The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

[Stephanie]

I've wanted to start the Flavia de Luce series for some time (an 11-year-old chemist genius, in 1950s Britain, living in a ruined manor solving crimes? Sounds amazing, right?) and was delighted to use the first in the series to count towards the mystery/thriller. The wait did not disappoint.

The story is fun and easy to follow- a precocious 11-year-old solves in between fighting with her older sisters and doing science experiments. I think it's probably considered an adult book, though I'd have no trouble sharing it with a teen. We experience the events through Flavia's voice and get her take on things. A very easy book to stay up reading all night.

I would put this more on the campy side of mystery and less nail biting, though that should not be taken as a slight in any way. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.