Do you ever read every book in a best selling series and think only you alone have discovered it and "get it" and love it? That's how I felt about Flavia de Luce from day one. She's all mine: her precocious interest in chemistry, her eccentric, brilliant mind, her ability to drag adults into her world instead of joining theirs, her bicycle named Gladys. It is now and has been for several books obvious that Alan Bradley had a big and extended storyline planned from day one. It is also obvious that he needed a mini-Flavia, the once despised and now slightly more than tolerated Undine. This cousin seems to routinely get kicked out of church events for her inability to behave with conventional manners anywhere.

We have only known Flavia at ages 11 and 12 and she remains 12 in this eleventh entry, but she is more sophisticated and was forced to grow up a little as she deeply grieves her father's recent death. She is unmoored, orphaned, and also is the heir to Buckshaw. Ophelia is on a continental tour with her new husband. One of her rejects, an American named Carl who works at a nearby base still around in the early 1950s, seems interested in Felicity. Felicity keeps her nose in various books and plans to go off to Oxford. Mrs. Mullet and Dogger seem to generally be holding down the fort when a neighbor who Mrs. Mullet works for is murdered. Mrs. Mullet, who cooked his breakfast, is a person of interest since he appears to have been poisoned by something he ate. Maybe mushrooms Mrs. Mullet gathered? Undine, clearly worming her way into Flavia's heart but nonetheless a worm is very handy in finding things out and stealing key items from the crime scene. A definite apprentice to Flavia, though properly put in her place on a regular basis.

I will admit that I was initially turned off by the organization that various family members and acquaintances were involved in as it seemed an odd addition to a little village series, however it is central to the family structure and the long arc planned for this series. It nibbles around the edges of Flavia's mind and dances along the various plot lines, including in this story. So, it has grown on me as Bradley has also made sure that Flavia's voice remains appealing, funny, clever and devious. The recurring characters and the village itself remain central to the plots and keep things down to earth. A real favorite for me was the regular gathering of women at the church for the purpose of gossiping. I'll let you enjoy the name of this group when you read the novel. The addition of Undine (who's been around as only an enemy until now) will ensure a repartee between the two girls that will amuse into their old age, I suspect. Bradley should consider writing a foreshadowed entry with the two in their 80s.

As usual, with a mystery,, one cannot delve too far into the plot line, characters, etc. and I am not one for spoilers. So I will just say that Bradley hit the mark again. A true achievement in a long series. Read this series in order or you won't know what's going on in the arc I keep mentioning. Highly recommend.

Death by….mushrooms?

When Major Greyleigh is found dead in his dwelling on the outskirts of Bishop’s Lacey, his last meal a breakfast of mushrooms prepared by Mrs. Mullet (the cook at the de Luce family estate of Buckshaw), it is inevitable that Flavia de Luce will become involved. With her usual disregard for Inspector Hewitt’s instructions not to meddle Flavia leaps into action, first debriefing Mrs. Mullet with Dogger (general factotum at Buckshaw, former soldier and prisoner of war with Flavia’s late father, and Flavia’s partner in investigation) at her side and then sneaking into the dead man’s home to view the scene of the crime. Major Greyleigh, as it turns out, was not the average retired civil servant; he was a public hangman both in England and at the Nuremberg Trials. With her young cousin Undine, who is at once both horribly annoying yet proving to be an able assistant, dogging her every move, Flavia taps into local gossip, her connections at a nearby US military base, and her mind boggling talents in chemistry to free Mrs. Mullet from suspicion and track down the real killer. Along the way, she will unearth secrets that others most definitely want to keep buried….including some that are devastatingly close to home.
Each time I pick up a Flavia de Luce story, I know that I will spend the entire time with a smile either on my face or lurking just under the surface. The very British humor, the irrepressibly inquisitive teen who defies conventions and runs circles around the local police, and a house full of quirky family members and staff….even amidst murders most foul, its hard not to have tremendous fun along the way. Flavia, now getting to a point in her life when she is no longer a child but not really desirous of entering adulthood with all of the constrictions inherent to that condition, is still grieving the death of her dear albeit distant father. She pretty well rules the house (in fact, her father specifically left it to her), and isn’t quite sure what to make of the troublesome young cousin who has come to live with the Buckshaw de Luces. She is, all in all, a character who continues to delight the reader. The writing is as always a treat to be savored, with unique turns of phrase, quirky British vocabulary, and moments of hilarity seamlessly interwoven with the inward thoughts of a grieving girl headed towards a new stage of life. Come for the puzzle that lies at the heart of the novel, become enamored of Flavia and her circle, and enjoy the experience from page one to the end. While the novel can certainly be read as a standalone, those who have read previous titles in the series will have a better understanding of the various characters and their relationships with one another. Fans of the Flavia series will thoroughly enjoy this latest outing, while readers of Jasper Fforde, Anthony Horowitz and Nita Prose should not waste a second acquainting themselves with the series. Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam for allowing me early access to this latest in one of my favorite series. Here’s to tinting the truth!

* Undine is a good younger addition since Flavia is growing up a little bit.
* Seems to go a little bit overboard on the gross factor in places. Borders on juvenile. Undine is a child, but the reader is not.
* Archetypal journey and mythology components are really good.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Glorious literary references.
Flavia is just an amazingly complex, yet thrilling character. I am so glad she is “back”.
I thought that the series was over after book ten. This newest release came as a shock to me, of a chapter I thought was permanently closed. Without revealing spoilers… I will simply say, the end of this book made me feel strongly we will have a book twelve.
Hoorah for Flavia DeLuce.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

When Flavia de Luce’s beloved family cook is suspected of murder by poisonous mushrooms, Flavia is on the case. But what she finds goes far beyond mushrooms and a local man’s murder, and into something far more sinister than even she could have anticipated.

I love the Flavia de Luce books and have read every single one. This book was also a delight, but I felt there was so much focus on something I was less interested in (avoiding saying what for fear of spoilers) it kind of brought things down for me. There was one big gasp-worthy moment that was done quite effectively. I liked this book for sure, but didn’t love it like I had the others.

I'm hoping that by the time I finish writing this review I will have decided what rating to give it. I really wanted to love it but there were too many things I didn't fully understand. Unfortunately, I didn't mark as I read so I can't even go back to them and say what it was. I never figured out why Undine and Flavia were treated as they were in the woods. I can't say more without spoilers so I'll let it go at that. I enjoyed the time in the book that we spent with Dogger but it didn't feel like enough. I did like that we had some more time with Mrs. Mullet but there was just little to no time with the sisters even though Flavia quotes them quite a bit. And not much time with Inspector Hewitt either. I've never really liked the character of Undine. I suppose she was brought in so there could still be a cute and precocious little girl since Flavia is growing up but I've never found Undine charming so spending time with her doesn't appeal to me. One positive is that there wasn't as much stream of consciousness inner dialog as some of the past books. At least it didn't seem like there was as much.

There were some twists in this one but I found those just as disappointing as Flavia did. They were kinda cruel.

I usually listen to the audiobooks in this series when I travel with my husband but I read this book myself. Maybe I will enjoy it more if I listen to it with him and we can discuss stuff I didn't get.

The Eleventh volume of Flavia de Luce's adventures does not disappoint! I've loved reading the entire series and I was desperately hoping that Mr Bradley would continue beyond his earlier declared limit of ten books.

Flavia, Undine, and Mrs Mullet are the stars of this book, with the latter being the suspected murderer! Dogger aids Flavia in her investigations, as
usual, but it is her adventures, pithy thoughts and commentary which really shine in the story. And are hilarious at times.

I highly recommend this book, but you should certainly start reading the entire series from the beginning first. Many hours of delightful reading are ahead for you!

a surprisingly interesting story that captures you in the first few pages! Entertaining and witty, filled with interesting complex and quirky characters, lots of twists and turns,murder and mayhem making this a real page turner and a must read

In the lastest of a series of novels featuring Flavia de Luce, we follow Flavia's efforts to get her beloved cook off the hook and find the real murderer. A local man, who turns out to be a hangman, is found murdered. The police suspect that Mrs. Mullet, the loyal cook, fed the victim some poisoned mushrooms. But things are more involved than they seem. The clues suggest that the victim was actually murdered using a rare and mysterious poison commonly employed by the military and the intelligence community.

As usual, Flavia unravels the mystery in her usual efficient manner. Her dry humor makes for an extremely enjoyable read.

I adore Flavia de Luce; I am waiting for the day someone makes a great British tv show based on the series, but for now I will content myself with a new Flavia novel after years! I, like many, thought the series ended with the 10th book and was sad to say goodbye to such a beloved cast of characters - Dogger, Flavia, Gladys, and even Undine. I was delighted to find out there was a new novel coming. This Flavia novel certainly brings us back to Bishop's Lacey and all it's intrigues, but this one feels like a departure from earlier books. It has a decidedly more grown up tone and a significant plot twist that I saw coming, but still am not sure was the right move. I missed the hijinks that usually comes with Flavia's missions to solve murders. I know that with a young heroine growing up over the course of a long series there is going to come a time where the more childish antics won't work, but I can't help but long for the charm and precociousness that first drew me in many years ago.

I received this book from NetGalley and decided to read the entire series to prepare myself for it.

This series is quite enjoyable, though I found some books more entertaining than others. Flavia is a very unique character; she can be both endearing and annoying within the same sentence. I think reality needs to be suspended while reading because I have an 11 year old at home, and she is in no way realistic to her purported age.

Dogger is my absolute favorite character of the series, and this book is no different. Mr. and Mrs. Mullet are also just lovely. Undine is my least favorite by far. Please bring back Aunt Felicity!!

I really recommend this book and the entire series as a whole.

Thanks to NetGalley for the book to review.

Young chemist and sleuth Flavia de Luce is often on her own now that her father has died. The adults in her life, namely cook Mrs. Mullet and handyman Dogger, both work for her, as she now officially owns the family estate, Buckshaw. They check in on her and try to encourage her not to get into too much trouble, but they’re also encouraging her to take in hand her even younger cousin, Undine. Flavia is not pleased with having the annoying girl always underfoot, and even barging into Flavia’s sacrosanct laboratory. But Flavia does recognize some sparks of cleverness in her and feels for Undine being an orphan, just as she is.

Murder has occurred fairly frequently in the village, which has given Flavia wonderful opportunities to use her chemistry and poke her nose around into everything. But now it’s hit too close to home: Mrs. Mullet is being questioned. She has been making breakfast for a man out on the edge of town, and one morning she picks and cooks him some mushrooms. Then he dies an unpleasant, vomiting death.

As it turns out, the victim had been a hangman in his professional life. This opens up many lines of inquiry.

But the plot here gets incredibly thick; in previous books, it’s been hinted at that at least some members of Flavia’s family have been involved in some kind of secret organization. Were they spies? Now, Bradley dives deep and brings much more to light. It will all conclude, it seems, in a 12th (and final?) book. (I cannot BEAR to think about this series ending.)

I’m quite curious to see where it all goes. What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust “solved” the murder but left far more questions than solutions regarding all the other things that got brought up. No matter what, I’m pleased as punch to spend more time with Flavia. Any outing with her is intensely satisfying. This continuation of her story is no exception.

Some extra twists in the latest Flavia de Luce mystery series. Flavia's cousin Undine has a larger part in this story and adds challenges that replace her sisters.

I was so thrilled to read another episode of the clever series featuring Flavia de Luce. I had thought there were n more books to come, so I 3njoyed this one very much. Witty, clever and fun!

This was my first time reading this series. I had erroneously assumed that it was a cozy mystery because the sleuth was a child. This is a lot darker than I thought it would be. Maybe with the cutesy titles of the stories I expected it to be campier, more lighthearted. Obviously, I completely misunderstood the tone.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

FIVE STARS!! I am SO happy Flavia is back!! I missed her so much and BOY, did this book hit me HARD.

After her father’s passing, Flavia inherited Buckshaw Manor. With an older sister already married and another one getting ready to go to University, 12-year-old Flavia is the one in charge of the house and of her younger cousin, Undine. Fortunately, we can always count on Dogger and Mrs. Mullet to keep everything running.

So how does this book start? With the murder of a local man called Major Greyleigh, who was also the former hangman. Who did it? Well, it all points to Mrs. Mullet. Of course, Flavia thinks there is no way she did it so she begins her own investigation: one that starts like any other and ends up in some very, very, unexpected places.

I was not expecting to get emotional with this book but I connected deeply with some of the things that happened in this story, and not only I found myself crying, but I also found myself mentally coming back to the book days after finishing it.
As always, Alan Bradley’s writing is impeccable and I cannot wait for the next installment in this awesome series.

I have loved Flavia and her adventures, but this book just did not interest me. I tried setting it down, picking it up again, then setting it down again. It did not have the lightness and delight of the other Flavia books. I did not finish it.

This is a hard review for me to write, Flavia de Luce is one of my all time favorite characters and I welcome her back with open arms. She is as charming as always and impeccably narrates this new story. Unfortunately the story itself is convoluted and nonsensical. I cannot recommend it to anyone. If like me, you have missed Flavia terribly then read it anyway, but be warned.

WHAT TIME THE SEXTON'S SPADE DOTH RUST by Alan Bradley is the newest Flavia de Luce Novel (Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and many more). Once again Bradley's opinionated and daring young detective sets out to solve a murder while proving that her housekeeper, Mrs. Mullet, is innocent. Flavia has been described as a combination between Eloise and Sherlock Holmes; she certainly loves her chemistry experiments and clever wordplay. Her internal dialogues are such fun; for examples "I know how suspicious minds work because that's how my mind works. It is not always easy being blessed with a superior brain." Or, more seriously, "For the first time in ages, I wanted to cry. I wanted to have a good old-fashioned wail: a healthy old heartbreaking howl. But why bother when there was no one here to hear it?" As Flavia ages and her sisters develop their own lives, it appears that her younger (and often annoying) cousin, Undine, may take a larger role in investigating and in perpetuating the sometimes naïve innocence and lucky thinking needed to beat the local inspector to the true perpetuators. Dogger, loyal servant and dear friend to Flavia, is indispensable, too, in helping unravel motives in the death of Major Greyleigh, formerly a public hangman. This series offers readers a charming and humorous scramble of mystery and introspection. A LibraryReads September 2024 Hall of Fame selection, WHAT TIME THE SEXTON'S SPADE DOTH RUST received a starred review from Booklist ("an endlessly entertaining amateur young sleuth who has much to teach her elders"). 4.5 stars

Flavia is back! WHAT TIME THE SEXTON’S SPADE DOTH RUST was a welcome return back to Flavia and her counterparts, Flavia is back to form, solving mysteries with her usual blend of cleverness, sly wit, and snark. Another enjoyable read and looking forward to her next adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read and review WHAT TIME THE SEXTON’S SPADE DOTH RUST.