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The Adventures of Flavia de Luce Series

This series chronicles the adventures of a precocious young girl with a passion for chemistry and a penchant for unraveling mysteries. Set in 1950s rural England, she uses her sharp intellect and unconventional methods to solve puzzling deaths. Cycling through her ancestral home and the surrounding village, she uncovers secrets long buried, proving that age is no barrier to brilliant detective work.

Flavia de Luce - 6: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
Speaking from Among the Bones
Flavia de Luce - 4: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
A Red Herring Without Mustard
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Recommended Reading Order

  1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

    • 373 pages
    • 14 hours of reading

    It is the summer of 1950 - and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds an man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begings in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. "This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life."

    The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie1
    3.8

  2. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

    • 364 pages
    • 13 hours of reading

    Flavia de Luce thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop's Lacey are over-until beloved puppeteer Rupert Porson has his own strings sizzled in an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity.

    The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag2
    4.1

  3. A Red Herring Without Mustard

    Krimi. Camped in her horse-drawn caravan at Buckshaw, a young Gypsy woman is charged with the abduction -and then the murder - of a local child, and Flavia must draw upon her encyclopaedic knowledge of poisons - and Gypsy lore - to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.

    A Red Herring Without Mustard3
    4.2

  4. Flavia de Luce - 4: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

    A Flavia de Luce Novel

    • 297 pages
    • 11 hours of reading

    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.

    Flavia de Luce - 4: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows4
    4.1

  5. Speaking from Among the Bones

    When the tomb of St. Tancred is opened at a village church in Bishop's Lacey, its shocking contents lead to another case for Flavia de Luce, where greed, pride and murder result in old secrets coming to light, along with a forgotten flower that hasn't been seen for half a thousand years.

    Speaking from Among the Bones5
    4.3

  6. Flavia de Luce - 6: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

    • 315 pages
    • 12 hours of reading

    The presumed death of Harriet de Luce in a mysterious mountaineering accident in Tibet while Flavia was only a baby cast a sombre shadow over the family, leaving Colonel de Luce a broken man and Flavia herself with no memories of her mother. But now, astonishingly, a specially commissioned train is bringing Harriet back to Buckshaw. But rather than putting the past finally to rest, Harriet's return is set to trigger a further series of bizarre and deadly events, as a most curious group of individuals converge on Buckshaw to pay their respects.

    Flavia de Luce - 6: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches6
    4.2

  7. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. Flavia de Luce - Eine Leiche wirbelt Staub auf, englische Ausgabe

    • 416 pages
    • 15 hours of reading

    "Flavia rules! In this New York Times bestselling series of enchanting mysteries, youthful chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce once again brings her knowledge of poisons and her indefatigable spirit to solve dastardly crimes -- but this time, she leaves behind her beloved English countryside, and takes her sleuthing prowess to the unexpectedly unsavory world of Canadian boarding schools!"-- Provided by publisher

    As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. Flavia de Luce - Eine Leiche wirbelt Staub auf, englische Ausgabe7
    4.0

  8. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd

    Mystery fans seeking novels of wit, an immersive English countryside setting, and rich characterizations will be rewarded with this newest entry in the award-winning series. - Library Journal (starred review) There is such a thing as willing suspension of disbelief brought on by sheer outlandish charm, and that's what [Alan] Bradley and some delicious writing have tapped. - London Free Press Flavia's first-person narration reveals her precocious intellect as well as her youthful vulnerability. - Shelf Awareness Flavia is once again a fun, science-loving protagonist. . . . This series entry ends on a note that begs for the next story. - Library Reads An eleven-year-old prodigy with an astonishing mind for chemistry and a particular interest in poisons. - The Strand Magazine (Five of the Best Historical Heroines) Bradley's preteen heroine comes through in the end with a series of deductions so clever she wants to hug herself. So will you. - Kirkus Reviews From the Hardcover edition.

    Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd8
    4.0

  9. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place

    Advance praise highlights the unique charm of the series, with Publishers Weekly noting Bradley's ability to blend humor with darker themes. Library Journal emphasizes the anticipation surrounding Flavia's investigation and her unconventional family dynamics. Fans of the clever young detective will eagerly await her witty insights, as she believes that "an unexamined corpse was a tale untold." Kirkus Reviews praises her knack for unraveling complex cases, culminating in a satisfying resolution that hints at even brighter adventures ahead. The Flavia de Luce novels have garnered numerous accolades, including the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award and the Agatha Award, affirming their widespread appeal. USA Today describes Flavia as a bold, brilliant, and adorable sleuth, while The Boston Globe finds her a delightful mix of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes. Daily Mail calls her as addictive as dark chocolate, and The Seattle Times proclaims her the world's greatest adolescent British chemist, busybody, and sleuth. Flavia's character continues to captivate readers with her intelligence and charm, ensuring her place as a beloved figure in contemporary mystery literature.

    The Grave's a Fine and Private Place9
    4.0

  10. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place (Flavia de Luce Mystery)

    • 457 pages
    • 16 hours of reading

    In the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is struggling to fill her empty days. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is ecstatic. Suddenly something grazes her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object, imagining herself Ernest Hemingway battling a marlin, and pulls up what she expects will be a giant fish. But in Flavia's grip is something far better: a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia's mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder--although one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave.

    The Grave's a Fine and Private Place (Flavia de Luce Mystery)9
    3.8

  11. The Golden Tresses of the Dead

    Although it is autumn in the small English town of Bishop's Lacey, the chapel is decked with exotic flowers. Yes, Flavia de Luce's sister Ophelia is at last getting hitched, like a mule to a wagon. A church is a wonderful place for a wedding, muses Flavia, surrounded as it is by the legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar. Flavia is not your normal twelve-year-old girl. An expert in the chemical nature of poisons, she has solved many mysteries, which has sharpened her considerable detection skills to the point where she had little choice but to turn professional. So Flavia and dependable Dogger, estate gardener and sounding board extraordinaire, set up shop at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, eager to serve--not so simple an endeavor with her odious, little moon-faced cousin, Undine, constantly underfoot. But Flavia and Dogger persevere. Little does she know that their first case will be extremely close to home, beginning with an unwelcome discovery in Ophelia's wedding cake: a human finger.

    The Golden Tresses of the Dead10
    3.9