novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse - that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce's drawing room.
Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession - a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?"
I cannot get enough of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series. It is extremely well-written and keeps you wanting to read more even when the novel ends.
"Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse - that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce's drawing room.
Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession - a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?"
I cannot get enough of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series. It is extremely well-written and keeps you wanting to read more even when the novel ends.
nglofile's review against another edition
5.0
Bradley doesn't disappoint. This is another stellar entry in a delightful and well-plotted series.
I adore the Note to the Reader in the back: "In order to provide sufficiently dramatic lighting for this story, I must admit to having tinkered slightly here and there with the phases of the moon, though the reader may rest assured that, having finished, I've put everything back exactly as it was."
I adore the Note to the Reader in the back: "In order to provide sufficiently dramatic lighting for this story, I must admit to having tinkered slightly here and there with the phases of the moon, though the reader may rest assured that, having finished, I've put everything back exactly as it was."
wanderaven's review against another edition
4.0
For once, I'm not frustrated that it took me so long to finally commit to this series, as in doing so, now I get to read numbers 1-5 without waiting!
(Though Caroline should be keeping a close eye on her Nook, which is where I suspect she hides #6...)
One of my favorite things about the series are the clever titles, lovely on their own, but this one is especially ties into the story.
Flavia... such an empathic and insightful 11 year old girl - she is both strong and vulnerable, not caring a whit but one person thinks, while yearning desperately for the approval of another. There's so much I love about this character, so much so that even if I'm not especially engaged in the plotline (not especially true here, though I did find I was slighly less interested than in the first two books), I keep reading just for the enjoyment of Flavia.
(Though Caroline should be keeping a close eye on her Nook, which is where I suspect she hides #6...)
One of my favorite things about the series are the clever titles, lovely on their own, but this one is especially ties into the story.
Flavia... such an empathic and insightful 11 year old girl - she is both strong and vulnerable, not caring a whit but one person thinks, while yearning desperately for the approval of another. There's so much I love about this character, so much so that even if I'm not especially engaged in the plotline (not especially true here, though I did find I was slighly less interested than in the first two books), I keep reading just for the enjoyment of Flavia.
yoav's review against another edition
3.0
הספר השלישי בסדרת פלביה דה-לוס והשני שאני קורא (אחרי שזנחתי את הספר השני בסדרה שעייף אותי). הכל חביב פה, העלילה, הדמות השובבית והחכמה, תיאורי הכפר, עלילת המתח אבל גם מאוד תבניתי וחוזר על עצמו ונראה לי שמיציתי את הרעיון והסדרה הזו.
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Here we have the third installment in the ongoing adventures of the precocious Flavia de Luce, the eleven-year-old girl from Bishop's Lacey, who "helps" the local police solve murders in her community.
In this book, it kicks off with Flavia visiting a Gypsy fortune teller's tent at the local church's fête. That's a festival or carnival type of event for those not familiar with that word. As the Gypsy, whom we later learn is named Fenella, tells Flavia's "fortune," Flavia jumps up, at one point, and accidentally knocks over a candle, which results in a fire that destroys the woman's tent.
Feeling guilty and attempting to make up for it, Flavia offers to allow the Gypsy to stay on their property at Buckshaw. Even though her father had banned said Gypsy from the property a number of years ago when Flavia's mother died.
That's just the beginning of this twisted tale. We have an attempted murder when someone tries to kill Fenella in her caravan. We have a real murder when a man is killed and hung up on a statue of Poseiden that sits on the de Luce grounds. Later, another body is discovered at the Palings (that's the parcel of land where the Gypsy's caravan is sitting), bringing even more mystery into the tale.
Flavia is her usual self in this tale ("usual" as far as I know, having only read the first two books), running all about the town and the countryside, trying to drum up clues in the case. She also meets and befriends Fenella's granddaughter, Porcelain. "Friends" might not be the right word to describe their relationship, at least at first, though.
Flavia also continues to have the most strained relationship with her two sisters, Ophelia and Daphne (affectionally referred to as Feely and Daffy), who are constantly trying to convince Flavia that their mother did not like her, and, not only that, she's not really their sister, because their sister was stolen as a baby and she was put in the real baby's place, and so on. In one scene in this book, Feely and Daffy capture Flavia, throwing a burlap sack over her head, and drag her down to the basement to "interrogate" her.
There is a very pleasant and wonderful surprise, though, in this book, which I will leave to the reader to discover. It is something that Flavia uncovers during her efforts to find out who tried to kill Fenella and who actually killed Brookie Harewood (that's the guy hung on the statue of Poseidon).
I am firmly enamored with Ms. de Luce, and fully intend to read the rest of this series of books. I have heard that there will be more of them to come, and there may even be a movie or TV series in the works. How exciting!
In this book, it kicks off with Flavia visiting a Gypsy fortune teller's tent at the local church's fête. That's a festival or carnival type of event for those not familiar with that word. As the Gypsy, whom we later learn is named Fenella, tells Flavia's "fortune," Flavia jumps up, at one point, and accidentally knocks over a candle, which results in a fire that destroys the woman's tent.
Feeling guilty and attempting to make up for it, Flavia offers to allow the Gypsy to stay on their property at Buckshaw. Even though her father had banned said Gypsy from the property a number of years ago when Flavia's mother died.
That's just the beginning of this twisted tale. We have an attempted murder when someone tries to kill Fenella in her caravan. We have a real murder when a man is killed and hung up on a statue of Poseiden that sits on the de Luce grounds. Later, another body is discovered at the Palings (that's the parcel of land where the Gypsy's caravan is sitting), bringing even more mystery into the tale.
Flavia is her usual self in this tale ("usual" as far as I know, having only read the first two books), running all about the town and the countryside, trying to drum up clues in the case. She also meets and befriends Fenella's granddaughter, Porcelain. "Friends" might not be the right word to describe their relationship, at least at first, though.
Flavia also continues to have the most strained relationship with her two sisters, Ophelia and Daphne (affectionally referred to as Feely and Daffy), who are constantly trying to convince Flavia that their mother did not like her, and, not only that, she's not really their sister, because their sister was stolen as a baby and she was put in the real baby's place, and so on. In one scene in this book, Feely and Daffy capture Flavia, throwing a burlap sack over her head, and drag her down to the basement to "interrogate" her.
There is a very pleasant and wonderful surprise, though, in this book, which I will leave to the reader to discover. It is something that Flavia uncovers during her efforts to find out who tried to kill Fenella and who actually killed Brookie Harewood (that's the guy hung on the statue of Poseidon).
I am firmly enamored with Ms. de Luce, and fully intend to read the rest of this series of books. I have heard that there will be more of them to come, and there may even be a movie or TV series in the works. How exciting!
abrswf's review against another edition
3.0
Cute but truly forgettable, like a well written soap bubble. My first but sadly also likely my last in this series.
elinacre's review against another edition
5.0
my favorite flavia book so far! i love her conversations with her bicycle, the bittersweet thoughts of her mother, and the scenes of sisterly love (and by love i mean fighting). HOW have these not been adapted to tv or movie?!
debjazzergal's review against another edition
4.0
This series is great fun. Characters are enjoyable and lots of plot twists.
teffin's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like this as much as I liked the other two Flavia De Luce books, but it was still a good read! Just slightly more forgettable and less well thought out, I think. Perhaps because this time it didn't threaten the De Luce family at all?