The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1)

Flavia de Luce, #1

by Alan Bradley

Hardcover, 374 pages

English language

Published Oct. 8, 2009 by Delacorte Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-385-34230-8

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(8 reviews)

It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

1 edition

infryq reviewed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1) by Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce, #1)

Review of 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Audio version read by Jayne Entwistle.

In mid-century Britain, 11-year-old Flavia de Luce investigates a murder using her exquisite command of chemistry, staying mostly ahead of the police and eventually solving it herself. A twist at the end reminds her that though she may be fiercely independent, she is not alone. Perfectly whimsical, morbid at times and deliciously gruesome, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is excellently narrated with appropriate attention to Bradley's many wonderfully turned phrases.

Would listen again! Great characters, steady pacing, sufficiently repetitive to keep the dim or forgetful reader (such as myself) caught up with the story.

MaidMerry reviewed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1) by Alan Bradley (Flavia de Luce, #1)

Review of 'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This isn't my usual genre of choice, but I enjoyed this book, mainly due to Bradley's writing style, which is rich in imagery. The main character, a precocious 11-year-old girl, is likeable, too, and I love that she is a stereotype-buster, in addition to being a super sleuth, chemist, and generally warped human being. I stayed up late to finish this book--something I rarely do any more, in my dotage.