The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

A Flavia de Luce Novel

De: Alan Bradley

Narrado por: Jayne Entwistle

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train’s arrival in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office—and making spectacular use of Harriet’s beloved Gipsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit—Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.

Praise for The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

“Part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Flavia is a pert and macabre pragmatist.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Alan] Bradley’s award winning Flavia de Luce series . . . has enchanted readers with the outrageous sleuthing career of its precocious leading lady. . . . This latest adventure contains all the winning elements of the previous books.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Bradley’s latest Flavia de Luce novel reaches a new level of perfection as it shows the emotional turmoil and growth of a girl who has always been older than her years and yet is still a child. The mystery is complex and very personal this time, reaching into the past Flavia never knew about. . . . These are astounding, magical books not to be missed.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)

“Excellent . . . Flavia retains her droll wit. . . . The solution to a murder is typically neat, and the conclusion sets up future books nicely.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“It’s hard to resist either the genre’s pre-eminent preteen sleuth or the hushed revelations about her family.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Flavia . . . is as fetching as ever; her chatty musings and her combination of childish vulnerability and seemingly boundless self-confidence haven’t changed a bit.”—Booklist

Reseñas de la Crítica

Praise for The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

“Part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Flavia is a pert and macabre pragmatist.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Alan] Bradley’s award winning Flavia de Luce series . . . has enchanted readers with the outrageous sleuthing career of its precocious leading lady. . . . This latest adventure contains all the winning elements of the previous books.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Bradley’s latest Flavia de Luce novel reaches a new level of perfection as it shows the emotional turmoil and growth of a girl who has always been older than her years and yet is still a child. The mystery is complex and very personal this time, reaching into the past Flavia never knew about. . . . These are astounding, magical books not to be missed.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)

“Excellent . . . Flavia retains her droll wit. . . . The solution to a murder is typically neat, and the conclusion sets up future books nicely.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“It’s hard to resist either the genre’s pre-eminent preteen sleuth or the hushed revelations about her family.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Flavia . . . is as fetching as ever; her chatty musings and her combination of childish vulnerability and seemingly boundless self-confidence haven’t changed a bit.”—Booklist

Acclaim for Alan Bradley’s beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award

“If ever there were a sleuth who’s bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, it’s Flavia de Luce.”—USA Today

“Irresistibly appealing.”—The New York Times Book Review, on A Red Herring Without Mustard

“Original, charming, devilishly creative.”—Bookreporter, on I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

“Delightful and entertaining.”—San Jose Mercury News, on Speaking from Among the Bones

A twist in the series- loved it!

I love this series and have grown to love the quirky young heroine, wise beyond her years who is the daughter Agatha Christie never had. The audio version is always pitch perfect, the conclusion just beyond your reach and the whole experience scattered with wonderful characters that come alive on the page (so to speak.) This one volume needs to be experienced only in the proper sequence since it ties up some loose ends and launches the character into what can only mean more interesting adventures. I loved the new little character Ondine. Can't wait to see more of her. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Always a surprise!

This little series never disappoints! Major developments within the family unit, and in Flavia's future!
Never saw this coming... but the character development is a mark of a skilled author!
I so appreciate the depth of knowledge of the author: he always inserts history, culture, church,
literature.. and chemistry! Just stunning.. and written with wit, humor and pathos.
One unique thing in this series is they are told via an 11 year old perspective... yet the narrator (Jane Entwhistle)
aces this in every book! Can't wait for the next one!

Best of the series yet

Hands down my favorite of the books so far, I can’t wait to see how the series evolves from here.

Ahhh roooo!

I've seen some mixed reviews of this novel, but I feel that it is was the best one yet. Many questions were answered and the stage was set for a new chapter in Flavia's story. This story had so many things going on. Flavia starts a very macabre quest and is interrupted. The denouement where the murderer tried to flee was the finest bit of action in the whole series so far. Flavia's sister Daphne (and to some extent Ophelia) got so much more depth revealed.

I can see how some people might be put out by Flavia's personality at times, mostly in the other novels, but she was perfection in this one. There were so many character revelations or hints at revelations in this book, I was sad that there was not a new one to download immediately, a luxury I've had up until now. I intend to start over and see what I might have missed in the first listens.

I will end my review with nothing but praise for Jayne Entwhistle. She truly brings this series to life. There are many good narrators, but Jayne as Flavia is astounding and I will look forward to the next listen.

Brilliant

If you could sum up The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches in three words, what would they be?

I want more.

What did you like best about this story?

The writing was captivating, so descriptive without going overboard, as are all the Flavia books. I couldn't wait to see how it turned out, yet didn't want it to end. It wrapped up a lot of the loose ends from the other novels.

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

Jane Entwistle's voice is perfect. The emotion caused me to get tears in my eyes more than once. She has a simple style of speaking the part of Flavia that adds just the right bit of drama, and her voices for the other characters bring the book to life.

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

Yes.

Any additional comments?

This is the first author in a long time that I have enjoyed so much, I could write fan letters. I keep looking for new books that he has written. It is always hard to make sequels that are as good as the first, but I think I liked each one more than the last.