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.
more
A most entertaining book led to me reading others by this author!
I adore Flavia deLuce. I have read every one of the books I’m the series. This is the one that started it all. If you haven’t yet met Flavia, you are in for a treat. Great fun and great mysteries.
Great book in Great series.
Flavia is one of the great fictional detectives
A little girl who doesn’t really fit in anywhere, trying to make sense of the world.
Unique characters and inventive plot.
Unusual, Delightful, and a Few Lessons in Chemistry
Good reading for teens through adult.
No sex
No violence, other than reference to violence already done. After all, it’s a murder mystery.
No memorable strong language – if any
Setting: 1950, Small town in England
Plot (no spoilers):
The story is told from the perspective of precocious, …
It’ was an okay book, but the characters were very unrealistic and not believable.
I enjoy all his books from this series.
Charming!!
I loved this book, which reminded me of my childhood in England. The characters were wonderful and while I can’t even remember much of the plot (it’s been a while since I read it), I just remember wanting more.
One of my favorite series!
L1ght and fun reading!!
Flavia de Luce will capture your interest from the first page. Alan Bradley’s 11-year old heroine is a unique and entertaining voice in the mystery genre. If you have the chance, listen to an audiobook version at least once (especially if you’re not British). The narrator of the Flavia de Luce books, Jayne Entwistle, adds a humanity to the …
This is an unusual and fun series. Alan Bradley takes us back to 1950 in England with a young girl who is a most interesting character. You will enjoy Flavia’s adventures and her unique perspective.
Flavia is unforgettable.
Great series!
Flavia de Luce is a delightful character. I look forward to reading the entire series.
This book was childish. I thought it was a waste of time. It was hard for me to finish it, but I did.
Great read. Shot through it in a few days.