Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
- Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
- Published by: Delacorte Press
- Release Date: 1/29/2013
Eleven-year-old amateur detective and ardent chemist Flavia de Luce is used to digging up clues, whether they’re found among the potions in her laboratory or between the pages of her insufferable sisters’ diaries. What she is not accustomed to is digging up bodies. Upon the five-hundredth anniversary of St. Tancred’s death, the English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey is busily preparing to open its patron saint’s tomb. Nobody is more excited to peek inside the crypt than Flavia, yet what she finds will halt the proceedings dead in their tracks: the body of Mr. Collicutt, the church organist, his face grotesquely and inexplicably masked. Who held a vendetta against Mr. Collicutt, and why would they hide him in such a sacred resting place? The irrepressible Flavia decides to find out. And what she unearths will prove there’s never such thing as an open-and-shut case.
I also recommend:
- The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winnifred Watson
I broke my own rule by picking up Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley – but I just couldn’t help it. You see, I’d seen this series on the bookshelves but never took the plunge, even though I love, love, love the cover art. A young girl detective combined with a mystery (not my normal go-to genre) and all I could think was that it would be cliche and… well, silly.
So was it those things? Yes and no. The first plus was that I was easily able to dive into the book and did not feel as if I was being left out of anything having not read the previous books in the series. The second was that Flavia de Luce is just so dang cute. I couldn’t help but laugh and marvel at her smarts, her wit, and her hilarious way of naming (and treating) her bicycle.
As a mystery, Speaking from Among the Bones was average. There wasn’t any great surprises or revelations and I didn’t walk away feeling as if I’d just had my mind blown by the level of intricate details – but Flavia’s methods of solving the mystery and her hobbies had just enough charm to make me think of this book as a cozy mystery. It was fun to pass the hours with and I felt satisfied when I put the book down. So while I may not be rushing out to read all of the backlog of the series, I am content in knowing I’ve read one and enjoyed it. I think if I was more of a mystery person that feeling of needing to read might be more present – but still, it’s high praise that I enjoyed this book especially when I was uncertain that the insides might be as enjoyable as the cover outside.
Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!
Cozy Little Book Journal | You Book Me All Night Long | Mysteries Etc.
I’ve read the first two (I wasn’t even aware this one was out yet, for shame!), and I mostly enjoyed them. But yeah, it’s mostly because Flavia is a fun character, not specifically because of the mystery — and I like mysteries.