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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I love this whole series! Flavia deLuce is a unique and lovable heroine.
justa great story and entertainment
Love the Flavia stories. She is a character that seems real despite some of the unrealistic problems she confronts. The mysteries are good but it is Flavia that makes the books great.
I wish I had as much on the ball as this young woman does, I love reading about her exploits, and can’t wait for the next book in the series.
If Alan Bradley’s writing, I’m reading!
This series is character driven. It is fun to see the world through the eyes of a preteen in 1950’s England. She is precocious and yet naive. What fun!
I always enjoy his characters and his female protagonist.
First of great series. Don’t miss out on Flavia!
Wonderful first book of series
Flavia de Luce is quite the eccentric sleuth, only considerably younger than Miss Marple or anyone else out there, for that matter. I definitely want to read more of the books in this series.
Well-written mystery with an unlikely sleuth, filled with charm, wit, and humor. Readers will love the quirky characters.
Flavia is a one-of-a-kind character who you cheer on because if her sheer intelligence and audacity.
I love this series
Wonderful Series
I had the audio book and it was difficult to listen, because of how the narrator was talking with the descriptions and detailed detective thoughts. I was turning the audio book back a few chapters to re-listen to what was said. This is a book that should not be on an audio book because it was tiresome to listen to the end of each chapter.
If you want a mystery that reads fast, is fun,and the characters are interesting then this series is perfect for you. I read the sweetness @ the bottom of the pie on a rainy afternoon( ate popcorn for dinner)
Wish I was as nimble as Flavia in mind and spirit and quick with words.
What a charming cast of characters. I had heard people sing Bradley & Flavia’s praises but had never picked up the series before. Saw this one at the Library book sale and had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. It’s like Agatha Christie meets Eloise. So smart, engaging, and witty. Excited to read the rest of the series!
I love this series! At first I balked about the main character being 11 years old, but I soon realized that she’s written the way she sees herself, not the way adults assume children talk and think. Her dark humor is rare and delightful.
I love all of this series and look forward to the next one. Hope it never ends!!
I read this book when it was newly published. Unusual characters in a familiar English estate setting. Utterly charming and unpredictable, you have never met a ten year old like Flavia. Luckily the first in a wonderful series.