The Cannibal Caper: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery

It’s end of summer 1932 in downtown Los Angeles. A gourmet cannibal is on the loose, plus missing jewels, and tommy gun trouble!  The rub: it may all be Sparky’s fault.

The Cannibal Caper is available wherever books are sold:

Amazon US, Apple, BAM! Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble Nook, Bookshop.org, Kobo US, Magers & Quinn Booksellers MN, Murder by the Book, Vroman’s Pasadena, Watermark Books KS

International:

Amazon AU, Amazon CA, Amazon DE, Amazon UK, bol. BE NL, Foyles UK, Indigo CA, Kobo CA, Kobo Worldwide, The Nile AU, Thalia DE

Ask you Librarian to order through OverDrive

Watch the book trailer:

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 the bestselling The Cold Kid Case is a fast-paced, unforgettable romp through Depression-era downtown Los Angeles.  This zany, 1930s historical mystery series is a fun read for fans of historical cozy mysteries and historical fiction.

The Cannibal Caper includes a sneak peek at the third book in this humorous, cozy noir mystery series, The Monkey Island Murder, when things get even crazier!  Coming in Summer 2024!

“Make time to hang with Sparky, amateur detective of Bunker Hill. You’ll be glad you did!”
—Diane Vallere, national bestselling author of the Madison Night Mystery Series

“A rollicking, layered, smart mystery that’s tons of fun!” “
— Sal Nudo, award-winning journalist and author of The Newspaperman

“The author’s gift is her ability to wedge herself deeply into the mind of an 11-year-old streetwise firecracker named Sparky in this intricately woven, beautifully crafted tale.”
— Craig Leener, author of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy

Here I’m reading a sample from the first chapter of The Cannibal Caper: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery at an IWOSC Reads Its Own Event: