Helpful Score: 2
Except for seeing the end coming a mile away, I really enjoyed this book. It is unsentimental and sharply written, but also delightful. The heroine, 11-year-old Flavia, is a 'corker.' The setting of the story - a small English village in the 1950s - is a great choice. It gives the book an updated Jane Marple flavor. In fact, I would recommend this book to anyone with a fondness for Agatha Christie mysteries.
I listened to this book on CD, and the perfect choice of Jayne Entwhistle as the reader moved this book from "liked it" to "really liked it." The timbre of her voice is perfect for a precocious tween and she manages at one point to nail the accent of an American pretending to be British.
I listened to this book on CD, and the perfect choice of Jayne Entwhistle as the reader moved this book from "liked it" to "really liked it." The timbre of her voice is perfect for a precocious tween and she manages at one point to nail the accent of an American pretending to be British.
Julie B. (heartinthehighlands) reviewed Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Loved this mystery. Refreshingly different. The mystery solver is an extremely precocious 11 year old girl with a relish for chemistry, in 1950's England. This is the first of the series and my favorite of the three. I have been listening to books on tape/cd for years and this is the very best match of narrator to story that I have ever come across. I would never just read these books because Jayne Entwistel IS Flavia.
Sweet story with a fabulous lead character in 11 year old Flavia. Flavia's love for, and competence of chemistry leads her into an unexpected and exciting journey that twists and turns throughout the novel. I found the writing to be engaging and interesting with lots of pop cultural references. An enjoyable read, and especially recommended for middle school girls to be inspired by Flavia's intelligence, precociousness, and resolve. I'm not partial to mystery novels, but I will buy them for my nieces and other girls we know as gifts.
