Batthew Aromascent and the Missing Corpse Flower (Batthew Aromascent, Book 1) by Ella Mulvey & John Roebuck
What’s a ‘Nose’? A Nose is someone who is an expert smeller, and a maker of perfumes. For generations, the Aromascents have been the number one Noses in the world. But times have changed. Five years ago, Batthew’s parents disappeared in the jungles of Sumatra while searching for new scents. The last Batthew heard of them was through a letter they sent with a seed of the rare plant Titum Arum, the world’s largest and smelliest flower: the Corpse Flower. The seed was nurtured in the green house of Candlenut’s Botanic Gardens, and the day has finally come when the Corpse Flower will bloom. Then someone steals it! Batthew needs to harness his rogue-smelling skills to track down the thief if he wants to save the legacy his parents left him. But he only has three days before the flower will wilt and die – can he do it?
This is a unique, wacky mystery. It’s one where I suspected everyone at one stage or another and found myself intrigued right up until the end. The different smell descriptions were stimulating and had my nose on high alert even when I wasn’t reading, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Readers who enjoy a quirky whodunit will find this an enthralling read. Great for ages 9+.