School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Those who love chocolate and enjoy a good mystery are in for a treat with this third volume (Little, Brown, 2009) in the Secret series by the enigmatic Pseudonymous Bosch. In this installment, Cassandra is desperately trying to rescue her mother from the clutches of the sinister Senor Hugo, an evil dessert chef whose recipe for chocolate is deadly. Along with her good friend Max-Ernest, Cass must find the legendary Aztec tuning fork that possesses magical powers so that she can give it to Senor Hugo in return for Mother's life. Bosch, who is also a character in the story, provides first-person narration, indulging listeners with questions as well as humorous and sometimes helpful asides. This multicast version is principally narrated by Joshua Swanson, who does a wonderful job of portraying the peculiar and curious author. The remaining six cast members give an impressive and entertaining performance, and along with appropriate and well-placed sound effects, make this an enjoyable and engaging audio production. Fans of the series will not be disappointed, while newcomers are sure to seek out the first volumes after feasting on this one.-Amy Joslyn, Fairport Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.