Eleven-year-old chemistry genius Flavia de Luce amuses herself by concocting potions and poisons in her laboratory. Flavia’s two older sisters constantly target her for taunts and pranks, and her father is too busy studying philatelic journals and catalogs to deal with his daughters or the fact that he can no longer afford their inherited English manor house. When Flavia discovers a body in her cucumber patch, she’s delighted for the bit of excitement and takes it upon herself to investigate. She discovers that the victim was an avid stamp collector and former classmate of her father’s, leading her to wonder — could her father be responsible? Flavia, with her trusty bicycle sidekick Gladys, gets to the bottom of things in this smart, fun mystery.