The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

by Alan Bradley

So, I was totally underwhelmed by this much ballyhooed mystery novel. But I’ll review it anyway.

Our story takes place during the summer of 1950 in England. Our narrator, 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, is also our sleuth, if you can believe that. Which I can’t. An aspiring chemist, Flavia is the youngest of three daughters and a precocious brat. I, for one, could never buy into this character.

Anyway, after finding a dead (or actually dying) man on her family’s property, Flavia sets out to solve the mystery. Oh, one more thing: stamps (boring) play an important role in the story.

I really didn’t get the appeal of this novel. So many good reviews and personal recommendations, but I just didn’t get it.

10/4/09