Book #37: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first in a series of mystery novels. I usually hate mysteries but I was intrigued by the descriptions of the main character in these. It proved a good beach read. The main character is Flavia, an 11 year old girl. She is smart, rapier witted, fearless, and funny as hell. The book is set in the English countryside in 1950. Her father, Colonel de Luce, is a kind but withdrawn parent. He has suffered in WWII and his wife died when Flavia was only a year old. She has thus grown up in near total freedom, and for a mind like Flavia's, this is (mostly) a good thing. Her obsession is chemistry, and she knows more than most educated adults about the subject. She is a bit of a gleeful evil genius with her lab in the attic. Thus when a stranger dies in the garden, Flavia rightly suspects poison. When her father is accused of the murder, she flies around on her beloved bike, Gladys, to try to clear his name and find the real murderer. In spite of the gravity of the situation, it's all a fantastic adventure to Flavia - until things do indeed get serious. But Flavia is not easily cowed, and even when her own life is in danger, she is a spunky fighter to the end. There are some moments that tug at the heart strings, especially what Flavia does for Dogger, the devoted gardener who fought with Colonel de Luce in the war and who still suffers the psychological effects. Some of the funniest moments are the ways Flavia tortures her older sisters, and how they get back at her in return. This is a series I will definitely get into.