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)

A treat for the precocious

A well-told tale from the point of view of the youngest child in a somewhat tortured household, in England, in th 1950s. Anyone who fancied that they were the only ones in the world who dabbled in the recesses of knowledge to alleviate boredom, might feel obluged to tag along.

Brilliant!! Great!!

This one was pure pleasure. Flavia is funny, irreverent, brilliant. Great historical fiction. Good murder mystery.

Excellent British whodunit.

Great protagonist in Flavia, an intelligent and curious eleven year old girl. I think this would appeal to all ages as the story is substantial and moves along at a good pace. All the characters were vivid in my mind especially Flavia. Well worth the spend!

Greatly enjoyed.

Yes, this reminds one of Nancy Drew (although much more complex), and yes the reader chooses a child like lisp, BUT, the book was a lot of fun and the reader very appropriate for the main character. Good for older children AND older adults!

Narrator issues

A lot of unnecessary first person theatricality. If you read the book you’d really like the protagonist, but they way she’s portrayed in the audiobook makes her sound like a silly squeaky little thing that’s a little too pleased with herself. The narrator laughs through lines that aren’t that interesting, and she’s a little to creative with octaves. Sure. You’re 11 years old, Flavia, but you memorized the periodic table and have a preternatural understanding of chemistry, so why do you sound like such a little brat?

Well….

This book would probably be good to listen to with your eleven year old daughter but not so good for the general public. The narration is satisfactory.

Absolutely smashing performance

Both the writing and the reading are superb. If Flavia lied only a very slightly bit less, she would be exactly the hero I was want my son to emulate. As it is, we are talking about chemistry as never before!

Excellent

Fun read, totally enjoyable. Kept me up late to finish. An interesting story will read

A delight!

Imaginative story, exceptional performance. Can't wait to listen to the others in the series

Truly Sweetness

Would you listen to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie again? Why?

Yes - just to hear "Flavia, Flavia, Flavia!!" And because Flavia is a delight to know.

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

When Flavia begins to see the pain in her Father.

Have you listened to any of Jayne Entwistle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but this one is superb - will buy the others.

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

Yes - and I did...almost

Any additional comments?

Recommended to me by a quilting friend who listens to these books while she sews and quilts. I am hooked now as well.