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As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust: A Flavia de Luce Novel | Alan Bradley
85 posts | 110 read | 56 to read
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFlavia de Lucepart Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events (The New York Times Book Review)takes her remarkable sleuthing prowess to the unexpectedly unsavory world of Canadian boarding schools in the captivating new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Alan Bradley.Banished! is how twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce laments her predicament, when her father and Aunt Felicity ship her off to Miss Bodycotes Female Academy, the boarding school that her mother, Harriet, once attended across the sea in Canada. The sun has not yet risen on Flavias first day in captivity when a gift lands at her feet. Flavia being Flavia, a budding chemist and sleuth, that gift is a charred and mummified body, which tumbles out of a bedroom chimney. Now, while attending classes, making friends (and enemies), and assessing the schools stern headmistress and faculty (one of whom is an acquitted murderess), Flavia is on the hunt for the victims identity and time of death, as well as suspects, motives, and means. Rumors swirl that Miss Bodycotes is haunted, and that several girls have disappeared without a trace. When it comes to solving multiple mysteries, Flavia is up to the taskbut her true destiny has yet to be revealed.Praise for As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust Flavia de Luce [is] perhaps contemporary crime fictions most original characterto say she is Pippi Longstocking with a Ph.D. in chemistry (speciality: poisons) barely begins to describe her.Macleans Another treat for readers of all ages . . . [As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust] maintains the high standards Bradley set from the start.Booklist Exceptional . . . [The] intriguing setup only gets better, and Bradley makes Miss Bodycotes a suitably Gothic setting for Flavias sleuthing. Through it all, her morbid narrative voice continues to charm.Publishers Weekly (starred review) Even after all these years, Flavia de Luce is still the worlds greatest adolescent British chemist/busybody/sleuth.The Seattle Times Plot twists come faster than Canadian snowfall. . . . Bradleys sense of observation is as keen as gung-ho scientist Flavias. . . . The results so far are seven sparkling Flavia de Luce mysteries.Library Journal A rattling good girls own adventure yarn with an extensive cast of characters and suspects . . . When all is revealed, the links, misunderstandings and secrecy have a satisfying click.Winnipeg Free Press A delightful installment in the series!LibraryReads Acclaim for Alan Bradleys 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 whos bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, its Flavia de Luce.USA Today This idiosyncratic young heroine continues to charm.The Wall Street Journal Delightful . . . a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes.The Boston GlobeFrom the Hardcover edition.
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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

Flavia is sent off to Toronto, Canada, to attend school, the same school her mother went to. She has hardly entered her room at school when a body falls out the chimney in her room.

It was nice seeing Flavia in a different setting and meeting new people.

There‘s several twists and turns and I did not see that ending.

Deblovestoread This is a series I would like to get back to….some many 📚 so little 🕰️ 8mo
AnneCecilie @Deblovestoread Any books lovers problem. 8mo
54 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

I have a few minor complaints, but they're spolier-y so I won't bother writing about them. Overall, another fun Flavia book.

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Dragon
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Pickpick

Flavia has been exiled to Canada 🍁 , forced to attend her late mother‘s old school. Naturally there‘s a body in the chimney. Flavia must battle homesickness while unraveling the mystery. Go Flavia! 👍👍💚🐉

Dragon Oops 🙊 I didn‘t think my earlier review posted - so I redid it - so now there‘s two 🤣🤣🤣💚🐉 2y
lauraisntwilder This is the next Flavia book in my TBR pile. Glad to hear it's good! 2y
Dragon Thanks 🙏 @lauraisntwilder Flavia‘s feeling very hard done by but that doesn‘t stop her 💚🐉 2y
42 likes3 comments
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Dragon
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Pickpick

Just finished listening to this enjoyable audiobook, Flavia is exiled to Canada 🍁 forced to attend her late mother‘s old school. Naturally there‘s a body in the chimney! Flavia must conquer homesickness while unraveling the mystery. Go for it Flavia 🇬🇧

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Tera66
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#WonderousWednesday
Thank you for the tag @Eggs and @TheSpineView

1. I guess its in my soul, my mom said as soon as I learned how I never stopped. I used to drive her nuts reading everything as we drove by. But I don't have any other book fanatics in my life.
2. I'm kind of an all over the place reader. But if the tagged Author ever writes anything else I'm snatching it up.
3. No, I don't really had many bookish friends.

Eggs Thanks for joining in 🤩📚👍🏼 2y
TheSpineView You're welcome 2y
32 likes2 comments
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GatheringBooks
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Leelee08
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Pickpick

Do yourself a favor and snatch up this ebook deal! It‘s one of the books in a series about a 10-year-old chemistry enthusiast who solves crimes in 1940s England. I have every book in the series, and they are all awesome.💙 #mystery

suvata I love all the Flavia de Luce books. 3y
MaureenMc Another Flavia fan here! 😊 3y
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Smarkies
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Pickpick

This was between a pick and a so-so for me. Flavia is now in Toronto at the boarding school her mother went to so a whole new cast of characters were brought into it. But there were some nice memory flashbacks to when she was at Buckshaw.
However, the mystery itself was a bit complicated and I think I lost track of how it actually occurred about 3 times during the audiobook - I rewound the first 2 times and then sorta gave up the third time. :)

Smarkies This is my #3 read for #cozyinthesun. A little slow as I had to backtrack to keep up with the twists and turns of this.
@Librarybelle @ferskner
4y
Librarybelle I enjoy this series! 4y
Smarkies @Librarybelle I do too! Thanks to the #flaviabuddyread I will be able to finish it by year end. 🥳🥳 4y
ferskner Such a great series! 4y
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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

I‘ve really been enjoying my reread of the Flavia series. I forgot how complicated and confusing this one is! But I love the Toronto setting and seeing Flavia outside of Buckshaw and her family.

Happily finished this in time for the #flaviabuddyread during the #JubilantJuly readathon.

Andrew65 That‘s great 👏👏👏🙌🙌🥳🍾🥂 Thanks for playing along. 4y
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janeycanuck
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Question 4!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies Yes. I thought she would have remained at the school for a lot longer - sort of in the vein of her mother. I think she may still be involved in the Nide considering that her aunt is a senior member and it is supposed to be a generational type of society. Also the last bit on the ship with her Chemistry teacher sort of left that aspect of it open. 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies yes, I wonder if the Failed to Flourish girls were actually just very successful students of the Nide. Felt like Flavia had gotten everything Miss Bodycote‘s needed to teach her, given them comments on the boat. I would have liked another book or two at Miss Bodycote‘s, I‘m sad it‘s behind us. 4y
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janeycanuck
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Question 3!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies Honestly this mystery was confusing. Too many twists and turns for me and what with the new characters. I lost track at the last third of the audiobook. 😅😅 ... So I definitely did not solve it! 🤣🤣 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies This was my second read of the book and I still couldn‘t keep it all straight! I agree, it was confusing - there was so much happening with so many characters and side plots. 4y
Smarkies @janeycanuck hahahaha. Good to know! I thought I was failing dismally. 🤣🤣 4y
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janeycanuck
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Question 2!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies It just felt like the old adage - divide and conquer and keep everyone in their own little boxes. I think this is generally how most "spy" / "secret agencies" are designed to operate so it didn't seem too unfamiliar. 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies That‘s a good point. It felt strange to me that a school would be so restrictive - because it wasn‘t just girls in the Nide you couldn‘t ask, it was all of the students! And no questions about anything personal seems like a very hard thing for young girls to do. 4y
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janeycanuck
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Question 1!

#flaviabuddyread

Smarkies I missed Buckshaw! The new cast of characters was just as varied as Buckshaw.... That it made it hard keeping a track of who was who. And it seems like she is back in England again next.... So perhaps the author didn't really want to continue with this cast. But I thought it was a waste of effort to introduce so many and then not bother with them again.... 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies I missed Buckshaw too. I enjoy the change of scenery but there are SO many characters to keep straight between staff and students. If there had been a few books at Miss Bodycote‘s, it would have made more sense to have so many but it was a lot. 4y
BridgetteM I liked the change in setting! I missed Dogger and the Vicar, but I thought the school was a nice change of pace. 4y
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janeycanuck
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Coming up - the seventh book in our #flaviabuddyread

katy4peas Love these! 😁 4y
BridgetteM I am just starting The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. My intention is to be caught up by the time the next discussion questions are posted. Could you remind me when that is, @janeycanuck ? 4y
janeycanuck @BridgetteM Aug 15. Two weeks! 4y
BridgetteM @janeycanuck Oh good! I have plenty of time to catch up! Thank you! :) 4y
janeycanuck @BridgetteM Yes, lots of time 😊 4y
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janeycanuck
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Coming up this Saturday (or possibly Sunday - I‘m out of town on Saturday again...) - the next instalment of our #flaviabuddyread!

Smarkies I am currently reading this 😁 4y
janeycanuck @Smarkies I just downloaded the audio from the library! 4y
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CaitlinR
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“My whole life had been lived in doubt — doubt about my mother, doubt even about my own identity ... I was quickly learning that I couldn‘t live in a world of shifting shadows and whispered half-truths ... If ever I had met a kindred spirit, it was the hard-hearted Mr. Gradgrind in Dicken‘s Hard Times.”

We learn more about Flavia de Luce in each of Bradley‘s tales. I love her, and him!

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Lynnsoprano
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this, but maybe not as much as the previous books in the series. I think it‘s because, in this book, Flavia has been sent to boarding school in Canada. Yes, there‘s a murder for her to solve, but the miss the characters that populated the earlier books, as well as the setting. Buckshaw, Flavia‘s home, is practically a character itself. Still, it‘s fun and interesting. Looking forward to reading the next one.

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Lynnsoprano
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Hubby decided not to wait until Friday to bring me Valentines flowers, so I have these beauties to look at while I read.

Jas16 That is so sweet! 4y
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Lynnsoprano
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“If you‘re anything like me, you adore rot.”

Of course it‘s Flavia 😄

#FirstLineFridays

runswithscissors007 💗💗💗💗💗💗 4y
wanderinglynn That‘s one heck of a first line. Very intriguing! 4y
DrexEdit All the 💜💜💜💜 for Flavia! 😊 4y
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Lynnsoprano
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I borrowed this from our son and DIL‘s library a few weeks ago. I think a little Flavia de Luce is just what I need on a gray, rainy day while I‘m waiting to hear from the AC repairman.

Nute Love this series! 4y
runswithscissors007 Flavia! And her siblings....😬 4y
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DarcysMom
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟
#audiobook
#cloudlibrary

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DarcysMom
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Sunset walk tonight. It had cooled down to 90⁰ F 🙃
#audiowalk
#2019kmin2019
#cloudlibrary
#LitsyWalkers

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DarcysMom
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DarcysMom
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UnabridgedPod
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Pickpick

In book 7 of the Flavia de Luce series, Alan Bradley moves Flavia from her beloved home village and her ancestral home, Buckshaw, transplanting her to Miss Bodycote's Female Academy in Toronto, where she quickly is pulled into a new murder mystery. Again, in As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, Jane Entwistle is a brilliant narrator, imbuing each new character with a distinct voice. (continued in comments)

UnabridgedPod Listening to Flavia learn to establish a persona in relation to a new setting and a new group of friends and adults is brilliant--her perfect balance of precocious brilliance and utter egotism is, as always, a joy. (I just love it when she lauds her "perfect sense of hearing." She really does hear everything. ?) Another brilliant mystery. Can't wait to listen to book 8 on Scribd! 5y
Freespirit Great review.. ❤️ 5y
UnabridgedPod @Freespirit Thanks!! ❤️ 5y
WanderingBookaneer I love Flavia! 5y
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JoyBlue
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Pickpick

I love Flavia, but was finding that the books were becoming a little less exciting as the series progressed. Book 7 finds Flavia in a new location: Canadian boarding school. It was a marvelous refresh!

Milo hasn't appeared in my posts in a very long time, so he's helping showcase tonight's book. He listened to parts of it with me during our play & cuddle time. 🐍 💙 #SnakesOfLitsy #ComfortSnake #ZenPython #WellReadSnek

GrilledCheeseSamurai Milo is friggen GORGEOUS! 😍 5y
JoyBlue @GrilledCheeseSamurai Thank you! I sure think so. I luuuuuurve him! 😍 5y
Megabooks Ball python?? Beautiful snake!! 😍😍 5y
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Hufflepuffle He is gorgeous!!!! 😍😍😍 5y
Bklover Milo is gorgeous!! 5y
JoyBlue @Megabooks Yes! A Mojave. Thank you! 💙 5y
JoyBlue @Hufflepuffle @Bklover Thank you! 💙 5y
AllDebooks Oh my, he's a beaut 😍 1y
JoyBlue @AllDebooks 💙 Milo has grown so much since this photo was taken . . . he's still gorgeous! 1y
72 likes9 comments
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Plaidsticks
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Pickpick

#cottoncandy A bit of a weird location switch. #audiobook

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Catt
Pickpick

I LOVE Flavia de Luce! Yaroooo! And Jayne Entwistle (could she have a more perfect name?!) has the perfect voice AND acting chops to truly BE our most incorrigible young sleuth! It took me more than a year to finally read this one because I knew Flavia was facing a real change in her life, and as I was in a rough patch myself, I just couldn‘t bear watching her new struggles. But of course, this was perfectly delightful & satisfying! As always.

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casvelyn
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Pickpick

Really good! I love the Flavia books and really enjoyed the Canadian setting here.

casvelyn Oh, and I love the whimsical gentleman skeleton on the cover! 5y
rretzler 💕Flavia! 5y
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FantasyEmma
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I am on vacation in lovely Arizona and enjoying the warm weather while reading book number seven of what has become one of my favorite series.

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mrp27
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#octoberputaspellonyou #dust

I do love me some Flavia!

30 likes1 comment
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SheilaChew
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Pickpick

Another delightful installment in the Flavia de Luce series. I love these books! ❤️🤓🔬

JoyBlue I love Flavia, too! 5y
40 likes1 comment
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Libby1
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Pickpick

This is book 7 of the Flavia de Luce series, and represents a series of transitions in the life of the main character. As such, I didn‘t find this book as joyful as the rest of the series, but it was still a clever journey.

I want to see where you go next, Flavia my dear.

(No books were harmed in the creation of this photo. The fireplace was completely cool. It was the closest I could get to a chimney!)

LeahBergen Wonderful photo! 5y
Cathythoughts Love this pic 👍🏻❤️ 5y
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Libby1
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SEVEN books into the series, and I discover that I have been saying her name ALL WRONG!

Who else has pronounced it as FLAH-via in their mind instead of FLAY-via? 🙋🏼‍♀️

You‘re playing tricks on me, Mr. Bradley.

#MispronouncedCharacterNames

Birdsong28 Took me till Goblet of Fire to get Hermione's name right 😂😂😂📚📖 6y
Prairiegirl_reading That probably should have been in book one. 😕 6y
Ncostell I was mispronouncing it up until reading this book too, you‘re definitely not alone! 6y
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KatieCarpenter Totally been thinking it wrong! 6y
Libby1 @Birdsong28 - at one time I thought it was Her-mee-o-nee! 🤣 6y
Libby1 It certainly should have been in book 1, @Prairiegirl_reading , @Ncostell , @KatieCarpenter . I think Alan Bradley had a wee twinkle in his eye when he wrote that part! 6y
Lisaw13 I've been listening to them on audio otherwise I would have pronounced it wrong 6y
Lisaw13 @Libby1 that's how I pronounced it too! 6y
kyraleseberg 😧 I've been mispronouncing it! 6y
Libby1 @Lisaw13 and @kyraleseberg - that cheeky Alan Bradley! What a trickster. 6y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Flay-via just sounds . . . Wrong. I would just pretend you never read this part. 6y
Libby1 @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled - you‘re so right! 🤣🤣🤣 6y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I listened to the first book, so no. I heard it as Flay-via, thanks to the narrator. 👂🏻👂🏻 6y
rwmg For weeks after Goblet of Fire came out, I had people asking me how to pronounce Hermione. I'm not sure whether they were trying to catch me out or were checking up on J K Rowling, but fortunately we pronounce it the same way. 6y
CouronneDhiver The only real-life person I‘ve known with that name pronounced it as you expected, not FLAY. 🤷🏽‍♀️ 6y
batsy I was shocked when I read this too but I've ignored it and carried on with Flah-via. I agree with @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled 😂 6y
thea-block I listened to the first book on audio like @Lisaw13 and @BarbaraTheBibliophage which is the only reason I pronounced it “FLAY-vee-uh.” I love listening to the audiobook versions of books with complicated names or those with a lot of words in other languages because it helps me know how to pronounce them! Seems like many readers pronounced it like you did when they read it! 6y
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Mdargusch
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Flavia de Luce is a young wannabe chemist/detective that is #headoverheels with dead bodies and I‘m #headoverheels with Flavia. I‘m listening to the ninth book in this series now and Jane Entwhistle does a wonderful job bringing Flavia to life with her narration.
#abbainaugust

Libby1 I agree! I love these covers. The UK covers are different. Sometime when I‘m in the States I plan to buy the series with those covers. I‘ll save a whole section of my suitcase for them! 🤣 6y
KatieCarpenter Love this series! 6y
Crinoline_Laphroaig Love Flavia! I always listen to this series. Great narration. 6y
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emilyhaldi I don‘t know if I love Flavia but I do love the covers!!! 😻 6y
Mdargusch I do love these covers @libby1 and you should definitely make room for them. I‘m not familiar with the UK versions. 6y
Reviewsbylola @meredith3 and I are head over heels for dead bodies too!! 6y
Meredith3 Wow these books are gorgeous! And I‘m totally with @Reviewsbylola 😻😹💀 6y
batsy ❤️💜 6y
Centique I‘m #teamflavia too! Gotta love a curious and bossy kid that‘s into chemistry 🙌🙌 6y
Cinfhen So nice to find a new series that your #headoverheals for💚🧡💚🧡 6y
mrp27 Love Flavia, love the series and love the covers! 6y
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Redjewel_7734
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Mehso-so

It pains me to mark a Flavia story as so-so, but there it is. I really don‘t like this one as much as the earlier versions. Perhaps Flavia doesn‘t work in beyond Buckshaw and Bishop‘s Lacey. I just seemed to find her too overblown in this new setting,the mystery was just meh, & the other characters never really came alive. I still loved the character of Flavia, but I‘m hoping the next books will get back to what makes this series so delightful.

leahbird I felt rather the same. I missed the Buckshaw friends so much! 6y
Redjewel_7734 @leahbird I know, right! Hopefully the next books will get back to what makes the series work so well 😊 6y
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morevna

"A hissing in the garden is a sound that cannot be ignored by any human female since the time of Eve, and I was no exception."

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morevna

"I WAS STANDING AT the bow, the wind whipping my hair and what might have been sea spray wetting my face. Banished! I thought. Banished again! Was I doomed, like the Flying Dutchman, to spend all eternity sailing the seas in search of salvation?"

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morevna
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This book was rather slow, but I was really fascinated by the school, its teachers, the girl and The Nide. I can't wait to learn more about this secret organization and its agents. But I can't for the life of me believe that a girl wouldn't recognize her own sister right in front of her? How much makeup was she wearing?

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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Another delightful entry in the Flavia de Luce series. I love listening to these on audio - the perfect escape! Flavia is witty, with just a tad bit of condescension and is a bit of a smarty pants.

Finishing this audio takes me to 11 read this month. I also desperately need to finish some of these books I started. Yikes!

Wife Happy Birthday!🎈 6y
CouronneDhiver Happy Birthday 🎁 6y
LeahBergen Happy Birthday! 📚📚📚📚 6y
Librarybelle Thank you so much! @Wife @CouronneDhiver @LeahBergen ! ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
61 likes4 comments
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Anton
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Pickpick

When a series hits book 7, it's time to shake things up. And so in this installment of the Flavia de Luce Mysteries, Alan Bradley sends his young heroine to a boarding school in Toronto. Naturally she finds a death to investigate, because shaking things up doesn't mean abandoning the formula. Dropping an entire supporting cast that has developed over six books is a bold move, but one that pays off in this incredibly entertaining novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

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Anton

I resisted the powerful urge to tell him that this corpse was not my first: that in fact, cadavers were my calling card.

Modesty, though, prevailed.

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Anton
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I needed something a little lighter after finishing Too Like The Lightning and I'm several books behind on the Flavia de Luce series so I started this one last night.

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chowmeyow
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Two hour flight delay setup. Not too shabby.

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PrezBookster
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Be more than that... 👊🏼

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PrezBookster
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Weekend was busy so I‘m digging into this one again! I love this series! 💗

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PrezBookster
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Love love love this series! Started as a random pick off the library shelf years ago!

Mdargusch I love it too! 6y
81 likes1 comment
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mom2bugnbee
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Pickpick

Flavia is so much fun. This one was really good, though I missed Dogger.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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AngieAvers
Panpan

Review
I have pretty much loved all of the previous six books in Alan Bradley's Flavia De Luce book series. This seventh book fell flat, though. Upon closing the book and going to sleep I was left thinking, "What? What just happened?” I could not reconcile how he had chosen to wrap up the story. I was bewildered by many points. Relationships among the girls never develop; neither do great antagonisms, though one would expect both.