I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley
Pages: 315
Published by Delacorte Press
Publication Date January 14, 2014
Source: Netgalley
Genres: Mystery
Goodreads
On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train's arrival in the English village of Bishop's Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear.
Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd...
Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces' crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test.
Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself.
Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office - and making spectacular use of Harriet's beloved Gypsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit - Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.
Flavia grows up just a little in each novel and in The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches it is evident that she has matured and felt like a parent dropping their child off for the first day of kindergarten. While some of the innocence is lost her skills in deduction have increased. This mystery series is anything, but formulaic, and is far from Fred Jones pulling off a mask to reveal the culprit. Alan Bradley’s stories are unique and keep you on your toes.
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