I read a lot of mysteries, and I especially like it when the protagonist isn’t your standard Hercule Poirot type detective. So let me introduce you to Flavia de Luce, the heroine of a series set in England in the 1950’s written by Alan Bradley. First of all, Flavia is eleven. She also has an unusual passion for chemistry, especially poisons. Flavia seems out of place in the world. She lives in a decaying mansion. Her mother died when she was a baby and she has no memory of her. She has a father that’s out of touch, and two older sisters who regard her as a nuisance. Also, people seem to keep getting murdered around her, and it’s up to her to figure out who did it. I find this series unique and refreshing as it transports you into Flavia’s world of mad science and sleuthing.
The fifth book in the series, Speaking From Among the Bones was published in February.
Here are the other titles, in order:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag
-Maura
