mystery uncovered by the sharp bellhop, Matilda. I'd highly recommend this children's book for children as well as adults. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.Captivating, heart-warming, and a wonderful mystery uncovered by the sharp bellhop, Matilda. I'd highly recommend this children's book for children as well as adults. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This little story is perfect as part of your bedtime routine. There is a mystery at The Incredible Hotel, the chefs top secret recipe for chocolate has disappeared and he needs it to bake his cake for the competition! Who has taken it? Follow Matilda the bellhop to solve the mystery of the missing recipe. The illustrations are an absolute delight and the story is easy to follow.

What a charming book! a cosy and cute mystery that left me laughing. The illustrations were so colourful and warm. I will have to add the physical version to my collection.

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Davies, Isabelle Follath and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own..

This is a beautifully illustrated mystery set it a hotel and is perfect for fans of Eloise!

We are told the story of a missing top secret recipe for a young chef at Hotel Incredible to use in the upcoming baking contest. His friend, a young bellhop, may don her detective cap and solve the mystery before time runs out!

The culprit is adorable and the ending is so sweet and colorful and you can’t help but smile. As the story takes place, each illustration takes you through the whimsical rooms of the hotel, getting to know its unique staff and interesting guests. It was a delight to read and explore with my daughters and we can’t wait to add this book to our home library!

A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel follows the journey of the missing secret recipe. Stefan, hotel chef, is voted on by the city to compete in a baking competition. When his secret recipe goes missing, the hotel bellhop/wanna be detective Matilda is on the case. This mystery came with twists, turns, and surprises. The illustrations are fun to watch, and the story is sure to keep readers engaged. Readers can talk about the different hotel jobs, make their guesses on who took the recipe, and talk about powerful messages from the text, like how its important to advocate for yourself and sometimes it's good to say no. Overall, I recommend this book for 2nd grade and up, and it would be great as a beginner book club pick.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Chef Stefan and Matilda are back along with the rest of the Incredible Hotel staff. Life is going well and even more excitement comes into play when Mr. Starch announces that Stefan is the city's entrant in the World Baking Contest. On the day of the competition, his top secret recipe disappears. Matilda has the chance to practice her detective skills and find it along with other missing items. She saves the day and Stefan not only competes but wins. Again, the artwork is delightful. Do study the illustrations for all the details Follath includes to support the story.

Such a fun book! reminds me of The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson).
We love books that revolve around mysteries and my kids were curios all along the read. a loud.
The illustrations are beautiful as well.

What a fun well illustrated mystery. Chef Stefan is invited to participate in The World Baking Contest. He spends a month mapping out his recipe from beginning to end. The day has arrived and while other chefs are gathering supplies, he realizes his recipe is missing. Matilda, the bellhop, wants to realize her dream as a detective and she follows clues to find the recipe. Everything works out perfectly in the end for everyone.
This book was put together perfectly and the drawings are perfection. I love all the costumes and names of the characters. This is a great book for young children to help them solve a mystery by looking at the pictures and getting clues from the text. Will definitely be reading this to my class.

Such a cute followup to the precious book. What a great book. Our favorite part was when the puppies were born!!