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The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place | Alan Bradley
146 posts | 127 read | 3 reading | 72 to read
'The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite.' Mail on Sunday SUNNY SKIES, SLEEPY WATER ... AND A SINISTER CORPSE. Twelve-year-old Flavia is enjoying the summer, spending her days punting along the river with friends. Languishing in boredom, she drags a slack hand in the water, and catches her fingers in the open mouth of a drowned corpse. Brought to shore, the corpse is found to be dressed in blue silk with ribbons at the knee, and wearing a single red ballet slipper. Flavia needs to put her super-sleuthing skills to the test to investigate the crime and keep her and her friends out of danger. But what could connect the village undertaker, his silent daughter, a canny police Constable and the publican's talented wife?
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Shawna
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🪦 4d
Eggs Great photo 🪦💀🩶 3d
16 likes2 comments
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Texreader
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The great February book haul: A couple of Flavia de Luce novels

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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

Not my favorite of the series, but time spent with Flavia is always time spent well. The mystery felt somewhat lacking in this one, but I did enjoy Daphne's side quest of poetic sleuthing. I'm looking forward to the next, but I'm not thrilled about it being the last one in the series.

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I love this series. It was far too short ☹️ 12mo
22 likes1 comment
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Ash.on.the.line
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Another in this series that suits the #scarathlon photo prompt today is #grave next year I need to do a reread of this series! #BOOklovers

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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I liked this one. As usual, I listened to the audio and upped my rating by ¼ star for Jayne Entwistle. I liked that Flavia‘s sisters seemed to be a bit nicer this time around. For some reason, I don‘t remember really “noticing” the humour, but I did this time around. I‘m sure I probably did, but for some reason it just didn‘t stick in my head

Ruthiella I also really love Jayne Entwistle‘s narration of these books. 3y
10 likes1 comment
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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

The de Luce sisters are on holiday following the events of the last book and of course, Flavia finds a body. I really like seeing how the sisters‘ relationships evolve and they seem to be closer in this book. I‘m sad that my time with Flavia is ending again soon, she‘s such a wonderful character.

#flaviabuddyread

Bklover I love that you have a dog named Penelope. ❤️ 4y
janeycanuck @Bklover thank you 😊 4y
33 likes2 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

Continuing my TBR project:
This is one of the oldest selections on my TBR list - Originally added October 18, 2017.

In this episode, Flavia discovers a dead body in a lake where they were taking a therapeutic vacation after the sudden death of the de Luce father. As always, Flavia, with the help of Dogger, investigate and solve the crime(s). This is the ninth novel in the series. I would suggest reading this series in order.

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suvata
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🧙🏻‍♀️

CaffeineAndCandy ❤❤❤ 4y
50 likes1 comment
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janeycanuck
This post contains spoilers
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Question 4!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies I hope that it sets Flavia on the path that is "promised" for her i.e. the one that is alluded to with her mother. I also hope that her family relations improve with her sisters and they can work together better moving forward. 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies that would be a lovely, fitting end for the series! 4y
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janeycanuck
This post contains spoilers
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Question 3!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies There seems to be some subterfuge in terms of this mystery. As it has to do with another "society" perhaps the general not tying up of loose ends works. 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies I agree. Life is rarely cut and dry so loose ends makes sense. I think the ambiguity makes the characters more human, too. 4y
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janeycanuck
This post contains spoilers
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Question 2!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies I think the death of their father caused this. I hope it doesn't change as I think they need to band together now to remain a strong family. 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies I think that has gone into it, for sure. There‘s some level of additional maturity in Flavia, likely brought on by her father‘s death. And yes, didn‘t it just break your heart when she was talking about how they were all splitting up and going different ways? 4y
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janeycanuck
This post contains spoilers
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Question 1!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies Honestly, I generally don't manage to solve Flavia's mysteries as I find the them a bit convoluted. 😂😂 Either that or I am not smart enough 🤔🤔 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies okay, I read that bit about this being the most complicated and I thought to myself “but it‘s not like the others are all straightforward!” They are all quite layered with stuff going off in every different direction! 4y
BridgetteM I agree with @Smarkies and @janeycanuck All the Flavia books are complicated and this one was no different. :) 4y
Smarkies @BridgetteM good to know that I am not alone in this 🤣🤣🤣 4y
2 likes4 comments
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janeycanuck
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Coming up - our (belated) #Flaviabuddyread for Book 9!

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janeycanuck
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Oops... I lost track of time and haven‘t even started the book yet! The next instalment of our #flaviabuddyread will come at you NEXT week!

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Smarkies
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Pickpick

After the last book with the shocking ending, in this one, the characters learn to cope with the after effects in their different ways. I liked how this mystery incorporated more of Dogger and Daphne.
Another decent book in the series though the plot wobbled a bit at times for me.

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lahousewyfe
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Mehso-so

Not my favorite but I will persist to the next one. I must admit, I didn't see the lines to the solution like I usually do with a mystery. Interested to see from the next if this is from the writing or my sleep-muddled brain.

emz711 I love the series! Some more than others but it's so fun 5y
lahousewyfe @emz711 Me too! Flavia is one of my very favorites. I'm hoping for a better ride with the next one. 5y
20 likes2 comments
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Lynnsoprano
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Pickpick

This is typical Flavia, and I enjoyed it overall. However, her interest in death, poisons, and corpses didn‘t sit as well with me, considering the current situation. But I loved the ending. I‘ll probably reread sometime in the future, when these elements won‘t feed my anxiety.

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Lynnsoprano
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Yay! @Alisnazzy downloaded Overdrive to my Kindle and helped me get signed on through our library, since they have a slightly weird setup. I downloaded my first book, so once I finish my current read I can return to Flavia‘s exploits.

Bookzombie Yay! That‘s exciting! 🙂 5y
Aasif1 Omg 5y
74 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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SheilaChew
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Pickpick

Another great installment of the Flavia stories! And I‘m ahead of schedule 🤓

JenlovesJT47 Good job!! 🙌🏻 5y
SW-T Congrats! 5y
bookishkai Would that be Malabrigo Rios in Indecita on your needles? Favorite yarn ever. 5y
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wanderinglynn Yay! 🙌🏻 And that yarn is beautiful. I hope you show the final product. 5y
SheilaChew @bookishkris yes! Good yarn eye! 😉 I love malabrigo yarns so much! ❤️🧶 5y
SheilaChew @SW-T thank you! 🥰 5y
SheilaChew @wanderinglynn I will! It‘s going to be a hat! 🤓 5y
SheilaChew @JenlovesJT47 thanks! 😄 5y
39 likes1 stack add8 comments
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SheilaChew
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How to start your Monday right: after you drop off your kiddo at early practice, go to a coffee shop and read and knit with your chai latte.

cathipink Perfect way to start the week 🙂 5y
36 likes2 comments
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SheilaChew
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Next book and Dog. Sunday morning waking up slow.

40 likes1 stack add
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UnabridgedPod
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Pickpick

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place is the ninth novel in Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series. Flavia, for those unfamiliar with the series, is a twelve-year-old girl, a chemist, and an incredibly precocious investigator of murders. With her sisters Daphne and Ophelia, her loyal servant and companion Dogger--he served in WWII with Flavia's father, ending up with Mr. de Luce in a POW camp--⬇️

UnabridgedPod and an array of familiar, small town characters from her British village. In book 9, Flavia and her family are traveling and, as often happens, Flavia becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. As she navigates a cast of unfamiliar suspects, Flavia--as narrated by the fabulous Jayne Entwistle, deploys false humility and inner monologue with complete abandon. I love listening to these books SO much. ⬇️ 5y
UnabridgedPod This series is perfect for those who want to dip into a series with familiar characters but books that can stand alone (though of course I recommend listening to them in order!).⠀

Who are you favorite audiobook readers? What books are made better by the audiobook experience?
5y
17 likes2 comments
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SheilaChew
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Just checked out five books for my kindle - you know, just in case I run out of reading material! ❤️📚

rather_be_reading 👏👏 5y
32 likes1 comment
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JoyBlue
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Pickpick

This installment is not among my favorites, but it's good. I especially liked the increased participation of Dogger.

jb72 I‘ve read two of The Flavia books. I really like her. 5y
emz711 I bought them all too! Paperback though, I did the math on hardcover and couldn't bring myself to do it. Love the rainbow on my shelf 5y
JoyBlue @jb72 It's so cool to have a young, smart, girl scientist in a series. I wish she had been around when I was growing up! 😁 5y
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JoyBlue @emz711 I tend to put them on my gift wish lists. I still don't have the 10th book. I'm hoping someone will finally buy it for me this season. 😉 Do you ever listen to the audio editions? Jayne Entwistle narrates them all. 5y
emz711 @JoyBlue I never have! Any good? 5y
JoyBlue @emz711 I like them. Occasionally there will be a jarring sound, but I've come to recognize her voices for the recurring characters and I find it comforting in its consistency. I can't remember if I've seen any of her film work. If I do now, I wonder how I'll feel about the comparison. Will I be able to separate it from her Flavia audio? 😂 5y
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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

I freaking adore Flavia. I didn‘t pick this one up as quickly as I normally would after the way the previous one ended but I was pleasantly surprised at how the story carried on. Flavia continues to delight and Bradley continues to weave the most intriguing mysteries.

Book 10 for #14books14weeks (and the last one I squeaked in during the 14 weeks!)

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janeycanuck
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I‘m taking on the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge - I‘m hoping to finish the first, second and third perils. So I pulled a bunch of titles that‘ll work to pick from over the next two months. #ripxiv #readersimbibingperil

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Catt
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Pickpick

Love! Love! Love! It‘s been a rocky time for our sweet Flavia de Luce and this book had me a bit weepy eyed at the end because Flavia is getting her feet under her. How I love her! I hope Mr Bradley writes us through her whole life until she is a crusty old diabolically fantastic spinster. I shall read each book with glee. (I enjoyed her at my favorite family retreat in Island Park, Idaho—seen here)

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Plaidsticks
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Pickpick

#cottoncandy #audiobook The ending on this one was a bit weird. I actually went back to listen thinking I missed something, nope, just a bit of a jumpy conclusion.

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Shuga
Pickpick

Oh my Flavia,. You are such a precocious child. She's smart beyond belief. I love her sometimes the books are a little long winded but there's a learning lesson in them all. Can't wait to get my hands on the newest release

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IndyHannaJones
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(Ignore all the non pretty junk on the table...although the Muse of Nightmares snuck into the photo) Albeit a very windy day, it is also very peaceful. I'm meal prepping something healthy for the weak--while drinking a coke and eating cheezits--and using this cookbook my dad gave me for my 16th birthday to get ready for tonight's dinner. Flavia is telling her story as I chop brussel sprouts, and despite a turbulent world outside, it's lovely.

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IndyHannaJones

As I am listening to this on Audible, I'm having a lot of thoughts. These novels can be long winded and sometimes the murder plot almost feels like an afterthought. That's because these stories are not about murder; they are about Flavia. About how a little girl, in the wake of the world's tragedy of WW2, grows up and is influenced by her own tragedies and experiences. It's really hitting home in this one that Flavia is growing up...

IndyHannaJones You could write a whole damn thesis about this book series and Flavia's growth. 6y
18 likes1 comment
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TheBookkeepersApprentice
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Snowy day reading with my favorite adorable reading companion 📖🐶❤️❄️

JoScho Those sweet eyes ❤️ 6y
TheBookkeepersApprentice I always think her eyes are just the sweetest ❤️❤️ We just came in from a quick walk in the snow (it‘s getting really cold and the wind is really picking up) so now it‘s time to finish this book! 6y
elyseh So cute!!! 6y
19 likes4 comments
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TheBookkeepersApprentice
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So good! Unfortunately wasn‘t feeling my best yesterday-glad to have a doctor‘s appointment to get a second opinion and hopefully figure out what is going on with my health-so didn‘t get to read as much as I would have liked, but am about a third of the way through.

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TheBookkeepersApprentice
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Love this series, and I‘ve got an ARC of the new one coming out on Tuesday!

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GinEyre22
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Last night's #boozeandbooks

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Libby1
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Pickpick

Thank you, Alan Bradley.

This book represents a return to a more light hearted tale for Flavia and co.

Imagine being in a boat. You trail your hand through the water and suddenly catch the jaw of a corpse that has floated to the surface.

It could only happen to Flavia!

Booksnchill Good to hear! 6y
batsy I'm glad to hear it's more light-hearted! I'm going to include it in my year-end reading :) 6y
Libby1 @Booksnchill and @batsy - I was relieved, too. I was glad to laugh, and think it would be a great year end read. Daffy comes into her own a bit here, too, which is delightful. 6y
84 likes3 comments
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Libby1
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“‘Keep the money,‘ I said. ‘I don‘t take bribes. I‘m not that kind of person.‘

‘What kind of person are you?‘ she asked, and I could see that she was offended.

‘I‘m the kind of person who is going to make a difference in the world,‘ I told her. ‘As soon as I get rid of my braces.‘”

🤣

I love you, Flavia.

LMJenkins She is one of my favorite characters! 6y
Libby1 Me too, @LMJenkins . So funny and brave and brilliant and naive all at the same time. 6y
Cathythoughts Love this quote ❤️👍🏻 6y
Libby1 @Cathythoughts - I can‘t believe I‘ve now read all the Flavia books in print. Hurry up, Alan Bradley! 6y
Libby1 @Cathythoughts - I just checked and the next one arrives in January! 6y
67 likes5 comments
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LauraBrook
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Pickpick

My first Dewey‘s book is all finished! Wonderful as always, this book finds Flavia & Co on a small vacation, where, of course, Ms de Luce finds a corpse in the river. A lovely cast of characters in the town, and involving more of her sisters and Dogger than we‘ve seen before. Such fun to read!

In other news, my house guest is still sleeping, I had to take an hour nap myself, and I‘m stuck between disturbing Chico and reaching a new 📗. 😳

Mdargusch That looks like a tough choice. 😻 6y
Readerann Such a pretty kitty. ❤️🐱 Way to go on finishing a book! 6y
Lcsmcat Kitty! 😻 6y
batsy 😻😻 6y
61 likes4 comments
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LauraBrook
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1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
2. The tagged book. But I‘m looking forward to all the books, really!
3. Dill and garlic cheese curds. Yum!
4. I‘ve been doing the Readathon for over a decade, I‘m mom to a very cuddly 15 y.o. cat, Chico, and I have a friend staying at my house this weekend. Fun distraction!
5. My different thing this time will be sleeping. I fell asleep around 4 AM and am just getting started now, over 2 hrs late! 😳
#readathon

Readerann Dill and garlic cheese curds - well now, that sounds mighty tasty. I have to go out for a bit (dang previous commitment), and am thinking I might have to stop and pick up a little fun snack. I shopped for food early, but then ate all my snacks the last two days! 😬 6y
30 likes1 comment
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Mdargusch
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Pickpick

Flavia de Luce #9 and she is better than ever! While on holiday, she finds a dead body (of course). With help from Dogger and even her sister, Flavia solves another murder using her chemistry skills and knowledge of poisons while her plucky personality shines. I‘m anxious to see where the next installment goes!

suvata Flavia Rocks! 6y
emilyhaldi You‘re on a roll with pictures today 😍 6y
Litsi Wait just one DARN minute! That was the title of onenof my favorite books by Peter S Beagle! 6y
See All 8 Comments
Cathythoughts Beautiful picture 💚 6y
Mdargusch Interesting! @Litsi I‘m glad I didn‘t tag the wrong book. 6y
Mdargusch Yes! @suvata 👍🏼😁👏🏼 6y
Reviewsbylola I always love these covers! 6y
113 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Redjewel_7734
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Pickpick

I can‘t get enough of Flavia de Luce. In this story her family is still dealing w/their grief & the impending dissolution of their family when, of course, Flavia finds a corpse. Flavia makes friends w/the locals; there‘s a murdering priest who maybe isn‘t, dramatists, blackmail & so much of what makes these stories great. I 💜seeing more of the Dogger & Flavia‘s relationship & if Flavia‘s idea @ the end is where the series is going, I‘m all in!!!

gossamerchild This is, I think literally, the only series I have managed to keep up with and read as soon as it's published. Flavia is the best! #flaviaforever 6y
Mdargusch This is one of the only series I follow too. I‘m halfway through this book @gossamerchild 6y
94 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Cedricsmom
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I‘m pretty sure this is the only series I‘ve ever read and I‘m doing it all on audio. Jane Entwistle is Flavia deLuce and I wouldn‘t miss her for all the poisons on the planet. Any other Flavia fans here?

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thea-block
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Pickpick

So many wonderful quotes in this Flavia mystery! I really enjoyed the new perspectives that the new setting brought. It‘s amazing how Bradley can flesh out new characters in such a short book!

If you‘ve never read these mysteries, I heartily recommend the series, especially on audio. Flavia is one of the most clever and spunky characters in fiction today!

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Jamber
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Vocabulary Lesson
Nimbus; page 12
The luminous "halo" that appears surrounding a holy being or Saint.

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mom2bugnbee
Pickpick

I just love Flavia. That's all.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #24in48 @24in48

Libby1 SHE IS WONDERFUL!!!!! Sorry for appearing to scream at you. That was my attempt to shout it from the rooftops! 6y
mom2bugnbee @Libby1 Haha! No worries! And I love that we're seeing more & more of her humanity & child-ness as the series continues. 6y
suvata 👍🏻 6y
39 likes3 comments
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mom2bugnbee
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Whoop! The new Flavia just came in my library loans! #currentread #currentlyreading

35 likes2 stack adds
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Ncostell
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Mehso-so

I really wanted to love this latest in the Flavia de Luce series but it just didn‘t do it for me unfortunately. The behavior of some of the characters didn‘t seem fitting to their personalities in past books. Maybe this was a way of showing their evolvement over the years but it felt like a heavy handed way of steering the series towards another direction. It was still a fast, light read but fell a little flat.

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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Another fine addition to the Flavia de Luce mystery series! Flavia is on a bit of a getaway when she stumbles across a body...of course. But, there‘s more than meets the eye in this town, and everyone seems to have secrets. Jayne Entwistle once again does a brilliant job narrating the story.

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leahbird
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I collect the Delacorte hardcovers (left) for this series but have been seeing some amazing artwork on alternate editions. These Orion paperbacks (right) are BEAUTIFUL! If they came in hardcover I might have been tempted to swap out by copies.

PS: I'm a totally cover art sucker.

Mdargusch I love them both! 6y
7 likes1 comment