What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust
A Flavia de Luce Novel
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4.5 • 78 Ratings
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce, along with her pestilent younger cousin, investigates the murder of a former public hangman and uncovers a secret that brings the greatest shock of her life.
“I love the Flavia de Luce novels! Flavia is the best female detective I’ve ever read, full of realism, self-confidence, and emotion (in roughly equal parts), and her tales are hilarious, engaging, and occasionally heartbreaking.”—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Outlander series
A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Flavia de Luce has taken on the mentorship of her odious moon-faced cousin Undine, who has come to live at Buckshaw following the death of her mother. Undine’s main talent, aside from cultivating disgusting habits, seems to be raising Flavia’s hackles, although in her best moments she shows potential for trespassing, trickery, and other assorted mayhem.
When Major Greyleigh, a local recluse and former hangman, is found dead after a breakfast of poisonous mushrooms, suspicion falls on the de Luce family’s longtime cook, Mrs. Mullet. After all, wasn’t it she who’d picked the mushrooms, cooked the omelet, and served it to Greyleigh moments before his death? “I have to admit,” says Flavia, an expert in the chemical nature of poisons, “that I’d been praying to God for a jolly good old-fashioned mushroom poisoning. Not that I wanted anyone to die, but why give a girl a gift such as mine without giving her the opportunity to use it?”
But Flavia knows the beloved Mrs. Mullet is innocent. Together with Dogger, estate gardener and partner-in-crime, and the obnoxious Undine, Flavia sets out to find the real killer and clear Mrs. Mullet’s good name. Little does she know that following the case’s twists and turns will lead her to a most surprising discovery—one with the power to upend her entire life.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A crime-solving prodigy tackles responsibility and murder in this gruesomely fun installment in Alan Bradley’s long-running Flavia de Luce mystery series. A genius of chemistry and criminology, 12-year-old Flavia might secretly be one of postwar Britain’s top investigators. Since her father’s death, she’s even become the de facto lady of Buckshaw, her family’s manor. However, she’s also inherited something else: responsibility for her younger orphaned cousin, Undine. We were thrilled to hear Flavia discover, with both excitement and horror, that little Undine is just as interested in solving the possible murder of a local recluse as she is. Flavia is an odd but captivating tween heroine, with her giddy excitement to explore the gory details of a crime scene. And when confronted with the disturbing fearlessness of little Undine, she gets a fascinating taste of her own medicine. You’ll love following this unlikely pair into the center of a darkly complex mystery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The enchanting 12th installment of Bradley's Flavia de Luce series (after The Gold Tresses of the Dead) finds the precocious adolescent sleuth attempting to prove her family cook innocent of murder. Eight years after WWII, England is still suffering privations that have led many—including the de Luces' trusted cook, Mrs. Mullet—to forage in the forest for food. When former hangman Major Greyleigh is found murdered, the local inspector turns his suspicions to Mullet, who fed Greyleigh an omelet made with foraged mushrooms moments before he died. Flavia, however, knows there must be some misunderstanding, and she rallies to Mullet's defense with the help of her gardener and her troublesome younger cousin, whose boorish personality is nearly offset by her willingness to help Flavia bend the rules when necessary. Flavia's investigation sees her teasing out information from the village postmistress, a scrapbooking neighbor, and the church gossip circle. She also tricks her way onto a U.S. Army base, where she confirms her family's involvement with a shadowy group of assassins and discovers a secret that may break her heart. Flavia's characteristic quirky humor and unorthodox thinking are on full display, and the ending finds her taking a well-earned step forward in her maturity. This series is as fresh as ever.
Customer Reviews
What Time…
Okay but with too many loose ends.
Obsessed with Flavia
Can’t wait until next book comes out. Love the characters and writing.