Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger A delightfully dark English mystery, featuring precocious young sleuth Flavia de Luce and her eccentric family. The summer of 1950 hasn't offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home's abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which ...
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Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger A delightfully dark English mystery, featuring precocious young sleuth Flavia de Luce and her eccentric family. The summer of 1950 hasn't offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home's abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own. But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia's attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer 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." Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet's custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family's loyal handyman, Dogger... or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime -- even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it's up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim's identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces' murky past. A thoroughly entertaining romp of a novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is inventive and quick-witted, with tongue-in-cheek humour that transcends the macabre seriousness of its subject.
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Add this copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to cart. $1.55, like new condition, Sold by Idaho Youth Ranch Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Boise, ID, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Delacorte Press.
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Like New. An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. Suitable for presenting as a gift.
Add this copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to cart. $1.85, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Delacorte Press.
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Good. The cover shows normal wear. Fast shipping and order satisfaction guaranteed. A portion of your purchase benefits Non-Profit Organizations, First Aid and Fire Stations!
A lovely mystery to keep you guessing! Flavia is quite a unique 11-year-old girl. She is sweet herself, yet mysterious. The fact that she loves chemistry and talks like a true chemist keeps you on your toes---you never know what masterful chemical reaction may happen in her laboratory. The 1950 setting is beautiful and a bit rustic---charming, to say the least. "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" is a wonderful start to an intriguing series!
Karl K
May 15, 2014
Great and Fun
This is the starting book in the series, and I generally like to read a series in order, but with these you can start with any one of them and enjoy them all!
Irene K
Oct 18, 2012
Great Tween reading
Gift to granddaughter who loves this book and the rest of the triology.
CARLA K
Mar 31, 2011
50's Flashforward
Loved this book! Nostalgia, and a mystery, all rolled into one, through the eyes of an 11 year old who could match wits with Holmes!
SusieS
Aug 5, 2010
Refreshing
Refreshing describes the mystery solved by the 11-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry. Flavia's enthusiastic, youthful drive to explore clues delights the reader and propels the story forward. Since a friend had highly recommended that I read this book, I willingly purchased the sequel to share with her as a thank you for alerting me to this fresh suspense novel.
