Oh, Flavia, I had missed you so much!

I started reading the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley when they first came out in 2009 and read all of them as they were published. Set in 1950s England the series features a precocious motherless 11-year old named Flavia. Flavia is fascinated with chemistry and death, and she bicycles around the town of Bishop's Lacey from her family’s ancient country house, Buckshaw. Book 10, The Golden Tresses of the Dead came out in 2019 and after that I wasn’t sure when or if we’d get a new one. Just last spring I saw an ARC available on Netgalley for book 11, What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust, and got super excited. I grabbed the galley and also immediately put the audiobook on hold, as that is my most favorite way to listen to Flavia tell her stories.

And this newest entry did not disappoint. It was such a busy week with not as much listening time as I liked, but I snuck it in my earbuds any time I could! This was just wonderful – the perfect combination of cozy, mysterious and funny. The writing is stunning. All my favorite characters were back and there were some serious jaw dropping moments. I do so hope we get more from Flavia. 5 glowing stars.

A long, LONG time ago, I posted a request on Facebook asking for a book recommendation. Someone—their identity is lost to time, because I am not going back to FB to figure this out—recommended that I read Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I instantly fell in love with the eleven year-old protagonist, Flavia de Luce. She’s equally skilled in both chemistry and being a busybody—both of which make her excellently skilled in solving murders.

This is the eleventh installment in the series—and a complete surprise. Readers were told that the last book in the series, published back in 2019, would be the series’ last. And while, at first, I was utterly delighted to spend time with my favorite child sleuth, I ultimately felt like this installment was uneven at best. It relied quite a bit on my nostalgia for these characters and less so on a solid plot. Nostalgia can only keep me interested for so long. Toss in an ill-conceived plot twist and I was practically begging the author to just let these characters be.

That said, I do recommend at least the first five books of this series. These center mainly around Flavia poking her nose into her neighbors’ business. I do think the series jumps the shark a bit when we move away from Flavia getting in the way of the local police and, instead, let the series become more of a cloak-and-dagger spy saga. In the end, I think Bradley tried to do too much and now has written himself into a corner. Keeping the scope smaller and focused on Flavia, her inattentive family, Dogger, and the village of Bishop’s Lacy was where all the charm of this series rested. I’m sad he moved away from this.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The latest in the Flavia de Luce mystery has an extremely complicated plot building on previous developments in the series - I do not recommend reading this book unless you have read the earlier novels. The plot starts off with an apparent murder - Major Grayleigh dies, apparently after eating poisonous mushrooms cooked for him by Flavia's housekeeper. Flavia quickly leaps in to try to prove her innocence. The plot advances with increasingly unlikely twists and hard-to-believe actions, and Flavia must contend with the "help" of her incredibly annoying cousin Undine. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Flavia De Luce is at it again, but this time all signs point to our own dear Mrs Mullet as the murderer! The victim is the reclusive Major Greyleigh, done to death by poisonous mushrooms. Inspector Hewitt seems convinced, but what possible motive could Mrs. Mullet have for murder? Something doesn't sound right about this and Flavia is going to get to the bottom of it.

Another great romp across the British countryside!

Flavia de Luce is one of my all time favorite characters and it is always such a delight to spend more time with her! The plot of this one wasn’t my favorite but I still enjoyed the time getting back together with some favorite characters. Thank you to the publisher for the free book to review!

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I’m always up for a Flavia de Luce novel – I’ve read nine so far and have found them entertaining and different enough from any other cozy mystery to keep me turning the pages. And by the way, each book’s title is a quote taken from an assortment of British poems.

The first novel in the series, "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie," introduces us to Flavia, a precocious 11-year-old chemist and poison expert. Now in book #11, she is probably 14 years old and an orphan with a very adult British attitude. Living in 1950s England in an ancient country house called Buckshaw, Flavia nonchalantly deals with post-war rationing, dead bodies, poisons, spies, kidnapping, and murder.

What makes this series unique is Flavia’s nearly adult perspective and her appealing voice. As the narrator, she shares what she’s thinking as well as observing. Her snide comments are amusing and entertaining.

For instance, she explains her interest in chemistry: “I was only truly myself when I was alone among the glass flasks and retorts in that dear chemical lab in the otherwise abandoned east wing of Buckshaw – great-uncle Tarquin died 25 years ago, he left behind a laboratory that caused the chemists of Oxford and Cambridge to weep with envy. He had also left behind a treasure trove of his notebooks and journals which, despite being placed under strict embargo by some obscure and shadowy government department, had remained at Buckshaw, where I had been devouring them for years.”

In this novel Flavia is determined to solve the murder of a neighbor, Major Greyleigh, who apparently died from eating poison mushrooms cooked by Flavia’s housekeeper Mrs. Mullett. Ignoring warnings from the local inspector to leave the investigation to the professionals, Flavia hopes to clear Mrs. Mullett’s name as she gathers clues, interviews various suspicious people, consults with devoted servant Dogger, all while traversing the area on her trusty bicycle Gladys.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to the earlier novels in the series for me. Parts of the story were confusing and hard to follow, with a major plot twist that came out of nowhere and was never satisfactorily explained. If you’ve been reading these all along, then by all means crack this one open and see if you enjoy it as well as the others. If this is the first you’re hearing of Flavia, go back and start with number one. I guarantee it will be delightful and charming.

Flavia is BACK! Flavia de Luce, that incredibly quircky teenage chemistry genius and solver of murders, after a five year hiatus! (The Pandemic really did us in!) Fortunately, she's better than ever. When a neighbor Major Graleigh is found dead, and the de Luce family cook Mrs. Mullet is blamed for poisoning him with mushrooms gathered for his breakfast, it's game on. Everyone knows that Mrs. Mullet, although her culinary skills are often questionable, wouldn't poison anyone! And yet, there is a body and quite a number of upchucked mushrooms. Father has died, Ophelia is married, and Flavia is a bit adrift in her sleuthing--even though Dogger is on the case. However, the much-despised cousin Undine is at the ready. She's grown up a bit, and in this v0lume proves herself remarkably adept at discovering clues. Although Flavia hates to admit it, she finds herself warming to Undine. This story takes some odd twists and turns. The reader is in for some huge surprises! As for the murder? Once again, chemistry saves the day. Flavia, we're so glad you're back! Thank you, Alan Bradley, for another delicious read. And, thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Bantam for an advance copy of #WhatTimetheSextonsSpadeDothRust #NetGalley

In this 11th book in the 'Flavia de Luce' series, the young detective investigates when the family's housekeeper/cook is suspected of murder. Though the book works fine as a standalone, it would be better to have read at least a few of the previous books - to fully appreciate the characters.

*****

Flavia de Luce, who lives in the English village of Bishop's Lacey, is a confident twelve-year-old girl who's deeply interested in two things: chemistry and detective work. In her young life Flavia has frequently used her scientific expertise - and native smarts - to investigate murders, part of her goal being to beat the police to the punch.

As the story opens, Flavia's father recently died, leaving her the family home, Buckshaw Estate. Flavia's sister Ophelia is off on her honeymoon, and Flavia resides at Buckshaw with her sister Daffy, who'll soon be going to university; her cousin Undine, whom Flavia considers a nuisance; and Dogger - a jack-of-all trades who was the loyal manservant to Flavia's father, Colonel Haviland de Luce.

Buckshaw Estate was once a regal home, but is in decline after World War II, its best feature being the chemistry lab on the top floor. Flavia notes, "When my great-uncle Tarquin died, twenty-five years ago, he had left behind a laboratory that caused the chemists of Oxford and Cambridge to weep with envy....He has also left behind a treasure trove of his notebooks and journals [which] I had been devouring for years."

This knowledge of chemistry comes in handy when Buckshaw's longtime housekeeper/cook, Mrs. Mullet, is suspected of poisoning a retired gentleman called Major Greyleigh. Mrs. Mullet has a side job cooking breakfast for Major Greyleigh, and this morning she picked mushrooms, sautéed them in butter, and served them to Greyleigh.....who was later found dead. Mrs. Mullet is now being questioned by Major Hewitt of the Bishop's Lacey police.

Flavia is determined to prove Mrs. Mullet is innocent AND to identify the real killer before Major Hewitt can. To further her goals Flavia rides her bicycle to Major Greyleigh's cottage, sneaks in, and searches for evidence. To Flavia's dismay she's followed by her annoying cousin Undine, who wants to be an apprentice detective. In fact Undine pops up everywhere Flavia goes, and proves to be surprisingly clever and helpful.

In any case, Flavia retrieves specks of vomit spewed by Major Greyleigh before he died, and tests the puke in her state-of-the-art laboratory. To Flavia's satisfaction, she determines that Major Greyleigh was poisoned by saxitoxin, which comes from shellfish, NOT mushrooms. Saxitoxin is found in butter clams prevalent in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and there's an American army base called Leathcote in Bishop's Lacey. So Flavia puts two and two together, and suspects the army base may have something to do with Major Greyleigh's death.

There are additional suspects, however, because Major Greyleigh was a hangman, known to have executed 13 people during his career. It's possible relatives of the executed convicts carry a grudge, and with Dogger's help, Flavia investigates this as well.

In the midst of all this comes talk of the Nide, a secret organization to which members of Flavia's family - including her mother, her father, and her aunt - belonged. Flavia even suspects the Nide may be involved with Major Greyleigh's homicide, for some unknown reason. All this provides plenty of scope for Flavia's inquries, and she flits here and there to ask questions, and sneaks into restricted places, to further her investigation.

Part of the fun of the Flavia de Luce stories are the historical quotes and arcane knowledge spouted by the residents of Buckshaw. For instance, Dogger observes "It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts" (Sherlock Holmes); and Daffy recites "Truth is the most precious thing we have have. Economize it." (Mark Twain). Even Undine chimes in, talking about a Frenchman called Joseph Pujol who became wealthy by farting musical selections onstage, in front of enormous audiences.

I enjoyed visiting with Flavia and her compadres, but the story took a turn that was too weird to be credible (in my view). Still, I'd real more stories in the series just for fun.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alan Bradley, and Ballantine for a copy of the book.

Flavia is trying to find something to take her time. Ondine is shadowing Flavia to learn her way to solve a mystery. When the housekeeper is accused of murder, Flavia has something to solve. She is determined to prove the housekeeper is innocent. The local police are inept as usual so Flavia must solve the case. Flavia also asks a local military man to take her to the local base. There she is shocked with what she finds out. Even more shocking is that Dogger knows what is going on but has not told Flavia. Flavia proves the housekeeper is innocent. Flavia is still shocked by what she finds at the military base.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-galley

Five-plus years ago, it seemed that book 10 was to be the series finale. When the announcement came that there would be two more books, this Flavia de Luce fan rejoiced (and I don't think I was alone). For those of you who are unfamiliar (the horror!), the series can be classified as cozy mystery with a touch of historical fiction. The debut—The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (published in 2009)—takes place in the summer of 1950, when Flavia is an 11-year-old amateur sleuth with a penchant for chemistry. She lives with her widowed father and two older sisters. Because the series follows the de Luce family over time and pivotal events, I strongly recommend that folks new to the series start at the beginning and read their way through. This installment, certainly, cannot be considered a stand-alone read. Starting at the top shouldn't be a hardship, though—the series is a consistent pleaser. While I've especially liked some of the installments, I've never been disappointed.

By the time we reached book 10, Flavia had only aged one year. If her age (or the year) is revealed in book 11, I didn't make note of it. Neither did a search of the e-book ARC yield an answer. In any event, one of Flavia's sisters has married and left the nest (actually at the end of the previous installment), and the second is planning an imminent departure, as well. I missed Flavia's older sisters—who barely get a passing mention—in book 11. I don't like the cousin Undine character, though having a younger cousin underfoot allows a power shift for Flavia. Some of their interchanges—and Flavia's inner monologue about Undine—are, admittedly, hilarious. Luckily, Dogger, Mrs. Mullet, and Inspector Hewitt are among the series regulars who lend continuity to book 11.

I anticipated a major plot point quite early. I'm not mad—Flavia has to figure things out for herself, and I have a lot of years of experience over her. The book contains a great deal of dark humor, which has been a characteristic of the entire series and no small part of my delight in the books. If you are a cozy mystery fan—especially if you appreciate a precocious, smart, clever kid—this series might delight you, too!

I have not yet had the opportunity to read the audiobook. I have great news, though, for those who prefer or require to read with their ears: Jayne Entwistle is the narrator, as she has been for the entire series. [I started reading the series with my eyes, and don't remember which installments I've read with my ears. Even when I read the series with my eyes, as with this installment, I now read in Entwistle's voice.] Additional great news: Flavia de Luce #12 has been announced for autumn 2025.

3.66⭐

I do so love Flavia de Luce! The snarky, young poison-enthusiast is one of my all-time favorite characters. And she certainly doesn’t disappoint in Alan Bradley’s latest installment, What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust. Flavia — along with her trusty bike, Gladys, and her best friend, Dogger — is swept up in another investigation, this time to save her beloved Mrs. Mullet from the noose, and Flavia’s genius (both comic and otherwise) ensues.

Bradley continues to bring Flavia (and her quick wit) to brilliant life with each new story. And I truly enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Mullet a bit better this time. She’s a very genuine character, and it was nice to discover some of what makes her tick. That’s one of the things I love about the Flavia de Luce novels — Bradley has given me a whole new set of friends to know and love, to care about and long to hear from. The whodunits are always fascinating, but the characters are what make the mysteries so very interesting.

I highly recommend you grab a copy of What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust and get lost in the small town of Bishop’s Lacey and all its secrets. And if you have not read the rest of the Flavia de Luce novels, trust me, you must. I’d give them all the stars, if they’d let me.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the digital copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own!

Another Great Flavia de Luce Adventure
In this, the eleventh book in the Flavia de Luce series, Flavia’s young cousin Undine really comes into focus as the latest precocious child in the family. Flavia, still sharp as ever, is maturing. She has become a little more socially functional, and she is still the loyal and stubborn character her fans have come to love. She has also, by virtue of being essentially the only semi-responsible adult family member still around, become the de facto guardian of the annoying Undine. Flavia continues to be a wonderful character, and the story is compelling as usual. This is another great entry in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Bantam for the opportunity to read What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust. I will always sign up for a Flavia de Luce book.

I would read an entire book of just Flavia and Dogger talking.

This installment moves the meta-story futher along with it's big plot reveal, and the actual mystery to be solved plays second fiddle. And enjoyable venture back to Buckshaw, just less Undine please.

I was delighted to learn that a new Flavia de Luce novel was set for publication. After about five years, I thought #10, The Golden Tresses of the Dead, would surely be the last of this most unique series, based on the adventures of eleven-year-old Flavia, a genius chemist and expert on poisons and indefatigable sleuth. When The Golden Tresses ended, her father had died, and she was left sole heir to the family estate, Buckshaw. Flavia is twelve now, still riding her trusty bicycle all over the countryside, tending to everyone's business. There is a new resident at Buckshaw, Flavia's younger cousin, Undine. Flavia considers Undine a pestilent nuisance, much as Flavia was to her two older sisters. Those two are married and settled, but the cast of characters at Buckshaw are much the same. Mrs. Mullet, the cook, and Dogger, man of all work, are indispensable at Buckshaw. Dogger, her father's companion in captivity by the Japanese during WWII. Dogger came back from the War extensively damaged in body and mind but serves as a substitute father to Flavia.

It isn't long before a new mystery is afoot at Buckshaw and nearby village, Bishop's Lacey. A new resident, Major Greyleigh, is little known in the town but is found dead of poisoning. Mrs. Mullet comes under suspicion as she cooked up a batch of mushrooms for him and is suspected of being the agent. Flavia must clear Mrs. Mullet of the murder, especially since Major Greyleigh was a retired hangman. Indeed, he had plenty of enemies to choose from. In the course of this novel, Flavia and Undine come across shocking secrets, long kept, that put them in the path of villains and even physical harm. Some of the secrets are about the de Luce family itself. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is complex and darker than the preceding novels. There are twists and turns and many unforeseen developments, some of which may change Flavia's life forever.

Flavia herself has matured but is still as engaging as ever. Her voice is one of the most intelligent I have ever encountered, especially in crime fiction. I hope there will be at least one more Flavia de Luce novel that will answer all the many questions raised in my mind by What Time the Sexton's Spade Dost Rust. Thanks to NetGalley.com and Bantam Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

It's absolutely great that Flavia is back!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I devoured this book and loved every minute of it, it was like being reunited with a childhood friend!! I will say though that ending fell a little short for me but having said that I am hoping that there will be more of Flavia in the future.

Re-entering the fantasy world that is Buckshaw under the sole, legal rule of Flavia de Luce was...shocking, really. I know it's been four, maybe five years since I read the last one, but howinahell did I suspend disbelief for nine, or was it ten?, books with a kid behaving like an adult? And getting away with it?! No one, not one soul, seems to think "someone ought to be responsible for this kid's social development" and that makes me really unhappy.

So the hill of disbelief needed reclimbing. It was a trudge.

I was, about a third of the way in, ready to give up and Pearl-Rule this bad boy. I didn't because my memories of pleasures past were strong. Sort of literary ex-sex. I'd mostly forgotten the dramatis personae, so it took a while to get my eye back in on Undine...insufferable brat...Dogger, Mrs. Mullet, and Daffy, the last of Flavia's siblings still at Buckshaw.

The characters urging Flavia to get bratty, tantrum-prone Undine some kind of counseling are feeding into the idea that Flavia is, somehow or other, functionally an adult. As a smart kid myself...I read the Encyclopedia Brittanica for fun between the ages of nine and twelve...I'm here to say Flavia's smarts are believable but her emotional maturity, as far as it goes, is not. Her quite justified resentment of her older sisters, unengaged in her development apart from the expected sibling ugliness, shows the limitations of a fantasy of liberated childhood. It makes Flavia come across as far too adult for her not to pursue the earlier nastiness against now-married Feely and soon-to-depart Daffy, university bound bookworm and seemingly uninterested last sister.

So...Undine. She's a cousin, also orphaned, whose antics affect Flavia as her own antics affected Feely and Daffy in earlier books. She's the embodiment of the Parents' Curse: "May you have a child exactly like you, only moreso." Undine makes her value to Flavia obvious by getting and giving to her a very relevant clue to solving the puzzle set in this book. Mrs. Mullet...the suspect needing Flavia's help this time...that one's a very, very deep pool, and much more than has met the eye heretofore. But let's go outside the fantasy realm for a moment, what kind of awful effects does leaving what I'd honestly describe as a badly damaged by neglect kid in charge of one of the same create? Undine (every time I type her name I get frissons of Undine Spragg, from Wharton's The Custom of the Country and her ghastly, entitled 'tude that ends so very badly) needs, much like Flavia did, custodianship, not the gentle and lovely guidance (as opposed to rules and standards) of servants like Dogger and Mrs. Mullet. Really, though, that's the practical adult speaking, not the series reader.

Observant souls, all three of y'all, will note I said "did" above. That's due to my response to the Big Honkin' Twist near the end. No, I won't spoil it, but suffice it to say this really changes everything. I honestly had to talk myself down off the Pearl-Rule ledge again when I got there.

So how came I to give the book four whole stars? It sounds like I'm ready to rip it a new one, doesn't it? I might have. It was a close thing a couple times. I've said in lots of different places that I don't do a lot of re-reading. I have so many books that I will die with a lot unread. This was not always the case. When I was being "raised" by a neglectful, when she wasn't abusive mother, I read and re-read uncounted times Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Not the Disney-fied version, I hasten to add. That bowdlerized abomination is an affront to the rescue fantasy so brilliantly penned by the delightful Smith. This series is a forceful evocation of my own tween years, managing a world I wasn't prepared for without support and while dealing with absent or actively unhelpful siblings. I'm sucked in by this extraordinarily gifted kid's clever management of her world, doing so well that no one thinks a thing of enabling it further. I wasn't so good at it, this being reality...but it's a fun way to revise my life in my entertainment.

Don't start with this one, but if you left the series and forgot why you started it, jump in. You really didn't miss much in between, and this one's fun...from the proper series-reader perspective. Take off the rational grown-up hat.

I want to begin by saying that I'm a HUGE Flavia de Luce fan, have read or listened to every volume in this series and cannot get enough of this clever young sleuth. But I have to say that this addition is slightly disappointing and, frankly, confusing. Maybe I missed it somewhere, but didn't Flavia, as a 12 year old, attend Miss Bodycote's Female Academy? Time has marched along and I feel like I'm still in the mind of a 12 year old who is now contemplating her journey into adulthood. This strikes me as the perpetually youthful characters in comic strips but shouldn't be a part of this dear series. And Undine, the perpetually annoying yet very intelligent cousin, is concerned about....farting?? Reallly, we can do better. I think my disappointments have overshadowed the story but the clever twist was not quite enough to pull this volume together for me.

I received my ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series is like a cup of hot tea and a blanket on a cold day. So cozy and inviting. I can't believe this is book #11--I read the first book when it came out, not knowing it would become one of my favorite book series ever!

In typical Flavia style, this cozy mystery set in 1950's England was equal parts clever and intriguing. It would be hard to summarize this book--if you haven't read the others, you'll probably be a little lost--so I'm just going to say that it's another excellent addition to Bradley's series. Our 13-year-old chemist/amateur sleuth is back at it again, and in typical Flavia fashion, she uses her wits and smarts (and help from her younger annoying cousin!) to solve the mystery of a former hangman's murder in the local village.
If you're familiar with these books, you've seen Flavia grow from a precocious 10-year-old into a girl on the verge of puberty. All of the aches and pains that come along with this are becoming obvious in Flavia. She seems to be getting more of an attitude (and she already had a big one!) so her banter and her remarks are even funnier at times.

Obviously I'm not going to spoil the book, but I'll just say this: Bradley writes another excellent addition to his Flavia series.

I was thrilled to have a new Flavia book when I thought the series was done. It's been 5 years since the last one! But I'm not sure how I feel about the direction the books are moving. I will, of course read the next one!

Flavia!!!! Oh, how I’ve missed her. I truly believe that this series had come to an end, and it was a joy to see it pop up on NetGalley.

This continuation of Flavia’s story does the series justice. She’s still a scientific genius, and still poking her nose into everyone’s business. I love it. Everyone that I have recommended this series to always returns to the library with a thanks for the suggestion. I hope she continues to be a reading pleasure for at least a few more installations!

I would not recommend picking this up as your first book in this series. You will absolutely want to start with book one, as experiences and character relationships are important to the overall arc of the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing access to a digital ARC in response to my request.