Tuesday, September 24, 2013

First Chapter First Paragraph - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press (April 28th 2009)
Format: Hardcover; Pgs 374
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: Library
Series: Flavia de Luce #1


Hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea





Chapter 1

It was as black in the closet as old blood. They had shoved me in and locked the door. I breathed heavily through my nose, fighting desperately to remain calm. I tried counting to ten on every intake of breath, and to eight as I released each one slowly into the darkness. Luckily for me, they had pulled the gag so tightly into my open mouth that my nostrils were left unobstructed, and I was able to draw in one slow lungful after another of the stale, musty air.

I tried hooking my fingernails under the silk scarf that bound my hands behind me, but since I always bit them to the quick, there was nothing to catch. Jolly good luck then that I'd remembered to put my fingertips together, using them as ten firm little bases to press my palms apart as they had pulled the knots tight.

Now I rotated my wrists, squeezing them together until I felt a bit of slack, using my thumbs to work the silk down until the knots were between my palms — then between my fingers. If they had been bright enough to think of tying my thumbs together, I should never have escaped. What utter morons they were.


Overview

Flavia de Luce 11 is an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. In the summer of 1950, a series of inexplicable events strikes her home, Buckshaw, a decaying English mansion. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw.

I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.

To Flavia the investigation is the stuff of science: full of possibilities, contradictions, and connections. Soon her father, a man raising his three daughters alone, is jailed for murder. He tells Flavia an astounding story of a schoolboy friendship turned ugly, a stolen priceless object, and a Latin teacher who flung himself to his death from the school tower thirty years before. Flavia ties tie two distant deaths together, examines new suspects, and follows the search to the King of England himself

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It sounds like quite the different type of story, and that makes me curious. I had heard about this series, but never really knew what it is about. I will look further into this book, so thanks.

JoAnn said...

I've wanted to try this series for years... I'd definitely keep going. Enjoy!

kayerj said...

Oh I have wanted to read this book for a very long time. enjoy. kelley—the road goes ever ever on

Unknown said...

How interesting! I actually have this book somewhere around the house but I never had a chance to read it. I might be digging it back out now though. This is my first time joining this meme. You can see my intro here

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Oh yes, I loved the first few Flavia mysteries that I read. I'm behind on the series though. Good intro - enjoy. Thank you for joining us.

Nise' said...

My mom loves this series and tells me I am missing out by not reading it (yet).