The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

Fans of Super Child Sleuth Flavia Sabine de Luce will detect a different Flavia in this tome. Formerly, she has been unabashedly youthful, energetically eager in pursuing the truth behind the murders that occur in her world, complete with chemistry-savy evidence processing. We understand the change in Flavia, however, as her longtime-missing, presumed-dead mother Harriet is returning home. Flavia is growing up, coming to terms with her mother\’s story. The entire household is in a state of shock and grief. As Flavia tries to process this tragedy, a new murder mystery occurs which seems to connect to her own mother\’s death. How will she handle the clues, her own emotions, and surprising revelations involving her entire family?

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches is the 6th book in the Flavia de Luce series. Flavia is a lively and brilliant 11-year-old living with her father and sisters in a small village in England in the 1950s. In this book, Flavia is waiting at the train station when a stranger whispers something in her ear. Not long after, the stranger is pushed under the train and Flavia must figure out why he was murdered and what he has to do with the de Luce family. Flavia is one of my favorite characters, and this series has quickly become one of my favorites, as well. I can identify with Flavia, who is something of a misfit and a loner, but in a rather heart-warming way. It is amazing that Alan Bradley can write about a young girl so wonderfully! The book is an easy and unfortunately quick read. (Why is it that the best books are read so quickly, while others just seem to drag along?) Bradley captures the quirkiness of the English town and this fallen-on-hard-times, upper-class family very well. I love visiting Bishop\’s Lacey and Buckshaw to find out what will happen next. I highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys a funny and smart mystery with an absolutely enjoyable girl detective. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and enjoyed all the previous books in thes series. My husband and I are both chemists so I am especially interested in the antics of Flavia de Luce. In this book we learn more of her background and that of her family. In the previous book we learned that her mother would finally return. But I never expected it to be in these circumstances . Alan Bradley has outdone himself in this book in creating all the unexpected twists and turns of this story. He has also set us up to wonder what adventures Flavia\’s future will bring. This is his best read yet!

Although I had enjoyed the original Flavia mystery, I found it difficult to enjoy some of her further adventures. I had trouble resolving the lack affection and supervision in Flavia\’s life. In this installment all or most of all of the circumstances leading to the apparent lack of supervision, and coldness of Flavia\’s childhood are revealed. Also revealed are the circumstances leading to the the families missing mother and her fathers painful reserve. As such I found this novel a great relief and it\’s departure from the formula of the past mysteries interesting. After all, how many dead bodies should one eleven year old girl be subject to, even one as self reliant as Flavia. This book is both a perfect wrap up to Flavia\’s real childhood and a starting point from which her adventures can expand out in unpredictable directions. I would personally love it if her next adventure includes more than just the murder of the month but rather diverges from what had begun to be formulaic into the vast expanses the author has opened up in this volume. I would also love if the personal growth our heroine is beginning to exhibit continues. I find a Flavia slightly more aware of the needs and feelings of others far more interesting than the devious but charming little girl she has been until now. So I look forward to the next Flavia adventure with interest which I would not have been had the author just offered us more of the same. It\’s easy to see from this novel where the setting for the next one will start, but where will it take us? Will we eventually get to see the fearless child as a grown woman? And just what kind of a woman will she grow up to be? The stage is set.

I easily gave this five stars, no need to stop and consider. I\’ve read all the series up to this point and it\’s very important to read all of them in order. Otherwise I don\’t think the stories will stand up nearly as well. This one concerns the return of Flavia\’s lost mother, described in earlier books. I don\’t want to give features of the plot away but it\’s really quite thrilling throughout leading to a smashing final scene in the village church. I\’ve liked all the series so far, but this one is the best and most gripping. her chemistry plans are amazing.

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