The Flavia de Luce series comes to an end (reportedly) with The Golden Tresses of the Dead, a bittersweet farewell for fans of the series like myself. The mystery is perhaps somewhat lacking, but this is a minor matter as much of the joy of the Flavia book is the characters themselves. Flavia is a little bit older and slightly more mature, Dogger is ever his faithful self, and the community appears to be accepting Flavia as a talented (if very young) detective instead of the local busybody problem-attracting child (that role seems to have been inherited by Undine). There is space for the series to continue (potentially with a significant skip in time), but should this volume genuinely turn out to be the conclusion of the series, fans should be delighted with one last go in Bradley’s 1950’s Britain that so charmingly blends the macabre with the elements of “cozy” mysteries.

Flavia goes pro!
When I burst out laughing just reading the description of a book, I have high hopes for an enjoyable read. Of course, since I have read the nine previous Flavia de Luce novels, I would have high hopes already…. And I will leave you in suspense no longer: The Golden Tresses of the Dead is a fine continuation of the adventures of twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce, amateur chemist and no-longer-amateur detective.
The book, narrated by Flavia herself, opens with two major life events. Flavia and family retainer Dogger have formed the private inquiry firm of Arthur W. Dogger & Associates, and Flavia’s older sister Ophelia (better known as Feely) is getting married. The tone is set for the wedding when the groom himself sings a beautiful solo by Franz Schubert, which leaves Flavia breathless and causes her to reflect that “Great music has much the same effect upon humans as cyanide…: It paralyzes the respiratory system.” Such good feeling cannot last long, however, and a bizarre event at the reception launches Dogger and Associates into their first investigation. Almost immediately, though, their caseload doubles when they are approached by their first real client, Mrs. Anastiasia Brocken Prill, the daughter of a renowned homeopathic doctor. She hires them to recover some stolen letters, but their search soon leads them to a body. And a nursing home, and graveyards, and the tale of the London Necropolis Railroad. There are lots and lots of apparently loose ends, but Arthur W. Dogger & Associates pursues the connections and ties everything up in a neat denouement that is a bit outlandish but completely in line with the tone of the story.
As always, Flavia is able to take advantage of her extensive knowledge of chemistry and her great-uncle Tarquin’s chemistry apparatus and library, and Dogger contributes significantly with his Sherlockian powers of observation. There is the usual supporting cast. Flavia’s trusty sidekick, her bicycle Gladys, is around to provide the “lift” she needs in her investigation, and many of the townspeople we know from earlier books are back, like her cousin Undine, the vicar’s wife Cynthia Richardson, and Inspector Hewitt. Feely is gone, though, off on her honeymoon, and Flavia surprises herself by missing her sister very much. Musings like this show a depth to our heroine’s character that is often lacking in humorous mysteries.
Humor abounds, and I made a marginal note early on that the book has way too many fun passages to highlight! When housekeeper Mrs. Mullet tells the sad story of a townswoman of her acquaintance, “’Er ‘usband…run off with a tart from the Bunne Shop the day after they got ‘ome from their ‘oneymoon in Hastings”, Flavia cannot resist replying, “If it were me, I’d have run off with an apple pie.”
The word is that this will be the last Flavia de Luce book, and as the book ends there is no foreshadowing of what may lie ahead for Dogger and Associates. On the other hand, there is also no indication that Flavia and her companions will not continue to have the adventures that delight her many fans. I know I am not ready to say farewell to Flavia, but if I must I would agree with her closing thoughts, “It is pleasant to think that we have---in this way or that, for better or worse---reached out and touched one another. That, in the end, is what chemistry is all about, isn’t it?” And that is what a good book is all about, also.

With both parents now dead, things are finally moving on in the de Luce house as Flavia's sister, Ophelia, is finally having the wedding of her dreams. But the wedding doesn't even end before Flavia and her new partner, Dogger, get their first case for the newly established, Arthur W, Dogger & Associates, Discreet Investigations, in the form of a human finger found in the wedding cake! Though only 12, Flavia has already solved her fair share of mysteries in Bishop's Lacey and it isn't long before she and Dogger are hunting down suspects. A very delightful mystery.

I am a fan of Flavia de Luce and was thrilled to be able to read the new installment in the series. It was a treat to be reunited with the characters. But, it felt thin to me. Confusing to keep up with the strands of the plot. Flavia had become someone who forgot to notice and Dogger the primary sleuth. Inspector Hewitt barely likeable.

Part of reading these books for me was falling headlong in love with them. This time, I felt only the barest stirrings of a crush.

Flavia DeLuce is (gasp) all grown up. Well, sort of. She still rides her bike, Gladys, around town with glee, and she still is an impulsive prankster, but now she's also a landowner and partner in a detective agency with her father's best war buddy, Dogger. And so when a dead finger shows up in her sister, Feely's, wedding cake, it is the beginning of another rollicking adventure for Flavia. Now the lady of the house, and somewhat in charge of her incorrigible cousin, Undine, Flavia must balance her new responsibilities with her love for the morbid mysteries that she and Dogger relish solving. This latest installment in the Flavia DeLuce series will delight her fans.

Flavia and Dogger take their first case as private investigators when a spinster hires them to recover some purloined letters.

Thanks to the publisher for early access to this title in return for a fair review.

Flavia and Dogger find themselves on their latest case. When a finger ends up in the wedding cake, it's up to Flavia and Dogger to smooth things over and follow the breadcrumb (or coffee bean) clues and find the culprit. The historical details and characters make a great read. A fine addition to the series. It ties things together nicely to end the series, but also leaves readers wanting just a bit more, which if done correctly, is how things should be.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. One of my favourite series of books, I don't think it's possible to not love one of the Flavia books, although some I love more then others but love them all I do. I'm so excited to see Dogger having a larger role in the last 2 books as he's my favourite besides Flavia of course. I haven't been a huge fan of Undine in the previous books but she did crack me up in this one. I will be interested to see if she and her sharp mind find a place among Arthur W. Dogger and associates. All of the various mysteries and cases tied up quite nicely at the end and I already want to read it again to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Review based on a digital ARC provided via Netgalley

In his latest Flavia de Luce novel, Bradley deftly conjures a Flavia that is at once a young, carefree girl (scampering about on her trusty bicycle, Gladys) and a more mature young woman coming of age. The story begins with Feely’s wedding, which ends rather abruptly, throwing Flavia and her crew into one mystery after another, each seemingly separate, but perhaps tied together in some way. There isn’t quite as much of a sense of urgency to this book, as there is no impending doom for Flavia. She seems to have come into her own and is not necessarily trying to beat the police to the answer. Well, I suppose she is, but they don’t seem to be working at cross-purposes quite so much as in earlier books. Flavia is getting older, so there are a few less shenanigans on her part (there are still shenanigans, never fear), but Undine steps neatly into this role in some memorably humorous scenes. Dogger, too, has a few shining moments and one hopes this new partnership continues to flourish in future books. Dogger has always been an important character, and a favorite of Flavia, but their newly founded detective agency provides the opportunity for some grand old adventures! As always, Flavia finds herself embroiled in mysteries that are well suited to her love of chemistry experiments, which feature prominently throughout the book. All in all, this is a good outing for Flavia and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Flavia, the preteen sleuth, does not disappoint! Much has changed since she first began unraveling mysteries, but her spunk and precociousness remain. Flavia and Dogger make a wonderful investigative team as they embark on a new chapter in the de Luce world. Recommended for precocious teens and quirky mystery fans of any age.

Our little girl is growing up and, frankly, I'm glad to see it. Flavia is still only 12 years old but life hasn't been kind to her so this is the book where she is allowed to grieve for all the heartaches in her young life. Add to that the marriage of her sister Ophelia and Flavia needed this investigation to get her through some tough times. Arthur W. Dogger & Associates, Discreet Investigations tells us all we need to know about where this book is headed. Dogger has always been one of my favorite characters in this series but he seemed too often to be held down by his wartime troubles to ever be of prime use as a major character. Luckily Alan Bradley rehabilitated Dogger just enough to make him the perfect partner in investigations with Flavia. Dogger helps to keep things on more of an adult footing but his intimate knowledge of Flavia's personality allows him to gently guide her along a reasonable path of searching for and interpreting the clues they find. They make a brilliant pair.

My reason for a four star rating instead of five stars is that I found myself slightly confused about some of the clues and information uncovered by Dogger and Flavia. I'm not 100% sure I quite "got" the solution and have a feeling I might need to read the book again. I did go back over several sections while I was reading but that didn't feel like it helped much. There seems to be information that this was always intended to be a ten book series and with this book being the tenth it will mark the end of our time with Flavia and the others. I have to say the ending did not give me the feeling at all that the series was wrapping up. Instead it feels as if Flavia and Dogger have now established their working - detecting - relationship and they are set to carry on for a good long while. I certainly would love to see that happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eGalley of this novel.

Wow. Loved this one as much as his first one, The Sweetness at the bottom of the pie. I have really enjoyed the Flavia de Luce mysteries and Alan Bradley has hit this one out of the park. Please read cause you will love this!

Our dear Flavia is growing up. Sister Ophelia de Luce’s Buckshaw wedding to Dieter prompts little sister Flavia’s reflections on yet another major family transition as well as providing a first real case for Arthur W. Dogger and Associates. Strangely, the bride’s surprising wedding cake is only the beginning of the story.

I loved this addition to the de Luce cannon for it’s focus on Flavia as she moves into a new role and relationship at Buckshaw with Dogger and her young cousin Undine. Flavia continues her introspective narration as she hunts for a murderer, but it’s nuanced by the recognition that she’s truly the lady of the house without her older sister, father, or mother to lead the family. Feely’s gone on her honeymoon, Flavia and Dogger are investigating a murder, and Undine’s precocious and unpredictable penchant for wandering alone in town collide with the arrival of missionaries from Africa. Dogger and Flavia are a revelation as a team of unlikely detectives.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to reading about Flavia’s latest adventures and her partnership with Dogger. As much as I love Flavia’s stories, this one felt like there was something missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it (no pun intended), but some of the charm was lacking in this latest installment.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley was another wonderful Flavia de Luce murder mystery. It starts of at Feely’s wedding where a finger is found in the wedding cake. It just gets better from there. Dogger and Flavia are working together in their private detective company. They are hired to solve their first mystery and on the side they work together to solve how the finger ended up in the cake. Dogger’s character plays more of role and Flavia seems to have grown up a little. Undine is even brought a little more into the fold. The reader gets to see another side of Cynthia. The new characters are just what we’ve come to expect from a Flavia mystery, crazy, cooky, and filled with secrets. It’s pure delight. This story is amazing with everything you could want, a little bit of romance, humor, history, botany, and chemistry lessons, and of course bizarre murders.

Best Flavia story in a long time! She is up to her ears in her favorite things, poisons, cemeteries and corpses.
Dogger has stepped up to be a father figure, and the first case of Flavia and Dogger's new detective agency starts at her sister Ophelia's wedding. They run into all the usual zany characters from the local village, and a few new ones. Of course Flavia's active mind and knowledge of chemistry solves the case. These books always delight with Flavia's eleven-going-on-forty inner dialog. This was a joy to read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

After Flavia’s sister’s wedding, transformations were happening all round With the arrival of two missionaries from Africa, the story becomes more bizzare and mysterious, The newly formed detective agency has to solve the enigma of a human finger found in Ophelia’s wedding cake.

I will miss reading this series since this is the final book. I enjoyed Alan Bradley’s similes, his familiarity of historical facts, and his knowledge of human nature and philosophical logic. I especially liked his ending with the statement that we are all mere particles of dust touching each other.

My critique was based an ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Flavia de Luce #10! I was so excited to receive this as an ARC. Even though it isn't my favorite Flavia, I still enjoyed stepping back into the charming, if deadly, world of Bishop's Lacey. The Golden Tresses of the Dead was fairly confusing. I'm still not sure what the purpose of the original murder was, except to sell the book. However, Flavia's voice was as strong as ever. I have read that this is to be the last of the series. I am sorry it's ending with so many loose threads and an unsatisfying culmination of the de Luce family trials. As soon as the audio version comes, out I will purchase it because I love listening to Jayne Entwhistle and perhaps, the plot will make more sense. So, because of my loyalty to Flavia, I give it a 4. May there be more, Mr. Bradley.

Flavia is back and better than ever. It is an adjustment, having the formerly reticent Dogger as such a vocal main character, but the relationship between them is delightful as always. The mystery was sound and I enjoy the recent story arcs much more than the previous outlandish spy tangent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delcourte for making an advance copy available for an honest review.

Rumors say that I must, but this is a series that I really hate to let go. The final offering in Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mysteries was a satisfying conclusion. I did miss the interaction with despicable sisters but the loathsome cousin Undine did her best to fill in. I am enjoying new antagonisms and perhaps companionship that will evolve between the characters even though I know the developments will remain in fantasy form.

Having a bit of healing for poor old Dogger was welcome, and I was rewarded to see the traces of brilliance that peeked from beneath the damage in previous novels begin to bloom. The story itself was macabre, creepy, and thoroughly entertaining with plenty of twisted and greedy bad guys who get their due from the quick thinking and test tubes of Arthur Dogger and Associates.

I also found passages that were profound. A section on using humility as a barometer will be going in my book of favorite quotes and the closing paragraphs on chemistry are truly beautiful.

Bradley's ten Flavia books are a treasure. I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.