Bridget van der Puff en de gestolen gouden garde

Bridget Vanderpuff #3

by Martin Stewart

Bloomsbury presents Bridget Vanderpuff and the Great Airship Robbery by Martin Stewart, read by Andrea Matthea.

Bridget Vanderpuff sets sail for Paris on another action-packed adventure, cracking codes in the museums and the secret bakers' network.

Someone has stolen Mr Vanderpuff’s golden whisk!

If Bridget and her new friend Stacy don’t find it by midnight, the world’s best baker will never mix again.

And – as the girls chase a chain of impossible puzzles through the secrets and shadows of Paris – Tom and Pascal find skulduggery afoot in Belle-on-Sea…

Can Bridget and her friends crack the case and save the bake shop in time?

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[Scott]

Read with my daughter, over the course of a month or so. It’s not always wise to start with the third book in a series, so there were a few callbacks that left her a wee bit confused, but overall she loved it. The characters are fun, and it’s an exciting read. My daughter got the first book for Christmas, so we’ll read that soon.

[Mark Buxton]

What worked:
Readers will enjoy the zany humor as Bridget thwarts evil efforts from the League of Meanies. The book opens with Bridget atop the bakery’s bicycle, chasing Hungry Horace Harris through the streets. Tom is on the back of the bike being traumatized, while Bridget enjoys every moment of the pursuit. Horace tosses all kinds of pastries at them, while Bridget pulls a variety of gadgets from her voluminous hair. Later, Bridget chases the Hood on the outside of an airship and scales the Eiffel Tower using handy, pastry-themed inventions. She often has witty interactions with the villains she faces.
Bridget is always supremely confident and enjoys every moment of her life. She rarely gets rattled, even when things don’t go as planned. Who else would have fun defying death while falling from tall structures? She has keen observation skills and notices details and connections others overlook. Think of her as a miniature Sherlock Holmes. There are a few times when it looks like she’s made mistakes, but things always work out. Afterwards, she always explains her thinking and logic, showing she knew what was happening all along.
Bridget and her father spend most of the story in Paris while leaving the bakery unattended. Actually, an invisible elf named Pascal is inside alone, and a subplot finds the League of Meanies attempting to ruin the business. Bridget gives Tom instructions on how to enter the bakery, but he wishes he knew what she would do to stop the Meanies. Meanwhile, Bridget tries to solve the mystery of her father’s stolen golden whisk, and the author inserts unexpected twists. Bridget follows clues all over Paris, but readers never know if the people she meets are allies or Meanies. Of course, Bridget declares that she can immediately spot the Meanies, even if readers might harbor doubts.
What didn’t work as well:
Some readers might not appreciate the cheesy humor, as the theme of baked goods runs throughout the story. The objective of the League of Meanies is to eliminate all good and kindness, so the conflict doesn’t generate much tension.
The final verdict:
This book can be read independently, even though it’s the third one in a series. Bridget is a delightful, confident detective, and her investigation is full of creative turns based on clues and characters. Overall, I recommend this book for mystery lovers with an additional taste for humor.

[LeslecturesdeMylene]

Bridget Vanderpuff, tome 3 : Bridget Vanderpuff et le vol du fouet doré de Martin Stewart
J'ai adoré voyager en compagnie de Bridget, faire de nouvelles connaissances avec elle, mener l'enquête sur le vol du fouet doré et tout ce qui en découle. J'ai apprécié de me laisser surprendre par l'intrigue, de visiter Paris et de ne pas pouvoir le poser avant d'en connaitre la conclusion. Une très chouette aventure.
17/20 - https://www.leslecturesdemylene.com/2...

[Karen Hammond]

Another great laugh out loud book in the Bridget Vanderpuff series. The children think that they remind them of Matilda, myself I think that they have a St Trinnian's vibe. Very enjoyable, if a bit irreverent, fun reading for the whole family.

[Bookish Joyce]

So this must be when ADHD writes a book, haaaa. All the made up words, the endless footnotes and adjectives and meandering sentences - but it was cute and fun to read. Not quite as touching as other middle grade adventure series I've read but very enjoyable nonetheless.

[Annarella]

Very entertaining, a lot of fun and fast paced. A story that children will surely love.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Andrea C]

Thank you Netgalley for providing me this e-ARC of this book.

This was a ride, a slightly over the top story with our main character Bridget Vanderpuff again in action.
I liked the idea and the bakery aspects of the story and also very interesting was the location of this book in the series. I will not be too specific because of the spoilers, but I have guessed our villains pretty soon and the stakes were not to high. However I understand this is meant to be for children in the first place, so very complicated plot twists are really not to be expected. Still our protagonist could be less quasi "I know everything girl" and would be more realistic to see her asking for advice her friend or father or whoever and so represent the idea that asking for help is not a shame and there is no need to do everything by herself and rely on nobody.
Therefore I can say I enjoyed myslef reading this little book even when it has its flaws, I am certain that the children would love it.