Book 11: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Another book down on my quest to read my height in books this year! It's crazy that in less than a month, I've read 11 books already. I've really rekindled my love for reading.

This next book was sent to my by my Auntie Lizzie, who highly recommended it. So I thought to myself, why not... I'll give it a go after the first two potters, knowing full well that I could always return to Hogwarts if I really struggled with it. This book looks like it's the first in a series of books, and Auntie Lizzie kindly sent me the first two.

Book one is "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie"... A Flavia de Luce Mystery. 'Interesting' I thought to myself, as I opened to the first page. I will admit, apart from knowing it was a murder mystery, set in 1950 and that the main character was called Flavia, I didn't know what to expect.

It took me a while to get into the book, I'm not sure why, as the plot flowed well, and the style of writing was easy to get along with. Perhaps it was because it's written in first person. I've never really got along with first person narrative. But I persisted, and within 50 pages was fully ensconced within the book.

So what is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie about? Well, it's a murder mystery first and foremost, but it's also the very clever musings of an 11 year old girl who just so happens to be a bit of a brilliant detective! A murder takes place at her house, and whilst the police are involved, they have the wrong man (obviously) and so Flavia takes it upon herself to solve the murder in place of the police. Flavia is also a bit of a Chemistry prodigy, and this proves to be key in solving the murder.

There's no fancy technology or gadgets involved, just one 11 year old's mind against everyone else's. The twists, turns and red herrings had me guessing throughout the book, to the point where I did not see the murderer reveal coming. I thought it may have been someone else... how wrong I was!

Alongside the main murder mystery is another case, that of a missing stamp and another death, all linked together to bring a real body to the main story. I found myself rooting for some of the characters, hoping that they didn't do it, everything had started to point to them, but then, another twist! and they were absolved!

I'm really grateful to Auntie Lizzie for sending me this, and the second book to read. I wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but I can now say without reserve that I loved it! It's similar in vein to The Thursday Murder Club, in that there is clever wit, mystery, red herrings and most of all, it's just so quintessentially British! Maybe I won't need to escape back to home comfort books after all!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: 3cm

Total Read so far: 11 Books - 28cm

165cm left to go!