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The Pigeon Private Detectives (PPD) return for their third urban investigation. Detective Martin P. Sweets and his avian colleagues will need all their skills for this latest outing;The Big Bake-a-Thon: Valentine’s Edition is being filmed in City Park, and supplies such as cake tins and cookie cutters are going missing. Mama Pigeon, Detective Sweets’ devoted mother, is serving as guest judge and calls upon her son and his colleagues to help—and they eagerly oblige, finding evidence that provides a possible hypothesis. Helped by Curran-Bauer’s colored pencil artwork, astute readers will reach their own conclusions early on: A news report of a groundhog who refuses to answer the door on February 2 offers some foreshadowing as to what might be going on. The PPD dutifully gather clues and conduct relevant research as the disappearances and the delicious competition continue. Once more, food figures heavily; the puns are less pervasive than in the earlier books but still prominent in chapter titles: “Hearts and Crafts,” “Facts and Pinions,” and “If the Choux Fits.” As always, the mood is lighthearted, and the blend of chatty prose and graphic novel–style paneling makes for an ideal read for mystery novices; the information on hibernation, baking, and corvids laced throughout and found in the backmatter is the icing on the cake. A tasty blend of humor and facts that will leave readers hungry for more. (glossary)(Mystery. 6-9) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.