A fourteen-year-old crime-solving chef finds mayhem in Mexico in this full-flavored mystery.

Teenage wunderchefand budding detectiveNeil Flamb heads to Mexico City to take part in the Azteca Cocina, a two-week battle of the chefs. But hes off to an unsettling start: His box of secret ingredients contains a note that says his girlfriend, Isabella, has been kidnapped. He must lose in the final, or else shell be killed.

Fortunately, Isabella is clever, and the locks of her hair that accompany follow-up ransom notes have been saturated with smells to help him track her down. But even Neils keen sense of smell cant tackle this case alone. Hell have to delve into Aztec history, symbolism, and the ancient ruins buried under the modern city. And time is ticking