It’s the summer of 1950 and twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is tinkering away in her chemical lab inside the once great house of Buckshaw, in a sleepy English village. The lab is an inheritance from her passed on mother and eccentric uncle. And Flavia loves it, after all she has a gifted mind for mixing chemicals and the study of poisons.
One morning Flavia left the comforts of the lab for a stroll around the acreage she calls home and after finding a dead bird on the doorstep with a postage stamp stuck on its beak,, to her surprise (and delight) she discovers a body among the cucumber patch. While the police seem to be taking their own sweet time making error after error in trying to solve the crime, Flavia decided to solve the crime herself.
Welcome to Flavia de Luce’s world.
For Flavia, 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.”
Finally I find myself exploring Alan Bradleys books. I knew nothing going in. I did not know that The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie was the first in a series of Flavia De Luce novels… see…. out of loop….
I went into this one on audio and my first initial thought was I thought it sounded a bit like the Bloody Jack audio books (stories of a wild and smart tom boyish young girl), and the narration of Jayne Entwistle gave it that feel, which excited me as the Bloody Jack audio are fantastic!
The story line of our young detective Flavia, is fun. She it witty. She is smart beyond her years. She has siblings that do not play strong enough parts (at least in this book) for me to even remember their names, but she being the youngest, and seemingly the smartest, has a bit of fun with them that makes their back seat roles in this read favorable and “smile worthy”.
While I found the writing rich, the narration with the strong accent delightful, I can not say I loved it. I think for starters I could not wrap my head around Flavia being twelve and working in a chemical lab and being as smart and as able to get around the way she did …
it just didn’t mesh for me – and yeah, I know I am in the minority on this one.
So my thoughts are if you enjoy well written (and well read) books that may be a bit far-fetched but certainly fun… you will want to give the Flavia de Luce mysteries a try. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first of the books. #2 – The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag,#3- A Red Herring Without Mustard and #4, I am Half-Sick of Shadows.
See some other reviews from bloggers that I trust:
Beth Fish Reads
Rhapsody In Books
Book Lover Book Reviews
Amy Reads
I borrowed this audio from our awesome library
Book Journey 
I wonder if the audio was part of the problem. I’m not sure who read this book, but I listened to the second book on audio and I *hated* it. I loved the first and third book, though. It was definitely the narration that made me hate it so much.
That is a good point Amanda, I enjoyed the audio, but maybe it took away from the reading experience… maybe I will have to try the second one in book format just to see…
I have been curious about this one for awhile. I may actually read it at some point…but I definitely won’t be listening to it in the audio format. Still not sold….lol
I cant sell this one to you either Laurel…. I got no sell in me… LOL 😛
That’s one of the complaints I’ve heard about it. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
Which Hannah, the audio that people mention here or what I mention, the fact that she seems too young to be doing everything she is doing and also brilliant? 😀
The precociousness of Flavia is what I meant I’d heard. It was believably enough explained for my tastes, but some people couldn’t get past it.
I am listening to another audio now where the twelve year old is a complete snot and I am starting to wonder.. do I just not know twelve year olds? LOL
While I thought the Jayne Entwhistle was perfectly cast and directed for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, she also paradoxically grated on my nerves so much that I ended up hating the book! I tried to go to print for the second title in the series; but I still had J.E.’s voice in my head. Jayne & Falvia have become inseparably associated with each other in my mind and, as a result, the whole series is a no-go for me now 😦
Wow Tanya! I actually (think) I liked her in this… but now after all these comments I wonder if it did affect my overall opinion of the book.
I honestly loved Flavia’s precociousness, and I’ve met some pretty darn smart kiddos. Sorry this wasn’t a favorite for you, but I will say I think they get better as the series goes along.
I knew I was in the minority on this one…. LOL 😀
I am so glad to find someone else who didn’t fall madly in love with this book! I hated the siblings, was one of my main problems. And yes, she was VERY darn precocious! LOL
The siblings were so “non important” to the story line that if you held a gun to my head right now I still could not tell you their names…. 😯 😛
Ha ha…I love the Out of the Loop illustration!!
I enjoyed Sweetness but didn’t love it. I had no problem with the believability, though. I thought it was light and fun – perfect for mystery lovers. I enjoy a mystery once in a while but I’m not a major fan of the genre (which is funny because I used to be).
Anyway, nice review –
Sue
I dont know why it bugged me Sue but it did… I wonder if my timing was off…..
I enjoyed this one when I read it but I haven’t felt compelled to pick up the next book in the series.
It was an experience to read Kathy but yeah, I dont plan on seeking out the other books unless I just happen upon one at a sale or something.
I really enjoyed one and two but for some reason I haven’t went any further than that! I am so going to read the first Bloody Jack on Audio!! Thanks for the recommendation!
Oh that first Bloody Jack audio…. I think within the first thirty minutes I laughed and cried…. good times… good times. 😛
I like your views, even if you didn’t like it, it provides me another view for when I do read it, because it is on my list, I can be prepared for what it really is about. I think sometimes us knowing something about the book helps and other times we should just go in blind. Thanks for your review 🙂
Sure Dalene, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
I am almost half way through this book and can agree with you on some of your takes on this unique offering. I find Flavia’s interest/obsession in chemistry close to unbelievable for an 11 yo. The dialogue engrossing and quite deep. I am reading this on my kindle which I enjoy immensely. Did not know it was available on CD. May look that up at my library.
Ellen
I found it at library on CD 🙂
There are only a few books that I’ve enjoyed enough to go back and listen to them on a CD. This series is remarkably unique and Flavia is absolutely (in my opinion) captivating. I loved the CD’s. Jayne Entwhistle was Flavia in every sense of the character. Loved this series and thoroughly enjoyed the CD’s.
I always read these and didn’t do audio and I wonder how it would translate. It is hard to believe her age — she is mighty precocious but I do so enjoy her worldview!
All these positive things makes me feel I need to try a book version one of these days… 😀
Sad to see you didn’t enjoy this one more! I have seen a few negative reviews though, so at least you’re not on your own 😉
That always makes me happy that I am not all alone on my opinion Amy! 😀