"Best Flavia yet"
I felt very warm and fuzzy at the end of this story. It was wonderful storytelling and of course the narration was spot on!!!
"More Flavia DeLuce"
I adore this series and the narrator is perfect. I'm waiting for the next one to come out.
"wonderfully done"
loved it from beging to end! never seaces to make me smile and at times brings tears to my eyes.
"Irrepressible!"
I just love these stories! I often listen three-times over and each time I hear something new! I really enjoy Flavia and her whole family. Towards the end of this book we seem to be getting hints that the relationship between Flavia and her sisters is maturing... Nice ending to a fun read! Can't wait to get into the next one!
"Great Narrator
Very enjoyable listen. Good story"
Can't wait to listen to the rest of the series. Have enjoyed all of the books so far.
"Quirky plots and superb narration"
Quirky plots, unforgettable characters, and superb narration make this series of mysteries some of the best I've heard on audible. Pig-tailed prodgy, 11 yr. old chemist/detective Flabia deLuce has become one of my literary heroines and I add her to my other favorite, Scout Finch, as children I wish I had known and had as friends when I was a child.
"I am half-sick of shadows" is the fourth in the Flavia deLuce novels but hasn't lost steam as some series do after the first few books. Alan Bradley is brilliant in his portrayals of the tender relationship between Flavia and Dogger, the faithful household servant suffering from PTS, the hilarious and often hostile sibling rivalry among the 3 de Luce sisters, and the competitive friendship between Flavia and Inspector Hewitt.
Alan Bradley, please keep Flavia forever 11. Long live Flavia deLuce.
"Good series; less good book"
I enjoy this series and the characters very much. This particular book had some great character moments, however the mystery itself did not hold together very well. If you are a devotee of the series, then by all means read this. Otherwise you can skip it.
"Fun book to listen to"
Love the first three Flavia DeLuce novels; can't wait to listen to number four. These books are great for anyone who likes a happy whodunit.
"Movie Star and Precocious Child"
Flavia is the precocious youngest daughter of the family de Luce and lives in a large manor house with a long history. The death duties from her mother's death ten years earlier are having a deleterious effect of the family's resources in this novel just after WWII. Her father, the Colonel, decides to rent out the house to a film crew. The film's star, Phyllis Wyvern is a bright star of film and everyone is excited.
In the meantime, Flavia is trying to disprove her two older sisters' assertion that Father Christmas is made-up. Using her chemistry lab, she has concocted an elaborate trap on the roof.
The commotion of the film crew grows when the Vicar cons the two movie stars to enact the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet as a fundraiser for the church roof. The whole village attends and, alas, gets snowed in.
Late that night, Phyllis Wyvern is brutally murdered and Flavia discovers the body. With her curiosity, annoying persistence, she and the police solve the case with an exciting and stunning conclusion. I am always amused at the discussion between the police inspector and Flavia. Each gets it almost-right and when they put their theories together, each one thinks they solved it!
Another delicious audio book with flawless and terrific narration.
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"Moves too slowly"
I love hearing Jayne Entwistle's voice and I enjoy Flavia's character. Thus, I keep reading these books hoping that there will be another one that lives up to the first in the series. Sadly, this one doesn't.
Nothing exciting happens until chapter 11 (there are 22 chapters), and when it does, the action is far too spaced out to keep me really interested.
I can't say enough about Jayne Entwistle's talent. She is a wonderful narrator and she was the perfect pick for these novels.
There was nothing particularly gory or disturbing about this one, but there were some expressions that might offend Christians. I did not appreciate the use of the phrases, and this will probably be my last Flavia book.