This is the 9th Flavia de Luce mystery and the 6th book I've reviewed here. Of course, I do know it is now June 1952, Flavia has turned 12, and that aside from the odd mentions, WWII no longer plays much of a part in the stories.

As I said, it is June 1952, and six months have gone by since Haviland de Luce, father of Flavia and her sisters Feely (Ophelia) and Daffy (Daphne), passed away after an illness. Though the family estate, Buckshaw, was left to Flavia, her Aunt Felicity, bully and tyrant, arrives from London and decides it is to be sold and Flavia will go to London to live with her. Given six months to mourn, Flavia, Feely, and Daffy, are on a trip planned by faithful retainer Dogger, where, after punting along a river, they land in the village of Volesthorpe, near the notorious St.-Mildred's-in-the-Marsh church. It was here that Canon Whitbread allegedly poisoned three ladies in his congregation with the communion chalice, for which he was hanged. Yes, Dogger certainly does know his Flavia, poisons are her thing.

But when Flavia fishes out the Canon's son Orlando from the river by the church, new questions arise. Flavia cleverly manages to get some stomach fluid from the corpse for later analysis before the arrival of Constable Otter. As clever as he is unfriendly, Constable Otter quickly lets her know that her help is absolutely unwanted, an attitude that causes Flavia's suspicious nature to be on guard.

Away from her own well equipped chemistry lab at Buckshaw, Flavia and Dogger find they must improvise in order to carry out the investigation into Orlando's death. Luckily, Dogger, who seems to have an abundance of all kinds of knowledge, also turns out to be a genius at using whatever is at hand. I loved how Dogger made an improvised microscope (pg 85), especially clever and amusing after Otter condescendingly manplained to Flavia what a microscope is (pg 45). Still, Flavia is disappointed that Orlando wasn't poisoned, but she has become more and more aware that there are, nevertheless, sinister things under foot in Volesthorpe, and she is determined to get to the bottom of them all. And, as it turns out, there is plenty to get to the bottom of.

When I first began reading The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, I was feeling a little disappointed. It definitely has a slightly different feel to it than the previous 8 books. But as I got further into the story, I began to enjoy it as much as the other Flavia books, but it never lost the feeling of difference. I've thought about it and this is what I think:

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place is the next to the last Flavia de Luce mystery and, at 12, Flavia is entering adolescence. No longer a child, she is maturing and it shows - kudos to Bradley for portraying the subtle ways in which this happens. I realized it had actually began in book 8, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd after Flavia returned to Buckshaw from boarding school in Canada. Most notable is the way she now sees Dogger as more of an person in his own right and an equal and less as a servant, and there are changes in her relationship with her sisters, particularly Daffy, whose literary passions turn out to be pretty useful for solving murders. Don't get me wrong, Flavia is still as enthusiastic about solving murders, performing chemical experiments and learning about poisons as ever she was, but now her life is expanding.

Being away from the confines of Buckshaw and Bishop's Lacy also allows Bradley to bring in more varied but no less eccentric characters. There is Orlando Whitbread's mentor Poppy Mandrill, former actress now confined to a wheelchair; Arven Palmer, the landlord of the Oak and Pheasant and his wife, Greta Palmer; three roustabouts from the traveling Shadrach's Circus and Menagerie as well as the proprietor, Mrs. "Dreadnought" Dandyman; the village's undertaker F. T. Nightingale, whose son Hob befriends Flavia; and last but not least, Dogger's old friend (?) Claire Tetlock - each with their own secrets to be uncovered.

Like most of Bradley's plots, this one will require you to suspend your disbelief, not because he has delved into fantasy, just into things improbable, exciting but improbable. But is wouldn't be a Flavia de Luce mystery if the improbable were left out, would it?- then it would just be a book about a girl who likes chemistry. If you love a little off the wall, somewhat noir mystery with unconventional characters, this is the book/series for you.

I thought this was great. I love Flavia (and Dogger obviously). This is #9 in the series and it isn't getting stale or boring. I love that she uses science to solve mysteries and would definitely recommend this to any young adult reader. They are also pretty fun and entertaining for adults as well. In this one, the girls are on holiday with Dogger when Flavia fishes a dead body out of the river. Of course they must stay and find out what happened. The sisters seem to become closer as they age, which I really like. They have been through some interesting endeavors over the years and this change seems obvious, but perhaps it is Flavia's perception that has changed. I think this may call for a re-read. (Though she does start the first book locked inside a closet or something.)

Alan Bradley sends Flavia de Luce on a trip after the death of her father in The Grave's a Fine and Private Place. Flavia de Luce falls over a drowned actor with a drug problem while she is out boating with her friends. The actor's father, a clergyman, was hanged for poisoning three female parishioners at church service with the wafers. Flavia, her sisters and an old family servant Dogger find themselves in the midst of a conspiracy to cover up murder. As usual the teenage snoop uses science and a sleuth's instincts to find the murderer. Clever plotting and interesting characters.

I've been in love with Flavia since day one! Bradley always crafts a fun romp of a mystery; each book brings a new, quirky set of circumstances. Looking forward to see what happens next!

Yet another reliably entertaining entry into the Flavia de Luce series.

As the de Luces recover from a family tragedy, Flavia, her sisters, and their servant, Dogger, are taking a much needed break on a boating trip. Flavia trails her hand in the water as the boat glides down the river, and she is surprised when her fingers come in contact with a large object. What else would it be but a dead body? The family must stay in the nearby village while the local constabulary investigates the death. Coincidentally – or perhaps not – the village had been in the headlines a couple of years earlier when its vicar had poisoned three of his parishioners during a communion service. If there's one thing Flavia knows, it's poison.

Flavia is in fine form in this installment of the series. I love Flavia's relationship with Dogger so I loved that Dogger had a larger than usual role in this book. The resolution of the mystery seemed rushed, but maybe I felt that way because I wasn't ready to part company with Flavia. For me, the mystery plot is secondary to Flavia's internal monologue. It's always a delight to see the world through Flavia's eyes.

This review is based on an electronic advance readers copy provided by the pubisher through NetGalley.

Flavia de Luce is the absolutely spellbinding, precocious, 12-year-old, British, sleuth that has stolen my heart. She may have even roosted Hermione Granger from the position of “the girl I most wish I could have been”. I began to read The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley, which is actually the ninth book in the series, and was hooked. I subsequently purchased the first 8 books and have binge read/listened my way through all of them in less than a week. These are not quick reads, mind you, but sometimes sleepless nights and take-out dinners for the family are the prices one must pay to satisfy an obsession (and possibly I needed something with a little more “sweetness” as I had just finished re-reading It by Stephen King). But, back to Flavia.

Flavia is the youngest daughter of the recently deceased Laurence de Luce. Having lost her mother as an infant and now in mourning for her beloved father, she has decided life is no longer worth living and has plans to end it all while on a boat trip with her loathsome older sisters and Dogger, the families’ faithful factotum. But she is brought out of her malaise when she, literally, fishes a corpse out of the river. Absently trailing her fingers in the water she hooks her fingers into the mouth of the floating remains and in her absolutely practical and unflustered way, she simply informs Dogger that “we’d best make for the pier.” With Dogger off to fetch the police and her sister evacuating the contents of her stomach, Flavia begins her examination of the body. Without the slightest qualm, she searches the body and collects what evidence she can, (obviously she cannot conduct a PROPER post-mortem on the river bank!) and then with her endless knowledge of poisons, she deduces the likely cause of death. The eyeballs smell of apples, so it must be cyanide, of course. And that is just the beginning…

What first intrigued me about the series was that it is not categorized as a children’s book or Young Adult and yet the protagonist is a young girl living in 1950’s England. What I discovered was a cleverly conceived character that is a combination of Hermione Granger, Sherlock Holmes, Temperance Brennen (the television version) and a bit of Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Bradley’s style of writing is quick-witted, fact-laden and extremely fun to read. Although a Canadian that had actually never stepped foot in England until after he had won the Crime Writer’s Debut Dagger Award for the first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, he perfectly captures what is, to me at least, that quintessentially British cadence that authors like Lewis Carrol or Terry Pratchett are known for. I can see why this isn’t necessarily a “kid’s” book, although it speaks to the kid in me. Overall it is a wonderful series for most ages.

Flavia DeLuce is one of the most interesting characters in mystery fiction, in my opinion. Flavia and her sisters, along with Dogger, go on a punt to escape the loss of a parent. While gliding on the river, , Flavia latches onto a dead body. As Flavia can not resist a good death, the hunt is on. What I like most of all in these books is the stream of consciousness as we see the world thru Flavia's eyes. A young women with a keen eye, schooled in the classics, with what can be an unhealthy fondness for chemistry. And yet she is still a young girl fearlessly trying to figure out not only a mystery, but the world, especially the people who inhabit her world. And it's that combination that make the books so engaging for me. The mystery of full of twists and turns, and well done, but its Flavia's character within the story that make these mysteries a step above the rest. Write on, Alan Bradley, I will be waiting.

I've been a HUGE Flavia fan since book one - even though I rarely read mysteries. But there is just something about this young lady, whose fascination with poisons and dead bodies tends to get her in more scrapes than one might expect of a girl with her upbringing.

I was so excited for this book, and it did *not* let me down. In fact, to me this is one of the best Flavia books yet. I love that we get to know the stalwart Dogger better, and that Flavia - while growing up - is still her irrepressible self.

And while I will give no spoilers, I will say that this ending - for me - is one of those rare things where it is simply perfect. Most, I find, are good or decent or fit the story - but few are *perfect* for how the story feels to me. In the end, I closed this book with a huge smile and a warm feeling, like I had just spent time over a cuppa with a very close friend. Not a bad way to spend some time.

I love reading every book in the Flavia series. This one wasn't as good as the first few books in the series, but I would still give it 4 stars. Once again, Flavia stumbles upon a dead body. As Flavia is getting older, she is becoming more mature. Her relationship with Dogger in this book, is an example of that. She turns to him for advice and grows to respect him even more.
Can't wait to find out what is in store for Flavia in the next book! I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for a review.

This outing is as wonderful as all of the rest of the series, but it's different. It reads (as it should) as a transitional adventure. The family has gone on a river trip together, with Dogger steering (literally and figuratively), partly to escape the scene of their grieving, and partly to acknowledge the changes that are looming. Flavia herself is as smart and observant as ever, finding clues and comrades in a strange town. She is also feeling her way into her teenage years, and realizing more of what she has yet to learn than in the past. Her sisters are less loathsome than they once were. Dogger -- let's just say he is re-evaluating his life.

Highly recommended, with the caveat that I would not recommend starting the series with this book. However, it certainly could stand alone.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Still reeling from the death of her father, Flavia de Luce and her sisters are hoping to be distracted by a float with Dodger down the river. She is certainly distracted by the dead body that they find floating in the river. It is a young man dressed in Shakespearean garb. Apparently, his name was Orlando and he was a ballet dancer. It is through his death that she makes the acquaintance of Hob who is the local caretaker's son who becomes an ally in Flavia's search for the truth.

You can very much tell that this is a male voice writing a female child. The way he has Flavia plotting her moves (we get an overly detailed description of Flavia's every thought) is very much an example of how men think women (even those in their "tender" teen years) act. It was a little off-putting but even more than that, it caused the story to drag in places. Overall, a nice addition to the Flavia canon.



Three and a half stars

This book came out January 30

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Follows As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

our intrepid crime-solver and connoisseur of poisons par excellence is back and ready for trouble. grieving the loss of her father, the grave's a fine and private place, kicks of with flavia on her deathbed. or really on a boating trip with dogger and her sisters.

unlike previous installments of the series, this time when they happen upon a dead body everyone is on hand to solve the crime. the deepened relationship between the sisters, and the increaased maturity of flavia's outlook allows the series to grow in an organic way, while maintaining those traits that make her so quintessentially flavia. the wit the humor and the precociousness of our young detective is as enjoyable as always.

this is a series that can go on as long as bradley wishes to write them, because every chance i have to spend some quality time with flavia and the de luce family, i'm pretty happy.

**the grave's a fine and private place will publish on january 30, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house publishing group - ballantine (delacorte press) in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read a number of the Flavia de Luce Novels and this most recent one is right in keeping with the rest. Lots of sleuthing with chemistry and poison being a big part of the story.

Flavia de Luce is a young girl with a penchant for chemistry. She and her sisters are away from home, taking a break, after the heartbreaking loss of their father. Their dedicated servant, Digger, is along to take care of them and to provide Flavia assistance with her investigation.

Investigation of what? Well, it seems that everywhere Flavia goes, a death is sure to happen. In this case, she not only takes on the current death but starts looking into the deaths of others a few years before.


There are ups and downs, red herrings and more, through the story. While I think the ending could have been tightened to explain the why of the whodunnit a little bit more, I still enjoyed the story and the ending.

I’m looking forward to the next book to see how Flavia deals with the personal issues that are becoming more and more serious.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Flavia is home in 1952 England after her time in Canada in school. The unexpected death of her father has everyone plunged into grief, and the strife between Flavia and her older sisters Ophelia and Daphne (Feely and Daffy) has only escalated. To make things worse, her father's sister, Aunt Felicity, is down from London and making decrees about the future of the girls. Among the decrees is that the beloved family home, Buckshaw, must be sold. Never mind that Flavia is now the sole owner of Buckshaw, thanks to her mother's will. Flavia is "only" twelve, so possibly she will have little input. Flavia de Luce is a twelve-year-old like no other, however. In an attempt to "smooth the waters" long time servant, Dogger, suggests a trip down the river; days of paddling followed by nights at country inns. Upon approaching St. Mildred's-in-the-Marsh the trip takes an unexpected turn. Flavia is trailing her hand through the water and snags a corpse floating just under the surface. St.Mildred's is notorious because it's vicar, Canon Whitbred, was hanged for the poisoning of three parish women, at the Communion rail. The body in the river turns out to be the son of the "Poisoning Parson." What is an intrepid adolescent chemist/ sleuth to do but ferret out the solution to this mystery?

Describing the plot of a Flavia de Luce novel is always tricky, because of their sheer inventiveness and one might even say unbelievability. How does a twelve-year-old get involved in all these odd situations? The answer is that Flavia has one of the most original voices in fiction; brilliant, funny, and ultimately, touching. I sometimes forget between books how much I enjoy her until I am in the midst of the story again. Flavia's "cases" are often ghoulish but always offset the ghoulishness with humor. The loyal Dogger takes center stage along with Flavia in The Grave's a Fine and Private Place. Dogger is still suffering from the effects of his captivity in a WWII POW camp in Burma. Flavia's father and Dogger were captives together and formed an unbreakable bond. That bond is now transferred to Flavia and her sisters. Dogger shows signs of coming to terms with his hideous memories and the two make a formidable team. Flavia is growing up and the relationships among the sisters settling down at least somewhat. A slightly rushed ending is my only caveat but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.


RATING-5 Stars

Dogger decides that Flavia, Feely and Daffy need to get away for awhile so they take a riverboat down the Thames, of course Flavia can't seem to go anywhere without a body turning up. A mystery unfolds and the future of Buckshaw is decided. I love this series and can't wait to find out what happens next!

Can I just start off by saying you can't go wrong reading this series. Being my review, I can and will. I have enjoyed these stories from the first time I read Sweetness at the bottom of the Pie. (If you can, listen to the audio version, the narrator is amazing and truly brings the characters to life.)

Now, onto the review.

As you can see this is book number nine of the series, and it is quite different from the rest. (If have read the series, you will surely know what I mean from the end of the last book and how it plays into this one. But I will not spoil anything for anyone.) It was the same enjoyable story format as the others in the series, it just had a totally different feel to it. It really involves the whole family which the past stories have not, at least not to this extent.

So the du Luce girls and Dogger are taking a holiday and Flavia ends up fishing up a dead body out the river, quite literally with her hand. And thus starts the whole who-done it of the book.

I don't want to go into much detail about the story as I think it's best to go in pretty blind to the plot, but all three girls and Dogger take part in this mystery (as I stated earlier). Each using their own unique abilities to rake up clues. Even Inspector Hewitt comes into play near the end. It has been so fun to see the girls grow as individuals and as a family.

If you like mysteries and chemistry (as it's Flavia's specialty), I would highly recommend this series! From what I have heard there will only be one book after this to finish the series, which makes so sad. The writing is fun and it's pretty fast paced, so it will take you no time at all to get into the story. Really, why are you still reading this...go and read this series! :)

THE GRAVE'S A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE by Alan Bradley is the latest (number 9) in the Flavia de Luce series set in 1950's England. As readers of these reviews know, I truly do adore young Flavia and the witticisms she often shares (see previous reviews from 2016, 2015 and 2013). In this latest offering, Flavia and her elder sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, plus the family retainer named Dogger, are punting along the river near Volesthorpe when a body is discovered. A perfect opportunity for Flavia to apply her sleuthing skills and knowledge of chemistry, especially poisons! This title seemed to bring the sisters closer together which I was happy to see. However, the mystery itself was rather complex and I found that I was losing interest near the end and struggling to keep track of some of the local characters. Flavia herself describes this as "the most complicated case I had ever come across .... And hardly a sensible clue to be had." I concur while waiting impatiently for the next in this award-winning series. THE GRAVE'S A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

related reviews:
http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2016/09/english-mysteries.html
http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2015/01/as-chimney-sweepers-come-to-dust-by.html
http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-dead-in-their-vaulted-arches.html

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I have been following Flavia de Luce since her introduction in "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie." She is an endearing and precocious chemist-detective...and intelligent beyond her teenage years. This book refers to earlier events and probably should not be read as a stand-alone. I also felt that there was a little too much detailed chemistry. However, I really enjoyed learning more about Dogger and seeing Flavia mature. As the story unfolds in first person, it is fascinating following her thoughts and logic as she solves this latest murder. I look forward to future adventures.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley is a very highly recommended mystery and the 9th book in the popular Flavia de Luce series.

Set in England in 1952, twelve-year-old Flavia and her family hare trying to recover from the family tragedy in the last book. Concerned that she will soon have to live under the iron rule of her Aunt Felicity, it is a pleasant relief when Arthur Dogger, the long-time and loyal family servant, suggests an extended boating trip to Volesthorpe for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt passes the church where Canon Whitbread poisoned three of his parishioners, Flavia is discussing the poisoning with Dogger while trailing her hands in the water. When her fingers hook on something in the water, she imagines she has just caught a fish with her bare hands. Instead, as she struggles to pull the object closer, she sees that her fingers have snagged the open mouth of a head, attacked to a body. Dogger poles the boat to shore and the murder investigation begins.

The body is identified as that of Orlando Whitbread, the son of the notorious poisoner. Constable J.R. Otter is sure it is a suicide, but Flavia and Dogger are quietly working on their own investigations. Flavia has a chance to use some of the investigative techniques she has learned from Inspector Hewitt. She and Dogger get to rig up a lab for some private testing. The two also uncover other clues. In the meantime, Flavia's older sisters, Feely and Daffy, are actually not quite as truculent and, dare I say, even a bit helpful this time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Flavia de Luce adventure and appreciate that she is solving a mystery here, using her knowledge of chemistry and sleuthing skills to figure out what exactly is going on. This is a strong addition to the series with memorable supporting characters, strong clues, and some real growth and development in the characters we know. Dogger shines in his role. I really think that you could jump in and read this one on its own, although in a long running series it is nice to read the books in order to follow the character development and the relationships between people.

Bradley has always been an excellent writer and all the books in the series are interesting, but I liked this one a bit more than some of the previous installments. The actual ending was very satisfying and gave me something to look forward to in the future.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Penguin Random House via Netgalley.
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