Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE

THE WEED THAT STRINGS THE HANGMAN'S BAG

AMAZON REVIEW: Readers who enjoy tongue-in-cheek humor; well-written, literate text; and good character development will delight in the Flavia DeLuce mysteries. Alan Bradley uses Flavia's family members and their dynamics to add dimension to Flavia's personality and character. The book moves along nicely and will hold your interest throughout. The family dynamics, the colorful characters in the village where Flavia lives, and Flavia's unique perspective on life all combine into an entertaining read.

While the text speaks of death and murder, there is none of the gruesome and gory detail that so frequently appears in other murder mysteries. Further, the language is clean; Bradley employs no profanity in his writing. One would not have to worry about giving younger readers this book. The novel, which employs a larger vocabulary than is found in many contemporary books, is not a difficult read. It would certainly be a fine book for tween readers who are not frustrated by having to occasionally use a dictionary.

MY TAKE: Flavia lives in a dilapidated 1920's mansion and finds herself witness to a murder. Though she is a young girl, she is determined to solve the case and employs her deep love and addiction for chemistry in the process. Though the mystery is predictable, the prose is out-of-this world scrumptious! This book is for verbose lovers of language who want to increase their vocabulary. If you like Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, you will LOVE this one. I know I did! The first book did so well, that Alan Bradley will turn it into the Flavia De Luce mystery novels (thank heavens). I cannot wait for the next installment coming to my door in March.

Take a video tour of Buckshaw (Flavia's mansion):

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