The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: Summary and book reviews of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, plus links to an excerpt from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and a biography of Alan Bradley.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
Hardcover: Apr 2009,
384 pages.
Paperback: Jan 2010,
400 pages.
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 thirty 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…
Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old British sleuth who very recently entered the literary scene, already has a fan club! I'm joining the quickly-growing group of readers who have fallen in love with this winning heroine. After following Flavia through her first crime-solving adventure, with two more to come, I say, "Sign me up and bring them on!" (Reviewed by Vy Armour).
Entertainment Weekly
It's a rare pleasure to follow Flavia as she investigates her limited but boundless-feeling world. And it's nice to know she'll be back
IndieBound
Both funny and wickedly clever... Whether you are a mystery lover or not, you are going to fall hard for Flavia de Luce.
Publishers Weekly
Tantalizing hints about a gardener with a shady past and the mysterious death of Flavia's adventurous mother promise further intrigues ahead.
School Library Journal
Mystery fans, Anglophiles, and science buffs will delight in this book.
School Library Journal
Mystery fans, Anglophiles, and science buffs will delight in this book and may come away with a slightly altered view of what is possible for a headstrong girl to achieve
Library Journal
Winner of the Debut Dagger Award, this is a fresh, engaging first novel with appeal for cozy lovers and well beyond.
Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. Bradley's mystery debut is a standout chock full of the intellectual asides so beloved by Jonathan Gash readers.
The Guardian (UK)
A strong plot and a wonderful supporting cast make this Canadian novelist's debut delightfully entertaining.
Laurie R. King, author of the Mary Russell series
A wickedly clever story, a dead true and original voice, and an English country house in the summer: Alexander McCall Smith meets Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Please, please, Mr. Bradley, tell me we'll be seeing Flavia again soon?
Christopher Fowler, author of the Peculiar Crimes Unit series
Flavia is an engagingly smart new sleuth with a flair for bringing out the child–and the detective–in all of us.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Enaj Mann The Most Brilliant Book I've Ever Read When my father first brought this book home from the library and told me about it, I was vaguely interested, but not at all excited. I thought, "Well, I guess the cover is pretty...and it has an okay title..."
The problem was, I was... Read More
Rated of 5
by kayla loved it! I read this book for my book report and I loved it! i think that Alan Bradley did an awesome job writing this book! it's full of exciting and nail-biting chapters. its definitely a page turner!
Rated of 5
by Krista H Sweet! I adored this book. Flavia is such a wonderful character, I fell in love with her and her story instantly. It's not a deep literary book, but good fun with a great little heroine. I got sucked into this story instantly and couldn't wait to get... Read More
Rated of 5
by Lynn Couldn't finish it I wanted to enjoy this book. The description sounded really good and I read lots of good reviews. It is possible, I just wasn't in the right mood for it, but after 100 pages, I put it down and did not finish it. It was just a little too silly... Read More
Rated of 5
by Susan Reiners Wheee! What fun!!
Rated of 5
by Peggy Sweetness at the bottom of the pie I was a little disappointed after all the reviews about this book. I did enjoy it but wonder about the age of the protagonist. I found it hard to believe her voice, especially in the time period of the novel. Having said that I found the... Read More
The Story of Stamps Great Britain's "Penny Black" plays a significant role in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It was the first stamp, first issued on May 6, 1840. It cost one penny, was printed in black, and bore the profile of Queen Victoria. For the next 60 years (until her death in 1901), Queen Victoria's portrait was the only subject allowed on British stamps.
In the early days of the postal service stamps and envelopes did not exist. A letter was folded, sealed shut and, although it was possible to prepay, it was usually the person who received the letter who paid for the delivery costs. To avoid payment, many people refused to accept letters; others developed codes, placing secret marks on the outside of the letter that conveyed their message without the need to open it. In addition the rate for each letter had to be calculated depending on the distance it traveled. In short, the...
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(1143 words).
Laurie R. King, author of the Mary Russell series
of 5
by Enaj Mann
of 5
by Lynn
of 5
by Peggy
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Great Britain's "Penny Black" plays a significant role in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It was the first stamp, first issued on May 6, 1840. It cost one penny, was printed in black, and bore the profile of Queen Victoria. For the next 60 years (until her death in 1901), Queen Victoria's portrait was the only subject allowed on British stamps.
