The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley – I had not read any of the series involving Flavia de Luce despite many positive reviews. I have so many series I am reading I hesitated even though the author lived in Saskatchewan for 25 years. Prompted by an article I will be writing about Saskatchewan mysteries I read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and regret I had not started the series sooner.

Within a few pages I knew I had encountered a special character in Flavia. I do not read many books featuring 11 year old sleuths. In the Leaders & Legacies series the young future Canadian Prime Ministers are 12 – 13 years of age. The books are written for a young adult audience. While such an audience can appreciate The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie it is a great book for every age of reader. I had the same feeling reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie I had when I read the first Harry Potter book. I was taken into a new world of a fascinating young person that enthralled me.

I was also closely reminded of the impact Scout Finch, 6 years old in To Kill a Mockingbird, had upon me. Harper Lee had created a wonderful young character to lead the story. At the same time Lee’s characterization was appropriate for Scout’s age.

Flavia lives with her older sisters and her widowed father in the de Luce ancestral home of Buckshaw in the English countryside. It is 1950 and England is still recovering from the war.

The sibling rivalry between Flavia (Flave), Ophelia (Feely) and Daphne (Daffy) is unending. While it is really Flavia versus her combined older sisters the odds do not trouble Flavia. She knows she is brighter and fiercer than Feely and Daffy. Feely is absorbed in her appearance. Daffy is constantly reading. Flavia is a scientist with a devious mind.

Flavia loves chemistry. She has a particular affection for poisons. Her knowledge of chemistry is impressive and was accelerated by the full equipped laboratory that was set up in Buckshaw by a scientifically inclined uncle. She is constantly conducting experiments.

When a dead jack snipe, a stamp impaled upon its beak, is left upon the step Flavia is fascinated especially when her father is shaken after he closely examines he bird and stamp. What is the meaning behind this cryptic offering and why should her father have such a reaction to a dead bird?

A short time later a stranger is expiring in the garden, the cucumbers to be exact. With his final breath he utters “vale” (farewell) to Flavia. She is intrigued rather than frightened. She is determined to apply her scientific skills to determine what has happened.

Urgency is given to her investigation when her father, Laurence (Jacko), is arrested for murder of the stranger.

The investigation takes Flavia back to her father’s boarding school experiences at Greyminister 30 years earlier.

A philatelic treasure is at the heart of the book. Having been a member of the American Philatelic Society for almost 50 years I was very interested in the role of stamps in the story. I intend to write a further post on philately and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

There is cunning evil in the book. It was great to read a mystery with a worthy adversary for Flavia and for the mystery to be solved by intelligence rather than violence. It is far more sophisticated than many mysteries involving adult sleuths.

Flavia is precocious and credible. Her ardour for chemistry reflects a passion for a pre-teen I found believable.

I was glad to read a book about a young person who is academically bright. I recall being a pre-teen interested in books beyond the reading expected for my age. I equally remember contemporaries praised athletic skill far more than academic talent.

I know I have a good book when I am anxious to read the next in the series. Fortunately, I have already purchased The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag. It has moved up the TBR pile.