Oh Flavia! How I have missed you so!

This new Flavia de Luce mystery just came out on Tuesday. I have had it pre-ordered for months. Months I tell you. UPS and Amazon delivered it on time Tuesday evening and it has been tempting me all week. I was still finishing up Les Miserables and made myself wait until that was out of the way until I started this. I snuggled up last night to start it and finished it this afternoon. There is no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If only the Flavia novels could last as long as Les Mis. The stories just go by way too fast. Flavia is lightning quick to solve the mysteries, put the local police inspector in his place, and still keep an eye on her family. This time around, as I get to know Flavia and her family more and more, it is their story that keeps me riveted more than what ever grisly crime has been committed in Bishop's Lacey. Dogger is right there with Flavia all the way, more of a father to her than her father is. His words of wisdom and tidbits of information are so well placed and played, that I know for a fact Flavia would be lost without him.

The crime this time was good. Not too overwhelming at all. That's what makes the mysteries so good. No one really important dies, just people who were passing through town but had connections to some of the long-standing local community. In the first few novels I was a little overwhelmed by the chemistry and Flavia's fascination with it (chemistry is not my thing), but now I expect it from her and learn from her. Without her vast knowledge of chemistry she would not be able to solve these crimes. It is such an amazing skill for an eleven year old to have.

In this fifth book I think there was a softer side of Flavia revealed. She was concerned about not only Feely and Daffy, but also Dogger. There were some very emotional scenes between them all which was new. They are all facing an unknown future and it brought them together. I'm worried about the family and desperately hope that they will be able to save their house in the next installment. That is what was surprisingly new in this book.... there was not just one, but two cliffhangers at the end, something we have not seen in the previous books.

What will happen to the De Luce family? I can hardly stand the wait.

Read it! Go back and read the previous books and fall in love with Flavia.