Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders

The Neil Flambé Capers #1

by Kevin Sylvester

A delicious blend of mystery, history, and top-notch cuisine.

Neil Flambé may be fourteen years old, but he's also a world-renowned chef. Patrons pay top dollar and wait months for reservations at his tiny boutique restaurant. But Neil is more than a fantastic cook - he solves crime too. Ever since he used his kitchen know-how and keen sense of smell to acquit a man of murder, he's been helping Police Inspector Sean Nakamura crack case after case

But when some of the best chefs in town turn up dead, the crime scenes turn culinary. Police are stumped, and the only clues are the scents of mysterious spices and a journal that may have belonged to Marco Polo. Neil must find a way to connect the past with the present and solve the murders - or he could end up as the prime suspect!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Fiction, Humor, Young Adult, Childrens, Adventure

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2010

About the author

KEVIN SYLVESTER is an award winning illustrator, writer and broadcaster.

His new sci-fi series MiNRs is now out from Simon and Schuster. MINRs was named a 2017 Honour Red Maple and Manitoba Reader's Honour book and a 2015 CLA Honour Book. MINRs2 is out. MINRs3 will be released in 2018.

His series The Neil Flambé Capers is already a bestseller and critical success. Students across Ontario picked 'Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders' as the Silver Birch winner for fiction in 2011!

There are 6 books in the series so far, Neil Flambé and the Duel in the Desert is the latest.

Super-chef Gordon Ramsay calls the series “Good Fun”.

Kevin also does picture books - "Super-Duper Monster Viewer" is out from Groundwood. GREAT (with the Gretzky family) is out from Penguin.

Kevin’s first picture book 'Splinters' was published in fall 2010 by Tundra. It’s about a young girl who only wants to play hockey, but the mean coach and her daughters won’t let her. Can her fairy goaltender come to the rescue?

Kevin non-fiction titles include Follow Your Money, Baseballogy, Basketballogoy, Sports Hall of Weird and Gold Medal for Weird.

Kevin has been a broadcaster on national radio in Canada for years and years and has covered eight Olympic Games. He also produced documentaries on topics ranging from racism in hockey to the history of church bells in Canada.

He now splits his time between his attic studio in Toronto and the radio. He was named a Massey Journalism Scholar in 2007 and used the time to study theology at the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this was a Canadian book! The story was cute, a little slow in the beginning, but picked up quite a bit and just kept going. I didn't like Neil's attitude during most of the book, but the ending was sweet and endearing.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders, by Kevin Sylvester, is about Neil, the 14-year-old "wunderchef" who could outcook Bobby Flay and out-mystery-solve Hercule Poirot, Columbo, and Jesscia Fletcher! (Yes. I'm a mystery-show buff. 'Tis true, I admit.)

The mystery in this book was a good one, though looking back on it I can't see how I could have ever guessed who the murderer was. That's better than dropping crazy-obvious clues, true, but it's a little frustrating when an author (Spoiler alert!!) pulls an Agatha Christie and makes the murderer someone who was only mentioned twice beforehand. (End Spoiler Alert! Stand down!)

Aside from that, I liked all the characters, particularly Neil Flambe himself. He's a great character and protagonist, a little reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes in the sense that he is very arrogant, full of himself, and confident of his abilities. I particularly liked his "smelling skills"; they reminded me of Gus from the TV show Psych.

The mystery wasn't particularly gripping or terrifying, but this book was still a great read because of the characters and the writing. Plus, the author did all the illustrations himself, which is very cool. I'm never sure that illustrators accurately represent the author's image of the characters, especially when they draw a specific scene and get certain details wrong. (That drives me crazy.) Since he drew Neil and everything else himself, you know you're getting the real deal.

[Laura Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. This guy is brilliant! ;)

[Andy Jiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update 1: I'm on page 27 of the book Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders and I think this is a great book. The beginning of the book was really exciting and that got me to continue reading this book. Neil Flambé has a similar characteristic as me, cocky.

Update 2: I'm on page 157 and this book just gets better. Neither me nor Neil has figured out the pattern to the Marco Polo murders yet which makes me want to read this book more quickly so I can find out. The more I read this book, the faster I want to read this book.

Summary: Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester is about a world-famous,14 year old chef named Neil Flambé. What makes Neil Flambé stand out from all the other chefs is his incredible sense of smell which he uses to help the police solve murder crimes. In this book, someone is murdering chefs all around Vancouver with an undetectable poison and Neil can't seem to figure out who is doing it. Neil soon discovers the pattern of the victims, with help from his cousin Larry; the pattern was relating to the Marco Polo adventures. But just as he figures this out, he was framed for being the murderer. Everything was perfect for the real murderer, she killed everyone she needed to, she framed everything on Neil and now she was about to kill her enemy, Angel. One thing was left out though, Neil Flambé quickly figures out that Angel is the next target and tells the police. The police, and some interruptions, show up just on time to save Angel and arrest the murderer.

I picked up this book because I wanted to try new genres of books and my friend recommended me this book from the mystery section.

I finished this book because this book is so exciting. The more I read this book, the faster I want to read this book because of the suspense. I usually don't like reading books but when I started reading this book, every free time I got I would be reading and trying to finish this book.

I think anyone would enjoy this book because this is such a great book. Mystery is a great genre and it doesn't have a specific age group preference. This book is also not very complicated.

[Nicole - Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die- · Rating 4 out of 5]

26/06/2021

4 Wonder chef by day and mystery solver by night stars

“Beauty fades, but cooking is eternal.”

Neil Flambe is a fourteen chef prodigy who owns a successful restaurant business in the heart of Vancouver, and has a secret superpower: he can smell anything down to the components of what it is made of. He works with the police as a consultant to help catch culprits by the specific smells they leave behind. Everything seems to be going smoothly in Neil's life; until a bunch of chefs in the Vancouver area start turning up dead. Neil is baffled by how these chefs are wounding up dead and questioning the smell of the secret ingredient that is being masked by the cumin smell. Suddenly, the killer starts leaving notes that follow the Marco Polo Trail, which leads to an adventure of friendship, betrayal, and romance. Neil will have to trust the power of his nose and friendship, to figure out the killer's next steps and try not to be the next target.



This is my third time re-reading this book and I absolutely fell in love with it all over again. It was amazing: the food, the mystery and the friendship. I remember reading this book the first time as a child and being so intrigued by the various cooking styles (because I was obsessed with food and still am to this day), the mystery ( how the killer used gunpowder tea with cumin to make a deadly poison), and learning the history of the famous Marco Polo's Trail (which was great to read about again and made me want to travel to these places to experience the culture and the food). When I was younger I felt I could relate to Neil in many ways; from the obsession to cooking, to not enjoying school (felt that on a personal level), and trying to help people the best I could. This book taught me a lot of valuable information that I still remember to use in my daily life. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and even the two new books that came out after I finished the fourth book 4 years later.



I recommend this book series to anyone that enjoys a good mystery novel and learning the history of Marco Polo and the species he brought along on his journey back home that has changed the cooking world. Also, for readers who want to enjoy a light-hearted book that will keep you on your toes regarding who the killer is and how he/she is getting away with it, and what their big plan is at the end. It is a great book for children 12+ and young adults getting into reading for the first time.

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

13/07/2014
I re-read this book for the second time and I fell in love with it all over again with Neil and his restaurant, the food, and the murders......but I missed this world so much. I will be talking about the plot, the characters, and what I think about the book.

The plot: I liked the plot I thought it was really interesting a kid chef that has a nose to solve murders or has a nose for anything and he can smell anything. So there have been murderers going on in the city and there based on where Marko polo trails and the chefs end up dead with a blue face and creepy smiles and they don't know how they end up dead except that they smell like masala chai and a bit of cumin and when you find out it's because the murderer wanted revenge.

The characters: the main characters are Neil Flambe, Larry Flambe, Isabella, Angel, Nackamara, Zoë, and Amber. These characters I can kind of relate to and some I can't but overall these characters are really good and Neil and his cooking got me hungry a lot of times but I liked them.

What I thought: I liked it, even more, the second time around because I understood it more than I was little and the food that Neil made, made me want to cook the same thing but I have zero cooking skills and would want to learn from Neil or Larry. The murders and investigation were awesome and I loved going along with it and finding out who did it which I remember from when I read it the first time but overall I loved it again and can't wait to read more of the series.

[Kwang Suk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo murder

Neil Flambé is an book that almost every teen and up can read. This book is about mystery fiction. Neil is a 14 years old master chef. He had a great sense of smell when he was just a kid. Every time he finished school he had to operate in a famous restaurant in Vancouver. Not only this when he has spared time he's uses his time to help murders. He helps polices with his nose.

Detective Nakamura is an detective that calls Neil "nose" because it's smelling sense is so strong. The story started with Nakamura calling help to Neil for murders of great master chefs. Neil thinks there's an pattern. Every murdered chef had an strange thing on their lips so they think it's some kind of poison. In every place the chefs been murdered there were Italian notes which they though it was evidence.

Neil had a lot of enemies while solving the case because he is arrogant and a rude chef. He thinks one of the enemy is the murderer of the chefs. What happens if his the murderers final victim? But with the help of his friends and family Neil discovers that the murder scene has something to do with the Marco Polo journey.

Neil Flambé (book 1) is a great book for young and teen readers. It's an book that helps book hating kids love them. The book gives you unexpected twists and makes you guess until the very end. The bad thing is that you can find about the murderer so fast. I started reading this book from recommendation from my friend. He had lend it to me so I could read it.

[Husayn Tulloch-jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because, someone recommended it to me. After I read the first page I was hooked. This book first caught my interest because it is based on Marco polo and I never really knew who he was until I read this book. I really like the main character Neil Flambe. he is a stuck up cook prodigy, with a super sensed nose. most of the authors I read they are terrible but, Kevin Sylvester isn't. I am only on page 100 and will give another update in about a week...

I have finished the book and I loved it. I love the fact that this book shows how a chef can help solve crimes. For example Neil Flambe is a chef and helps crack cases open. I love how he has a super sensed nose. It makes me wish that I had a super sensed nose. Like I said earlier I am now a fan of Kevin Sylvester and I can't wait for the sequel.

I recommend this book to anyone like me who enjoys reading chef prodigy, super sensed, adventure and mystery books.

I chose this book because a classmate of mine recommended it to me, and after I read the first page I was hooked.

I finished the book because, it would have been harder to not finish it. What I mean is that this is a great book and when I was not reading it I wanted to finish it so I did.

This book is about a teenager who is a chef prodigy and helps solve case. Then there are death that he has to help solve. People begin to think it is him and he proves who it really is.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The love of food, its preparation, tastes, odors and presentation form the main drive of this story. There is an intense rivalry among chefs and that passion fuels the mystery of who is killing the great chefs in the city. Neil’s superior olfactory sense coupled with his inability to read human beings means that he must rely to a certain extent on other people’s help in solving this deadly dilemma. This fleshes out other characters around him and leads to some very agreeable surprises.

Neil is a wunderkind and arrogant like many such people. His snobbery and superior attitude have won him enemies in and out of the kitchen. Neil’s main contention with others is that they insist on seeing and treating him like a child, albeit an extraordinarily talented one. He thinks he’s superior to the people around him in a lot of ways and resents being dismissed. This attitude (for better or worse) creates a different kind of protagonist for a children’s book, making this story of interest even to discerning adults.

All in all, this is a mystery series well worth pursuing. If you happen to adore food, that’s the icing on the cake.

[Emma Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neil Flambé isn't your average fourteen-year-old guy. He's a professional chef, and in his spare time, he helps Police Inspector Sean Nakamara to crack cases with his hypersensitive nose.
This time, some of Vancouver's most talented chefs are found dead in their kitchens, with blue lips and a twisted smile on their face. The only leads that the police have are some notes that seem to be related to Marco Polo, and the smell of a mysterious spice that even Neil can't place his finger on. With more and more chefs turning up dead, will Neil be able to find out who the murderer is?

I picked up this book because lots of people were telling that I should read the Neil Flambé series. (And also because of the colorful covers.)

I finished it becaused I couldn't put the book down! The book kept me on my toes and I wanted to find out who the murderer was. Plus the little bits and parts about food were interesting.

I would recommend this book to Mabel. I know she loves food but also a good book. I think you'll like it just as much as I did!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Neil Flambé Capers by Kevin Sylvester. We've been on a bit of a Marco Polo kick for the last few months and I discovered this book at our local library during one of our searches.

The story is a bit violent, with far more murders than I expected for a middle school-level story. And the main character is a bit over the top - but on the whole, it's an entertaining story and an interesting mystery that drags a bit of history into the tale.

I would certainly recommend this book for mystery fans, even adults. I will look for more of these mysteries at our local library.

[Kbryna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Neil is a great obnoxious hero, and his cousin Larry is a delightful foil. i LOVE the food puns throughout (and the food-based names. clever). Like most mystery series, this is plot-driven, and not about the interiority of the characters. But the plot here is convoluted and intricate enough to more than make up for any psychological shallowness. The Marco Polo history makes a good frame for the murder-mysteries. Sylvester includes a lot of history which is pretty accurate as far as I can tell, and a ton of food & cooking details, but none of this overwhelms the plot or the pacing. I will be reading more of Neil Flambe's adventures.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious premise that lived up to my expectations. A genius kid chef, with an ego the size of a city, gets called on by the police to try to identify a mysterious poison, and then gets drawn more and more into a intriguing murder plot with historical clues.

I had to look up Marco Polo after this to verify that, sadly, the secret history of Marco Polo was all invented for this book. But still, it was a lot of fun. And definitely more fun for someone who appreciates creative cooking and descriptions of fancy recipes.

This is basically a lot like Ratatouille, except starring Sherlock Holmes the wonder chef.

[Kshraiberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read was Neil Flambe and Marco Polo Murders. It is about a 14 year old genius chef Nel Flambé. People will pay a lot of money for his food, but all around town and Neil wonders why. Although he hopes he will not get killed he realizes he is a prime suspect, because he is one of few chefs still alive. So in the book Neil trys to eliminate himself as a suspect and find the real culprit. I would give this book a 5 out of 5. Also I would recommend this book if you like a good mystery.

[Ian Sebryk · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series is absolute dynamite! my kids love it and my wife and i love reading it to/with them. unlike a lot of crap out there, this series is really well written and allows us to talk about things like plot, character development and so on. and they love reading even more because of it!

my wife and i have, from day one, wanted our kids to love reading. with this series, we've been able to finally make that happen. i thought i would explode with joy when i caught my kids using their flashlights to read after lights out. wasn't even mad. :) can't recommend this series enough.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting murder mystery story about a child prodigy chef with an extremely sensitive nose. Neil has an arrogance problem, but that character flaw is addressed as the story ends. Someone is murdering (outrageously-named) chefs in town and the policeman in charge calls on "The Nose" for help. The plot gets more dangerous the closer Neil gets to unravelling the truth. Told with lots of flashbacks, many characters, and point-of-view changes, this story is a challenging read and seems more appropriate for the older/more mature child. Sequels are also fun.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and wonderful and I love it so much! The characters are all unique and amazing, and Neil flambé is officially one of my favourite characters. Angel,one of the characters in this book is fabulous and I love him so much. Every character, even the side characters that only came up once or twice was different and well written. The plot was fast paced and there was never a boring moment.

[Roderick Mcgillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever genre piece, witty, allusive, as well as illusive. At times, it is a bit over the top, but what a salad. This book will satisfy those with an appetite for a seven course meal, and the beverage is just right.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked by both a 9 yr. old girl and a 12 yr. old boy; not bad!

[Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believe me ! These books are so underrated and deserve more hype

[Z A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester was okay. Honestly, the plot and writing were pretty good. The only reason I won’t give the book a higher rating was because of the characters. Neil, for starters, is infuriatingly rude and full of himself just because he’s a successful chef, which makes him hard to like and connect to. Also, there’s Larry, Neil’s cousin. Half of the time, Larry is portrayed as a rather dull young adult. The other half, he’s an incredibly smart guy who’s translating ancient languages from an old book, which other characters in the story thought was gibberish. There are a lot of other characters who are pretty hard to understand. On the other hand, the book has a very complicated murder mystery, with a bunch of historical details added along the way. The pros and cons kind of cancel each other out, giving it an okay rating. I would recommend this book to anyone who like murder mysteries, cooking, and history and doesn’t mind some confusing characters. If not, this isn’t the book for you.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining romp involving murder, mostly at a distance, of famous chefs in Vancouver. Cocky teen chef/prodigy Neil Flambé, aka The Nose, is tapped by the local PD to help solve crimes--until various chefs are murdered, and he becomes a suspect. The plot ties in the fascinating story of Marco Polo and his travels, and lots of love of food and food puns, especially the chefs' names.
Fun -- but not just stealing a lunchbox.
To me, there were a few too many chefs, plotwise, (but necessary for the murderer's plot).
NB Neil didn't really seem to react to the murders or care much--and that becomes part of his character arc. Interested to see how he develops in further books. Series of 5-6.
Fun characters--his player, carefree cousin Larry is his adult sidekick--whose name is on the restaurant lease. The story of Neil's childhood is a great hook--his first word was caper. Foodies will love.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my 9 year old daughter. This novel was a little hard to get into because Neil Flambe is so unlikeable as a character. But as we continued reading, it actually became apparent that this was part of the point of the book - Neil was learning to be a more likeable person.

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

The mystery is decent, though disappointing as the murderer is a character that is mentioned in flashbacks only, not someone in the main plotline. The character development is good, and the relationships between Neil and Larry and Neil and Angel are really well developed.

[Lauren Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book written for eight year olds, this is excellent. I literally could not stop reading this book for some odd reason that I cannot describe. The plot was pretty interesting and honestly exciting. Definitely read for fun, don’t expect anything groundbreaking. Probably one of my favourite series even though it’s so simple

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of things that I wanted to like, but they didn't add up to a delicious read. The characters were hard to like, and felt thin. The history was interesting, but not fully engaging, and the mystery felt slapped together.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fluffy, fun read. I did not really like the main character, but the others were not bad. The plot moved along quickly. I think I will try the next in the series and see where it goes (especially as the N's are difficult to get for my reading challenges, and Neil gives me that :D ).

[Erin Bronn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as a young adult, I still love this book! The characters, the humor, and the unique mystery all make for a fun read, and I just love the fact that everything (names, metaphors, etc) is inspired by food! Although it does make me hungry...😉

[Laura Wiens · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read for the genre of a middle grade murder mystery. I do think it would really benefit from some good back matter with some information about what was and was not true about Marco Polo.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning it is interesting in the middle it is kind of boring in the end it gets interesting again

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute story with excellent mystery component and lots of food puns. A good lover's dream!

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read - bonus that my 12 year old son was willing to read it at the same time so we had a book we could discuss together. Rare that we can pull that off.