When I went to Borders last week, I was excited to see this book — with its bright yellow cover — on the new releases table. Flavia de Luce, the precocious eleven-year-old heroine, is back in Alan Bradley’s third novel, and she doesn’t disappoint. We again find Flavia in the little English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey, this time investigating (much to Inspector Hewitt’s chagrin) an attack on a Gypsy woman, who only recently revealed an ominous message to Flavia through her crystal ball. And later, when one of the town’s most renowned ne’r-do-wells turns up dead in the de Luce’s Poseidon fountain, is the crime connected to the ancient fortune teller (and possibly a years-ago child abduction)?
Throughout the story, Flavia continues to contend with her two dreadfully vain older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, a father who can barely tear himself away from his beloved stamp collection, and a gossipy, cockney cook, Mrs. Mullet. Fortunately for Flavia, she is able to escape quite frequently to her secret chemical laboratory in the east wing of Buckshaw, the family’s dilapidated mansion. There, she works to solve these mysteries and plots revenge against her sisters with crazy potions and harebrained schemes.
Canadian author Alan Bradley has created another charming page turner, and I’m already looking forward to the next Flavia adventure. While you don’t need to read the first two books in the series to fully appreciate the characters, I would recommend starting with his debut novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
Kiki: How do I get on the "to-borrow" list? Per usual - all of your book choices sound fantastic. xo.
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