I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

A Flavia de Luce Novel

By: Alan Bradley

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle

Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

Movie Star and Precocious Child

Any additional comments?

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.
f

Second time to listen

I listened to the series a decade ago? Found this book and decided to listen again. A little intrigue and a delightful smart girl, who can be quite a plotter.

Christmas Cozy!

This series is just plain fun. Flavia continues her amateur sleuthing while her sisters keep up their facade of hating her. New and old characters make the story hard to put aside, and this one being a Christmas cozy made it just right for the season! As usual, Jayne Entwistle's performance is perfection!

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 book well read but

I enjoy the Flavia books so much that I will continue reading them; this one in particular has beautiful passages well read by the narrator. As the series progresses, the reading becomes better. I wish to hear fewer exclamation points in places where there would be more meaning without them; nevertheless, the reader has captured a spirit of childhood and mischief and loneliness and love and inner strength and spriteliness and warmth that I think many narrators might have been unable to encompass. Flavia's emotional range is not lost on this narrator. And the writing is top drawer. Often words drop away out of your mind, leaving only story: yet they are the perfect words. The only reason I don't give this auther five stars is that Dorothy Dunnett exists. She is a five star writer and has spoiled me for most others.

Loved it!

I think this is my favorite Flavia DeLuce book yet. I found myself laughing out loud at some Flavia's comments. The narrator is so wonderful at bringing that character to life.

Christmas at Buckshaw-what could possibly go wrong

Another compelling account of the infant terrible known as Flavia! She's smarter than she should be,
and luckier than most! Just a fun listen with the poverty-stricken aristocrats at Buckshaw Manor. The more of these I read, the more I want. Delightful narrator makes it all the better.

Love Love

The best stories with the most perfect narrator. 🥰. I re-listen to this series frequently.

A fan of Flavia!!

What did you love best about I Am Half-Sick of Shadows?

Another charming story by Alan Bradley of Flavia de Luce narrated fabulously by Jayne Entwistle.....what a great team! Can't wait for the next one!

Cute Holiday Story/ Mystery

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

I like this Flavia de Luce series - but maybe not as much as I wish I did. The main character being a child gets old quickly for me. I read the first in the series and realized I wouldn't read any others--- but listening to the holiday mystery at Christmas time seemed like a nice prospect. This isn't much of a mystery-- it's very character-driven and well-written, but in my mind not a mystery. Still, it was nice to listen to-- well-narrated and put me in a festive mood.