Tolog Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
reviewed by Julia Powers

In The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, the young and mischievous 11 year old Flavia de Luce is sent on a mission, undercover, to unravel the mystery of dead man lying in the cucumber patch of her backyard. How had it been done?—one of the main questions of the novel. Was it a fatal chemical thrown into a pie or simple fire of a gun?

The author introduces Flavia imprisoned in a musty closet with her hands tied behind her back and a gag lugged tightly across her mouth all thanks to her two older sisters Ophelia and Daphne. Easily escaping Flavia seeks vengeance against her seemingly truculent sisters by immersing oils of poison ivy, concocted in Flavia’s very own chemistry lab, into her oldest sister’s lipstick. Just after this scheme takes action Flavia hears a scream from the maid of the house. Flavia and her father, Colonel de Luce, were quick onto the scene where a Jack Snipe with a postage stamp stuck on its bill is found dead on their doorstep, draining the color from the Colonel’s face. This bird had not only been a warning sign for the oncoming death, but it also sets the novel’s plot into motion. As the story progresses Flavia becomes more and more independent, as she comes to only trust herself when narrowing down her suspects list to find the true convict.

The author not only submerges us into Flavia’s world by taking us along her various shenanigans, but uses Flavia de Luce to explore the assumed of work ethic of young women in the 1950s. This main character, a very capable and clever young girl, is often “enlisted to trot off and see that the water is boiled” (Bradley 34) when in the presence of a “man’s” work. All Flavia wants is to see that her father is not convicted for the reprehensible murder, and in turn she takes matters into her own hands and becomes a detective herself.

Along with Alan Bradley’s use of Flavia de Luce to exemplify the topic of women and their working capabilities, he also develops the novel with his stimulating use of imagery. In a scene where Colonel de Luce confesses his past and another brutal murder that had occurred thirty some years ago, the author gracefully sketches the mood; “A flash of lightning bleached every trace of color from the room, and with it a deafening crack of thunder” (Bradley 192). Bradley’s use of imagery enhances the suspense and mood throughout the novel.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is enjoyable for any to read. It combines the mischief of a young girl, the suspense of a mystery, and cunning ability of Flavia to solve the case. The author’s techniques propel the story forward for a true “page turner” effect. You won’t be able to put it down!