Happy Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday, *plus* What I'm Reading Wednesday: Flavia de Luce Review and Giveaway!

Happy Valentine's Day, My Lovelies!  Wow, this is turning into a busy week, with Mardi Gras yesterday, and Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday today.  

I was so happy a couple of weeks ago when the latest installment of the Flavia de Luce series was released:  The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley.  And, as usual, I was delighted by this murder mystery.

According to Goodreads:

Flavia is enjoying the summer, spending her days punting along the river with her reluctant family. Languishing in boredom, she drags a slack hand in the water, and catches her fingers in the open mouth of a drowned corpse.

Brought to shore, the dead man is found to be dressed in blue silk with ribbons at the knee, and wearing a single red ballet slipper.

Flavia needs to put her super-sleuthing skills to the test to investigate the murder of three gossips in the local church, and to keep her sisters out of danger. But what could possibly connect the son of an executed killer, a far too canny police constable, a traveling circus, and the publican's mysteriously talented wife?

My Review:

First of all, I must mention that the corpse Flavia drags out of the river is dressed like Henry Wallis's Chatterton, and he has red hair like him, too.  Of course I'm going to immediately like a murder mystery with a reference to art.

Henry Wallis

Chatterton

1856

You may read more about this painting HERE.

Once Flavia and her butler Dogger drag the body from the river, Flavia wastes no time investigating the death and soon determines through her knowledge of chemistry that it was indeed a murder.  She learns that the victim is the son of an Anglican priest who'd been convicted of murdering the "three graces" a few years prior (three older women known to gossip).  Flavia is convinced that perhaps there is a connection between the crimes.  There are many people of interest in this case, beginning with an artist/owner of a traveling carnival; the pub's mistress who's also a poet; and a former leading lady of the stage.   One reason I like this book a lot is the previous murder narrative: The reader gets two mysteries in one book.

What I love most about this installment is the cooperation between Flavia and her sisters.  Daffy's knowledge of literature provides several needed clues, and Feely is the unlikely heroine in the end.  If you haven't started this series, really you should because Flavia's talent with all things chemical are both entertaining as well as educational.  Each of these mysteries can be read as a "stand alone," and if there's a reference in a book to a previous mystery it's always explained for the reader.

For a chance to win a hardback copy of The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, fill out the Rafflecopter widget below.

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Until next time...

Happy reading and Happy Valentine's Day!

Ricki Jill