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In spite of being ejected from Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Canada, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is excited to be sailing home to England. But instead of a joyous homecoming, she is greeted on the docks with unfortunate news: Her father has fallen ill, and a hospital visit will have to wait while he rests. But with Flavia’s blasted sisters and insufferable cousin underfoot, Buckshaw now seems both too empty—and not empty enough.
Only too eager to run an errand for the vicar’s wife, Flavia hops on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to deliver a message to a reclusive wood-carver. Finding the front door ajar, Flavia enters and stumbles upon the poor man’s body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only living creature in the house is a feline that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Curiosity may not kill this cat, but Flavia is energized at the prospect of a new investigation. It’s amazing what the discovery of a corpse can do for one’s spirits. But what awaits Flavia will shake her to the very core.
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The main character Flavia de Luce has come back home from school in Canada. It is set in around the time after WWII. It is hard to imagine Flavia being only 12 years old the way she speaks she sounds much older. But she is a precocious young lady seeming to have a habit of finding dead bodies and then going about trying to solve the mystery. Once I got past the bizarre and off putting way she speaks I did enjoy the mystery unfolding. She travels all over the place alone and in very bad weather in which no one seems to think odd or to care. Her family is very distant to her and her father is in the hospital. Her mother has passed away. The only one who seems to care about her is Dogger her family's butler and some neighbors and acquaintances.
Coming in to the story at book 8 was probably not the best beginning because I am sure stuff got explained along the way. But eventually I got the hang of the story and started to enjoy it.
I received this book free from the publisher for an honest review.