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 does it again

A fun story about murder and mayhem and a young detective with a great knowledge of chemistry and a very active imagination.

Wonderful!!!

I enjoyed Flavia so much. She’s hysterical and brilliant. I wish I could share in her passion for chemistry!!!

Yay for girl power packaged as a young sleuth

What a delight! This book was recommended, and it was a true funny, easy to listen to, and a good whodunit. Think of a young Sherlock Holmes, but in this case, it’s a young, smart, English girl. She’s sharp, smarter than the adults around her, a little precocious, perhaps a little arrogant, but just a lot of fun. The narration was done beautifully. Can’t recommend this book enough.

Excellent

I loved the book. The story was well written. The narrator could be annoying at times but overall I would recommend it. So worth it.

wonderful heroine

This book was excellent -- the heroine, Flavia, is a delightful girl fascinated by chemistry. I loved the narration -- I thought it fit the main character very well. It was a mystery that was easy to follow. An excellent book to listen to.

Couldn't wait for it to end

Would you try another book from Alan Bradley and/or Jayne Entwistle?

No. I found the plot to be silly. Yes, the book is light as air, but it barely stays on the table.

What could Alan Bradley have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It is possible that had I read the book instead of listened I might have enjoyed it more.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Too chirpy by half. Sounded like a squeaky toy in the jaws of a pit bull. The upper class enunciation seemed very forced and artificial

Could you see The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Oh, please. There are already too many lame teenybopper shows. A self-important
detective would be unbearable.

Flavia is a Lass with Great Chemistry!

This book is both a fun listen and interesting . . . I love that it is narrated from an eleven year old's point of view . . . a curious, intelligent girl who speaks the Queen's English . . . and not unlike our own daughter, is not in the least grossed out by blood, dead specimens, dissecting things and generally grew up loving chemistry and research. So when she discovers a dead man among the cucumbers in the English garden, it only gets better from there. The story spans some 30 years and Flavia must work to solve the unfortunate man's murder by doing a lot of "foot work" and risk her life doing it. The story is NOT predictable at all, and I look forward to the next story in the series.

Love at first listen!

It's an exceptional book, exceptionally narrated! I enjoyed every moment of it! It's very atmospheric, and the characters are so vivid. I highly recommend it to both kids and adults.

Loved it

I loved this book and the narrator was wonderful, capuring perfectly the voice of its precocious main character. I went on to listen to the second book and like that one equally as wekk. I look forward to more in this series.

I really tried

If there is a sample, LISTEN and see if the narrator works for you before purchasing. I really tried. The reviews are just so good! I made it 3 hours in though and at least I can say so far the story sounds fun and interesting, I may buy the book to read. The narrator is just not for me it’s like nails on a chalkboard, and the way her voice raises in pitch at the end of every single sentence is frustrating. I’m glad other liked it I just couldn’t get passed it.