Do you love Agatha Christie novels as much as me?  It’s apparent that Bradley does, since this book is a good dose of Agatha Christie meets Sherlock Holmes meets Harriet the Spy.  That combination makes for a perfect “curl up late at night with hot cocoa and devour in one sitting” mystery novel.  He’s created the new Miss Marple in 11 year old Flavia  deLuce, a heroine you can’t help but just love- even when she’s doing exactly the opposite of what you think she should be doing.  Which happens a lot, and is extremely frustrating.  Which is even more of a reason to go and read this book.  I love a good mystery that makes you think, no, believe that you know all the answers- only to slap you in the face with surprise after surprise.  I did manage to guess a few bits and pieces, but the book just wouldn’t have been as suspenseful if you weren’t one tiny step ahead of Flavia toward the end.  I’m so happy this is the first in a series, since I finished it and then was immediately hungry for more.   The next books should be out in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is written by Alan Bradley