I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

A Flavia de Luce Novel

By: Alan Bradley

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

It’s Christmastime, and the precocious Flavia de Luce—an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry and a penchant for crime-solving—is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern. Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop’s Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening’s shocking conclusion: a body found, past midnight, strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must use every ounce of sly wit at her disposal to ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight.

©2011 Alan Bradley (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"If ever there was a sleuth who’s bold, brilliant, and yes, adorable, it’s Flavia de Luce.” ( USA Today)

I can't get enough of Flavia de Luce

This is the fourth book by Alan Bradley featuring young Flavia. I love her constant desire to poison or otherwise injure her older sisters. It is wonderful to see her relationships continue to develop.
I am amazed that Alan Bradley is not an Englishman born and bred. He has so wonderfully captured english country life at it's best... And worst.

A great winter season mystery

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I enjoyed all the Flavia stories and this one is no exception. They are great, light-hearted mysteries with plenty of twists and turns.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoy the juxtaposition of Flavia as a youngster who is still wondering about the existence of Santa Claus while also dealing with the very adult matter of a murder mystery. She is a complex and engaging character and I love her adventures.

What does Jayne Entwistle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jayne really brings all the characters to life in an entirely credible and convincing way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely - I never want to turn off a Flavia mystery!

Any additional comments?

As always, looking forward to the next installment of Flavia's adventures.

Great Narrator<br /> Very enjoyable listen. Good story

Can't wait to listen to the rest of the series. Have enjoyed all of the books so far.

Flavia is a delight!

Where does I Am Half-Sick of Shadows rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I always look forward to the latest Alan Bradley audiobook, and this one does not disappoint.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jayne Entwistle perfectly captures the eccentric Flavia, who reminds me of a talented-and-gifted version of Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family cartoons--an eleven-year-old chemistry nerd loaded to the gills with irony.

Conflicted feelings.

I love all the characters in these books because they are so interesting. The Santa trap and the murder investigation was a great way to highlight a 11 year-old's one foot in childhood, one foot in the adult world state of being. However, the murder mystery itself was a little thin and forced. I hope the next book has a better mystery.

Flavia is my favorite character ever

I wish there were 10 more of these novels. I am rereading them all again in anticipation of the upcoming release of the new book in the series. My only question is… why doesn’t this child go to school?

It just keeps getting better

Jayne Entwistle gives her usual excellent reading in this, the latest Flavia De Luce adventure, it's an ice cold holiday romp as the village of Bishops Lacey and a film company prepare to spend Christmas with De Luces, and with Flavia about, all this company can only lead to murder most foul.

Another winner!

Oh, I love Flavia!!! This was my favorite so far. ( I think I may have said that for every one of these books.) Flavia is a riot and I think Alan Bradley is a genius for creating such a unique character.

The mystery is okay but the book is more enjoyable for Flavia's actions than for actually figuring out who-done-it. Was that a thawing in the sister relationship I detected? And Flavia's attempt to capture Father Christmas was ingenious.

As usual, the narration was perfection. It adds so much to these books.

Love Flavia

Where does I Am Half-Sick of Shadows rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top of my list.

What other book might you compare I Am Half-Sick of Shadows to and why?

Flavia is in a class of her own.

Have you listened to any of Jayne Entwistle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I was told she did the Flavia voice so well, that is why I bought it.
I have read all the Flavia books.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the sisters started to "communicate".

True magic!! Don't miss this series!!!

One of my top 3 series of all time. ​Very w​ell written! Wonderful characters, engagingly ​faceted plot, ​this book as well as ​the ​entire​ series is just perfect!​ ​I am jealous that ​as of 1/22/19 one can binge read this series (books 1-10)! I read them as they came out and had to wait a year (sometimes even longer) to ​read the next installment. ​