The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley

Our story begins with Flavia de Luce tied up, blindfolded, and stowed away in a closet by her mean older sisters. Isn’t that how all great detectives start their story?

Set in England during the 1950's, Flavia de Luce, 11 years old, lover of all things chemistry and deadly poisonous concoctions is quite the sleuth in this tale. It all starts with a dead bird, a stamp, a missing piece of pie, and then there’s that mysterious body that turns up dead in the cucumber patch out back. We also meet her eccentric family, sisters Ophelia (17 - mostly found in the vicinity of a mirror), Daphne (13 - usually found with her nose in a book), and father Colonel de Luce (quite the recluse). When Flavia’s father is arrested for murder - who better than her to find the clues to solve this case and save her father from prison. No one suspects anything of an 11 year old girl, so her questions are easily answered by her neighbors and townsfolk. That and her vast knowledge of chemistry and science help guide her way through suspect lists, long-forgotten events and eventually land her right smack in the middle of all the danger.

This was such a unique story. Flavia is not your average child - she is quite brilliant and does not act or think like any 11 year old I know. Notwithstanding that, having an 11 year old as your main character actually brightened this dark mystery. She was funny, clever and feisty. I loved the scenes where she is arguing with her sisters. She is not someone you want to mess with or she’ll definitely tamper with your lipstick and cause unimaginable discomfort. From what I read of Mr. Bradley’s biography, it seems Flavia will have a recurring role in his next book. This story is charming and a great old-fashioned mystery that kept me guessing with its many twists and turns. Flavia is my hero!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good 'ol mystery.