Book: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia de Luce mystery
Author: Alan Bradley
Length: 370 pages
Genre: Mystery

Review: This book is a strange mix of Miss Marple and my teen goth years. The main character is 11 years old Falvia, a young chemist with a knack for poison. When Flavia finds a dead body in her yard she is ecstatic and this sets the scene for a young detective to be born.

It may sound like Flavia is morbid, and I suppose she sort of is, but she is also fun. The word feisty would definitely fit her.

Though the setting of the book is the 1950s I keep imagining it earlier. For older readers the book may have a nostalgic feel, for younger readers it is more fantastical to imagine a world like the one Flavia lives in. (Also known as 1950's England.)

Grade Card:
Strong female characters: A
Plot: B
Believability: B
Fun: A
Overall: A-


Verdict: I would consider it a great beach read, but most would probably enjoy curling up with this book and a cup of tea on a rainy day. If you would enjoy Miss Marple meets Harriet the Spy meets mad scientist then I suggest giving Alan Bradley's The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia de Luce mystery a try. And I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Link to Amazon:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie