WINNER OF THE AGATHA • ARTHUR ELLIS • DILYS • DEBUT DAGGER AWARDS “Wonderfully entertaining . . . sure to be one of the most loved mysteries of the year . . . [Flavia is] a delightful, intrepid, acid-tongued new heroine.”—Chicago Sun-TimesIt is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a … for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.
For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, 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.”
BONUS: This edition contains a The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie discussion guide and an excerpt from Alan Bradley’s The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag.
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Flavia, the world’s best 11 year old detective who also deals with two older sisters and her widowed father. Even though Flavia is the main character, this is not written for children. This series is a joy in every way!
I finally got to read the first Flavia de Luce installment! Oh my, do I really understand so much more than I did, even though I’ve read all the stories but Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed. I truly love Flavia and Dogger’s relationship. The jailhouse scene between Father and Flavia is one of the best of all the stories, and Flavia actually …
The central character, Flavia de Luce, is truly an original! She’s a pre-teen genius with a deep interest in poisons, a miserable relationship with two older sisters, and an ability to find solutions to local crimes–while not quite managing to destroy her home. I’ve enjoyed all of Alan Bradley’s books about Flavia. They should be read in order, …
I can only dream of writing books half as engaging. This is the best thing I have read in years. I am onto the whole series!
FAB-U-LOUS!!!!!!
Flavia is a delightful if not not precocious and strange and a little obsessed girl. Most of that is due to her mother being killed when she was a baby, her father being completely indifferent and completely obsessed with stamps instead of the welfare of his children and to being tormented by her older sisters.
Flavia loves …
Flavia de Luce is one of the most original sleuths I’ve ever read (and her sidekick Gladys is priceless)! Clever and charming with a wonderful setting. The entire series is a treat!
After reading book number 8 in the series, I went back to book one. It is a very good mystery series. It is set in the 1950’s in the English countryside. I found myself enjoying the time period as much as the mystery. They listen to the radio and the telephone is almost forbidden. The main character, 11 year old Favia, reminds me of a cross …
I could not get into this book.
I have recommended that friends read this series about young Flavia more times than I can remember. I only wish I could meet her.
The characters in this book stole my heart. So clever
A precocious 9 yr old super slueth with a penchant for chemistry living in a worn out, dusty old estate in the English countryside….whats not to love?
READ THEM ALL. Great story telling. Absolutely GREAT !
Extremely readable, with a delightful young heroine who will hopefully be solving mysteries in other books.
When a dead bird shows up on her doorstep with a postage stamp impaled on its beak, Flavia’s first mystery begins. Of course, finding the dead man in the cucumber garden is also quite exciting. As a self-taught 11-year-old chemist, Flavia is no stranger to challenges, but stringing together these two events certainly puts her to the test. And she …
I have to say that I loved this book but the lack of any of this author’s work being available in Canada makes me very frustrated. Therefore, I cannot give the e-book a better rating. I continue to be dumb-founded that a Canadian author’s work is not available to Canadians in the e-format. So very disappointing. Allow this author & his books to be …
well written and entertaining….
Fantastic. Clever.
I seriously love Flavia. She is so well written with her quirky habits and unique interests.
The story has heart and suspense and humor. It pulled me from page one and the mystery kept me guessing the first time I read it and made me smile just as much the second. I would recommend this book to any person, any age, in a heartbeat.
Such a fun book! I love that the detective is a smart young girl. I think that’s unexpected and entertaining! I also liked the addition of chemicals and science in the book. I felt like I was learning things while I was reading. I’m excited to read the rest of this series!
The eccentric de Luce household is disrupted from their regular pursuits by two arrivals- one bizarre and the other sinister. Murder is the result. The youngest member of the household, Flavia, turns from her favorite chemistry work to solve a crime that points toward her father as the culprit.
This first of a popular well-loved series was a …