In this third installment of Alan Bradley’s murder mystery
series, eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce must uncover several secrets. Among them are who bashed in Fenella Faa’s
skull with her own crystal ball, who killed Brookie Harewood with a de Luce
lobster pick and hung him from their Poseidon water fountain and what does the
religious sect of the Hobblers have to do with things?
As in
Bradley’s second novel, I found the mystery aspect of the book confusing. I suppose this is necessary in murder
mysteries to keep the reader from guessing the solution too early, however I
find the confusion off-putting. It could
be that I read the book too slowly and forgot clues and characters along the
way. I really shouldn’t read befuddling
books during the school year. My brain
is otherwise occupied!
My
favourite aspect of the Flavia de Luce books are the de Luce family and the
setting. Flavia is an endearing and persistent
character. I enjoy learning more about
her odd family and their history. I
especially delight in the interactions between her, her sisters and her father. Porcelain was an exceptional character and I
hope to see more of her in future books.
I was excited to learn about secret passageways in the Buckshaw home. I also adore the descriptions of Feely’s
piano-playing, which are what got me reading the book in the first place. One of the announcers on CBC radio read an
excerpt from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to introduce a piano piece
and I knew I needed to read more.
In
summary, Alan Bradley has created a unique murder mystery series with excellent
characters and lovely setting. I don’t
find myself needing to read the next book right away, but once a year, a Flavia
de Luce book is quite delicious.