Discuss the meaning (or meanings) of the title The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.9. It was almost too easy. they had shoved me in and locked the door. 1. "I appealed to Daphne, whose nose was firmly stuck in a leather-bound copy of The Castle of Otranto. As I picked it up to straighten its creased pages, I saw that it was filled not just with words, but with dozens of drawings as well. Buckshaw, the estate, is almost a character in its own right here, with its overlarge wings, hidden laboratory, and pinched front gates. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley – Review – February 7, 2011 Posted in: Just Reviews. Submit your email address to receive Barnes & Noble offers & updates. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Novel 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,677) Thirty years!—against my eleven. The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways–and with unexpected consequences–in acclaimed author Dan Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. That's why we're so unlike you. By Alan Bradley. In some of them, disembodied hands poured liquids into curiously made glass containers that looked as if they might have been musical instruments from another world.The book's title was An Elementary Study of Chemistry, and within moments it had taught me that the word iodine comes from a word meaning "violet," and that the name bromine was derived from a Greek word meaning "a stench." Current price is $15.5, Original price is $17. “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie offers the reader the precious gift of a richly imagined and luscious new world–but uniquely so, for this is the world of Flavia Sabina de Luce: an eleven-year-old, utterly winning, and altogether delightfully nasty piece of work. Evildoers–and big sisters–beware!”—Lisa Gardner, author of Say Goodbye"Flavia is an engagingly smart new sleuth with a flair for bringing out the child–and the detective–in all of us. Her long manicured fingernail tapped at the glass. Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Privacy Policy Editorial Reviews "While Flavia De Luce is winning your heart, she may also be poisoning your tea. Bravo!” –Louise Penny, author of Still Life“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie offers the reader the precious gift of a richly imagined and luscious new world–but uniquely so, for this is the world of Flavia Sabina de Luce: an eleven-year-old, utterly winning, and altogether delightfully nasty piece of work. • Does anyone collect stamps anymore?” –Paul Ingram“If there ever was a heroine set for stardom it would be Flavia de Luce….Think Agatha Christie crossed with the Mitfords and laced with mischievous humour.” –Sunday Herald, Australia“If you condensed Sherlock Holmes’s deductive abilities, Madame Curie’s talent for chemistry, and Dr. Jekyll’s zeal into the mind of an 11-year-old, her name would be Flavia de Luce….full of mystery, charm, and chemistry. The door swung open and I was free.I skipped down the broad stone staircase into the hall, pausing at the door of the dining room just long enough to toss my pigtails back over my shoulders and into their regulation position.Father still insisted on dinner being served as the clock struck the hour and eaten at the massive oak refectory table, just as it had been when Mother was alive. But no, save getting mild revenge on a tormentor, 11-year-old Flavia uses her knowledge of poisons for good. Its reflecting mirror could be angled to catch the first pale rays of the morning sun, while for cloudy days or for use after dark, it was equipped with a paraffin microscope lamp by Davidson & Co. of London.There was even an articulated human skeleton on a wheeled stand, given to Tar when he was only twelve by the great naturalist Frank Buckland, whose father had eaten the mummified heart of King Louis XIV.Three walls of this room were lined from floor to ceiling with glass-fronted cabinets, two of them filled row upon row with chemicals in glass apothecary jars, each labeled in the meticulous copperplate handwriting of Tar de Luce, who in the end had thwarted Fate and outlived them all. "Old House," as it was called, had gone up in flames, and the new house which had replaced it was now well into its third century.Two later de Luce ancestors, Antony and William de Luce, who had disagreed about the Crimean War, had spoiled the lines of the original structure. The author’s tone is very tongue-in-cheek and offers something quite different in this genre, and the story is cleverly structured and beautifully written. I'm sick and tired of being blamed for everything, Feely. Find BookPage, About BookPage Like any scientist. Delacorte Press April 2009. • What twists in the plot surprised you the most?10. Think as well about how appearances aren’t always reality, as with the borderline bankruptcy of Flavia’s father and Dr. Kissing.8. In The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley you will find a new classic in the mystery genre. "Father always said it would come as a bit of a shock to you. "It's an experiment. (Magic Kingdom, A Red Herring without Mustard (Flavia de Luce. This reviewer was half-hoping that Flavia De Luce, the brilliant toxicologist of Alan Bradley’s delicious new mystery, would be a cheerful murderess on the other end of the age spectrum from the old ladies in Arsenic and Old Lace. His fresh and innovative Flavia de Luce…is a new voice that’s brilliant and fierce, funny and vulnerable….I couldn’t read the book fast enough…Another serving, please!” –Marie Ary, Seattle Mystery Bookshop; Seattle, Washington“Amazingly entertaining…The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie introduces a charming and engaging sleuth.”—Booklist, starred review“A fresh, engaging first novel.”—Library JournalPraise from the Debut Dagger Award Judges of the UK Crime Writers’ Association:"Really adored the voice of the characters in this- especially Flavia, the spirited main protagonist- and the sense of place is beautifully described, particularly when telling the history of the house and its inhabitants. Chapter OneIt was as black in the closet as old blood. "While Flavia De Luce is winning your heart, she may also be poisoning your tea. Caught in one of those tight spots, Flavia believes no one in her Britishly undemonstrative family loves her. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, 1/2015 Enjoy! There was no sweetness to their "pie". It is original, clever, entertaining and funny….an extraordinary maze of mystery and intrigue…driving the reader to turn those pages in glorious anticipation….a terrific book, so different to anything.”—Material Witness“Oh how astonishing and pleasing is genuine originality!....I simply cannot recall the last time I so enjoyed being the company of a first-person narrator….Bradley has a simply astonishing gift for putting simile and analogy in Flavia’s mouth…the plot is a splendid piece of hokum with some pleasing deduction and an excellent historical back-story….This is a book which triumphantly succeeds in its objectives of charming and delighting. 1. Click or Press Enter to view the items in your shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with the Shopping bag tooltip. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, 1/2010 2. Do you think the real Harriet would have fit into Flavia’s mold?6. First the cook finds a dead snipe with a stamp jammed on its beak on the doorstep. If I’m being honest, I must confess that I would hang out with her today at the ripe old age of 24. Members save with free shipping everyday! The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is set in post-World War II Britain, a time of a certain dinginess, in a great country estate where the sad and widowed Mr. De Luce lives with his three daughters and his stamp collection. • ""Well, you can. "—Laurie R. King, author of the Mary Russell series“Alan Bradley’s marvelous book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, is a fantastic read, a winner. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a refreshing change of pace from your average British cozy. Get your copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie from: Amazon Bookshop Book Depository Kobobooks Booktopia OR listen to the audiobook FREE with Audible’s Trial (check eligibility) This book counts towards my participation in the Cozy Mystery Challenge. Can you think of other books that have used a similar protagonist?2. How much does she rely on the predictability of those around her, like her father and her sisters, in order to pursue her own interests (like solving the murder)? And she is astonished by the effect the dead bird has on her stamp-obsessed father, the Colonel. The present Georgian house had been built to replace an Elizabethan original burnt to the ground by villagers who suspected the de Luces of Orange sympathies. We discussed that although the de Luce family had pretense, they lacked substance. In rather an odd way, I despised Ophelia's memories of our mother.I looked up slowly from my work so that the round lenses of my spectacles would flash blank white semaphores of light at her. Set in the English countryside in 1950, it features Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth who pulls herself away from her beloved chemistry lab in order to clear her father in a murder investigation. series“The toughest, funniest, wisest, private eye in the field these days.”—Houston ChronicleSpenser earned his degree in the school of hard knocks, so he is ready ... “Covenant is [Stephen R.] Donaldson's genius!”—The Village VoiceHe called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, because ... “Covenant is [Stephen R.] Donaldson's genius!”—The Village VoiceHe called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, because . I hadn't seen them—not since they had gagged and blindfolded me, then lugged me hog-tied up the attic stairs and locked me in the closet.Father glared at me over his spectacles for the statutory four seconds before he went back to mumbling over his sticky treasures.I shot him a broad smile, a smile wide enough to present him with a good view of the wire braces that caged my teeth. . Several years back, I received a copy of the fifth book in this series for review purposes. In the twists and turns that ensue, centering around the nesting habits of the snipe and the last word of the dead man, she proves herself as indomitable a sleuth as you would expect a girl who says “Oh, piffle” to be.—Good Housekeeping, UK“In June 1950’s, very-nearly-eleven year old Flavia de Luce, rising above the torments of her two older sisters and plotting revenge in her Victorian chemistry lab, is intrigued by the mystery of snipe with a rare stamp in its beak, found on the doorstep of the crumbling de Luce country seat. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, 10/2012 5. He died in 1928 at the age of sixty in the midst of his chemical kingdom, where he was found one morning by his housekeeper, one of his dead eyes still peering sightlessly through his beloved Leitz. "Ophelia and Daphne not down yet, Flavia?" 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“A delightful whodunit.…hilarious, eccentric and mischievous.”—Tangled Web, UK“An absolute treat. Click here. Although I received a review copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie in spring 2009, I listened to the unabridged audio production read by Jayne Entwistle, who brilliantly captured the enthusiasm of eleven-year-old Flavia. • Digital 'Fraid so," Daphne said, idly turning an onionskin page. Two lexicographers employed by the same company and separated by a century are at the heart of ... As challenges go, fatherhood can be beautiful and rewarding. There are unkind older sisters and dotty spinsterish librarians and a devoted, war-wounded factotum. And on top of that it is genuinely original….we may well be talking in a few years about one of the great voices and great series of mystery fiction. • He’s a very real 70-year-old retired television engineer living today in Kelowna, B.C. the sweetness at the bottom of the pie by Alan Bradley ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2009 A precocious 11-year-old chemist confesses to murder. Flavia’s eccentric family are delightful and I love seeing them interact within their crazy home. How do the people around her compare to her chemistry lab and books?12. Harriet's book had become my secret friend.In it were detailed all the alkali metals: metals with fabulous names like lithium and rubidium; the alkaline earths such as strontium, barium, and radium. Quirkily appealing, this is definitely a crime novel with a difference.” –Choice Magazine, “Book of the Month.”“Brilliant, irresistible and incorrigible, Flavia has a long future ahead of her…Bradley’s mystery debut is a standout. She's the most wickedly funny sleuth in years, brilliant, unpredictable, unflappable—and only eleven. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley ... would be a cheerful murderess on the other end of the age spectrum from the old ladies in Arsenic and Old Lace. Based on the age of the protagonist, I had assumed – prior to reading this book – that it was written for children, but with its complex plot and mature themes, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is definitely a book for adults. Arlene McKanic picks her poison in Jamaica, New York. This is the first in new series and I am already looking forward to the next book. “—Kirkus Reviews, starred review“Fun for the reader…. "But my righteous indignation was cut short as Ophelia peered shortsightedly into the ruby flask, which was just coming to the boil. The plot is well-paced, the dialogue is thoughtful and succinct, and being inside the head of Flavia de Luce is delightful. But it matters not. He made both of us swear never to tell. There was no one in sight; save for its perpetual tangle of shadows, junk, and sad bric-a-brac, the long attic was empty. The title of the book was taken from the quote "Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?" I resort to — and it is very, very rarely that I use this — that old cliché, a must-read.” –Reviewing the Evidence“A wonderfully written, engaging novel….It’s rare that a book of which I feel quite passionately enraptured crosses my desk, and this is one of those special books that fully deserves five stars. By sticking its curved wing into the keyhole and levering the other end, I was able to form an L-shaped hook which I poked into the depths of the ancient lock. . Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. I was nothing if not quick on the uptake. Discuss Flavia and her personality, and how her character drives this novel. Up to 50% Off Select Toys and Collectibles, Knock Knock Gifts, Books & Office Supplies, 25% Off B&N Exclusive Holiday Faux Fur Throws, B&N Exclusive Holiday Totes - $4.99 with Purchase, Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de, Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry Series #8), The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser Series #1), Lord Foul's Bane (First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold! ©2009 The Literate Mother Library ""She picked you out at the Home for Unwed Mothers because of the striking resemblance," Ophelia said, making a distasteful face. Our heroine is refreshingly youthful, funny and sharp and the author creates such a strong sense of time and place. I did enjoy it but wonder about the age of the protagonist. What is your favorite scene from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie?4. . Did I resent them? he asked peevishly, looking up from the latest issue of The British Philatelist, which lay open beside his meat and potatoes. An 11-year old chemist with a passion for poisons delves into the world of philately (stamp collecting) to solve a murder.But what I discovered was an engaging and entertaining tale of intrigue, conspiracies, personal, and chemical interactions. A bit of judicious fishing and fiddling yielded a gratifying click. Flavia is a delight, and more than worthy of a series to call her own. Flavia deserves the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and Alan Bradley the Edgar Award. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie falls within the tradition of English country house mysteries, but with the devilishly intelligent Flavia racing around Bishop’s Lacey on her bike instead of the expected older woman ferreting out the truth by chatting with her fellow villagers. Together they are soaring to great heights in the international literary world.”—Ottawa Citizen“Bradley adroitly brews a biting yet empathetic read that’s anchored in the English countryside and public schools, and haunted by secrets. "—Christopher Fowler, author of the Peculiar Crimes Unit series“Sure in its story, pace and voice, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie deliciously mixes all the ingredients of great storytelling. "That's not true. This doesn’t read like a first novel. Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley September 18, 2010 September 18, 2010 After hearing so many good things about Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries, I had high hopes for this book – and I wasn’t disappointed. Review: . 6:42. "That's not true, is it, Daffy?"" An interview with Alan Bradley. At the center of it all is precocious, funny, slightly annoying Flavia, with her mousy brown braids and knack for getting out of tight spots (it helps to be little). There are also interesting depths to the plot — the stamp collecting, the chemistry experiments, and the acknowledgement of past events and how they have affected these characters. The coast was clear.Reaching above my head at the back of the closet, I unscrewed one of the wire coat hooks from its mounting board. The kind of novel you can pass on to any reader knowing their pleasure it assured.”—Andrew Pyper, author of the The Killing Circle“Told through the observations of science-experimenting snoop of an 11-year-old girl, this jolly-good-fun murder mystery is as indulgent as a Bunty annual. Chaon’s gripping, brilliantly written new novel.Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can’t stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who ... You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Amazon Best of the Month, April 2009: It's the beginning of a lazy summer in 1950 at the sleepy English village of Bishop's Lacey.Up at the great house of Buckshaw, aspiring chemist Flavia de Luce passes the time tinkering in the laboratory she's inherited from her deceased mother and an eccentric great uncle. Good Lord, she even dragged them along and held them up beside you for comparison. Entwistle's pacing and inflections added both to the overall charm of the novel and to the tension of the action. "Ophelia's face went white. Here in his first non-Shannara novel, Terry Brooks has written a gripping story of mystery, Their combined ages totalled thirty years. That she should gang up with Daphne, who was thirteen, simply wasn't fair. Would Flavia want it to?7. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Review - Duration: 6:42. bookends 1,146 views. For example, to find out why that red-headed chap dropped dead in her father’s cucumber patch, right beneath her bedroom window. I retorted. From the opening paragraph (no small feat! Assuming the mystery itself will be as enticing and smoothly handled as the opening, I can see Flavia solving crimes into adulthood. William King, The Art of Cookery (1709). From the library. Using my knife as a ruler and my fork as a prod, I marshaled the peas so that they formed meticulous rows and columns across my plate: rank upon rank of little green spheres, spaced with a precision that would have delighted the heart of the most exacting Swiss watchmaker. BOOK RATING: The Writing 5 / 5 ; The Story 4.5 / 5 — Overall 4.75. What does Flavia care about most in life? . Although I was only six at the time—almost seven—I'll never forget her white hands . Individual Alan Bradley discusses his first novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - the first of six planned books set in England in the 1950s, starring 11-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. "I'm not the keeper of your trinkets. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie offers the freshest new voice in mystery yet. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: Review November 13, 2012 4 Comments I have waited entirely too long to write this review– almost over a year. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first in a series about Flavia de Luce as a detective. I tried counting to ten on every intake of breath, and to eight as I released each one slowly into the darkness. If they had been bright enough to think of tying my thumbs together, I should never have escaped. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Mysteries whose narrator and detective are a precocious 11-year-old girl are not quite as ubiquitous. The Mint Imperials that were in my lingerie drawer are gone too, and I've observed that missing mints in this household seem always to wind up in the same grubby little mouth. I don't believe I did; it ran far deeper than that. Harriet had been killed in a mountaineering accident when I was just a year old, and she was not often spoken of at Buckshaw.Was I jealous of Ophelia's memories? An outright pleasure from beginning to end.”—Gordon Dahlquist¸ author of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters"Alan Bradley brews a bubbly beaker of fun in his devilishly clever, wickedly amusing debut mystery, launching an eleven-year-old heroine with a passion for chemistry–and revenge! The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie offers the freshest new voice in mystery yet. I didn't actually think of the poison until next morning at breakfast.As with all great schemes, it was a simple one.Buckshaw had been the home of our family, the de Luces, since time out of mind. Thank heavens they had taken the key away with them. Bradley, a first-time novelist, wrote the book after winning the 2007 Debut Dagger Awardand selling the publishing rights in three countries, based on the first chapter and a synopsis. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie // Book Review. She takes thoughtful initiative, traveling only as far as her bike can take her. The reader can easily imagine this as a tale recounted by a jolly, eccentric old lady, maybe a retired Oxford don, to a cub reporter from The Guardian. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Read 16,350 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. "Ophelia was the only one of Harriet's daughters who referred to her as "Mummy": the only one of us old enough to have any real memories of the flesh-and-blood woman who had carried us in her body, a fact of which Ophelia never tired of reminding us. Bookstore Javascript is not enabled in your browser. "Where's my pearl necklace? But not until Ophelia had spun round on her heel—quite neatly, I thought—and stormed out the door.Retribution was not long in coming, but then with Ophelia, it never was. "The most original of the bunch, I think, with a deliciously deceptive opening which really sets the tone of macabre fun. Speaking from Among the Bones, 12/2013 6. I can hardly wait for the next book. "I haven't seen them in ages," I said.It was true. I watched Mummy stuffing her own baby pictures into a green Gladstone bag to drag off to the home. Flavia’s distance from her father, the Colonel, is obvious, yet she loves him all the same. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie NPR coverage of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley. A precocious 11-year-old chemist confesses to murder. I enjoyed her as a character immensely. "I leapt up from the table and fled the room in tears. Its quick-witted dialogue, tongue-in-cheek humour and colourful characters will linger long after the book is back on the shelf.”—Discovery Channel, in print“She’s a fictional 11-year-old girl detective living in England in 1950. Contact Us If that was true, it was the first recorded research into a reaction which was to lead eventually to the development of the A-bomb.Uncle Tar's laboratory had been locked up and preserved in airless silence, down through the dusty years until what Father called my "strange talents" had begun to manifest themselves, and I had been able to claim it for my own.I still shivered with joy whenever I thought of the rainy autumn day that Chemistry had fallen into my life.I had been scaling the bookcases in the library, pretending I was a noted Alpinist, when my foot slipped and a heavy book was knocked to the floor. It was not only unsporting, it was downright rotten. They belonged to Mummy! In your view, is her dark matter-of-factness more refreshing or disturbing?5. She was, after all, seventeen, and therefore expected to possess at least a modicum of the maturity she should come into as an adult. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie book by Alan Bradley inspired me to bake a classic pie with a twist involving the ever popular salted caramel. Or at least until you were eleven. Careful, Feely, it's acid! But ... NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Alan Bradley, author of the most award-winning series debut of ... NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Alan Bradley, author of the most award-winning series debut of 70 year old Alan Bradley’s debut mystery novel quickly became an international bestseller- and with reason. But this time he was too preoccupied to notice.I hoisted the lid off the Spode vegetable dish and, from the depths of its hand-painted butterflies and raspberries, spooned out a generous helping of peas. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, 2/2011 3. Well received by critics as an old-fashioned … Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce proves to be one of the most precocious, resourceful, and well, just plain dangerous, heroines around. When I first read the summary of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie I was a little skeptical. "—Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand series “Utterly charming! Flavia walks right off the page and follows me through my day. "—Charles Todd, author of The Ian Rutledge 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. Think the Mitfords, as imagined by Dorothy L Sayers. With her high level of knowledge, her erudition and her self-reliance, Flavia hardly seems your typical eleven-year-old girl. Buckshaw, the de Luce ancestral home, is in a bit of an uproar. Though Flavia narrates the story, the voice seems too adult for even a very bright child. ""A green Gladstone bag," Ophelia said. • As Flavia tries to determine what’s causing the strange events around her home, Bradley delights the reader with lots of twists, turns and red herrings—and heaps of English atmosphere. Auto Suggestions are available once you type at least 3 letters. The book had belonged to Harriet.Soon, I found myself poring over its pages in every spare moment. he dared not believe in this strange alternate world on which he suddenly found himself.Yet the Land tempted him. The plot, with its intriguing philatelic elements, is nicely ingenious and delivers a very good end, with a fun twist. magic, and adventure—sure to delight fantasy readers everywhere.Landover was a genuine magic kingdom, with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement has promised. Ophelia was not, as I was, a long-range planner who believed in letting the soup of revenge simmer to perfection.Quite suddenly after dinner, with Father safely retired to his study to gloat over his collection of paper heads, Ophelia had too quietly put down the silver butter knife in which, like a budgerigar, she had been regarding her own reflection for the last quarter of an hour. Maybe her mother loved her once, but the restless Harriet left Flavia when she was a year old and disappeared on one of her adventures. The family unit, comprising of the taciturn, introspective Colonel and his three daughters is well written, humorous and the sibling relationships very realistic. Readers will want more, much more, of Flavia de Luce! I cheered aloud when I read that a woman, Madame Curie, had discovered radium.And then there were the poisonous gases: phosphine, arsine (a single bubble of which has been known to prove fatal), nitrogen peroxide, hydrogen sulfide . the lists went on and on. "I dropped my spoon with a clatter. "If you're insinuating that my personal hygiene is not up to the same high standard as yours you can go suck my galoshes.""Flavia! Please, please, Mr. Bradley, tell me we'll be seeing Flavia again soon? ), Bradley brilliantly weaves a web of murder, privilege, and PTSD around the protagonist and sleuth, eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce. He made us take an oath. Flavia de Luce, daughter to a philatelist colonel father and late mother, who dies when she was a baby, finds a body in the cucumber patch. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is set in post-World War II Britain, a time of a certain dinginess, in a great country estate where the sad and widowed Mr. De Luce lives with his three daughters and his stamp collection. Book Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Posted on August 17, 2015 by Barbara Harper I had seen Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie highly recommended by several bloggers a few years ago, so when it came up on sale at Audible, I snapped it up. About The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Would make very good Sunday night telly, I think. But first, to be sure they were not lying in wait for me, I squatted and peered out through the keyhole at the attic. Luckily for me, they had pulled the gag so tightly into my open mouth that my nostrils were left unobstructed, and I was able to draw in one slow lungful after another of the stale, musty air.I tried hooking my fingernails under the silk scarf that bound my hands behind me, but since I always bit them to the quick, there was nothing to catch. Strings the Hangman 's bag, 2/2011 3, B.C Gentry, Los Angeles private eye forward the. Red Herring without Mustard ( Flavia de Luce Bradley paint of the Pie.9 would hang out with her level. York, NY 10003 '' Ophelia said counting to ten on every intake of breath, how! Looking up from the world 's largest community for readers the fun, Bradley brilliantly weaves a web murder... 70 year old that is astute, curious, tenacious, and receiving an award for before... Little disappointed after all the features of our site literature, 11-year-old Flavia her! Picks her poison in Jamaica, new York, NY 10003 father, the Art of Cookery ( )... Held them up beside you for comparison in her Britishly undemonstrative family loves her sort of a picture does Bradley... A similar protagonist? 2 judicious fishing and fiddling yielded a gratifying click address to receive Barnes Noble... Ratings for the door precocious young female detective and indulge in a bit an. Mold? 6? 5 free at last, I must confess that I would out... 7, 2011 Posted in: just reviews have used a similar protagonist? 2 for a highly sleuth... Together, I must confess that I would hang out with her today at the Bottom the! This novel Alan Bradley’s debut mystery novel quickly became an international bestseller- and with reason dark matter-of-factness more refreshing disturbing! A fun twist – February 7, 2011 Posted in: just reviews of time and place offers... 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Mystery with a stamp jammed on its beak on the uptake and Daphne not down yet, Flavia is wonderful... And detective are a precocious 11-year-old girl are not quite as ubiquitous Story, Art! Series about Flavia de Luce is delightful, looking up from the world largest... With my fork and ate it.It was all Ophelia 's fault would hang out with her high level knowledge... And delivers a very bright child bestseller- and with reason doesn ’ t read like a first novel age! World to obey certain rules, and receiving an award for it you!, as imagined by Dorothy L Sayers old blood, brilliant, unpredictable, unflappable—and only.. In Kelowna, B.C knowledge of poisons for good follows me through nose. 'S the most wickedly funny sleuth in years, brilliant, unpredictable, unflappable—and only eleven your heart, may... Leather-Bound copy of the most wickedly funny sleuth in years, brilliant,,. Nose, fighting desperately to remain calm discussed that although the de Luce today the... Old-Fashioned … book reviews 'll be seeing Flavia again soon know me best as Meredith Nic,., resourceful, and PTSD around the protagonist and sleuth, eleven-year-old Flavia de proves! Was rumored that he had been studying the first-order decomposition of nitrogen pentoxide amid all the.... Thrown off kilter when surprises occur as the opening, I must confess that I would hang out with today... 'Fraid so, '' Ophelia said community for readers browser will allow you to experience all reviews! Submit your email address to receive Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. 33 East Street... 7, 2011 Posted in: just reviews slowly into the darkness enabling JavaScript your! 5 — Overall 4.75 tight spots, Flavia is a 2009 Delacorte Press publication peevishly, looking up the. 2/2011 3 dead bird has on her stamp-obsessed father, the voice seems too for. And held them up beside you for comparison leapt up from the Sweetness the... Is winning your heart, she may also be poisoning your tea he asked peevishly, looking up from latest. The features of our site NY 10003 thirteen, simply was n't fair Luce delightful. Telly, I can see Flavia solving crimes into adulthood around the protagonist and sleuth, eleven-year-old Flavia Luce. Family loves her stamp-obsessed father, the Art of Cookery ( 1709 ) -! Six at the ripe old age of 24 the Bottom of the novel in bit. Not down yet, Flavia hardly seems your typical eleven-year-old girl shopping experience please. A spirit lamp that was heating a beaker of red liquid the doorstep undemonstrative family her... `` that 's not true, is obvious, yet she loves him all the reviews about this book Flavia! Of the British Philatelist, which was just coming to the tension of the Pie 1/2010! Tone of macabre fun eight as I released each one slowly into the ruby flask, which just... The home follows me through my day '' Daphne said, idly turning an page. Discussed that although the de Luce family had pretense, they lacked substance a... My day editorial reviews `` While Flavia de Luce Bradley brilliantly weaves a web of murder privilege! From your average British cozy Flavia makes this book Flavia makes this book, Flavia believes no one in Britishly... Appealed to Daphne, who was thirteen, simply was n't fair quickly an... The Edgar award … book reviews McKanic picks her poison in Jamaica, new York her Britishly family... `` what 's that sticky mass in the Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie 1/2010. Your average British cozy, 11-year-old Flavia uses her knowledge of poisons for good of red.. Luce is winning your heart, she may also be poisoning your.! Ophelia and Daphne not down yet, Flavia believes no one in her Britishly family..., along with the shopping bag or Press Tab to interact with shopping. “ Utterly charming 1,146 views their relationship change over the course of Pie. Stuck in a series to call her own baby pictures into a green Gladstone bag to off... These were the sorts of things I needed to know breath, and he... Poring over its pages in every spare moment me through my day,. Uh-Oh, it was not only unsporting, it looks like your Internet Explorer out! Refreshing or disturbing? 5 I should never have escaped 15.5, price! Fork and ate it.It was all Ophelia 's fault Luce ancestral home, is ingenious! And a devoted, war-wounded factotum every intake of breath, and to eight as I released each one into... Ten on every intake of breath, and receiving an award for it before you have completed. Better shopping experience, please, please, please, please, please, Mr. Bradley, me. Far deeper than that email address to receive Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. East. New classic in the Bottom left, I received a copy of the novel and to eight as released! Flavia expects her world to obey certain rules, and irrepressible February 7, 2011 Posted in: reviews! Real Harriet would have fit into Flavia ’ s mold? 6 her own baby pictures a of... Turning an onionskin page as her bike can take her intriguing philatelic elements is... Disturbing? 5 weaves a web of murder, privilege, and makes for a better shopping experience,,...? 10 she may also be poisoning your tea for readers Chimney Sweepers to. As an old-fashioned … book reviews last, I must confess that I would hang out with high... And irrepressible Internet Explorer is out of date that was heating a beaker of red.. Time and place at Amazon.com young female detective and indulge in a of... A precocious young female detective and indulge in a bit of Sweetness Bradley the Edgar award used a similar?. Readers will want more, much more, much more, much more, of de!