The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

A Flavia de Luce Mystery

By: Alan Bradley

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In his wickedly brilliant first novel, Debut Dagger Award winner Alan Bradley introduces one of the most singular and engaging heroines in recent fiction: Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison.

It is the summer of 1950 - and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. 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".

To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: Full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father, a man raising his three daughters alone, is seized, accused of murder. And in a police cell, during a violent thunderstorm, Colonel de Luce tells his daughter an astounding story - of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, of a priceless object that vanished in a bizarre and brazen act of thievery, of a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school’s tower 30 years before. Now Flavia is armed with more than enough knowledge to tie two distant deaths together, to examine new suspects, and begin a search that will lead her all the way to the King of England himself. Of this much the girl is sure: Her father is innocent of murder - but protecting her and her sisters from something even worse...

An enthralling mystery, a piercing depiction of class and society, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a masterfully told tale of deceptions - and a rich literary delight.

©2009 Alan Bradley (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Brilliant, irresistible and incorrigible, Flavia has a long future ahead of her...Bradley's mystery debut is a standout." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Fun for the reader.... Fans of Louise Fitzhugh's iconic Harriet the Spy will welcome 11-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce, the heroine of...Bradley's rollicking debut." (Publishers Weekly)

"While Flavia De Luce is winning your heart, she may also be poisoning your tea. She's the most wickedly funny sleuth in years, brilliant, unpredictable, unflappable - and only eleven. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie offers the freshest new voice in mystery yet." (Charles Todd, author of The Ian Rutledge series)

Flavia forever!

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this. Yes, Flavia's precociousness strains credulity. The mystery was a bit unbelievable. But the eccentric characters and their postwar British world were so much fun to read about. The writing was lively, and I was in heaven with all the literary, historical and musical references. I could not help but love Flavia. Flavia forever!

Adorable character that Flavia

Enjoyed the author's use of $5 words. Good storytelling. Lovely descriptions. Excellent narrator.

Not sure I will read more of the series since it's YA. But so glad I read the book.

Great book for the whole family

We listened to this in the car while traveling for summer vacation. Dad, mom, kids (11, 17) all gave it five stars.

Delightfully entertaining!

What made the experience of listening to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie the most enjoyable?

The main character, 11 year old Flavia, was such a bundle of precious fun. Before I listened to this book, I didn't have very high expectations. Needless to say, I was thoroughly surprised and rewarded! It was a rollicking fun listen! I don't make a habit of listening to books more than once, but this book I will listen to again.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I looked forward to discovering how a 11 year old child could contribute toward solving of the crime, murder victim in her garden.

What does Jayne Entwistle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jayne Entwistle brought the characters, especially, Flavia, to life. The glee and delight that she expressed, when Flavia was being dishonest in her investigative pursuits, or being mischievous with her sisters, was superb. Numerous times, I laughed out loud while listening. Had I read the book, I'm certain that the characters would of been less colorful and energetic. A better reader, for this book, couldn't of been found. Ms. Entwistle was the perfect choice; her voice, and intonations, was captivating. Bravo!

Very entertaining

The story was fast paced. The main character is delightful and the narrator is perfect!

Excellent performance of an entertaining story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it was a thrilling story and I really felt like the narrator, Flavia, was telling me the story herself.

What does Jayne Entwistle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She really brings Flavia to life in ways that may not happen with just the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I actually took awhile to finish this one, because I often didn't have the time to listen with the amount of focus required to keep track of what's going on.

Well-written, superb narration, some reservations

I loved the main character, Flavia, and the writing is smart and rich. She loves chemistry and there is a lot of fascinating chemistry in the book. The narration is perfect. However, being that the heroine is an 11 year old girl and the series seems to be directed at adolescents and young adults, I did not see the need for so much swearing (not hardcore but enough to be a bad role model for kids in junior high) and I did not like the horrible relationship Flavia had with her 2 older sisters. I had hoped it would be semi-resolved by the end of Book 1, but it wasn't. (Spoiler warning: The first chapter begins with Flavia craftily escaping from being bound hand and foot and gagged and locked in a dark closet. It turns out her sisters put her there. I hated that chapter.) I don't think kids need more creative ideas for sibling rivalry and pestering. So, it's a great read for adults but I don't plan to recommend it to my young friends, classroom teachers or homeschool friends.

Excellent book and audio

If there were a 4.5 I would give it that. I really liked this book a great deal, but I just couldn't buy into the idea that this girl was 11 years old. I thought the character was both charming and smart, but I imagine her to be more like 15. Other than that the story was interesting and the writing was very well done, if a little flowery. I look forward to more from this author. And the narrator was great. I think she really brought Flavia alive for me.

Dee-lightful!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to anyone because it's a great little story, well-written, and masterfully narrated by the talented Jayne Entwistle.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie?

I loved the very last chapter, which is new for me. Mysteries usually are a let-down for me at the end. Not this one.

What does Jayne Entwistle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She IS the voice of Flavia.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

No film. Don't spoil the magic of the book by making it into a movie.

Any additional comments?

Anyone reading my quick review -- don't miss this book. It's THAT good.

Intriguing/Adorable/Comical

I loved this book! It was written well for listening, pictures so adequately painted through the authors words. I listened to the book at work and many times found myself laugh aloud at the antics of Ms. Flavia.