The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Image result for sweetness at the bottom of the pieThis Christmas I signed up for a Secret Santa with a street team I'm a part of. I thought it would be a great chance to read something I'd never find for myself. And I was completely correct. I was gifted a mystery. I was completely shocked.

I read the description of the story and was actually pretty excited with the gift. The protagonist is Flavia de Luce, an 11-year-old girl, from 1950s England. A genre I don't normally read in an era I rarely come across. I was ready to get reading.

The story itself was quite entertaining. Flavia is a chemist whiz, and the amount of accurate research the author included was fantastic. I truly enjoy these nerd kind of books. I'm also a home herbalist and recognized some great components that made me really attach to this book.

The mystery part was super obvious in some parts and completely evasive in others. It had me swinging between frustration and eagerness. I knew the whodunit part very early, but the complete how it was done picture kept me reading the story. I'm not sure if the emotional roller coaster was worth it, but I do intend to continue reading Flavia de Luce mysteries, so I guess it can't have been too traumatizing.

Thanks to my Secret Santa for introducing me to a series I certainly would not have found on my own!

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