I am a huge fan of the Flavia series of books. I always worry that the series will start to falter, but Bradley keeps each book true to the original both in the mystery, science and unique voice of Flavia. We start with the de Luce girls on a vacation with Dogger 6 months after the death of their father. We are quickly pulled into the discovery of a body in the river. The ensuing investigation by Dogger and Flavia includes the usual chemistry which I love about this series. We also see the growth of the relationship between Feely and Flavia which I really liked in this installment. The book does stand on its own as a mystery, but I would read them in order to get the most out of the characters which are the best part of the books.

Flavia de Luce is one of my all-time favorite characters. In this one, she, Dogger and her sisters try to take a little vacation to recover from the shock of their father dying and Flavia quickly comes across a dead body in the water. Of course, Flavia has to investigate. What makes this volume a little different from previous volumes is that Flavia has to now be responsible for her sisters and has to figure out what the future for her family is going to be. It is nice to see her treating her sisters as a grown up would and actually feel responsible for them, rather than see then as an annoyance as she has in the past. Flavia is growing up fast and is as clever as ever and I can't wait to see where she goes next!

Ah, people do die outside of Bishop's Lacey! We have a new setting for this novel, some new characters (one of which I hope will pop up in further installments), new bonds forming, and ultimately a new direction for many beloved characters. I don't want to give too much away, but after the harrowing ending of Thrice the Brindled Cat Hath Mew'd, it was a relief to have a conclusion with a little hope. Alan Bradley has delivered another fine addition to the Flavia series. I hope for many more.

Flavia de Luce is back for another mystery. In the wake of her father's untimely death, the family is unmoored. Their lynch pin that held the three girls together is gone. Can the family rally in the face of such grief?
Loyal Dogger suggests a trip for the three girls to bond and get away from Bagshaw. Unfortunately Flavia has a knack for finding dead bodies. Will she be able to solve a mystery when everyone has secrets they want to keep?
As always a spine tingling mystery full of chemistry by Alan Bradley will satisfy all readers.

The prospect of a new Flavia de Luce book has always quickened my heart, but the last two books have been slightly disappointing. I had high hopes for this one, which were somewhat met. I think that Bradley was having a hard time transitioning Flavia from precocious child to teenager and that the last two books were awkward in the way real life is awkward when that transition happens. With The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, I feel as though Bradley is finally starting to bring Flavia out of that awkward stage. While this was not the kind of clever mystery we've come to expect from the author, it was interesting and fun. Most importantly, it was a bridge to the next chapter of Flavia, her sisters, Dogger, and Buckshaw. I really enjoyed the bigger role here for Dogger, as well as the peek into his past, and I am totally looking forward to the adventures of Arthur W. Dogger & Associates - Discreet Investigations.

The family's afloat for a summer holiday. What could be more relaxing than solving the mystery of the floater caught by the trailing fingers of Flavia de Luce?

Another charming Flavia De Luce mystery with Dogger the two sisters and a host of intriguing characters. I found it interesting that the book ends with Flavia heading in a new an interesting direction. I'm looking forward to the next book and Flavia further adventures.

Always witty, always charming, Flavia de Luce is a detective who never disappoints!

This is another fun jaunt with Flavia de Luce. I don't recommend starting with this one, though, if you haven't read at least some of the others (though you don't have to go back to the very beginning). I loved loved loved the interactions with Flavia and Dogger, and it seems that is something the series is going to continue to explore. However, this one felt a lilttle...maybe rushed at the end? Something missing from the wrap-up. All in all, it was a welcome afternoon spent with the characters, but the mystery left a little to be desired.

Flavia returns in the ninth installment (of an expected 10) of the de Luce mystery series and Dogger finally gets a chance to shine in this volume and seems poised to continue to do so in the next (and final?) volume. While I found this installment to be slightly hampered by issues of pacing and a dodgy (for me) crime recreation scene, I remain nonetheless fond of Flavia and excited for her next adventure.

Alan Bradley's latest Flavia de Luce mystery (#9) is a welcome addition to the series. There are some stunning surprises that shake up Flavia's world in <i>The Grave's a Fine and Private Place</i>. I suspect that Bradley is setting the stage for a "new and improved" scenario, a Flavia 2.0 as it were. I like to see a writer shake things up from time to time, as Bradley does here, but never fear, the headstrong, occasionally conceited, but always good-hearted pre-teen chemist is as precocious and nosy as ever. This time she's on the trail of the murderer of a dead thespian found by the river's edge in a small English village to which faithful manservant Arthur Dogger has taken the de Luce sisters on holiday.

One important attraction of the series is that it's set in the 1950s, before the distraction and "convenience" of current technology. Then there's the English countryside setting, which almost always ensures an assortment of quirky characters. Finally, of course, there's Flavia, whom all of us--well, let's just say me--at some point wish we could be.

A great addition to the Flavia de Luce series! Our precocious heroine is at it again, this time finding a body in the river while on vacation and reeling from the untimely death of someone close to her. With the help of her sisters and friends, Flavia is once again on the case.

Another Flavia de Luce mystery. This time we get more insight into Dogger's past when Flavia pulls a corpse out of the water while on a boating trip in the aftermath of the family's recent tragedy. A great addition to the series.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Flavia is back! Oh, how I missed her! This new adventure picks up six months after the last book ended. Flavia and her sisters have been dealt a rough blow and it's up to Dogger to help them through it.
It's nice to see Dogger play a bigger role in the books. He's been under-utilized in past outings. Without giving anything away, I look forward to what future adventures await Flavia, her sisters, and Dogger.
The major criticism I have of the book is that the ending is incredibly abrupt. The mystery aspect of the plot is somewhat neglected and the characters that are drawn in such loving detail are just swept aside with no real closure.