The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Novel

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-Times

It 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 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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Published Jan 19, 2010

386 pages

Average rating: 7.22

131 RATINGS

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Cozy Book Club @ Estacada Public Library

The Cozy Book Club reads romance, mysteries, and other books that make you want to cuddle up with a cup of tea. And yes, tea will be provided!

Community Reviews

LucyN
Mar 13, 2026
8/10 stars
Loved this quaint little tale and the main character so much.
Favorite quote was " Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, who cares for all the crinkling of the pie".
Cresta McGowan
Dec 25, 2025
8/10 stars
A fun read with a kicky protagonist. A new twist on the murder mystery scene.
Khris Sellin
Jul 05, 2024
8/10 stars
Fun read about a precocious 11-year-old girl, Flavia de Luce, who has a fascination with chemistry and is curious about everything. She turns into a sleuth when a stranger is found dead in their garden.
The first in a series.
wardbunch
Mar 26, 2025
10/10 stars
Can't wait to hear what this pucky little heroine gets herself into next.
Coffee with Kirsten
Jan 20, 2025
5/10 stars
It was not believable, it was the perspective of a young girl that sounded way past her years

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