I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows is the fourth book in Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series. I have read the first three books in this series, and I was excited to find out what was going to happen to Flavia in this book. Flavia de Luce is a precocious young girl who lives with her father and two older sisters in Buckshaw, a crumbling manor house near the village of Bishop’s Lacy. It is the Christmas season, and Flavia’s father has rented out Buckshaw to a film company. Flavia is thrilled about this turn of events, and is even more pleased when Phyllis, the aging actress who is starring in the movie, pays attention to her. Needless to say, it is quite distressing when Phyllis is found murdered immediately after a theatrical performance attended by most of the village. When a blizzard traps everyone in Buckshaw, Flavia comes to the terrible conclusion that there is a murderer amongst the guests! Flavia has a strong personality, and it seems like people either love her or find her obnoxious. I am absolutely enchanted by Flavia. I tend to listen to the Audible editions of her books because narrator Justine Eyre brings Flavia to life with a subtlety sly charm. Flavia is astute, and she is prone to witty asides. This makes her appear much older than eleven years old, but there are parts of the book where Flavia seems exceptionally vulnerable, and very much like the young girl she is supposed to be. This was a satisfying mystery. Unlike the previous three books that had Flavia gallivanting about the countryside, she is mostly confined to Buckshaw for this book. There is a nice mix of new characters to balance out appearances from series regulars like Dogger, the butler/gardener/handyman, as well as Flavia’s two sisters. It was interesting to see “pop culture” (movie star glamour) converge with Flavia’s world of staid gentility (not to mention the genteel poverty). I would recommend I Am Half-Sick of Shadows. I would suggest reading the series in order. Flavia is an absolute delight, and as much as I enjoy the sleuthing, I would be just as happy reading about Flavia’s everyday adventures. I already own the next couple of books in this series, but I have been rationing them out; this is one series I do not want to get to the end of!

Why can\’t Amazon post a simple list of an author\’s titles in order of publication? If you discover an author, you might like to read them in the order they were written, to appreciate the characters\’ (and the author\’s) development. Here\’s the list of Alan Bradley\’s charming, scary, funny Flavia de Luce Novels, as of December 2014. Alan Bradley\’s Flavia de Luce novels in order: 1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, 1/2010 2. The Weed That Strings the Hangman\’s Bag, 2/2011 3. A Red Herring Without Mustard, 10/2011 4. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, 10/2012 5. Speaking from Among the Bones, 12/2013 6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, 1/2014 7. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, 1/2015 Enjoy!

I think this may be my favorite so far in the series and I have a feeling it is only going to get better. I am partial to Christmas so that helped. The series has progressed far enough that old friends can now return making the world richer. Interesting developments are on the horizon on Dogger\’s past and the relationship between the sisters. The case itself was interesting and I always like to see how Flavia and the Inspector come to the same conclusion from such different paths and sets of information.

Unlike the previous three, this story deals more with Flavia and her interactions with the people around her, particularly her family, and not so much on the solving of the mystery. Although Flavia isn\’t about to let her family dynamics get in the way of some clever sleuthing. With her usual flair and boldness, she goes about \”assisting\” the local constabulary – much to their dismay. Flavia has a delightful and heart-breaking mix of maturity and innocence. She is growing up, and has many truths about life to face, which as a reader and adult, I both dread and look forward to seeing her mature. The mystery of her mother, and the past of her family got even more tangled and twisted. Like the previous three, I listened to this via Audiobook, read by the incomparable Jane Entwistle. Entwistle gives such a lively voice to Flavia, It\’s enchanting to listen to her speak the story. I highly recommend this story, either by book or audiobook.

Tis the season for murder and mayhem and what better stage than at Buckshaw…the home of the tenacious 11yr old…Flavia de Luce. Colonel de Luce has been in dire need of a financial boost in order to sustain the family home. The answer comes in the form of a movie…one that will be filmed at Buckshaw. To Flavia and her sisters\’ delight the famous actress Phyllis Wyvern is to star in said movie and stay in their home during the making. When Phyllis is found murdered, Flavia is back to her busy body antics trying to solve the mystery. Can she figure out the culprit in time to save the holiday spirit? I adore Flavia and this is my favorite of the series so far. She is such an amazing little girl and I love everything about her and this series.

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