Status
Available
Call number
Series
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Publication
Orion (2014), Hardcover, 336 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train�s arrival in the English village of Bishop�s Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces� crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office�and making spectacular use of Harriet�s beloved Gipsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit�Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Alan Bradley's As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. Praise for The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches �Part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket�s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Flavia is a pert and macabre pragmatist.��The New York Times Book Review �[Alan] Bradley�s award winning Flavia de Luce series . . . has enchanted readers with the outrageous sleuthing career of its precocious leading lady. . . . This latest adventure contains all the winning elements of the previous books.��Library Journal (starred review) �Bradley�s latest Flavia de Luce novel reaches a new level of perfection as it shows the emotional turmoil and growth of a girl who has always been older than her years and yet is still a child. The mystery is complex and very personal this time, reaching into the past Flavia never knew about. . . . These are astounding, magical books not to be missed.��RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) �Excellent . . . Flavia retains her droll wit. . . . The solution to a murder is typically neat, and the conclusion sets up future books nicely.��Publishers Weekly (starred review) �It�s hard to resist either the genre�s pre-eminent preteen sleuth or the hushed revelations about her family.��Kirkus Reviews �Flavia . . . is as fetching as ever; her chatty musings and her combination of childish vulnerability and seemingly boundless self-confidence haven�t changed a bit.��Booklist Acclaim for Alan Bradley�s beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers� Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award �If ever there were a sleuth who�s bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, it�s Flavia de Luce.��USA Today �Irresistibly appealing.��The New York Times Book Review, on A Red Herring Without Mustard �Original, charming, devilishly creative.��Bookreporter, on I Am Half-Sick of Shadows �Delightful and...… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.9* of five
The Publisher Says: On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train's arrival in the English village of Bishop's
Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces' crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office--and making spectacular use of Harriet's beloved Gypsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit--Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.
My Review: Childhood's end comes to each of us at very different times, and in very different ways, but always comes in a single moment. Nothing is ever the same again. No perception is unaltered, no thought is ever again innocent. One minute you are a child, and preoccupied with child things, and the next you are not.
It's memorable, I suspect, for all of us, no matter the event that precipitates it or the age at which it happens. In this sixth Flavia de Luce novel, she leaves childhood behind. Bradley's description of the moment, of a great wooden cog on a vast gear moving a notch, is spot-on. I can't quote it directly because it would spoiler a plot point.
Now let me address a fact of the series novel's life. Some books in a series are middle books, like middle children. They are there, but somehow not quite noticed enough or given a good space of their own to occupy. There is not a single series in which this is not, eventually, the case. Who remembers Framley Parsonage? Do you even know it's the fourth in Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire? When enumerating the series, I frequently have to search for this book in the Dead Letter Office of my brain. It's not as if nothing happens in the book, either. (And there's a character in this series names after a pivotal character in this book. More on that anon.) The marriages and the resultant intertwining of the fates of so many plot threads in the series make it a pivotal book. But who ever cites it as a favorite novel, or even a favorite in the series?
Middle Book Syndrome.
This is a middle book. It's not at all a bad book, just a middle book. And the fun is just beginning at the end. What the book is not is a mystery, in the puzzle-solving, here-are-the-clues sense. The mysteries Flavia is solving this time are, to put it simply and still not spoiler anything, the ones we all must resolve to discover what, now we are no longer children, we are. Flavia's extremely well-developed sense of herself, unusual in a child, is at last made part of a world that the girl must join. Herself is explained to herself, if you follow that convoluted thought process.
The world awaits. And that's a giant risk Bradley is taking: The world Flavia is joining will either cause people to put the series down for good, or will cause them to send him nastygrams for not writing faster. It is that polarizing a development.
I'm on the fence. I can see this going horribly wrong as we sink into the Swamps of Seriousness, and I can see it being amusingly fluffily unserious. But what I can't see is why this particular development surprised me so much. After all, an eleven-year-old sleuth isn't the set-up for a long-term cozy series, is it? So something had to tie the bow on the tushie of her childhood. And here it is. Heart it or hate it, the next books will not be the same kind of cotton candy, and won't be in the same world that child Flavia saw in Bishop's Lacey and Rook's End (there's a chess joke in that name which I only just got reading this book) and the Palings.
Having finished this book quite late last night, I was ruminating on its connection to Framley Parsonage and was struck by a thought: The character of Adam Sowerby, introduced earlier in the series, recurs here; and Sowerby is the name of a pivotal character in Framley Parsonage...could Bradley be creating his own corner and his own take on my dearly beloved Barsetshire? I have lamented in other threads the absence of a 21st-century Angela Thirkell, an extender of the deep and abiding Englishness of Barsetshire. Might Bradley, the Canadian, be weaving us some more tales from the rag ends of Trollope's beautiful creation?
Gosh, I hope so.
The Publisher Says: On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train's arrival in the English village of Bishop's
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Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd.Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces' crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office--and making spectacular use of Harriet's beloved Gypsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit--Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.
My Review: Childhood's end comes to each of us at very different times, and in very different ways, but always comes in a single moment. Nothing is ever the same again. No perception is unaltered, no thought is ever again innocent. One minute you are a child, and preoccupied with child things, and the next you are not.
It's memorable, I suspect, for all of us, no matter the event that precipitates it or the age at which it happens. In this sixth Flavia de Luce novel, she leaves childhood behind. Bradley's description of the moment, of a great wooden cog on a vast gear moving a notch, is spot-on. I can't quote it directly because it would spoiler a plot point.
Now let me address a fact of the series novel's life. Some books in a series are middle books, like middle children. They are there, but somehow not quite noticed enough or given a good space of their own to occupy. There is not a single series in which this is not, eventually, the case. Who remembers Framley Parsonage? Do you even know it's the fourth in Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire? When enumerating the series, I frequently have to search for this book in the Dead Letter Office of my brain. It's not as if nothing happens in the book, either. (And there's a character in this series names after a pivotal character in this book. More on that anon.) The marriages and the resultant intertwining of the fates of so many plot threads in the series make it a pivotal book. But who ever cites it as a favorite novel, or even a favorite in the series?
Middle Book Syndrome.
This is a middle book. It's not at all a bad book, just a middle book. And the fun is just beginning at the end. What the book is not is a mystery, in the puzzle-solving, here-are-the-clues sense. The mysteries Flavia is solving this time are, to put it simply and still not spoiler anything, the ones we all must resolve to discover what, now we are no longer children, we are. Flavia's extremely well-developed sense of herself, unusual in a child, is at last made part of a world that the girl must join. Herself is explained to herself, if you follow that convoluted thought process.
The world awaits. And that's a giant risk Bradley is taking: The world Flavia is joining will either cause people to put the series down for good, or will cause them to send him nastygrams for not writing faster. It is that polarizing a development.
I'm on the fence. I can see this going horribly wrong as we sink into the Swamps of Seriousness, and I can see it being amusingly fluffily unserious. But what I can't see is why this particular development surprised me so much. After all, an eleven-year-old sleuth isn't the set-up for a long-term cozy series, is it? So something had to tie the bow on the tushie of her childhood. And here it is. Heart it or hate it, the next books will not be the same kind of cotton candy, and won't be in the same world that child Flavia saw in Bishop's Lacey and Rook's End (there's a chess joke in that name which I only just got reading this book) and the Palings.
Having finished this book quite late last night, I was ruminating on its connection to Framley Parsonage and was struck by a thought: The character of Adam Sowerby, introduced earlier in the series, recurs here; and Sowerby is the name of a pivotal character in Framley Parsonage...could Bradley be creating his own corner and his own take on my dearly beloved Barsetshire? I have lamented in other threads the absence of a 21st-century Angela Thirkell, an extender of the deep and abiding Englishness of Barsetshire. Might Bradley, the Canadian, be weaving us some more tales from the rag ends of Trollope's beautiful creation?
Gosh, I hope so.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I adore the Flavia de Luce series. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of book #5 a year ago and screeched out loud at the excruciating cliffhanger ending. I have been counting down the months until the next book's release. I was ecstatic to be approved for the ARC of The Dead in Their Vaulted
To sum up the series: Flavia is an 11-year-old with a passion for poison and chemistry. She lives on an isolated British estate with her eccentric father and two teenage sisters. World War II has devastated her family. Her father and their groundskeeper survived the horrors of Japanese death camps, while her mother vanished in Asia. Flavia never knew the war but is scarred nevertheless. She runs wild across the countryside, precocious and all too curious about murder and intrigue.
These are not formulaic mysteries like so many series out there, where each books stands on its own like a TV show. No, Flavia has grown tremendously through the series. The order of books is of vital importance, especially as things come to a head here. This book has a murder--a few, in truth--but more than that, it's about grief and how people themselves are mysteries. The people we are closest to can be the greatest mysteries of all. I dare not say more than that, as there are spoilers galore.
I loved the book. It's everything I hoped it would be. At the same time, I'm a little worried at the direction the series will take after this. Bradley has signed on for ten books total. Flavia's world is going to change drastically from here. I can only hope I get approved for an early copy for the next volume so I won't go too crazy as I wait.
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Arches via NetGalley.To sum up the series: Flavia is an 11-year-old with a passion for poison and chemistry. She lives on an isolated British estate with her eccentric father and two teenage sisters. World War II has devastated her family. Her father and their groundskeeper survived the horrors of Japanese death camps, while her mother vanished in Asia. Flavia never knew the war but is scarred nevertheless. She runs wild across the countryside, precocious and all too curious about murder and intrigue.
These are not formulaic mysteries like so many series out there, where each books stands on its own like a TV show. No, Flavia has grown tremendously through the series. The order of books is of vital importance, especially as things come to a head here. This book has a murder--a few, in truth--but more than that, it's about grief and how people themselves are mysteries. The people we are closest to can be the greatest mysteries of all. I dare not say more than that, as there are spoilers galore.
I loved the book. It's everything I hoped it would be. At the same time, I'm a little worried at the direction the series will take after this. Bradley has signed on for ten books total. Flavia's world is going to change drastically from here. I can only hope I get approved for an early copy for the next volume so I won't go too crazy as I wait.
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LibraryThing member dpappas
This is the best, yet saddest, Flavia de Luce book to date. After the bombshell that was dropped at the end of the last book, the de Luce family is left to cope with it. Harriet is back at Buckshaw, and life at Buckshaw is turned upside down. A mysterious man with a warning for Flavia meets his
There is a backdrop of grief and sorrrow throughout this book, yet Flavia still manages to come up with hare-brained schemes. I feel like Flavia showed more emotion during this book and she definitely grew up a little. I have always loved Flavia but this book made me love her even more. Flavia and readers learn some important things about Harriet and the rest of the du Luce family that will make for more interesting things to come. WIth all that was revealed in this book I couldn't put it down and never wanted it to end. Flavia de Luce has quickly become one of my favorite characters and this series is one of my favorites. I would highly recommend this book and the whole series, you will not be disappointed by Flavia de Luce.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this.
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death at the train station during Harriet's homecoming. What would a Flavia de Luce book be without a mysterious death?There is a backdrop of grief and sorrrow throughout this book, yet Flavia still manages to come up with hare-brained schemes. I feel like Flavia showed more emotion during this book and she definitely grew up a little. I have always loved Flavia but this book made me love her even more. Flavia and readers learn some important things about Harriet and the rest of the du Luce family that will make for more interesting things to come. WIth all that was revealed in this book I couldn't put it down and never wanted it to end. Flavia de Luce has quickly become one of my favorite characters and this series is one of my favorites. I would highly recommend this book and the whole series, you will not be disappointed by Flavia de Luce.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this.
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LibraryThing member michigantrumpet
Harriett de Luce, missing ten years since being lost in a mountain-climbing incident in the Himalayas, is coming home. Awaiting her body on the train platform of Buckshaw Halt are her family, including her husband Haviland, and her three daughters, Ophelia, Daphne and Flavia. He return is accorded
Fans of the 11 year old Flavia will find much here both delightful and familiar. In this 6th installment of Alan Bradley's series, our friends Dogger, Aunt Felicity and Inspector Hewitt. all make appearances. Haviland de Luce is a distracted distant presence. Feely and Daffy plague as on.y older sisters do. Complicated experiments in chemistry ensue. Flavia meets all challenges with her usual mixture of precocity and naïveté. Unlike earlier books, the mystery isn't so much solved by Flavia. Rather, our young friend learns much about herself, her family and her place in the world. It would appear forthcoming books will take a whole new tack. If like me, you have found Flavia's antics entertaining, her new adventures will be worth following.
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high honors with a military honor guard and the presence of the recently defeated Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In the bustle and confusion, a mysterious man whispers a cryptic message to young Flavia, only to fall under the wheels of the oncoming train. Was he pushed? Who is the Gamekeeper? Was Harriett's death accidental? Can Buckshaw Manor be saved?Fans of the 11 year old Flavia will find much here both delightful and familiar. In this 6th installment of Alan Bradley's series, our friends Dogger, Aunt Felicity and Inspector Hewitt. all make appearances. Haviland de Luce is a distracted distant presence. Feely and Daffy plague as on.y older sisters do. Complicated experiments in chemistry ensue. Flavia meets all challenges with her usual mixture of precocity and naïveté. Unlike earlier books, the mystery isn't so much solved by Flavia. Rather, our young friend learns much about herself, her family and her place in the world. It would appear forthcoming books will take a whole new tack. If like me, you have found Flavia's antics entertaining, her new adventures will be worth following.
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
The body of Harriet de Luca, Flavia de Luca’s mother, has been found frozen in the ice of the Alps. Her body is being returned home by train. The family, along with sympathizers including none other than Winston Churchill himself, are at the station to see her home. A stranger accosts Flavia with
This is the sixth book in the Flavia de Luca Mysteries series and it retains all the pluses and minuses of the previous books. At times, the writing and dialogue seems stilted, and the story disjointed. And yet, it is almost humanly impossible not to like them despite their flaws and a lot of that is down to the characters who are always wonderfully eccentric and just a whole lot of fun.
Eleven-year-old chemistry wizard and brilliant sleuth, Flavia is at her busiest (and most witty) in this book. Not so her father who, it seems for the first time, lets slip his stereotypical British stiff upper lip persona. And then there’s Dogger, once bagman and now valet and family protector always there to make sure everything works out as it should.
In the end, everything is tied up neatly and the story is set up for future episodes in the continuing saga of Flavia de Luca and proves once again why Flavia and her family of misfits have so grabbed the hearts of readers both young and old.
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a strange message for her father, ‘the Gamekeeper is in jeopardy’. When the mysterious stranger falls, or perhaps he is pushed, onto the track under the wheels of the train, Flavia is determined to solve the mystery of the message and the man’s fall. However, she also has other problems to solve: the cause of her mother’s death and the facts of her life, the identity of the gamekeeper, and even an attempt to play Dr Frankenstein all while avoiding the attentions and intentions of some rather eccentric (and in some cases, downright, barmy) relatives.This is the sixth book in the Flavia de Luca Mysteries series and it retains all the pluses and minuses of the previous books. At times, the writing and dialogue seems stilted, and the story disjointed. And yet, it is almost humanly impossible not to like them despite their flaws and a lot of that is down to the characters who are always wonderfully eccentric and just a whole lot of fun.
Eleven-year-old chemistry wizard and brilliant sleuth, Flavia is at her busiest (and most witty) in this book. Not so her father who, it seems for the first time, lets slip his stereotypical British stiff upper lip persona. And then there’s Dogger, once bagman and now valet and family protector always there to make sure everything works out as it should.
In the end, everything is tied up neatly and the story is set up for future episodes in the continuing saga of Flavia de Luca and proves once again why Flavia and her family of misfits have so grabbed the hearts of readers both young and old.
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LibraryThing member zzshupinga
ARC provided by NetGalley
Flavia returns! And she's out to solve her greatest mystery yet...what happened to her mother all those years ago?
Its a spring morning in 1951 and chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce and her family are waiting at the train station for the return of her long-lost
I have to admit this is my first foray into the Flavia universe, but it definitely will not be my last. Alan Bradley has created a compelling character in Flavia, one who is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, mixed with Hermione Granger. You can't but help to follow along as she tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and trying to find out what her mother was like, since she was so young when she vanished. But Bradley does leave of us on a bit of cliff hanger in this book. The revelations of what her mother's mission was and what the enemy was up to, are left unclear and are only barely laid out. But I'm imagining (or at least hoping) that future books will give us more answers.
All in all that is an excellent book and I can't wait to find out what happens next to Flavia and her family. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series yet you can jump in relatively easily with this one without being too lost. I highly recommend this series to fans of Hermione Granger and Sherlock Holmes and anyone who is just interested in finding a good read. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars and eagerly await the next volume.
Flavia returns! And she's out to solve her greatest mystery yet...what happened to her mother all those years ago?
Its a spring morning in 1951 and chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce and her family are waiting at the train station for the return of her long-lost
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mother, Harriet, who vanished so many years ago. But a mysterious stranger approaches Flavia and gives her a clue to unraveling many mysteries, including that of her own family. But his sudden death at the station makes this a dangerous game, and Flavia will need all of her wits about her and every ally she can find to solve this mystery...perhaps even the great Sir Winston Churchill will help along the way to find the killer.I have to admit this is my first foray into the Flavia universe, but it definitely will not be my last. Alan Bradley has created a compelling character in Flavia, one who is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, mixed with Hermione Granger. You can't but help to follow along as she tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and trying to find out what her mother was like, since she was so young when she vanished. But Bradley does leave of us on a bit of cliff hanger in this book. The revelations of what her mother's mission was and what the enemy was up to, are left unclear and are only barely laid out. But I'm imagining (or at least hoping) that future books will give us more answers.
All in all that is an excellent book and I can't wait to find out what happens next to Flavia and her family. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series yet you can jump in relatively easily with this one without being too lost. I highly recommend this series to fans of Hermione Granger and Sherlock Holmes and anyone who is just interested in finding a good read. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars and eagerly await the next volume.
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LibraryThing member molliekay
The newest installment in Flavia's life has quite a different pace than the other books in the series. Don't let that deter you, though! It will keep you guessing, and the end will leave you eager for more!
LibraryThing member brangwinn
If you haven't read any of the Flavia de Luce mysteries, you might want to pick up some of the earlier ones to set the state. Its rural Britain after WWII. Flavia who loves chemistry lives with her father and two older sisters in a crumbling manor that belonged to her mother. Her mother was killed
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in a Himalayan climbing accident. Her body has been found and returned for burial. Even Winston Churchill shows up to pay his respects to Mrs. de Luce. Flavia uncovers a lot of WWII espionage history as she uncovers the truth of her mother's death. But I'm a little distraught because Flavia is going to Canada to her mother's alma mater to study chemistry and is leaving. Will the mysteries follow her? What's to become of the characters we've grown to love. Oh, please don't disappoint me, Mr. Bradley in the next book. I'm eagerly waiting for it. I may have to buy it instead of wait for a library copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member PopcornReads
I fell in love with the Flavia de Luce historical mystery series last year when I reviewed Speaking from Among the Bones by bestselling and multi-award-winning author Alan Bradley. I had seen other novels in this series but thought, meh, it’s about a little girl – who wants to read that? Doh,
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me that’s who! Flavia is no ordinary little girl by any means and this is no ordinary series, so I got excited when I saw that The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, Book #6, was coming out. We don’t normally review novels this far into a series but each one of these English cozy mysteries can easily be read as a stand-alone. That said, I think you’ll get hooked on Ms. Flavia and her sisters just as much as I did because who could help it? Show Less
LibraryThing member melaniehope
Another great story in the Flavia de Luce series. Book 6 really centers on the mystery surrounding Flavia and her mother's disappearance in the Tibetan mountains 10 years earlier. In the past, we were only given small bits of information about Flavia's mom. This book finally gives the readers a bit
Flavia is still as pesky and charming as always. I love this series and book #6 is another winner. Hopefully there will be more in the series. It would be fun to read about an older Flavia in a new environment using her deductive and sleuthing skills.
I received a complimentary e-book via Netgalley in exchange for a review.
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of closure on that subject.Flavia is still as pesky and charming as always. I love this series and book #6 is another winner. Hopefully there will be more in the series. It would be fun to read about an older Flavia in a new environment using her deductive and sleuthing skills.
I received a complimentary e-book via Netgalley in exchange for a review.
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LibraryThing member gaby317
I am a huge fan of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series of cozy mysteries.
Set in the 1950s countryside with the aristocratic de Luce family in danger of losing their longtime home and estate of Buckshaw, it is hard not to become fond of the genius and Chemistry whiz that is Flavia de Luce. Flavia's
Buckshaw has been owned and held by the de Luce family estate since William the Conqueror, but the unexpected disappearance of Flavia's mother, Harriet de Luce, has brought with it crippling estate taxes. It becomes apparent that Colonel de Luce is not particularly financially savvy and although the earlier novels show his and Dodger's talents, it is likely that Buckshaw will eventually be sold to cover the family's tax bill and expenses.
Buckshaw itself is an amazing place which we learn about through young Flavia's eyes. Flavia'd discovered a state of the art and well stocked chemistry lab that was initially organized by Uncle Tarquin. Through her insatiable curiosity, burgeoning chemistry skills and the invaluable handwritten journals that Tarquin has compiled, Flavia clearly shows hereof to be on par with the best chemists of her day. It's these skills, her powers of deduction and observation that make this young heroine one of the best sleuths of her day and both an invaluable aid and bit of a pest to the inspectors of her area and of Scotland Yard.
Unlike the earlier novels, this particular installment of the de Luce mysteries doesn't focus on a mysterious death of a stranger. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches deals more with the mystery of Harriet de Luce and her disappearance.
For those who haven't read any of the Flavia de Luce novels, you have to read the books in order, but I highly recommend this series!
Set in the 1950s countryside with the aristocratic de Luce family in danger of losing their longtime home and estate of Buckshaw, it is hard not to become fond of the genius and Chemistry whiz that is Flavia de Luce. Flavia's
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nearly twelve years old in this, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, the 5th book in the series. Flavia's the third and youngest daughter of Harriet and Colonel de Luce and has been raised and educated at home by a series of tutors and governesses, watched over by her war damaged father, two beautiful and preoccupied older sisters, the caring staff, and Dodger - her close friend and her father's man during WWII.Buckshaw has been owned and held by the de Luce family estate since William the Conqueror, but the unexpected disappearance of Flavia's mother, Harriet de Luce, has brought with it crippling estate taxes. It becomes apparent that Colonel de Luce is not particularly financially savvy and although the earlier novels show his and Dodger's talents, it is likely that Buckshaw will eventually be sold to cover the family's tax bill and expenses.
Buckshaw itself is an amazing place which we learn about through young Flavia's eyes. Flavia'd discovered a state of the art and well stocked chemistry lab that was initially organized by Uncle Tarquin. Through her insatiable curiosity, burgeoning chemistry skills and the invaluable handwritten journals that Tarquin has compiled, Flavia clearly shows hereof to be on par with the best chemists of her day. It's these skills, her powers of deduction and observation that make this young heroine one of the best sleuths of her day and both an invaluable aid and bit of a pest to the inspectors of her area and of Scotland Yard.
Unlike the earlier novels, this particular installment of the de Luce mysteries doesn't focus on a mysterious death of a stranger. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches deals more with the mystery of Harriet de Luce and her disappearance.
For those who haven't read any of the Flavia de Luce novels, you have to read the books in order, but I highly recommend this series!
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LibraryThing member Judiex
If you haven’t read the previous Flavia de Luce novels, I don’t recommend reading this one yet. The series, beginning with THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE is best read in chronological order.
If you have been following Flavia’s adventures, THE DEAD AND THEIR VAULTED ARCHES does a fine
The story opens with the arrival of Flavia’s mother, Harriet, arrived home after disappearing in Tibet ten years previously. We read about the effect of her return on many people in addition to her immediate family The story behind her disappearance is told as is the reason that Daffy and Finny are so mean to Flavia.
At the train station for her mother’s arrival, a man comes up to Flavia, tells her to tell her father “the Gamekeeper is in jeopardy...and the Nide is under...” as her sister pulls her away. The man then falls or is pushed on the track and is killed by the train. He and his death provide clues about Harriet’s disappearance.
Flavia continues with her chemical experiments with mixed results.
And two new characters, de Luca relatives, appear. One of them, Undine, a precocious and undisciplined child, gets on Flavia’s nerves (in many ways she seems like a younger version of Flavia) and, if there is to be more to this series or another series, may play a prominent role in it.
THE DEAD AND THEIR VAULTED ARCHES was a well-written, satisfying book. It was based at home more than the previous ones but that was necessitated by the plot. The ending was quite unexpected.
If you have been following Flavia’s adventures, THE DEAD AND THEIR VAULTED ARCHES does a fine
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job tying up all the loose ends and answering the many unanswered questions.The story opens with the arrival of Flavia’s mother, Harriet, arrived home after disappearing in Tibet ten years previously. We read about the effect of her return on many people in addition to her immediate family The story behind her disappearance is told as is the reason that Daffy and Finny are so mean to Flavia.
At the train station for her mother’s arrival, a man comes up to Flavia, tells her to tell her father “the Gamekeeper is in jeopardy...and the Nide is under...” as her sister pulls her away. The man then falls or is pushed on the track and is killed by the train. He and his death provide clues about Harriet’s disappearance.
Flavia continues with her chemical experiments with mixed results.
And two new characters, de Luca relatives, appear. One of them, Undine, a precocious and undisciplined child, gets on Flavia’s nerves (in many ways she seems like a younger version of Flavia) and, if there is to be more to this series or another series, may play a prominent role in it.
THE DEAD AND THEIR VAULTED ARCHES was a well-written, satisfying book. It was based at home more than the previous ones but that was necessitated by the plot. The ending was quite unexpected.
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LibraryThing member Twink
Faithful readers will know that I absolutely adore this series by Canadian Alan Bradley. I have been eagerly awaiting the sixth entry in this fantastic series.
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches marks the return of Bradley's eleven year old sleuth - the intrepid, indefatigable, indomitable Flavia de
Flavia, her two older sisters and her father live at Buckshaw, a crumbling old mansion near the village of Bishop's Lacey, England. She's incredibly bright, with a passion for concocting and distilling poisons in a forgotten wing of the estate. She also has a propensity for happening upon dead bodies. Besides her lab, her greatest joy comes from solving 'whodunit'. If she can solve it ahead of the local constabulary, all the better!
Minutes before he finds his maker, courtesy of the train at Buckshaw Halt, a mysterious stranger approaches Flavia and desperately asks her to "Tell your father that the Gamekeeper is in jeopardy. He'll understand. I must speak to him. Tell him that the Nide is under - "
Over the last five books, Bradley has slowly been surely dropping hints about Harriet, Flavia's mother, who disappeared many years ago when Flavia was just a baby. There are few cracks in Flavia's armour, but the loss of her mother is one. Bradley finally reveals the answers to Harriet's whereabouts and in The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, takes the story to places I didn't see coming (But that I am very excited about!)
Why do I love this series so much? The time period, the crumbling mansion, the poky village and all of it's quirky inhabitants. All of the characters are wonderfully drawn, but it is Flavia and her busy little mind who captures me.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...."Flavia is one of the most endearing, captivating, curious, beguiling, precocious characters I've ever discovered in the pages of a book."
I love her view of the world - here are a few 'Flavia-isms'....
"I counted to eleven, partly because it was my age (although not for much longer) and partly because eleven seconds seemed to me a perfect balance between awe and insolence."
"One of the marks of a truly great mind, I had discovered, is the ability to feign stupidity on demand."
"As I have mentioned before, it has been my experience that a prolonged silence has the same effect as a W.C. plunger when it comes to unclogging a stuck conversation."
But, despite her talents, she is still a little girl. Bradley has fleshed out her character beyond her talents with poisons and her brilliant mind. Because, after all that she is still a lonely, little girl whose best friends are Dogger, the family retainer and Gladys - her bicycle. Flavia unconsciously transfers and attributes many of her own feelings to Gladys.
"There was nothing that excited Gladys more than sneaking out the back way. We had performed that maneuver together on many occasions, and I think she took a certain naughty delight in having the opportunity to do it again. She gave a tiny squeak of pleasure and I hadn't the heart to reprimand her."
" I thought of her sitting home alone, wondering why I had forsaken her. Although Gladys loved nothing better than whizzing hell-for-leather down hills, she loathed being shoved up them. It made both of us cranky."
See what I mean? I love her! I wanted to be Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy when I was younger. I devoured each and every book and carried around my own notebook full of observations and clues. Flavia will appeal to all ages, but I like imagining myself in her eleven year old shoes.
Absolutely, positively recommended! If you haven't read any of this series yet, I encourage you to start at the beginning. For established Flavia fans - you won't be disappointed. And like me, you'll be counting down the days until the seventh book is released!
Flavia has a fan club - and of course I'm a member! (Also, the UK is making this series into a television program in 2015)
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches marks the return of Bradley's eleven year old sleuth - the intrepid, indefatigable, indomitable Flavia de
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Luce!Flavia, her two older sisters and her father live at Buckshaw, a crumbling old mansion near the village of Bishop's Lacey, England. She's incredibly bright, with a passion for concocting and distilling poisons in a forgotten wing of the estate. She also has a propensity for happening upon dead bodies. Besides her lab, her greatest joy comes from solving 'whodunit'. If she can solve it ahead of the local constabulary, all the better!
Minutes before he finds his maker, courtesy of the train at Buckshaw Halt, a mysterious stranger approaches Flavia and desperately asks her to "Tell your father that the Gamekeeper is in jeopardy. He'll understand. I must speak to him. Tell him that the Nide is under - "
Over the last five books, Bradley has slowly been surely dropping hints about Harriet, Flavia's mother, who disappeared many years ago when Flavia was just a baby. There are few cracks in Flavia's armour, but the loss of her mother is one. Bradley finally reveals the answers to Harriet's whereabouts and in The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, takes the story to places I didn't see coming (But that I am very excited about!)
Why do I love this series so much? The time period, the crumbling mansion, the poky village and all of it's quirky inhabitants. All of the characters are wonderfully drawn, but it is Flavia and her busy little mind who captures me.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...."Flavia is one of the most endearing, captivating, curious, beguiling, precocious characters I've ever discovered in the pages of a book."
I love her view of the world - here are a few 'Flavia-isms'....
"I counted to eleven, partly because it was my age (although not for much longer) and partly because eleven seconds seemed to me a perfect balance between awe and insolence."
"One of the marks of a truly great mind, I had discovered, is the ability to feign stupidity on demand."
"As I have mentioned before, it has been my experience that a prolonged silence has the same effect as a W.C. plunger when it comes to unclogging a stuck conversation."
But, despite her talents, she is still a little girl. Bradley has fleshed out her character beyond her talents with poisons and her brilliant mind. Because, after all that she is still a lonely, little girl whose best friends are Dogger, the family retainer and Gladys - her bicycle. Flavia unconsciously transfers and attributes many of her own feelings to Gladys.
"There was nothing that excited Gladys more than sneaking out the back way. We had performed that maneuver together on many occasions, and I think she took a certain naughty delight in having the opportunity to do it again. She gave a tiny squeak of pleasure and I hadn't the heart to reprimand her."
" I thought of her sitting home alone, wondering why I had forsaken her. Although Gladys loved nothing better than whizzing hell-for-leather down hills, she loathed being shoved up them. It made both of us cranky."
See what I mean? I love her! I wanted to be Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy when I was younger. I devoured each and every book and carried around my own notebook full of observations and clues. Flavia will appeal to all ages, but I like imagining myself in her eleven year old shoes.
Absolutely, positively recommended! If you haven't read any of this series yet, I encourage you to start at the beginning. For established Flavia fans - you won't be disappointed. And like me, you'll be counting down the days until the seventh book is released!
Flavia has a fan club - and of course I'm a member! (Also, the UK is making this series into a television program in 2015)
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LibraryThing member horomnizon
This was not a traditional murder mystery like the previous books in the series, but rather sets us up for quite a change of scenery in future books. As Harriet's body is returned to Buckshaw before burial, Flavia discovers all kinds of things about her deceased mother and a few other members of
Even though Flavia is not working to solve a murder (for the most part - as there is a murder near the beginning of the book), I found it an interesting story, and well-written as always. I'm looking forward to what the future will bring and how much trouble Flavia will get into in her new setting. I still recommend people to go back and read all the titles in order, even though it isn't entirely necessary...but they are really all quite good and enjoyable, quick reads.
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her family/household. She also learns what her fate will be...Even though Flavia is not working to solve a murder (for the most part - as there is a murder near the beginning of the book), I found it an interesting story, and well-written as always. I'm looking forward to what the future will bring and how much trouble Flavia will get into in her new setting. I still recommend people to go back and read all the titles in order, even though it isn't entirely necessary...but they are really all quite good and enjoyable, quick reads.
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LibraryThing member Schatje
This is the sixth mystery featuring Flavia de Luce, the precocious pre-teen who excels as an amateur detective-cum-chemist. This one takes up where the previous book, Speaking from Among the Bones, left off. The body of Harriet, Flavia’s mother who has been missing for a decade, is brought home.
The chief attraction in this book, as with the others in the series, is Flavia. When I reviewed the previous book, I mentioned her growing maturity. She is just an eleven-year-old and she is still childish; her attempt to play Dr. Frankenstein (scenes which I found rather discomfiting) clearly illustrates her immaturity, but her motivation is concern for her father. It is this consideration for the feelings of others that stands out as an indication of her maturation. At one point, she says, “There was enough pressure in the house already without my adding more.” She even comforts her older sister by saying, “’Chin up, Daff. We’ll come through all this. I promise.’” She tries to see things from the point of view of others: “What kind of life did she have, when you stop to think about it?” Flavia speaks about trying “hard to be a better person” and being grateful for what she has: “There was so much to be grateful for, when you stopped too think of it, in spite of all our hardships.”
This book is more intimate and emotional that the others since it deals with the mysteries in Flavia’s own family and with her feelings about her mother’s death: “Although it is shameful to admit, I knew that I had been trying to hang on to the past, attempting to awaken every morning to my old world: a world in which Harriet was still comfortably missing, a world in which, at least, I knew where I stood.”
The scenes where Flavia struggles with losing her mother (“’She was my mother,’ I said. ‘I’d never seen her face.’”) and feels totally lost (“What did I think? How did I feel? I wish I knew.”) are heart-breaking.
This book seems very much a closing chapter in Flavia’s life. The ending clearly suggests she is embarking on another phase in her life. Readers can only hope that the author chooses to continue to follow this enchanting heroine.
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These are difficult days for Flavia and her family. As they prepare for the funeral, Flavia learns several secrets surrounding her mother’s life and death as well as secrets about other de Luce family members.The chief attraction in this book, as with the others in the series, is Flavia. When I reviewed the previous book, I mentioned her growing maturity. She is just an eleven-year-old and she is still childish; her attempt to play Dr. Frankenstein (scenes which I found rather discomfiting) clearly illustrates her immaturity, but her motivation is concern for her father. It is this consideration for the feelings of others that stands out as an indication of her maturation. At one point, she says, “There was enough pressure in the house already without my adding more.” She even comforts her older sister by saying, “’Chin up, Daff. We’ll come through all this. I promise.’” She tries to see things from the point of view of others: “What kind of life did she have, when you stop to think about it?” Flavia speaks about trying “hard to be a better person” and being grateful for what she has: “There was so much to be grateful for, when you stopped too think of it, in spite of all our hardships.”
This book is more intimate and emotional that the others since it deals with the mysteries in Flavia’s own family and with her feelings about her mother’s death: “Although it is shameful to admit, I knew that I had been trying to hang on to the past, attempting to awaken every morning to my old world: a world in which Harriet was still comfortably missing, a world in which, at least, I knew where I stood.”
The scenes where Flavia struggles with losing her mother (“’She was my mother,’ I said. ‘I’d never seen her face.’”) and feels totally lost (“What did I think? How did I feel? I wish I knew.”) are heart-breaking.
This book seems very much a closing chapter in Flavia’s life. The ending clearly suggests she is embarking on another phase in her life. Readers can only hope that the author chooses to continue to follow this enchanting heroine.
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LibraryThing member tanya2009
The 6th book in the series. Another good read by the author. Flavia is a great character and the author does a good job with character development in all the books in the series. I recommend the series to anyone who loves mysteries with a young lead character.
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Flavia de Luce received shocking news at the end of Speaking from Among the Bones. This book addresses the fallout from that news a week later. While there is a murder – or maybe two – for Flavia to solve, murder isn't at the heart of this one. Instead, it's family secrets. Flavia, at almost
This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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twelve, shows flashes of maturity when she empathizes with others in their grief. In other ways she is still very much a child. This book answers many questions about Flavia's family that have had readers guessing since the beginning of the series. Even though I was glad to finally learn the family secrets, I enjoyed this one less than other books in the series because Flavia wasn't matching wits with Inspector Hewitt and the police this time. It also seems to signal a change in the character of the series, from straight murder mystery to more of an adventure or spy novel. I'm curious to find out where Flavia is headed next.This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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LibraryThing member jamespurcell
Another excellent entry in this series. Flayia's mother, Harriet, comes home and much but not all is revealed.
LibraryThing member summergal05
The story opens with Harriet being returned to Bishop's Lacey for burial. Flavia meets a stranger at the rail station and minutes later he is dead. A good addition to the series and one readers will enjoy. We learn more about Harriet, find out the disposal of Buckshaw and at the end Flavia heads
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off on a new adventure. Well worth the read. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
Is this the end of the series? I hope not. I have followed Flavia de Luce on her many adventures in Bishop's Lacy and will miss her greatly if this is the finale. This book clarified a lot of what was hinted at throughout the series. I have to admit that I was devastated by the circumstances of
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Harriet's return. I thought something else entirely. The rest of the book was sad but cathartic. I had a feeling that Harriet had a lot in common with Maggie Hope, the heroine in Susan Mac Neal's novels. It was nice getting insight on the relationship between the father and Dogger. And Aunt Felicity, who knew? For fans of the series this book was a treat. New readers should begin with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Where does Alan Bradley go from here? I personally would like to catch up with Flavia when she has finished her schooling and is a young woman. If Bradley decides to continue the series endless adventures await. Show Less
LibraryThing member mamzel
Well, our little Flavia did a lot of growing up in this book! At the end of the last book in the series we were left with the cliff hanger that her mother, Hariet was coming home. Hariet had disappeared when Flavia was only one year old so she had no memories of her, something she always envied her
Flavia, if you are not familiar with the series, is an eleven-year old girl, extremely bright, with a particular interest in poisons. Left mostly to her own devices, she found a place to study her passion in a complete chemistry lab put together by an uncle who had since passed away. With the only company of her pet hen, she taught herself organic chemistry and has been able to put that knowledge to use by helping the local constabulary solve several murders. Adults do not talk to her like she is a child and respect her abilities.
Taking a watch in the room with her mother's casket, she breaks into it to set eyes on the mother she never knew. Her mother had been found in the crevasse of a glacier so was preserved enough to view. She also discovered a waterproof packet with her mother's will!
This book has really brought Flavia into a world of intrigue and mystery - right up her alley! The reader will love discovering who her mother was and feel the emotions that Flavia felt.
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sisters. Surprises occur at every turn when the funeral train pulled into the station, with full military escort, Winston Churchill, and aunt and cousin she had never met, government agents, and a man in a long coat who had only had time enough to tell her two cryptic sentences before tragedy struck.Flavia, if you are not familiar with the series, is an eleven-year old girl, extremely bright, with a particular interest in poisons. Left mostly to her own devices, she found a place to study her passion in a complete chemistry lab put together by an uncle who had since passed away. With the only company of her pet hen, she taught herself organic chemistry and has been able to put that knowledge to use by helping the local constabulary solve several murders. Adults do not talk to her like she is a child and respect her abilities.
Taking a watch in the room with her mother's casket, she breaks into it to set eyes on the mother she never knew. Her mother had been found in the crevasse of a glacier so was preserved enough to view. She also discovered a waterproof packet with her mother's will!
This book has really brought Flavia into a world of intrigue and mystery - right up her alley! The reader will love discovering who her mother was and feel the emotions that Flavia felt.
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LibraryThing member ad_astra
I have loved this series since the beginning, and the sixth book is no exception. However, it was much different than the five that came before it. There is still plenty of murder to be solved, but there is an overarching sadness to the story and I felt my heart breaking over and over again. I
I was happy to see the familiar faces - Mrs M, Dogger, the Inspector, and a multitude of other people who showed Flavia kindness during a difficult time.
The book ended with quite a bang. The reader is given a lot of new information and Flavia's story takes a turn I didn't see coming. I'm excited to see where the author takes us next!
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absolutely adore Flavia and this book gave us an intimate look into a little girl who is growing up, perhaps faster than girls should. I was happy to see the familiar faces - Mrs M, Dogger, the Inspector, and a multitude of other people who showed Flavia kindness during a difficult time.
The book ended with quite a bang. The reader is given a lot of new information and Flavia's story takes a turn I didn't see coming. I'm excited to see where the author takes us next!
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LibraryThing member ethel55
With the news that Harriet will return to Buckshaw, never have I felt so keenly the young age of Flavia de Luce in post war Bishop's Lacey. As an almost twelve year old, she's astounded all with her aptitude in both the chemistry lab and among the various murders that have occurred in and around
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those she loves. But, her work is far from done, as both the familiar and distant arrive in the small village. I liked that we are treated to more of Aunt Felicity's and Dogger's pasts, they are some of the characters with perhaps the most interesting back stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member 68papyrus
As this latest Flavia de Luce novel begins, Flavia's family is at the train depot awaiting the return of Harriet's body on the funeral train. This volume has a much more somber feel to it than previous installments. Harriet's return has brought to the surface all the grief, anger and uncertainty
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that has bubbled just below the surface. I think this has become my favorite volume in the series. This story had many layers and brought new awareness of some of the characters and finally provided answers to the question " who was Harriet de Luce. The series is taking on a new twist and while I'm excited for new adventures with Flavia I'm a bit sad for those whom will be left behind. Can't wait for the next book in the series! Show Less
LibraryThing member Lettypearl
Flavia de Luce #6! At the end of book #5, Flavia's father announced that her mother, Harriet (who had been missing since Flavia was a baby) had been found. This book begins with the return of Harriet's body to Bishop's Lacey. At the train station, none other than Winston Churchill shows up, and
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cryptically asks Flavia if she too has developed a taste for pheasant sandwiches. Also at the station, a tall stranger whispers a warning to Flavia about an impending attack just before he lands under the train. While Flavia tries to figure out these mysteries, as well as the death of her mother, Flavia unearths mysteries that have surrounded the de Luce family since book one. Another terrificly entertaining story by Alan Bradley! Show Less
Awards
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2014-01-14
Physical description
336 p.
ISBN
1409114260 / 9781409114260
Local notes
The presumed death of Harriet de Luce in a mysterious mountaineering accident in Tibet while Flavia was only a baby cast a sombre shadow over the family, leaving Colonel de Luce a broken man and Flavia herself with no memories of her mother. But now, astonishingly, a specially commissioned train is bringing Harriet back to Buckshaw. But rather than putting the past finally to rest, Harriet's return is set to trigger a further series of bizarre and deadly events, as a most curious group of individuals converge on Buckshaw to pay their respects.