The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

This month’s book club book was The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley aka part 1 of the Flavia de Luce mystery series. Last month’s The Finkler Question scarred us all for life so we were in need of some light summery reading material and this book certainly did the trick.

"England, 1950. At Buckshaw, the crumbling country seat of the de Luce family, 11-year-old Flavia is plotting revenge on her older sisters. Then a dead bird is left on the doorstep, which has an extraordinary effect on Flavia’s eccentric father and a body is found in the garden. As the police descend on Buckshaw, Flavia decides to do some investigating of her own…"

Although the story was a tad predictable, having a young starry eyed narrator was a real treat. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is genuine unpretentious entertainment. It’s a fun and old fashioned English murder mystery with an original protagonist who’s armed with tons of imagination and a chemistry kit. Quirky, witty and perfect for lazy days.