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Flavia de Luce #6
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2014)On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train’s arrival in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office—and making spectacular use of Harriet’s beloved Gipsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit—Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published January 14, 2014
585 people are currently reading
19259 people want to read
About the author
Alan Bradley
33 books8,549 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
With an education in electronic engineering, Alan worked at numerous radio and television stations in Ontario, and at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in Toronto, before becoming Director of Television Engineering in the media centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, where he remained for 25 years before taking early retirement to write in 1994.
He became the first President of the Saskatoon Writers, and a founding member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. His children's stories were published in The Canadian Children's Annual, and his short story, Meet Miss Mullen, was the first recipient of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children's Literature.
For a number of years, he regularly taught Script Writing and Television Production courses at the University of Saskatchewan (Extension Division) at both beginner and advanced levels.
His fiction has been published in literary journals and he has given many public readings in schools and galleries. His short stories have been broadcast by CBC Radio.
He was a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings. Here, he met the late Dr. William A.S. Sarjeant, with whom he collaborated on their classic book, Ms Holmes of Baker Street. This work put forth the startling theory that the Great Detective was a woman, and was greeted upon publication with what has been described as "a firestorm of controversy".
The release of Ms. Holmes resulted in national media coverage, with the authors embarking upon an extensive series of interviews, radio and television appearances, and a public debate at Toronto's Harbourfront. His lifestyle and humorous pieces have appeared in The Globe and Mail and The National Post.
His book The Shoebox Bible (McClelland and Stewart, 2006) has been compared with Tuesdays With Morrie and Mr. God, This is Anna.
In July of 2007 he won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriter's Association for his novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first of a series featuring eleven year old Flavia de Luce, which has since won the 2009 Agatha Award for Best First Novel,the 2010 Dilys Award,the Spotted Owl Award, and the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie has also been nominated for the Macavity, the Barry, and the Arthur Awards.
Alan Bradley lives in Malta with his wife Shirley and two calculating cats.
With an education in electronic engineering, Alan worked at numerous radio and television stations in Ontario, and at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in Toronto, before becoming Director of Television Engineering in the media centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, where he remained for 25 years before taking early retirement to write in 1994.
He became the first President of the Saskatoon Writers, and a founding member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. His children's stories were published in The Canadian Children's Annual, and his short story, Meet Miss Mullen, was the first recipient of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children's Literature.
For a number of years, he regularly taught Script Writing and Television Production courses at the University of Saskatchewan (Extension Division) at both beginner and advanced levels.
His fiction has been published in literary journals and he has given many public readings in schools and galleries. His short stories have been broadcast by CBC Radio.
He was a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings. Here, he met the late Dr. William A.S. Sarjeant, with whom he collaborated on their classic book, Ms Holmes of Baker Street. This work put forth the startling theory that the Great Detective was a woman, and was greeted upon publication with what has been described as "a firestorm of controversy".
The release of Ms. Holmes resulted in national media coverage, with the authors embarking upon an extensive series of interviews, radio and television appearances, and a public debate at Toronto's Harbourfront. His lifestyle and humorous pieces have appeared in The Globe and Mail and The National Post.
His book The Shoebox Bible (McClelland and Stewart, 2006) has been compared with Tuesdays With Morrie and Mr. God, This is Anna.
In July of 2007 he won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriter's Association for his novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first of a series featuring eleven year old Flavia de Luce, which has since won the 2009 Agatha Award for Best First Novel,the 2010 Dilys Award,the Spotted Owl Award, and the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie has also been nominated for the Macavity, the Barry, and the Arthur Awards.
Alan Bradley lives in Malta with his wife Shirley and two calculating cats.
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December 3, 2019
”The Marble Tombs that rise on high,
Whose Dead in vaulted Arches lye,
Whose Pillars swell with sculptur’d Stones,
Arms, Angels, Epitaphs and Bones,
These (all the poor Remains of States)
Adorn the Rich, or praise the Great;
Who while on Earth in Fame they live,
Are senseless of the Fame they give.”
Thomas Parnell,
A Night-Piece on Death (1721)
Alan Bradley must spend a good deal of time combing the dusty poetic tombs of libraries to find the archaic titles for this book series. Whenever a new Flavia book is released, my first order of business is to look in the front of the book for the few lines of poetry he shares; that includes the title of the book. I then usually shake the bones of the poet and read beyond the tasty morsel that Bradley shares. What is interesting about Thomas Parnell is he is one of a group of poets who existed in the 18th century who are commonly referred to as:
Graveyard Poets
Or
Churchyard Poets
Or
The Boneyard Boys.
They were a gloomy, morbid bunch, obsessed with worms, coffins, and skulls. They took their own mortality very personally and bemoaned the end that eventually finds us all. Of course, they were before and certainly influenced the romantic movement and one of my favorite genres, Gothic. I’ve certainly neglected The Boneyard Boys, but I have a feeling that there is a lot of interesting inspiration for my own writing to be had from reading these atmospheric poems.
But I digress. We are here, of course, to talk about the latest adventures of the almost twelve Flavia de Luce. I have moved from bafflement to absolute acceptance of why I am such a fan of this book series. I don’t read very much YA, nor do I usually enjoy reading about kids. Even when I’m reading biographies, I can’t wait to get through the necessary childhood years and onto the subject’s adulthood life. Now, Flavia is no ordinary kid. She has such a passion for science that she has scoured the library at the family home and also the public libraries for every book about chemistry, natural sciences, and human behavior she could find.
She also has a particular penchant for stumbling across dead bodies.
The story begins with her and her family waiting at the train station A tall man approaches Flavia and whispers a coded message in her ear, and moments later he is lying mangled in front of the train.
Remember what I said about dead bodies and Flavia?
Then, to add to her confusion, Winston (or Winnie if you are of the proper circle) Churchill steps off the train and has a baffling conversation with her about pheasant sandwiches. ”Winnie quite often likes to insert himself at the heart of the action, rather like Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearances in his own films, but somewhat more risky.”
Flavia is right smack in the middle of a mystery that has national interests, extending far beyond the reach of even the brilliant resourcefulness of her own dangerously inquisitive mind. She soon learns that her family, the de Luces, have been much more involved in world affairs than she knew. Some have opted for the side of good and others have opted for the side of evil. The question is, who has opted for which?
I really enjoy the way that Alan Bradley weaves science into the books. The world is a different place for Flavia. She sees things and knows things about everything, which makes the world a much more rich existence for her. She can be bored in church and be thinking about how the stained glass windows were made: ”The yellow scrolls had most likely been achieved with sulfur and calcium, the black letters enameled with a paint compounded in the Middle Ages from a closely guarded formula containing precisely measured amounts of powdered iron or copper oxide, adhesive, and the glassmaker’s own urine.” That is a much more interesting subject to be thinking about rather than contemplating whether your soul is destined for hell. If hell does exist, she could probably explain to us how it is possible.
Flavia is precocious and overly intelligent, but somehow she is never annoying. She just makes me wish I were smarter, but certainly if I was hanging around her for any length of time, I couldn’t help but become more clever by association.
There are some jaw dropping revelations towards the end of this book that tempted me to pick the next one up in the series immediately. Flavia’s world is about to be turned upside down and shook until all the Bunsen burners, beakers, pestle and mortars, and test tubes have been liberated from her hands. It is time for this girl, almost twelve, to be given structure and direction.
I pity the fools who are going to try.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visithttp://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
January 25, 2014
I spend a year waiting for it and a day reading it. From the first Flavia mystery five years ago, I have been hooked. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches did not disappoint. There is so much I wish I could say about it, but won't for fear I will give something away. I will say this, after reading the first lines I said to myself, "I knew it! But I didn't know it. I didn't know the half of it.
Just as Bradley has done in each of the Flavia books as they progress, he brings us deeper into the lives and nature of the characters centered at Buckshaw and Bishops Lacey, but in this latest installment he reveals them to us so that we finally understand what it is that has made them who they are. There is a tenderness in Flavia that has been hinted at before, and spills out in this book. Colonel de Luce is less of a character and more of a grieving husband and father, holding himself together because he has to. We get a pick inside Daffy that is very honest and telling, while Feely remains a bit, well, Feely-like. She's just so unlikeable! Once again, it's Dogger that I love. With each book, he turns out to be even more than what we imagined. Even Aunt Felicity is much more interesting than we imagined.
I can safely say that the action stays closer to home, at Buckshaw, and that we come to some real resolution. The tone of the book is more serious than a Flavia fan is accustomed to, but there is still humor to be found. All the things about Flavia that makes her such an endearing character are still there, but she is forced to know, and deal with, things that are beyond what she wants to, and still, what she wants most is a happy family and a home that's full of life. Oh, just read it for yourself. Quickly!
The one thing I can't determine is if there will be more Flavia books (please yes, please yes). The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches could reasonably end the series (gasp!) or it could mark the beginning of a great deal more to come in the life of Flavia de Luce. I really hope it's the latter.
Just as Bradley has done in each of the Flavia books as they progress, he brings us deeper into the lives and nature of the characters centered at Buckshaw and Bishops Lacey, but in this latest installment he reveals them to us so that we finally understand what it is that has made them who they are. There is a tenderness in Flavia that has been hinted at before, and spills out in this book. Colonel de Luce is less of a character and more of a grieving husband and father, holding himself together because he has to. We get a pick inside Daffy that is very honest and telling, while Feely remains a bit, well, Feely-like. She's just so unlikeable! Once again, it's Dogger that I love. With each book, he turns out to be even more than what we imagined. Even Aunt Felicity is much more interesting than we imagined.
I can safely say that the action stays closer to home, at Buckshaw, and that we come to some real resolution. The tone of the book is more serious than a Flavia fan is accustomed to, but there is still humor to be found. All the things about Flavia that makes her such an endearing character are still there, but she is forced to know, and deal with, things that are beyond what she wants to, and still, what she wants most is a happy family and a home that's full of life. Oh, just read it for yourself. Quickly!
The one thing I can't determine is if there will be more Flavia books (please yes, please yes). The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches could reasonably end the series (gasp!) or it could mark the beginning of a great deal more to come in the life of Flavia de Luce. I really hope it's the latter.
November 13, 2013
Rating = 3.5 stars
In which the mystery is solved surrounding the disappearance of Flavia's mother during World War II. Also in which Alan Bradley prepares to take the series in an entirely new direction. This is a wise move. Life at Buckshaw is growing stale, and it's time for Flavia to take her chemistry skills out into the wide world. After all, she is almost twelve years old, and beginning to show signs of growing up.
This works best as a just-for-fun sort of read. I thought the mystery and its resolution were a bit weak. The set-up is intriguing, with special code phrases and a murder on the train tracks and a revealing old home movie which Flavia discovers and then develops using her chemical cleverness. However, when we finally get to discover why Harriet (Flavia's mom) disappeared and who was involved, the revelations are sketchy. Bradley doesn't develop a clear picture (so to speak) of what went down (so to speak) all those years ago, what exactly Harriet's mission was, and what the villain(s) did.
What makes the book worth reading is the playfulness you've come to expect from the Flavia de Luce series. Yes, Flavia is maturing, but she's still devious, and her imagination still takes her where no one's imagination should ever go. In this installment, she toys with the possibility of becoming a young Frankenstein and attempting to reanimate the dead. She decodes secret messages written in bodily fluids. She asks inappropriate questions such as, "How long does it take a person to bleed to death?" And as always, she's an unrepentant snoop.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed. I'm looking forward to discovering how Flavia fares as she moves out among people who are not yet familiar with her precocious and pesky ways.
In which the mystery is solved surrounding the disappearance of Flavia's mother during World War II. Also in which Alan Bradley prepares to take the series in an entirely new direction. This is a wise move. Life at Buckshaw is growing stale, and it's time for Flavia to take her chemistry skills out into the wide world. After all, she is almost twelve years old, and beginning to show signs of growing up.
This works best as a just-for-fun sort of read. I thought the mystery and its resolution were a bit weak. The set-up is intriguing, with special code phrases and a murder on the train tracks and a revealing old home movie which Flavia discovers and then develops using her chemical cleverness. However, when we finally get to discover why Harriet (Flavia's mom) disappeared and who was involved, the revelations are sketchy. Bradley doesn't develop a clear picture (so to speak) of what went down (so to speak) all those years ago, what exactly Harriet's mission was, and what the villain(s) did.
What makes the book worth reading is the playfulness you've come to expect from the Flavia de Luce series. Yes, Flavia is maturing, but she's still devious, and her imagination still takes her where no one's imagination should ever go. In this installment, she toys with the possibility of becoming a young Frankenstein and attempting to reanimate the dead. She decodes secret messages written in bodily fluids. She asks inappropriate questions such as, "How long does it take a person to bleed to death?" And as always, she's an unrepentant snoop.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed. I'm looking forward to discovering how Flavia fares as she moves out among people who are not yet familiar with her precocious and pesky ways.
September 27, 2024
Flavia de Luce is a brilliant young girl whose knowledge of chemistry is on par with many Ph.Ds. Flavia uses her abilities to investigate murders, and delights in solving crimes ahead of the police. In this sixth book in the series Flavia once again uses her skills to track down a killer.
The book could be read as a standalone but it's much better to start with book one and go on from there.
*****
Twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce and her family are at the train station awaiting the return of a relative when a mysterious man gives Flavia a cryptic message for her father.
Before long the man is dead, his mutilated body lying under the train. Thus begins a Flavia de Luce novel that is more of an espionage story than a murder mystery.
Nevertheless, Flavia is up to her usual tricks in this book, cooking up exotic chemical experiments to reanimate the dead and to decipher hidden messages. As always, Flavia is also plotting to best the local police with her superior detective skills.
The book is filled with interesting characters, including Mr. de Luce's faithful manservant (and jack of all trades) Dogger, eccentric relatives, quirky acquaintances.....
.....and Flavia's sisters.
I was a little annoyed by Flavia's continuing arrogance and (often-expressed) high opinion of herself and I found the convoluted espionage tale slightly confusing. Nevertheless it was an okay light read.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
June 21, 2020
"There would be one chance—and one chance only—to convince the family of my worth. If I failed, I would remain forever an outcast. There wasn’t a second to waste."
This is a critical juncture in the life and deeds of Flavia de Luce. The mother that she never had a chance to know, Harriet, is coming home……….or rather, her body is being returned to the family mansion.
Who is this Flavia de Luce? She is the youngest of three daughters of the current occupiers of the De Luce estate, Buckshaw. Everything has been on the decline since Harriet died and Flavia’s father is a prime example of that. Everything is seen from the perspective of 12 year old Flavia de Luce, who sees her work in the mansion's chemical lab as central to her life. She is a bright bulb with excess drive and a dearth of conscience. She barely gets along with anyone and has no close friends outside of her sisters with whom she constantly is at war. For those who have been following the series through the first five books, you know that the previous book ended with a “cliff-hanger.” We knew that in this book we (and Flavia) would finally find out a lot more about her mother.
But what Flavia gets is a coffin moved off a special train and accompanied by Britain’s finest (including ex-PM, Winston Churchill). At the same time as this is going on, there is a death at the train station (murder?) that for once doesn’t capture Flavia’s full attention. It can’t until things involving her mother are resolved.
Flavia goes through a full range of emotions of which the most important might be that she will use her vast knowledge of science to bring Harriet back to life and restore her father’s mental balance. "With Harriet home and alive and happy among us on the drawing room hearth, Father would be a different person. He would laugh, make jokes, hug us, ruffle our hair, play games with us, and, yes, perhaps even kiss us."
And there are darker thoughts: "I wonder if she had time to suspect, as she saw me standing there staring up at her, that Harriet had come back from the dead for vengeance."
As much as readers of this series have learned to have faith in Flavia’s abilities, this seems a good bit beyond reality and we are anxious as to how she will cope with the coming disappointments. Flavia is trying very hard to please. For example: “Feely was by this time back into the Beethoven sonata. I put the teacup silently on the table and sat down in a bolt upright, attentive position with my knees together, my hands folded daintily in my lap, modeling my posture on Cynthia Richardson, the vicar’s wife. I even pursed my lips a little prunishly."
Because she gets along well with the help, and she is a great observer of human/English conventions, we get some great insights into how Buckshaw and the people in the neighboring village conduct themselves and speak of things.
"“Her Majesty is demanding a cup of tea,” I told Mrs. Mullet. “If you’ll be so good as to make one, I’ll take it in to her myself.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Mullet. “You shall ’ave it in two shakes of a dead lamb’s tail.”
Mrs. M always said “in two shakes of a dead lamb’s tail” when she was peeved but didn’t want to show it. “ ‘A dead lamb’s tail’ is a way of saucin’ ’em off without gettin’ yourself into ’ot water. It means ‘kiss my chump’ without actually sayin’ so,” she had once confided, but had now, obviously, forgotten she’d told me.
"“Mr. Churchill was at the station,” I found myself saying. “He spoke to me.” Oh, fluff! I had blurted it out without thinking.
“Winnie quite often likes to insert himself at the heart of the action,” Adam told me. “Rather like Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearances in his own films, but somewhat more risky."
This is a high point in the series and we get a full measure of all the things we have come to enjoy: history, social commentary, comedic behavior, personal drama, deep dark secrets, various levels of mystery and the interesting perspective of a bright young girl. Or as Flavia says:
"For better or for worse, I had done what I had done, and now there was no going back. I had done the right thing and I would jolly well have to live with it."
This is a critical juncture in the life and deeds of Flavia de Luce. The mother that she never had a chance to know, Harriet, is coming home……….or rather, her body is being returned to the family mansion.
Who is this Flavia de Luce? She is the youngest of three daughters of the current occupiers of the De Luce estate, Buckshaw. Everything has been on the decline since Harriet died and Flavia’s father is a prime example of that. Everything is seen from the perspective of 12 year old Flavia de Luce, who sees her work in the mansion's chemical lab as central to her life. She is a bright bulb with excess drive and a dearth of conscience. She barely gets along with anyone and has no close friends outside of her sisters with whom she constantly is at war. For those who have been following the series through the first five books, you know that the previous book ended with a “cliff-hanger.” We knew that in this book we (and Flavia) would finally find out a lot more about her mother.
But what Flavia gets is a coffin moved off a special train and accompanied by Britain’s finest (including ex-PM, Winston Churchill). At the same time as this is going on, there is a death at the train station (murder?) that for once doesn’t capture Flavia’s full attention. It can’t until things involving her mother are resolved.
Flavia goes through a full range of emotions of which the most important might be that she will use her vast knowledge of science to bring Harriet back to life and restore her father’s mental balance. "With Harriet home and alive and happy among us on the drawing room hearth, Father would be a different person. He would laugh, make jokes, hug us, ruffle our hair, play games with us, and, yes, perhaps even kiss us."
And there are darker thoughts: "I wonder if she had time to suspect, as she saw me standing there staring up at her, that Harriet had come back from the dead for vengeance."
As much as readers of this series have learned to have faith in Flavia’s abilities, this seems a good bit beyond reality and we are anxious as to how she will cope with the coming disappointments. Flavia is trying very hard to please. For example: “Feely was by this time back into the Beethoven sonata. I put the teacup silently on the table and sat down in a bolt upright, attentive position with my knees together, my hands folded daintily in my lap, modeling my posture on Cynthia Richardson, the vicar’s wife. I even pursed my lips a little prunishly."
Because she gets along well with the help, and she is a great observer of human/English conventions, we get some great insights into how Buckshaw and the people in the neighboring village conduct themselves and speak of things.
"“Her Majesty is demanding a cup of tea,” I told Mrs. Mullet. “If you’ll be so good as to make one, I’ll take it in to her myself.”
“Of course,” said Mrs. Mullet. “You shall ’ave it in two shakes of a dead lamb’s tail.”
Mrs. M always said “in two shakes of a dead lamb’s tail” when she was peeved but didn’t want to show it. “ ‘A dead lamb’s tail’ is a way of saucin’ ’em off without gettin’ yourself into ’ot water. It means ‘kiss my chump’ without actually sayin’ so,” she had once confided, but had now, obviously, forgotten she’d told me.
"“Mr. Churchill was at the station,” I found myself saying. “He spoke to me.” Oh, fluff! I had blurted it out without thinking.
“Winnie quite often likes to insert himself at the heart of the action,” Adam told me. “Rather like Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo appearances in his own films, but somewhat more risky."
This is a high point in the series and we get a full measure of all the things we have come to enjoy: history, social commentary, comedic behavior, personal drama, deep dark secrets, various levels of mystery and the interesting perspective of a bright young girl. Or as Flavia says:
"For better or for worse, I had done what I had done, and now there was no going back. I had done the right thing and I would jolly well have to live with it."
January 16, 2024
4.5 stars
short review for busy readers: Top notch Flavia!
in detail:
Flavia’s mother has been found after 10 years and arrives back at Buckshaw packed in dry ice for burial. The run up to her funeral takes up most of the novel.
There’s a bit of an uncomfortable leaning at the beginning when Flavia believes she can chemically bring Harriet back to life, but luckily her attempts are quickly thwarted.
To say any more about the huge reveals which follow would be spoilerish to those who haven't read later novels in the series, but let me just say I was delighted with the turn of events. Now some of the incongruous details of the de Luce family start to make sense!
Like all Flavia novels, there are a good amount of near-misses, coincidences and strangers showing up out of the blue with interesting information. Father is even more distant and Flavia's sisters just as annoying.
But Flavia gets to go up in an airplane for the first time and shakes hands with Winston Churchill ....that's an experience in and of itself!
short review for busy readers: Top notch Flavia!
in detail:
Flavia’s mother has been found after 10 years and arrives back at Buckshaw packed in dry ice for burial. The run up to her funeral takes up most of the novel.
There’s a bit of an uncomfortable leaning at the beginning when Flavia believes she can chemically bring Harriet back to life, but luckily her attempts are quickly thwarted.
To say any more about the huge reveals which follow would be spoilerish to those who haven't read later novels in the series, but let me just say I was delighted with the turn of events. Now some of the incongruous details of the de Luce family start to make sense!
Like all Flavia novels, there are a good amount of near-misses, coincidences and strangers showing up out of the blue with interesting information. Father is even more distant and Flavia's sisters just as annoying.
But Flavia gets to go up in an airplane for the first time and shakes hands with Winston Churchill ....that's an experience in and of itself!
December 3, 2014
As much as I love Flavia, there's just no plot in this one, just a lot of needlessly convoluted, attempted exposition of past events in the series.
October 14, 2013
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars!
I adore this series. The character of Flavia, the complexity and layers of the relationships, the setting, the players, the word craft, etc. In book #5 for the first time Mr. Bradley left us with a cliffhanger, and with book #6 we are treated to a roller coaster ride.
It's almost as if everything that was creating an undercurrent of tension is blown wide open. It did feel like the last few books have been leading to something. I'm glad it was something big, there's only so long that we can read about Flavia stumbling upon another murder and solving it before it gets rote and tired. So it happened, the series and plot certainly took a 180. I really can't feel like I can disclose much about the plot without spoilers. Because there is so much going on and so many things being revealed, at times I had to check myself to make sure I could keep track of it all.
We know Harriet come home and we find out the how, why, and what of her disappearance. Flavia continues her hijinx, but we can clearly see maturation - she is starting to turn into a young woman. I loved how Dogger's story is filled in, the reconciliation with her father, and a greater understanding of her family dynamics as Flavia discovers who she really is.
These books are not fail proof and life changing. They are exquisitely delicious. If you are looking for a mystery that will make you fall in love with reading? You've found it. Mr. Bradley, you have a fan. As does Flavia - I certainly will enjoy watching her be challenged in ways I never thought possible.
*********************************************
Give the marketing/art department an award for these covers. It makes me happy just to look at them.
also: Mr. Bradley, you betta be following up that cliff hanger with one HECK of a book. Don't let me down.
4.5 stars!
I adore this series. The character of Flavia, the complexity and layers of the relationships, the setting, the players, the word craft, etc. In book #5 for the first time Mr. Bradley left us with a cliffhanger, and with book #6 we are treated to a roller coaster ride.
It's almost as if everything that was creating an undercurrent of tension is blown wide open. It did feel like the last few books have been leading to something. I'm glad it was something big, there's only so long that we can read about Flavia stumbling upon another murder and solving it before it gets rote and tired. So it happened, the series and plot certainly took a 180. I really can't feel like I can disclose much about the plot without spoilers. Because there is so much going on and so many things being revealed, at times I had to check myself to make sure I could keep track of it all.
We know Harriet come home and we find out the how, why, and what of her disappearance. Flavia continues her hijinx, but we can clearly see maturation - she is starting to turn into a young woman. I loved how Dogger's story is filled in, the reconciliation with her father, and a greater understanding of her family dynamics as Flavia discovers who she really is.
These books are not fail proof and life changing. They are exquisitely delicious. If you are looking for a mystery that will make you fall in love with reading? You've found it. Mr. Bradley, you have a fan. As does Flavia - I certainly will enjoy watching her be challenged in ways I never thought possible.
*********************************************
Give the marketing/art department an award for these covers. It makes me happy just to look at them.
also: Mr. Bradley, you betta be following up that cliff hanger with one HECK of a book. Don't let me down.
May 27, 2019
Life has suddenly become serious for 11 year old Flavia de Luce. Her beloved mother Harriet's body has been found in a glacier in the Alps where she disappeared ten years ago and has been returned in state to her family waiting at Buckshaw station. There will be no more tinkering in her Uncle Tar's chemistry lab or freewheeling around the village on her trusty bicycle for Flavia for a while. Her Aunts, Felicity and Lena arrive for the funeral as well as several old family friends. As the family are leaving the station to follow Harriet's coffin, a stranger whispers an enigmatic messsage for Flavia to give her father and shortly after falls to his death on to the train tracks just as the train is leaving.
I think this is the best book in the series to date. This is no murder mystery for Flavia to solve with her investigative skills and knowledge of chemistry but a more sombre tome where Flavia learns more about her mother's disappearance and is entrusted with family secrets. Nevertheless there are some lighter moments as Flavia manages some tinkering, gets to meet the Gypsy Moth that Harriet loved to fly and solves some puzzles regarding both the death of the stranger and her mother. Flavia also comes to realise that there are big changes ahead for her and she will need to start growing up to meet the challenges. We can only hope that her spirit remains unchanged and she still manages to get into the scrapes and adventures that make this series so much fun.
I think this is the best book in the series to date. This is no murder mystery for Flavia to solve with her investigative skills and knowledge of chemistry but a more sombre tome where Flavia learns more about her mother's disappearance and is entrusted with family secrets. Nevertheless there are some lighter moments as Flavia manages some tinkering, gets to meet the Gypsy Moth that Harriet loved to fly and solves some puzzles regarding both the death of the stranger and her mother. Flavia also comes to realise that there are big changes ahead for her and she will need to start growing up to meet the challenges. We can only hope that her spirit remains unchanged and she still manages to get into the scrapes and adventures that make this series so much fun.
January 15, 2014
Gasp! I can't believe I am giving a Flavia book a rating of just three stars but alas...... I am. I have loved this series so much and with much anticipation of book 6 wrapping things up, was a bit disappointed.
The book starts out good and has quite the climax in the middle but then it fizzles out. Things are vague and the past sleuthing that Flavia did, did not happen in this book. Things just kind of fell into her lap so to speak.
It did leave me wondering if Alan Bradley was using book 6 to lead us in another direction with Flavia as she is growing up.... It felt like a bridge to another chapter or series in Flavia's life. I do miss our little detective Flavia though.
The book starts out good and has quite the climax in the middle but then it fizzles out. Things are vague and the past sleuthing that Flavia did, did not happen in this book. Things just kind of fell into her lap so to speak.
It did leave me wondering if Alan Bradley was using book 6 to lead us in another direction with Flavia as she is growing up.... It felt like a bridge to another chapter or series in Flavia's life. I do miss our little detective Flavia though.
July 4, 2017
In the 6th novel, redacted, redacted, redacted. We get some answers, a whole lot more questions, and a little bit of heartbreak. Also, I might be a tiny bit in love with Dogger. There's really nothing I can say that wouldn't be spoilery, except that the only bad thing about a Flavia book is waiting a whole year for the next one.
August 3, 2016
Oh, Flavia. Such intelligence and determination in a young girl make you dangerous - not to mention your fascination with poisons and chemistry. I probably wouldn't like you so much if it wasn't for your huge sense of fun and adventure, combined with how lost and alone you seem in your stiff-upper-lip world living in the decaying family home in your little English village.
There is nobody quite like you. Probably a good thing, actually. Still, I can't wait until I get to spend some more time with you in the next book in this series.
Reader, if you ever wondered what Sherlock Holmes was like as a child, read this series, because Flavia de Luce is exactly how I imagine Sherlock would have been at 11 years old. Except female, and with two troublesome, dramatic older sisters instead of an older brother who runs the world. ^.^
I enjoyed this book as much as the earlier ones in the series. I can't tell you anything about the story without giving spoilers, but it will probably make you laugh, and make you feel sad. This time out the mystery to be solved centers on Flavia and her own family.
Also I love the way Flavia views life and how she thinks. Most people would say they feel a shiver up their spine, but Flavia feels 'caterpillars crawling up her spine'. She does make me laugh.
We know Flavia is not much like other children, but by the end of this book you realize that she has an exceptional future in store for her. At the same time, in some ways she is just like any other young girl and you can't help but want to hug her. Just check her pockets to make sure she isn't packing any poisons that cause painful deaths before you do.
I was delighted to receive this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There is nobody quite like you. Probably a good thing, actually. Still, I can't wait until I get to spend some more time with you in the next book in this series.
Reader, if you ever wondered what Sherlock Holmes was like as a child, read this series, because Flavia de Luce is exactly how I imagine Sherlock would have been at 11 years old. Except female, and with two troublesome, dramatic older sisters instead of an older brother who runs the world. ^.^
I enjoyed this book as much as the earlier ones in the series. I can't tell you anything about the story without giving spoilers, but it will probably make you laugh, and make you feel sad. This time out the mystery to be solved centers on Flavia and her own family.
Also I love the way Flavia views life and how she thinks. Most people would say they feel a shiver up their spine, but Flavia feels 'caterpillars crawling up her spine'. She does make me laugh.
We know Flavia is not much like other children, but by the end of this book you realize that she has an exceptional future in store for her. At the same time, in some ways she is just like any other young girl and you can't help but want to hug her. Just check her pockets to make sure she isn't packing any poisons that cause painful deaths before you do.
I was delighted to receive this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2018
Best one yet, but Mr. Bradley, you know how to pull on our heart strings! Was anyone else secretly glad that Flavia’s plans for Harriet were foiled.?! This instalment opens the door to not only additional characters, but different ways of seeing the ones we’ve already met. Gorgeous series!
April 7, 2014
So far this series has had a rollercoaster effect on me - I loved books 1, 3, and 5, and was underwhelmed by 2, 4, and this one, number 6.
I didn't buy into any of this book. I know grief does strange things to people, and Flavia's still a child, but too much seemed totally out of character.
Things that didn't sit well:
1 - Flavia forgot about the dead guy on the train platform.
2 - Rare drugs were obtained effortlessly.
3 - The chemistry was straight up mad science. Reanimation? Really?
4 - As soon as the Home Office shows up, Flavia completely abandons her mission. What happened to our sneaky, meddling, pint size obsessive chemist crime solver? She believes it is the only chance to bring her mother back to life, yet she gives up instantly and barely mentions it again.
5 - Before we really know there is a suspect, the police have her surrounded and it's all over. No mystery.
6 - Harriet the spy. Was this an intentional nod to one of the most well-loved characters in all of children's literature?
7 - Aloof misanthrope Haviland will raise an even younger, even more precocious girl.
So where is this going? Will the next installment take place at spy school in Canada? Will we stay at Buckshaw with Undine as our new hero? It seems doubtful that Flavia will thwart boarding school for murder as usual in Bishop's Lacey. It's an awkward transition, and even though I love these characters, for me this was the worst book in the series so far.
I didn't buy into any of this book. I know grief does strange things to people, and Flavia's still a child, but too much seemed totally out of character.
Things that didn't sit well:
1 - Flavia forgot about the dead guy on the train platform.
2 - Rare drugs were obtained effortlessly.
3 - The chemistry was straight up mad science. Reanimation? Really?
4 - As soon as the Home Office shows up, Flavia completely abandons her mission. What happened to our sneaky, meddling, pint size obsessive chemist crime solver? She believes it is the only chance to bring her mother back to life, yet she gives up instantly and barely mentions it again.
5 - Before we really know there is a suspect, the police have her surrounded and it's all over. No mystery.
6 - Harriet the spy. Was this an intentional nod to one of the most well-loved characters in all of children's literature?
7 - Aloof misanthrope Haviland will raise an even younger, even more precocious girl.
So where is this going? Will the next installment take place at spy school in Canada? Will we stay at Buckshaw with Undine as our new hero? It seems doubtful that Flavia will thwart boarding school for murder as usual in Bishop's Lacey. It's an awkward transition, and even though I love these characters, for me this was the worst book in the series so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2014
Mr. Bradley, while your first four Flavia novels were fantastic, I can't believe you left us with a cliff-hanger at the end of #5! Speaking from Among the Bones was wonderful. Very much looking forward to #6. Thanks for a great series!
February 1, 2014
While I think this must be the weakest of the series (even moreso than the christmas one) - I hesitate to give it a 1 as typically a 1 means I really despise a book.
This book was weak, in plot and characterization and resolution. So weak, in fact, that I cannot muster up enough aggravation to give the book the 1 that the overall weakness deserves.
Characters added, with little to no characterization and that did nothing to advance the plot; established characters that had little or nothing to do or say. A story that takes place over a very short period of time with a lack of pacing and very rushed ending, compounding the weakness in the storyline.
The actual resolution of Harriet's mystery was diminished by vague and obscure conversations. The "resolution" of the neglected murder that occurred early in the book was perplexing, random, pointless, inexplicable and just badly conceived and written.
As a non-lover of Flavia's author, consistently bemused by the accolades heaped upon this series, I wanted to see if the author was able to build and improve on his story and writing skills as the series progressed. I also wanted to know what happened to Harriet. I am essentially dissatisfied with both, disappointed even. I may be able to forgive weak plotlines, but I cannot forgive poor writing, failure to improve or a desperately weak denouement to the book and, indeed, the entire series.
This book was weak, in plot and characterization and resolution. So weak, in fact, that I cannot muster up enough aggravation to give the book the 1 that the overall weakness deserves.
Characters added, with little to no characterization and that did nothing to advance the plot; established characters that had little or nothing to do or say. A story that takes place over a very short period of time with a lack of pacing and very rushed ending, compounding the weakness in the storyline.
The actual resolution of Harriet's mystery was diminished by vague and obscure conversations. The "resolution" of the neglected murder that occurred early in the book was perplexing, random, pointless, inexplicable and just badly conceived and written.
As a non-lover of Flavia's author, consistently bemused by the accolades heaped upon this series, I wanted to see if the author was able to build and improve on his story and writing skills as the series progressed. I also wanted to know what happened to Harriet. I am essentially dissatisfied with both, disappointed even. I may be able to forgive weak plotlines, but I cannot forgive poor writing, failure to improve or a desperately weak denouement to the book and, indeed, the entire series.
June 16, 2017
Alan Bradleyn uusin Flavia de Luce-sarjan jännityskirja on nimeltään Kuolleet linnut eivät laula. Kirjan kansikuvassa oleva arkku kuvaa Flavian perheelle läheisen henkilön arkkua, joka tuotiin heidän kartanoonsa. Kartano oli jouduttu laittamaan myyntiin, mutta sitten tuli yllättävä viesti, että äiti oli löydetty ja oli tulossa kotiin.
Alan Bradley on hurmannut 11-vuotiaalla Flavia de Lucella, joka on pikkutarkka havaitsija ja kiinnostunut kemiasta ja salapoliisitehtävistä. Joka kirjaan murhia on riittänytkin ja tälläkin kertaa murhaaja liikkuu hyvin lähellä. Flavia on autuaan tietämätön murhaajasta, sillä hänen aikansa kuluu kylmän vainajan seurassa ja hiukan lentokoneajeluilla ja filmin kehittelyssä.
Parhaimmillaan Flavia on omassa laboratoriossaan, jossa asustelee myös kana. Laboratoriovälineitä voi käyttää myös kananmunan keittämiseen, kun nälkä yllättää. Tällä kertaa pikkuvanha myrkynkeittäjä sekä onnistui myrkynkeittelyssä että epäonnistui, koska ei ehtinyt tekemään sitä mitä piti. Ehkä niin oli parempi.
Alan Bradley on hurmannut 11-vuotiaalla Flavia de Lucella, joka on pikkutarkka havaitsija ja kiinnostunut kemiasta ja salapoliisitehtävistä. Joka kirjaan murhia on riittänytkin ja tälläkin kertaa murhaaja liikkuu hyvin lähellä. Flavia on autuaan tietämätön murhaajasta, sillä hänen aikansa kuluu kylmän vainajan seurassa ja hiukan lentokoneajeluilla ja filmin kehittelyssä.
Parhaimmillaan Flavia on omassa laboratoriossaan, jossa asustelee myös kana. Laboratoriovälineitä voi käyttää myös kananmunan keittämiseen, kun nälkä yllättää. Tällä kertaa pikkuvanha myrkynkeittäjä sekä onnistui myrkynkeittelyssä että epäonnistui, koska ei ehtinyt tekemään sitä mitä piti. Ehkä niin oli parempi.
February 18, 2017
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches There's two different stories going on here: in one, Flavia is trying to find out about her mother, missing, presumed dead, since the girl was an infant. The other is a modern mystery about someone going under a train. The first is fascinating, somewhat implausible in resolution, but a deeply satisfying look at family dynamics and the mysteries of one's parents. The other is solved without much detective work on anyone's part, least of all Flavia's, and is even more melodramatic and implausible. But. It must be said, reading about Flavia's relationship with her family, with her first real interest in the backstories of these people around her, and her grief for the mother she didn't have when she grew up: that is writing I needed just now, full of depth, and resonance, and conflicting emotions. That was totally worth it.ARC provided by publisher
October 8, 2014
I shy away from genre fiction, spurn series, and tire quickly of child narrators – and yet I find the Flavia de Luce novels positively delightful. Bradley’s quaintly authentic mysteries are set at Buckshaw, a crumbling country manor house in 1950s England, where the titular eleven-year-old heroine performs madcap chemistry experiments and solves small-town murders. Flavia may be spiky and snotty – especially to her two older sisters, the one boy-crazy (Feely, or Ophelia) and the other book-obsessed (Daffy, or Daphne, with whom I rather sympathize) – but she sure knows her poisons, a skill that comes in handy surprisingly often in their rural idyll (like Midsomer, or Miss Marple’s St. Mary Mead, Bishop’s Lacey has an alarmingly high homicide rate).
The other members of the de Luce crew are the girls’ standoffish father, a shell-shocked gardener, and an abysmal cook. Their mother, Harriet, who disappeared on a Himalayan climb some ten years ago, is, ironically, among the most palpable presences in this book. But each one of the characters has hidden depths, many of them coming to light in this installment. In particular, Flavia will finally learn of her unexpected inheritance from her mother.
The first line epitomizes what I turn to the Flavia de Luce mysteries for – cozy period Britishness: “To begin with, it was a perfect English morning.” It’s a somber time, however, as Buckshaw hosts a funeral; “Perhaps in time I shall learn the antidote for grief,” Flavia muses in an uncharacteristically melancholy moment.
Still, there’s plenty to keep a girl detective’s spirits chirrupy: spies, assassinations, code words, flights in a small plane, and a cameo appearance from Winston Churchill. And this time her regular adventures in chemistry include advanced photographic development, invisible writing, and – most challenging of all – the attempted resurrection of the dead. Flavia’s whip-smart cousin Undine appears for the first time, and Bradley once again comes up with a truly terrific death tableau: his unusual murder weapons and crime scenes would be gory if they weren’t so absurdly genius.
I truly believe that Bradley has hit his stride with this one: I laughed more than ever, and could see more of Flavia’s development as a character. As the book ends, she’s getting ready to move in new directions – perhaps, nearing age 12, she is finally growing up.
The mysteries are fluffy, certainly, but very enjoyable. And you needn’t have read the previous five before tackling this one, though it might be a good idea to sample the first one, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, just to have a sense of the main characters and the town.
These are delicious, comfy crime novels: long may they continue. (Bradley has announced that the original six-book contract has been extended to ten - hooray!)
(I have a tiny bone to pick, which is that I don’t think the de Luce girls would have had access to Lady Chatterley's Lover in 1951, given that its publication was limited by censors until 1960!)
The other members of the de Luce crew are the girls’ standoffish father, a shell-shocked gardener, and an abysmal cook. Their mother, Harriet, who disappeared on a Himalayan climb some ten years ago, is, ironically, among the most palpable presences in this book. But each one of the characters has hidden depths, many of them coming to light in this installment. In particular, Flavia will finally learn of her unexpected inheritance from her mother.
The first line epitomizes what I turn to the Flavia de Luce mysteries for – cozy period Britishness: “To begin with, it was a perfect English morning.” It’s a somber time, however, as Buckshaw hosts a funeral; “Perhaps in time I shall learn the antidote for grief,” Flavia muses in an uncharacteristically melancholy moment.
Still, there’s plenty to keep a girl detective’s spirits chirrupy: spies, assassinations, code words, flights in a small plane, and a cameo appearance from Winston Churchill. And this time her regular adventures in chemistry include advanced photographic development, invisible writing, and – most challenging of all – the attempted resurrection of the dead. Flavia’s whip-smart cousin Undine appears for the first time, and Bradley once again comes up with a truly terrific death tableau: his unusual murder weapons and crime scenes would be gory if they weren’t so absurdly genius.
I truly believe that Bradley has hit his stride with this one: I laughed more than ever, and could see more of Flavia’s development as a character. As the book ends, she’s getting ready to move in new directions – perhaps, nearing age 12, she is finally growing up.
The mysteries are fluffy, certainly, but very enjoyable. And you needn’t have read the previous five before tackling this one, though it might be a good idea to sample the first one, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, just to have a sense of the main characters and the town.
These are delicious, comfy crime novels: long may they continue. (Bradley has announced that the original six-book contract has been extended to ten - hooray!)
(I have a tiny bone to pick, which is that I don’t think the de Luce girls would have had access to Lady Chatterley's Lover in 1951, given that its publication was limited by censors until 1960!)
January 26, 2021
This review contains spoilers for the previous book.
This is book 6 of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries. In Speaking from Amongst the Bones, the previous book, Flavia solves the murder of the church organist Mr Collicut—killed and hidden in the crypt of St Tancred, the patron saint of their village Bishop’s Lacey. At the end though there is a shocking revelation—Flavia’s mother—lost on a mountaineering trip when Flavia was just one—has been found.
In this book, we learn what that revelation means. Flavia has been living in Bishiop’s Lacey with her two older sisters Daphne (Daffy) and Ophelia (Feely), their father Col Haviland de Luce, a former pow in the second world war, and Dogger who had saved the Col’s life in the army and now serves them in various capacities. The family has been living in Buckshaw their family home which was owned by Harriet but as she was missing and had left no will, there was no indication what becomes of it. Money is tight and the family must consider selling the house. Flavia, though eleven (twelve or nearly twelve in this one) is an amateur chemist with access to her uncle Tar’s laboratory, and has a rather keen interest in poisons—she even has a ‘poison’-based alphabet. She has so far used this knowledge of chemistry to solve various murders in the village.
In this one when the family is waiting for Harriet at the station, a tall stranger approaches Flavia and charges her with delivering a rather strange message to her father. And before she even knows what’s happening the stranger falls to his death in front of the train, most likely pushed. And with it Flavia once again has a mystery on her hands. Alongside there are other things occupying he attention, her mother and what happened all those years ago.
This book was actually very different from the previous books in the series, and also gives the series an entirely new direction. But at the same time it also preserves the flavour of the earlier books as Flavia as always, returns to her chemistry lab for the answer to whatever problems are plaguing her, in this case to do with her mother. She also has to deal with some relations who have popped up (whom she knew nothing of before), and who are not the most endearing of people. Because of all this, the murder the book starts with stays mostly on the sidelines for much of the book.
It was interesting to see the author trying to give the series a different direction (than just a young girl solving murders in her village), and with it now, Flavia is also set to go to new places. We also learn some secrets from the de Luces’ past, a little of what Dogger did for Flavia’s father in the war, and of course the story of what happened to her mother all those years ago. There was even a rather surprising visitor when the train with Harriet arrives. I enjoyed the book overall but my only complaint was while the stranger’s death is solved, it doesn’t get as much attention in the book as I’d have expected/liked it to.
This is book 6 of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries. In Speaking from Amongst the Bones, the previous book, Flavia solves the murder of the church organist Mr Collicut—killed and hidden in the crypt of St Tancred, the patron saint of their village Bishop’s Lacey. At the end though there is a shocking revelation—Flavia’s mother—lost on a mountaineering trip when Flavia was just one—has been found.
In this book, we learn what that revelation means. Flavia has been living in Bishiop’s Lacey with her two older sisters Daphne (Daffy) and Ophelia (Feely), their father Col Haviland de Luce, a former pow in the second world war, and Dogger who had saved the Col’s life in the army and now serves them in various capacities. The family has been living in Buckshaw their family home which was owned by Harriet but as she was missing and had left no will, there was no indication what becomes of it. Money is tight and the family must consider selling the house. Flavia, though eleven (twelve or nearly twelve in this one) is an amateur chemist with access to her uncle Tar’s laboratory, and has a rather keen interest in poisons—she even has a ‘poison’-based alphabet. She has so far used this knowledge of chemistry to solve various murders in the village.
In this one when the family is waiting for Harriet at the station, a tall stranger approaches Flavia and charges her with delivering a rather strange message to her father. And before she even knows what’s happening the stranger falls to his death in front of the train, most likely pushed. And with it Flavia once again has a mystery on her hands. Alongside there are other things occupying he attention, her mother and what happened all those years ago.
This book was actually very different from the previous books in the series, and also gives the series an entirely new direction. But at the same time it also preserves the flavour of the earlier books as Flavia as always, returns to her chemistry lab for the answer to whatever problems are plaguing her, in this case to do with her mother. She also has to deal with some relations who have popped up (whom she knew nothing of before), and who are not the most endearing of people. Because of all this, the murder the book starts with stays mostly on the sidelines for much of the book.
It was interesting to see the author trying to give the series a different direction (than just a young girl solving murders in her village), and with it now, Flavia is also set to go to new places. We also learn some secrets from the de Luces’ past, a little of what Dogger did for Flavia’s father in the war, and of course the story of what happened to her mother all those years ago. There was even a rather surprising visitor when the train with Harriet arrives. I enjoyed the book overall but my only complaint was while the stranger’s death is solved, it doesn’t get as much attention in the book as I’d have expected/liked it to.
September 14, 2021
“It’s things like this that really shake me: sudden terrifying glimpses into the world of being an adult, and they are sometimes things that I am not sure I really want to know.”
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches is a mystery in the Flavia de Luce Series with an eleven-year-old protagonist set in a small town in England of the year 1951. I started this series more than ten years ago, reading them along with my, then, preteen daughter. We read books 1-5 and then got sidetracked. Last week, I needed an uncomplicated audio to entertain me while doing chores/errands. I’m so happy Flavia was able to accompany me each day!
This was the first audio that I’ve heard from this series, and, oh my, have I been missing out. Jayne Entwistle gave life to these beloved de Luce’s and crew. I am positive I will be listening to the rest of the series on audio.
As I started book 6, I happily discovered that Flavia, now on the cusp of 12 years, was still just as savvy, intelligent, and inquisitive as I remembered. This one involves the return of Flavia’s mother and secrets found on a forgotten reel of film found in the attic. What she discovered about her mother and the film set her on an unexpected path. She finally got some answers to her long-awaited questions. Not to mention she uncovered the identity of a killer within the walls of Buckshaw, her ancestral home.
For me, this book was more about furthering the character arcs that have been developing since the start of the series. I felt the mystery was considerable weaker (than its predecessors), but the story arc finally gave me confirmation of what I had been hoping to get. And Flavia showed character growth in that she’s become aware of things in her father's past that affects his behavior. She got insight about her sisters and her aunt and about how she’s been raised thus far. So, I didn’t mind the mystery taking a backseat in this book.
Flavia de Luce reminds me of another strong female character that’s a favorite of mine, Amelia Peabody (Crocodile on the Sandbank). Despite Amelia being 20+ years older than Flavia and married and a mother herself, they both are undaunted in their pursuit of their life’s passion. Flavia’s all about the chemistry lab while Amelia’s all about the Egyptian tomb.
I am so glad I didn’t read reviews and book blurbs before starting this one. More than once did I gasp a bit over something revealed. In fact, I was so anxious to find what the next book is like with the change of setting that I’ve already started it.
Readers who like a clean solid story along with their mystery and clever whit should enjoy this series. Be sure to start at book 1 so you don’t miss a moment of the de Luce’s arc.
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches is a mystery in the Flavia de Luce Series with an eleven-year-old protagonist set in a small town in England of the year 1951. I started this series more than ten years ago, reading them along with my, then, preteen daughter. We read books 1-5 and then got sidetracked. Last week, I needed an uncomplicated audio to entertain me while doing chores/errands. I’m so happy Flavia was able to accompany me each day!
This was the first audio that I’ve heard from this series, and, oh my, have I been missing out. Jayne Entwistle gave life to these beloved de Luce’s and crew. I am positive I will be listening to the rest of the series on audio.
As I started book 6, I happily discovered that Flavia, now on the cusp of 12 years, was still just as savvy, intelligent, and inquisitive as I remembered. This one involves the return of Flavia’s mother and secrets found on a forgotten reel of film found in the attic. What she discovered about her mother and the film set her on an unexpected path. She finally got some answers to her long-awaited questions. Not to mention she uncovered the identity of a killer within the walls of Buckshaw, her ancestral home.
For me, this book was more about furthering the character arcs that have been developing since the start of the series. I felt the mystery was considerable weaker (than its predecessors), but the story arc finally gave me confirmation of what I had been hoping to get. And Flavia showed character growth in that she’s become aware of things in her father's past that affects his behavior. She got insight about her sisters and her aunt and about how she’s been raised thus far. So, I didn’t mind the mystery taking a backseat in this book.
Flavia de Luce reminds me of another strong female character that’s a favorite of mine, Amelia Peabody (Crocodile on the Sandbank). Despite Amelia being 20+ years older than Flavia and married and a mother herself, they both are undaunted in their pursuit of their life’s passion. Flavia’s all about the chemistry lab while Amelia’s all about the Egyptian tomb.
I am so glad I didn’t read reviews and book blurbs before starting this one. More than once did I gasp a bit over something revealed. In fact, I was so anxious to find what the next book is like with the change of setting that I’ve already started it.
Readers who like a clean solid story along with their mystery and clever whit should enjoy this series. Be sure to start at book 1 so you don’t miss a moment of the de Luce’s arc.
April 7, 2023
I am finding, for instance, that I’m having a great deal of trouble forgiving Harriet for being dead. Even though it was not her fault, and even though she died for her country, I feel deprived, and deprived in a way that I never felt before her body was found. Daffy was right: We deserved better.
10 years ago, Flavia's mother, Harriet disappeared in Tibet. On the last pages of the previous book, it was revealed that she has been found. The British government is bringing her remains back to Buckshaw, and an elaborate wake and funeral have been arranged. This is a darker novel than the previous ones, it takes place from when the train arrives with Harriet's body, to next day after the funeral, a day that is full of pain and grief and confusion.
“What are we going to do, Dogger?”
It seemed a reasonable question. After all he had been through, surely Dogger knew something of hopeless situations.
“We shall wait upon tomorrow,” he said.
“But—what if tomorrow is worse than today?”
“Then we shall wait upon the day after tomorrow.”
“And so forth?” I asked.
“And so forth,” Dogger said.
10 years ago, Flavia's mother, Harriet disappeared in Tibet. On the last pages of the previous book, it was revealed that she has been found. The British government is bringing her remains back to Buckshaw, and an elaborate wake and funeral have been arranged. This is a darker novel than the previous ones, it takes place from when the train arrives with Harriet's body, to next day after the funeral, a day that is full of pain and grief and confusion.
“What are we going to do, Dogger?”
It seemed a reasonable question. After all he had been through, surely Dogger knew something of hopeless situations.
“We shall wait upon tomorrow,” he said.
“But—what if tomorrow is worse than today?”
“Then we shall wait upon the day after tomorrow.”
“And so forth?” I asked.
“And so forth,” Dogger said.
May 8, 2020
Whatever I was expecting, this wasn't it. The Flavia de Luce books have, up until now, been fairly typical cozy English* mysteries that are largely self-contained and somewhat similar in major events (a body turns up, the incorrigible Flavia inserts herself in the investigation, emerges triumphantly though not necessarily unscathed at the end to provide the Poirot-like denoument). There's a body, all right - but that's where the similarities end.
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches feels a lot darker than previous books, and the events have much broader repercussions that extend far beyond Buckshaw or Bishop's Lacy. I don't know how far back Alan Bradley started laying the groundwork for this one, but issues related to Flavia's mother Harriet that began to simmer a couple books ago come to a rolling boil in this one. It reminds me, weirdly enough, of Lemony Snicket's paranoid and conspiracy-rich (conspirational? conspiratical? hmm) Series of Unfortunate Events.
I found the first half a little hard to read because Flavia is clearly growing up and heading toward a jolting confrontation with reality . The second half went down quickly and surprised me more than once, mostly in good ways, though I could have done without some gore at the finish line. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches feels like the end - if not of Flavia's story, at least of her childhood and her perception of the major people in her life.
I'm charmed by many of the minor details in this one (about Buckshaw: "I knew for a fact that parts of the room glowed in the dark due to the bioluminescence of the various fungi that were happily eating away at the rotting wooden paneling that lay beneath" and Flavia's hatred of doing her hair: "I had pretended that I was a pirate, lashed to the mainmast in a howling hurricane, splicing the only rope that could secure the last remaining sail"). I've grown to be fond of this cast and this setting, and like Flavia, am apprehensive about change on the horizon. Book 7 awaits me, but I think I need a breather first. Maybe something lighter about bioluminescent fungi.
*Alan Bradley writes about England like a Canadian who has never lived there. Which is in fact the case. There's an indefinable but palpable lack of Englishness about the writing.
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches feels a lot darker than previous books, and the events have much broader repercussions that extend far beyond Buckshaw or Bishop's Lacy. I don't know how far back Alan Bradley started laying the groundwork for this one, but issues related to Flavia's mother Harriet that began to simmer a couple books ago come to a rolling boil in this one. It reminds me, weirdly enough, of Lemony Snicket's paranoid and conspiracy-rich (conspirational? conspiratical? hmm) Series of Unfortunate Events.
I found the first half a little hard to read because Flavia is clearly growing up and heading toward a jolting confrontation with reality . The second half went down quickly and surprised me more than once, mostly in good ways, though I could have done without some gore at the finish line. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches feels like the end - if not of Flavia's story, at least of her childhood and her perception of the major people in her life.
I'm charmed by many of the minor details in this one (about Buckshaw: "I knew for a fact that parts of the room glowed in the dark due to the bioluminescence of the various fungi that were happily eating away at the rotting wooden paneling that lay beneath" and Flavia's hatred of doing her hair: "I had pretended that I was a pirate, lashed to the mainmast in a howling hurricane, splicing the only rope that could secure the last remaining sail"). I've grown to be fond of this cast and this setting, and like Flavia, am apprehensive about change on the horizon. Book 7 awaits me, but I think I need a breather first. Maybe something lighter about bioluminescent fungi.
*Alan Bradley writes about England like a Canadian who has never lived there. Which is in fact the case. There's an indefinable but palpable lack of Englishness about the writing.
August 23, 2019
I love Flavia. I've read the first two and now this out of order. I will be catching up, but this is one of those serial reads where I can say nothing that won't give something away in 3 books from now, so just give in and read if you are into light mysteries. . .the thrill here is Ms. Flavia, who is 12 at this point in the romp, going on a very well put together 72.
I wonder if she's ever met Ms. Pollifax. I'm sure she knows Poirot and Mr. Holmes.
I wonder if she's ever met Ms. Pollifax. I'm sure she knows Poirot and Mr. Holmes.
March 22, 2014
I found this book to be so odd! An odd storyline to be sure, and also one that was at odds with the overall tone of the rest of the series. I know no one looks to Flavia de Luce for a gritty, true-to-life tale of woe, but the previous instalments all managed to balance the brightness of Flavia and Bishop's Lacey with interesting mysteries (albeit to varying degrees of success). This one sort of flew right off the deep end - I was excited to read about Harriet's homecoming, as her absence has dominated the series from the very start, but I didn't expect things to take such a juvenile turn. I would have welcomed Flavia going off to school in Toronto; the ability of the reader to believe Bishop's Lacey a hotbed of murder was probably played out, and Flavia's seeming lack of formal schooling was a bit glaring, but I didn't expect her to go off to train for some higher purpose as a spy...? The tone was very uneven - it seemed unbelievable that Flavia, scientist extraordinaire, would believe that her mother could be imbued once again with life after a ten-year deep freeze, and the contrast between that childish wish and her rather gruesome examination of Harriet's corpse was jarring. I'm still not really sure what to make of Harriet - she somehow found time to have three children, indulge an endless array of interests, make herself beloved by everyone she'd ever met, and to serve her country by running off to catch a traitor in Singapore during wartime, somehow meeting her end on a glacier in Tibet at the hands of her cousin. I don't even really grasp why Lena came to Harriet's funeral - if she was able to dispatch the last remaining person who knew of her involvement in her death so easily at Buckshaw Halt, why didn't she dispose of him in the sometime in the preceding ten years? Was Undine meant to be a literal Cousin Oliver? Cousin Undiver...? Tristram and Adam were basically an amalgam in my mind by the end.
I don't really get why the de Luce's would be entrusted with national security, but not have anyone they could call upon to help them with death duties? Also, the whole Greek and Italian youngest daughter inheritance thing seemed completely bizarre - that is why her sisters hated her? Because of some absolutely nonsensical, completely undeserved favouritism? I would have resented her too!
"Oh sorry Ophelia and Daphne, Flavia is now entrusted with a secret mission that will shape the rest of her life and will inherit the entire estate. Ophelia, you are getting married, so no matter. Daphne... you can... read selections from Flavia's library while she's being taught chemistry by a poisoner in T.O."
I suppose my major complaints with this one hold true for most of the series - their must have been other means by which to achieve these same ends! Flavia in Canada sounds amazing - but I wish it was with the same tone as The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
I don't really get why the de Luce's would be entrusted with national security, but not have anyone they could call upon to help them with death duties? Also, the whole Greek and Italian youngest daughter inheritance thing seemed completely bizarre - that is why her sisters hated her? Because of some absolutely nonsensical, completely undeserved favouritism? I would have resented her too!
"Oh sorry Ophelia and Daphne, Flavia is now entrusted with a secret mission that will shape the rest of her life and will inherit the entire estate. Ophelia, you are getting married, so no matter. Daphne... you can... read selections from Flavia's library while she's being taught chemistry by a poisoner in T.O."
I suppose my major complaints with this one hold true for most of the series - their must have been other means by which to achieve these same ends! Flavia in Canada sounds amazing - but I wish it was with the same tone as The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2014
Two of my GR friends who are mystery aficionados highly recommend this series about a precocious preteen girl. I am advised that this is a series that is best read in order to get the most out of it. However, my free online e-book library only had this sixth available so I start here on my trusty Kindle. The idea is that if I like it, I will retreat to the first of the series and try to interest my eleven year old daughter. I had to stumble through the first chapters due to the absence of character development from the earlier books, but the humor and wit brought me in eventually.
Flavia de Luce is an obstreperous girl with a fertile brain. She has a flair for poisons and chemistry. The author from Canada and there is clearly a British bent in language and locale to this series set in the early 1950s. It is fun to read, even more fun if you enjoy chemistry with an intellectual leaning.
As another reviewer summarizes:
I do not think you can be precocious at the age I am, 68. But reading this book does give me a sense of what it might have been like years ago. There are smatterings of knowledge that masquerade in front of my somewhat senile-like brain, giving me the sense of almost knowing something. Bradley fills the pages with nearly facts that are sometimes brought to fruition and sometimes left only half ripe. These tempting morsels percolate and become the itch that demands scratching. I can only imagine how they might nourish the brain of an adolescent. I hopefully imagine my eleven year old daughter slipping into the cracks of curiosity.
I see Flavia with a bright future as an intellectual cartoon series on PBS Kids. I know she has the potential to appeal to an entire new generation. The book was a quick read for me. I give her four stars in her current iteration, even out of order.
Flavia de Luce is an obstreperous girl with a fertile brain. She has a flair for poisons and chemistry. The author from Canada and there is clearly a British bent in language and locale to this series set in the early 1950s. It is fun to read, even more fun if you enjoy chemistry with an intellectual leaning.
As another reviewer summarizes:
Bradley’s quaintly authentic mysteries are set at Buckshaw, a crumbling country manor house in 1950s England, where the titular eleven-year-old heroine performs madcap chemistry experiments and solves small-town murders.
I do not think you can be precocious at the age I am, 68. But reading this book does give me a sense of what it might have been like years ago. There are smatterings of knowledge that masquerade in front of my somewhat senile-like brain, giving me the sense of almost knowing something. Bradley fills the pages with nearly facts that are sometimes brought to fruition and sometimes left only half ripe. These tempting morsels percolate and become the itch that demands scratching. I can only imagine how they might nourish the brain of an adolescent. I hopefully imagine my eleven year old daughter slipping into the cracks of curiosity.
I see Flavia with a bright future as an intellectual cartoon series on PBS Kids. I know she has the potential to appeal to an entire new generation. The book was a quick read for me. I give her four stars in her current iteration, even out of order.
December 13, 2013
I adore the Flavia de Luce series. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of book #5 a year ago and screeched out loud at the excruciating cliffhanger ending. I have been counting down the months until the next book's release. I was ecstatic to be approved for the ARC of The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches via NetGalley.
To sum up the series: Flavia is an 11-year-old with a passion for poison and chemistry. She lives on an isolated British estate with her eccentric father and two teenage sisters. World War II has devastated her family. Her father and their groundskeeper survived the horrors of Japanese death camps, while her mother vanished in Asia. Flavia never knew the war but is scarred nevertheless. She runs wild across the countryside, precocious and all too curious about murder and intrigue.
These are not formulaic mysteries like so many series out there, where each books stands on its own like a TV show. No, Flavia has grown tremendously through the series. The order of books is of vital importance, especially as things come to a head here. This book has a murder--a few, in truth--but more than that, it's about grief and how people themselves are mysteries. The people we are closest to can be the greatest mysteries of all. I dare not say more than that, as there are spoilers galore.
I loved the book. It's everything I hoped it would be. At the same time, I'm a little worried at the direction the series will take after this. Bradley has signed on for ten books total. Flavia's world is going to change drastically from here. I can only hope I get approved for an early copy for the next volume so I won't go too crazy as I wait.
To sum up the series: Flavia is an 11-year-old with a passion for poison and chemistry. She lives on an isolated British estate with her eccentric father and two teenage sisters. World War II has devastated her family. Her father and their groundskeeper survived the horrors of Japanese death camps, while her mother vanished in Asia. Flavia never knew the war but is scarred nevertheless. She runs wild across the countryside, precocious and all too curious about murder and intrigue.
These are not formulaic mysteries like so many series out there, where each books stands on its own like a TV show. No, Flavia has grown tremendously through the series. The order of books is of vital importance, especially as things come to a head here. This book has a murder--a few, in truth--but more than that, it's about grief and how people themselves are mysteries. The people we are closest to can be the greatest mysteries of all. I dare not say more than that, as there are spoilers galore.
I loved the book. It's everything I hoped it would be. At the same time, I'm a little worried at the direction the series will take after this. Bradley has signed on for ten books total. Flavia's world is going to change drastically from here. I can only hope I get approved for an early copy for the next volume so I won't go too crazy as I wait.
December 2, 2014
I have to admit that I read #1 and #2 in the series and then took a giant leap to this one #6, because I won a preview copy of #7 coming out in 2015, which I'll soon need to review. So I know I committed the ultimate faux pas, and maybe someday I'll go back to the others, but in the meantime I'm so glad to have read this. No regrets.
Flavia and her family are top of their game here. Her mother's body comes home for burial finally, and Flavia's curiosity about her and the family history leads her to some pretty gutsy stunts, even for Flavia.
I just loved the Ta-ra-ra BOOM-de-ay sequence.
Flavia and her family are top of their game here. Her mother's body comes home for burial finally, and Flavia's curiosity about her and the family history leads her to some pretty gutsy stunts, even for Flavia.
I just loved the Ta-ra-ra BOOM-de-ay sequence.
February 27, 2022
This, the sixth in the Flavia de Luce, series, marks a turning point in the books. It begins with the return of Flavia's mother, Harriet, which was revealed in the ending of the last novel. What was not revealed, but should have been obvious, was that it was Harriet's body which should be returning to Buckshaw. Churchill himself arrives on the train, bearing her casket, as do many other characters who have previously appeared and a distant cousin, Lina, with her over-curious daughter, Undine.Of course, murder is never far from Flavia, and, even as Harriet's body is lifted from the train, a man is thrown beneath it, as it begins to move.
To be honest, this is something of an odd addition to the series. It involves secrets about Harriet's death, the constant worry that Buckshaw might need to be sold, and leads into Flavia's next adventures. This was not a favourite of mine but, if you are continuing with the series, it is essential in order to understand where the books are headed and why.
To be honest, this is something of an odd addition to the series. It involves secrets about Harriet's death, the constant worry that Buckshaw might need to be sold, and leads into Flavia's next adventures. This was not a favourite of mine but, if you are continuing with the series, it is essential in order to understand where the books are headed and why.
February 4, 2024
Very poignant. The body of Flavia’s mother, Harriet, is found ten years after her death and shipped home for the funeral. Flavia discovers many secrets about her family. In this book, the murder mystery is almost a secondary subplot.
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