What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is a Flavia de Luce mystery. Flavia is a precocious, clever young girl.
A man is found dead after eating poisoned mushrooms picked and cooked by Flavia’s cook. She is determined to find the killer to clear Mrs Mullet.. There are some eye opening twists to the mystery.
It is written in an old fashioned style reminiscent of the 40s-50s and is set in the 50s.
There are so many interesting characters in this series - a fun cozy British mystery.

Five years is too long to wait for another Flavia adventure, but in her corner of England, very little time has passed. Her sister Ophelia (Feely) is in her honeymoon with Dieter, and that's left 3 girls, Flavia, sister Daphne (Daffy), and young cousin Undine living at Buckshaw. Looking after them are caretaker Dogger and Mrs. Mullen, the cook. Mrs. Mullen, however, has come under investigation, as she cooked breakfast for a retired veteran, and he has been found dead by poison. She's very upset, as she knows her mushroom varieties and would have never used any that were not safe. Flavia investigates, of course, and her chemistry knowledge comes in handy: the mushrooms are not at fault. As Mrs. Mullen is cleared, Flavia finds out that the veteran worked as a hangman, and she begins to suspect that a relative of one of his 'clients' was seeking revenge.
My only regret is that Jayne Entwistle is not around to narrate the audiobook.

Alan Bradley's has such a delightful and distinctive voice in the Flavia de Luce series. Flavia is a treat to read and this book felt extra special as it has been several years since the last book in the series. When there is a death in Bishop's Lacey, Flavia quickly becomes immersed in the investigation. Her cousin Undine, Dogger, and Mrs. Mullet are all back and deeply involved in this case. As always I enjoyed Flavia's investigation skills and am in awe of her astute mind. There are some shocking secrets revealed in this story and it felt like the author was paving the way for future mysteries. This is a wonderful series which I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for the advanced reader copy.

Our heroine, Flavia de Luce is back with another mystery. Her father has died and left the ancestral home to Flavia, who is living there with her middle sister and her younger cousin, Undine. When Major Greyleigh is found dead after a mushroom omelet that Mrs. Mullet, their cook has prepared, suspicion falls on her. Flavia knows Mrs. Mullet is innocent and she, Dogger, (the gardener and crime solving partner,) as well as obnoxious Undine, set out to clear Mrs. Mullet's name.

Long awaited book. As a hugh fan of these stories this one didn’t disappoint. Flavia is up to her detective skills again and even has a sidekick ( not that she wanted one). I do recommend that one reads these in order to fully understand Flavia.

It's been a few years since the last Flavia De Luce mystery, and her legions of faithful fans and readers have been waiting! She's back in top form, with a new mystery that tests her impressive chemist skills. Mrs. Mullet, the housekeeper, is accused of murdering their reclusive neighbor, a retired public hangman, by feeding him a breakfast of poison mushrooms. While searching for clues, Flavia discovers a shocking personal secret that changes everything for her -- and will hopefully be featured in upcoming books. Current fans will love this one, and new readers should jump right in, as everything is well explained for those who have not read the previous 10 books in the series.

What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley has Flavia de Luce is #11 in the series. Flavia is an amateur sleuth with an interest in chemistry and science. The story line and crime was clever. The prose for me was wordy and I felt as though I was reading the King’s English. Although it was #11, it worked as a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up! I adored my first Alan Bradley book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which I read about 13 years ago. It was such a delight to discover that he had continued the series when I stumbled upon an ARC available for request on NetGalley (big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Bantam). Seeing Flavia still solving mysteries years later brought me so much joy. While this installment seemed a touch darker than my initial encounter with Flavia De Luce, I found it added more fun and suspense to the mystery. Not sure how I feel about Udine, and I sensed there were significant gaps between the first book and What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust. It’s not the type of series where you can jump in anywhere; although I did so and still enjoyed it, I can imagine it being far more entertaining with a few missing pieces of Flavia’s and her family’s backstory. I’m definitely planning to catch up on books 2 - 10 of the Flavia de Luce series now. They're a perfect cozy mysteries on rainy afternoons.

In the 11th entry of the Flavia de Luce series, Bradley's intrepid adolescent heroine begins to grow up. The murder of Major Grayleigh strikes close to home when Mrs. Mullet, the de Luce family's cook and housekeeper, is suspected of poisoning him with mushrooms. Despite Mrs. Mullet's protestations of innocence, which Flavia believes, Flavia knows she is hiding something. As the series progresses, Flavia encounters revelation after revelation about her family's secrets, but this investigation brings the shock of her life.

Flavia remains melodramatic, prone to excessive imagination, and temperamental. Her patience is tested to the utmost by her orphaned cousin, Undine, who rivals Flavia in her ability to insert herself into dangerous circumstances. While the droll humor, obscure facts, and Flavia's determination to direct her own life despite her youth are enjoyable, the mysterious death of Major Grayleigh feels secondary. Most of the emphasis is on Flavia's maturing view of the people she loves and the many secrets they all must keep. Although I liked the book, I would have preferred the investigation into the murder to be more central to the narrative.

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley continues the story of Flavia de Luce with the addition of her strange cousin Undine, now living at Buckshaw. When a neighbor, Major Greyleigh, former hangman, is found murdered it is up to the girls and their household to figure out the link to the American Air Base nearby, the Major's murder and assorted other puzzles surrounding them. As Flavia matures, she is no less interesting then when we are first introduced to her and her family and I hope we see much more of her and her wonderful household.

It was great to spend time with Flavia again! I was excited by some of the developments and it would be great to see the next book ASAP so we can find out what happens next!

While I enjoyed the end of the book, I had a VERY hard time getting through a little more than the first half of the book (I almost didn't finish it, but instead I put it down for a few days and then was able to finish it after I picked it back up. That being said, I was completely blown away by the big reveal, absolutely didn't see it coming! Moreover, because it's been a bit since the last book, I feel like a recap of characters; where they were or what is going on with them, was needed. Overall, was not my favorite book of the series but intrigued now to see where the story of Flavia is going to go.

I never miss one of Flavia de Luce's grand adventures. This time round Flavia and friends must solve the mystery surrounding the murder of a Major Grayleigh, occupation hang man, who appears to have been done in by a breakfast of poison mushrooms! While long-time readers have had the pleasure of watching our young chemist/sleuth grow up (she actually takes time to contemplate womanhood in this installment), the book works effectively as a stand alone as well. All the old familiar characters are on hand --Dogger, Mrs. Mullet, Inspector Hewitt, Alf, Undine and so on--plus a cast of sinister newcomers who unwittingly pit themselves against our young heroine. Bradley provides plenty of twists, turns and surprises as the mystery unfolds. Very satisfying!

I am impressed at the way Bradley manages to continue the series and continue Flavia's growth as a character. It's a slow-moving book with a great twist, which enriches the portrait of Flavia. The time and place are described very well, and Flavia's narrative voice is fun.

I always love reading about Flavia, one of the most likable characters I've ever met! This book, however, was not my favorite in the series. A lot of the charm was missing from this book, instead delving into the world of a secret organization that I don't (and am not yet supposed to?) fully understand. I missed Flavia's attempts to solve murders while still living with the rules of being a child - in this book, Flavia acts like a full-grown adult and any authority figure in the book just indulges her. I am being picky, of course. I still very much enjoy reading this series and I will definitely read every Flavia de Luce book in the future. I just hope that we get to see more of her as a precocious child and less of her as a serious young adult.

Not being familiar with the Flavia de Luce novels, I found myself wondering for which age group this was intended? It you take, "Harriet the Spy", "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and toss in a bit of "Miss Marple" you'd have this eclectic cast of characters. Ms. deLuce's mother has passed away and her father is already dead, which leaves the estate of Buckshaw to Flavia and her younger (and very annoying) younger cousin, Undine. Along with Mrs. Mullet, the housekeeper/cook and Dogger, the all around handyman and investigative partner, Flavia solves local crimes (much to the chagrin of the local police.)

When the local (retired) hangman, Greyleigh is murdered, blame falls upon Mrs. Mullet and Flavia sets out to prove her innocence. Local characters abound and the setting is described in terms that readers will feel as if they are actually strolling the lanes with the characters. The ending twist is a total surprise and reader's of the series will appreciate the insight into Flavia's past.

I was crushed when I heard there would only be ten books in the series, and then we are given this gift. And barring some catastrophe, the next book is already in the works! She's baaaaack! And better than ever! It's been awhile, and let me tell you, it's been worth the wait! Flavia is a little older and a lot wiser, and yet, still wonderfully oblivious to what the police really think about her. The usual gang is back, Dogger, Mrs Mullet, Undine, Daffy, Carl Pendracka..

I will not give any spoilers away, but .... wow! Just when you think you have it all figured out, you find out you don't!

Everybody should be reading these cozy, smart, funny mysteries, from ages 11-111.

I am so grateful to Alan Bradley for giving us the gift that is Flavia de Luce. Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given. Read this book! Read them all!

Ok, I know, I'm an idiot. I read the first three books in this series long ago and really enjoyed them, then I skipped ahead to reading this one, book #11, and was totally lost. For many cozy mystery series, it doesn't matter if you read earlier books or not, you can pop in at anytime, but for this one, it definitely does. There was little to no review of anything that had gone before and I was pretty confused about some plotlines, even after I went back and read detailed summaries of books 4-10. So... don't do what I did. If you haven't read any or all of the earlier books, please do not start with this one!

That being said - I love reading about Flavia de Luce. (I didn't realize this was being made into a tv series either!! Can't wait to watch) She's so, so clever and daring and strong, an engaging and vibrant character who provokes strong feelings in others, good or bad. She's scarily intelligent and a terrifically fun character to read about, but I suspect she would be tiresome to actually know. Though her intelligence is off the charts, she definitely feels like a tweenager in terms of emotional maturity. (Her interactions with Undine!! heavens)

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had not read any of the previous Flavia mysteries, while I think I might have understood the family characters better if I had, I really enjoyed What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust.
Flavia's efforts to clear the family cook of suspicion in the murder of a neighbor was a twisty mystery which had some huge twists. I enjoyed the quirky characters and an extremely well written mystery. I highly recommend What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust to mystery lovers.

Falvia's back! "What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust" by Alan Bradley brings us back to Bishop's Lacey and Flavia's loopy family. Flavia's annoying cousin Undine and the valiant Dogger help Flavia absolve Mrs. Mullet of murder — with the usual mayhem along the way.

This is the eleventh book in a long-running series, but I think it will be accessible to readers who can suspend disbelief and just go with the flow. The characters are marvelous, and the writing is elegant. This is a quick read and another terrific Flavia story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.