This was a strong mystery novel, it worked well in this universe and enjoyed the overall story going on. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed the way they were written in this. It had what I enjoyed about Alan Bradley’s writing and can’t wait for more.

Thanks to Alan Bradley, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love this series and I was so worried that the long gap between the previous book and the release of this one meant that the series had ended. I'm SO glad Flavia is back with all of her brilliance, attitude, and bravery! I especially enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Mullet a little better. She has subtly gone from being a bland patch of kitchen wallpaper to being a real person with feelings and skills beyond cooking inedible food.

In this latest installment, Flavia has the assistance of Gladys (her bike), Undine (her younger cousin), and the regular cast of characters in figuring out who committed the murder of a retired military man in the village. The police suspect poor Mrs. Mullet of the deed so Flavia takes it upon herself to discover the murderer herself so the Mrs. Mullet is off the hook. In doing so, Flavia uses chemistry to discover how the murder was committed, some very clever smuggling techniques to get the evidence out of the the murder scene and into her lab, some knowledge of fungi and quick thinking to over power her would-be abductor, and many other snippets of knowledge gleaned from an unsupervised life lived to its fullest!

This was a wonderful romp into another time, place and cast of characters!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Has it really been five years since the last Flavia de Luce installment? I was beyond elated to see this one offered in NetGalley. In this novel, Flavia continues to live as head of Buckshaw Estate and is navigating her grief. Her housekeeper, Mrs. Mullet, gets caught up in the death of a hangman, and of course Flavia (and Dogger!) work to clear her name. There is SO much more in this book, but I can't give out spoilers here. I will say that this feels like Flavia is really growing up in this one. She takes her orphaned cousin Undine under her wing, and it was fun to have a new protege around. I don't think this is the last we will see of the de Luce family (thank goodness!). Flavia is an unforgettable character with wits, gumption, and a lot of bravery.

What a joy to have Flavia De Luce back! This latest book in the series finds Flavia, Daffy, Mrs Mullett, Dogger, and Undine living at Buckshaw, buggering on without Major De Luce, who died in a previous novel. Mrs. Mullett continues to cook for the family, but has also taken on work cooking breakfast for the local retired hangman, Major Greyleigh. Unfortunately, Major Greyleigh is soon found dead on his cottage floor, ostensibly from eating poisoned mushrooms served up by Mrs. M. Flavia to the rescue to try to prove her innocence. The usual cast of characters jump in to assist her - Undine, Inspector Hewitt, Dogger, etc. And Flavia, by the end of the book, has taken a major step into imminent adulthood and finding her place as the head of Buckshaw.

Alan Bradley does not disappoint with plot twists and enough scholarly tidbits dropped here and there that had me constantly looking up on the Internet just what he was talking about. Great to visit once again with Flavia and gang. More please!

Flavia is back! Since reading Alan Bradley's tenth Flavia novel (The Golden Tresses of the Dead) back in 2019, I had been hoping and wondering if/when we would get to see Flavia & the Bishop's Lacey crew again (and Gladys!). And, unsurprisingly, What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust did not disappoint. After a dead body is discovered - under suspicious circumstances, naturally - Mrs. Mullet, the family cook, finds herself under a microscope. Knowing Mrs. Mullet simply cannot be guilty of the crime, Flavia, along with her cousin Undine and partner-in-crime Dogger, work to identify the real killer, unwittingly putting themselves in danger. In the course of her investigation, Flavia makes a shocking discovery that upends her entire world and ultimately leaves both Flavia and the reader with more questions than answers. I can only hope that Bradley's next Flavia novel will shed more light on certain mysteries and secrets - very much looking forward to future Flavia adventures!

Flavia's story keeps getting bigger and bigger compared to what it was at the start of the series, and this installment is no exception. It's a pretty fast-paced and fascinating read, with a big surprise moment that rears up towards the latter half of the book. I do find the backstory of her family (which started to become a thing a few books back) to be a bit vague and difficult to come to grips with. These are no longer just traditional sleuthing books, as the element of "big conspiracy" has strongly entered the picture. I don't have a clear idea of where things are going or the motivations at work, but the book and the overall series are full of interesting moments, flashes of humor, erudite references, and enough surprises to keep readers on their toes.

I used to love these books in the beginning, but once the secret society came into it, they were ruined. I wish they had gone in a different direction. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Oh how I've missed Flavia and Dogger. Bradley writes her with some.perfwction that read a new story was a real treat and a coming home to Buckshaw. Highly recommend.

Flavia is back!!! Alan Bradley has done it again. This was an absolutely delightful finale to the Flavia de Luce series. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish with plenty of twists and turns. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I have read all the Flavia de Luce novels. This one, after a long wait, seems to answer many questions. I find Flavia alternately interesting, annoying and pathetic. In this I truly admire her and feel sorry for her. Her family are truly horrible. Best wishes to Flavia and her true family of Dodger and Undine. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Finally! Flavia de Luce is back riding her trusty bicycle Gladys around the countryside and conducting chemistry experiments in the huge family mansion Buckshaw. Things would be fine except for two problems. One, her odious younger cousin Undine has come to live at Buckshaw and turns up at the most inconvenient time, usually with annoying, if insightful, questions and comments. Secondly, the cook/housekeeper at Buckshaw, Mrs. Mullet, is suspected of causing the death of a local man. Mrs. Mullet admits to serving the man mushrooms that morning, but she insists they were not a poisonous variety. With Mrs. Mullet under suspicion, Flavia decides (despite stern warnings from the police) to find the real killer -- if she can keep Undine from underfoot long enough to investigate.

I was happy to have another outing for Flavia and her ingenious methods of investigation and experimentation. Her sidekick Undine also has some nice interactions with her role model Flavia, so I can imagine they will form quite the team in later books (fingers crossed). This book delved into the shadowy family history that caused the death of her mother and is still reaching into Flavia's life. The "cloak and dagger" baddies are a bit of a stretch, and their motivations and intentions are still rather vague. It is great to spend time with Flavia and to see what adventures she and Gladys can get into in a sleepy English village.

Alan Bradley delivers again! Our heroine returns
to our delight and to the chagrin of Inspector Hewitt.

After her cook and housekeeper, Mrs. Mullet, is suspected of
accidental murder, Flavia works to clear her name
We see her developing and often turbulent relationship with her cousin Undine.
Her butler Dogger continues to guide Flavia through trying times with his
calm demeanor and intelligence.

Flavia's knowledge of chemistry is always amazing as is her ability to
understand people and their inner thoughts. Grown ups often discount
younger people's ideas but they do so at their own peril with Flavia.

She still must come to terms of her father's death which is key to this book.

Let's hope Mr. Bradley continues to write Flavia De Luce books and that she
doesn't grow up too quick.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, Flavia. I adore you. Flavia, child prodigy of both chemistry and detecting, had been hoping for a good poisoning death, but when her beloved housekeeper, Mrs. M, is accused of poisoning the retired hangman, she has to figure out who the real murderer is. With help from Dogger and Undine, nothing can stay hidden.

I love this series. Flavia is a delightful mix of Marie Curie, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie, and every book is better than the last.

I was so excited to find another Flavia deluce novel after a 5-year absence! I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series, although I was a little disappointed in the later books. This time, however, I felt the old connection with my beloved characters and setting. This is the story set in post WW2 London of spunky, smart, sassy, creative Flavia - I’m not sure how old she is in this book?!? - who sets out to solve the murder of a reclusive neighbor who is poisoned and the blame is falling on beloved her beloved cook and friend Mrs. Mullet. She is joined with her annoying but likable little cousin Undine, and the returning character of Dogget who again is wise, loving, dependable and all-around nicest guy ever. And let’s not forget her bike Gladys who is such a fun character ! There is a huge twist about 2/3rds of the way through that I won’t go into, but let’s just say I couldn’t put this book down and now can’t wait for the next one! Read on Kindle on our Maui 2024 vacation. Huge thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher and Alan Bradley for giving me an advance copy of this charming book.

After a five-year absence, Flavia de Luce is back and better than ever in the 11th entry in the award-winning series set in post-WWII England. Series fans will be happy to learn that in addition to Flavia, also returning are two characters critical to the young detective’s adventures: her trusty sidekick, Gladys (her bike), her faithful family servant and crime-solving partner, Arthur Dogger.

Flavia is called into action when Mrs. Mullet, the longtime cook for the de Luce family, becomes a suspect in the death of Major Greyleigh, a relatively recent and reclusive resident of Bishop’s Lacy, who was a former hangman. Mrs. Mullet had been earning some extra money by cooking breakfast for the major and he dies after eating some mushrooms prepared by her.

Certain of Mrs. Mullet’s innocence, Flavia and Dogger begin to investigate, despite the usual warnings from Inspector Hewitt not to interfere with his official investigation. In addition to trying to solve a murder and clear Mrs. Mullet of suspicion, this latest adventure finds Flavia continuing to struggle with who she is and who she will become as she matures. She is still grieving after the death of her father; and she experiences a mixture of sympathy and impatience while dealing with her younger cousin, Undine, who is also an orphan and now part of the household.

As usual, the tale is entertaining and cleverly plotted with at least one major twist that I think will surprise most readers. In sum, #WhatTimetheSextonsSpadeDothRust meets the same excellent standards of previous books in the series. Returning readers will not be disappointed and new readers will not want to deprive themselves of the pleasure of reading the earlier books in the series!

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the ARC.

It's been over 5 years since Alan Bradley wrote what I thought was the final Flavia de Luce novel. She's back and just as precocious as ever. She's what I guess you would call “plucky” as she navigates the saddest set of family circumstances I can image with such wit, smarts and the ability to form a family of non blood origin. Her faithful 2 wheeled friend Gladys is riding along with her. This was not my favorite Flavia storyline but I still need to give it 4 stars. I was just so happy to see her back in print.

I was surprised and thrilled to find this new Flavia DeLuce book because I thought the author was finished with the series. I am so glad Mr. Bradley had this story to tell because it is a shocker! Flavia is older here - 14 and worrying that she’s “becoming a woman.” This opens up the opportunity for growth with the character, who has developed from a precocious, brilliant child to a young woman coming into her own power. And what power it is! There are some loose ends tied up here and even more information on the mysterious Nide, culminating in one of the best mic-drop endings I’ve read.

Flavia’s relationships are stretched here, with the odious Undine playing a greater role in Flavia’s life. Bradley’s writing is saucy and eloquent as usual. The murder plot seemed to be a vehicle used to guide Flavia through some startling revelations about her family and her place in Bishops’ Lacy as mistress of Buckshaw. Flavia’s odd relationship with Inspector Hewitt seemed less important here, but still something she values.

If Bradley has a few more Flavia books to write, this reader will eagerly devour them.

What a strange book! More an adventure than a mystery with an extremely odd solution. The oddest of conspiracies. The protagonist’s extremely annoying young cousin. We’ve come a long way from the first Flavia de Luce mysteries and I’m not sure I like it.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC and thank you Alan Bradley for writing another one of my favorite detective tales. This is indeed my 11th Flavia de Luce mystery. I love the setting, the wonderful characters with their quirks and backstories, and I love Flavia's skills of deduction and her knowledge of chemistry. All of this makes for most happy and satisfying reading. Strange thing to say for a murder mystery.

Always a hoot! Fun reading, easy and very entertaining. A must read every few years for the fun of it.