The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

by Alan Bradley

Part of Flavia de Luce, book 1

First published 2009

Flavia de Luce spends her summer of 1950 conducting chemistry experiments at Buckshaw, her family's crumbling English mansion. The eleven-year-old has developed quite an expertise in poisons. Her quiet world shifts when she discovers a dead bird on the doorstep with a postage stamp pinned to its beak. Hours later, she finds a dying man in the cucumber patch and watches his final moments. Rather than fear, Flavia feels exhilaration. Murder has arrived at Buckshaw, and for a girl fascinated by the deadly properties of various compounds, this represents the most thrilling development of her young life. The mysterious death draws Flavia into a web of family secrets and dangerous intrigue that will test both her scientific knowledge and her courage. She must navigate adult mysteries while maintaining the curiosity and determination that make her formidable despite her age.

Genres: historical-fiction, coming-of-age, mystery, crime

Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-detective, precocious-child

Setting: Buckshaw, England

Period: 1950

374 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press

More by Alan Bradley

• A Study in Sherlock
• Speaking from Among the Bones
• The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
• As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
• Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd
• The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead
• The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

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