The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
- 373
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” is a playful mystery that stands or falls with its narrator, eleven-year-old chemist Flavia de Luce. In 1950 she sets out from her English country home to clear her father of murder, as fond of her poisons as she is innocent. Some readers wary of precocious children are won over by her; others find her tiresome. It opens a long series.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a 2009 mystery by Alan Bradley. Set in the English countryside in 1950, it features Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth who pulls herself away from her beloved chemistry lab in order to clear her father in a murder investigation. Bradley, a first-time novelist, wrote the book after winning the 2007 Debut Dagger Award and selling the publishing rights in three countries, based on the first chapter and a synopsis. Well-received by critics, the novel won multiple awards and is the first in an 11-book series.
Reading order · Flavia de Luce
Full order & progress →- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the PieThis book
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7.67.6 / 10 - A Red Herring Without MustardA Red Herring Without Mustard–Not ranked yet
- I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
7.77.7 / 10 - Speaking from Among the BonesSpeaking from Among the Bones–Not ranked yet
- The Dead in Their Vaulted ArchesThe Dead in Their Vaulted Arches–Not ranked yet
- As Chimney Sweepers Come to DustAs Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust–Not ranked yet
- Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'dThrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd–Not ranked yet
- The Grave's a Fine and Private PlaceThe Grave's a Fine and Private Place–Not ranked yet
- The Golden Tresses of the DeadThe Golden Tresses of the Dead–Not ranked yet
- What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth RustWhat Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust–Not ranked yet
- Numb Were the Beadsman's FingersNumb Were the Beadsman's Fingers–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.4 across 266 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 64% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Crime & mystery average of 7.6. That is how 7.5 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 6.7 | 6 | 2% |
| Hardcover | 7.4 | 260 | 98% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie?
It has 373 pages — shorter than 66% of the ranked books in Crime & mystery.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Crime & mystery — and a score of 7.5, the closest to this book.
