The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

• Genre: Fiction; mystery, historical fiction
• Originally Published: 2009
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 960L; high school/adult
• Structure/Length: 35 chapters; approx. 416 pages; approx. 9 hours and 53 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel introduces Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth with a passion for chemistry (especially poisons), in 1950s England. When Flavia discovers a dying man in the cucumber patch of their country mansion, she gets embroiled in a mystery that involves her father. The central conflict revolves around Flavia’s effort to uncover the truth and prove her father’s innocence.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death; murder; mild peril and danger; bullying

Alan Bradley, Author

• Bio: Born 1938; Canadian author, known for his Flavia de Luce series; spent his early career in television broadcasting and taught at the University of Saskatchewan before turning to writing.
• Other Works: The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag (Flavia de Luce #2, 2010); A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3, 2011); I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4, 2011)
• Awards: Debut Dagger Award (2007); Agatha Award for Best First Novel (2009); Dilys Winn Award (2009); Barry Award for Best First Novel (2010); Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel (2010); Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel (2010); Spotted Owl Award (2010); YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2010)