A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Novel Flavia de Luce Mysteries: Amazon.co.uk: Alan Bradley: Books

Review

What Alan Bradley manages to pull off so well (and remember, he's a fairly elderly Canadian gentleman who is said never to have set foot in England before writing THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE) is to create a little world that has its basis only in books, those books that we plunged into, heart and soul, when were eleven too (REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE.COM )

I loved it. The writing grabbed me and refused to let go before I reached the bottom of the first page. It's witty and thought-provoking. I found myself reading about some quite gruesome situations with a grin on my face because the writing was just so good. You'll love Flavia - clever, but not a clever-clogs ... and with her own uncertainties. She's no angel ... and the trick with the Bible quote was wicked but funny (Sue Magee THE BOOK BAG )

While fighting off her two older sisters, and helping others, Flavia grows as a person. She shows a lot of spunk, and unlike "Lou Grant", I like spunk. I like this series, and especially Flavia (DEADLY PLEASURES )

This latest entry in Alan Bradley's charming series is every bit as delightful as its predecessors (MYSTERY SCENE )

Former University of Saskatchewan professor publishes his sequel to Bottom of the Pie. This time eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce gets a tip off from a mysterious gypsy (TNT MAGAZINE )

Flavia is mercilessly addictive (Jake Kerridge DAILY TELEGRAPH )

Alan Bradley¿s Flavia de Luce series, which is on its third volume with Red Herring Without Mustard, continues to delight, intrigue, and enchant in equal measure (BOOK GEEKS )

The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite (MAIL ON SUNDAY )

Engaging, entertaining, bright and breezy; and above all, great fun! (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

I'm a devotee of good storytelling that sucks me in and won't let go until the book is over. A Red Herring Without Mustard is the third of Alan Bradley's charming series featuring 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, an eccentric child with a fascination for chemistry and death. The pitch-perfect books are set in the 1950s, but there is nothing sentimental about Flavia and her world (Val McDermid GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'What Alan Bradley manages to pull off so well (and remember, he's a fairly elderly Canadian gentleman who is said never to have set foot in England before writing THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE) is to create a little world that has its basis only in books, those books that we plunged into, heart and soul, when were eleven too' REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE.COM 'I loved it. The writing grabbed me and refused to let go before I reached the bottom of the first page. It's witty and thought-provoking. I found myself reading about some quite gruesome situations with a grin on my face because the writing was just so good. You'll love Flavia - clever, but not a clever-clogs ... and with her own uncertainties. She's no angel ... and the trick with the Bible quote was wicked but funny' -- Sue Magee THE BOOK BAG 'While fighting off her two older sisters, and helping others, Flavia grows as a person. She shows a lot of spunk, and unlike "Lou Grant", I like spunk. I like this series, and especially Flavia' DEADLY PLEASURES 'This latest entry in Alan Bradley's charming series is every bit as delightful as its predecessors' MYSTERY SCENE 'Former University of Saskatchewan professor publishes his sequel to Bottom of the Pie. This time eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce gets a tip off from a mysterious gypsy' TNT MAGAZINE 'Flavia is mercilessly addictive' -- Jake Kerridge DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Alan Bradleys Flavia de Luce series, which is on its third volume with Red Herring Without Mustard, continues to delight, intrigue, and enchant in equal measure' BOOK GEEKS 'The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Engaging, entertaining, bright and breezy; and above all, great fun!' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'I'm a devotee of good storytelling that sucks me in and won't let go until the book is over. A Red Herring Without Mustard is the third of Alan Bradley's charming series featuring 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, an eccentric child with a fascination for chemistry and death. The pitch-perfect books are set in the 1950s, but there is nothing sentimental about Flavia and her world' -- Val McDermid GOOD HOUSEKEEPING --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Flavia Is Back... And Better Than Ever 31 Mar 2011

By Simon Savidge Reads TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

The only problem with writing any book thoughts on a mystery is that you really don't want to give too much away and this is the issue I am facing writing about `A Red Herring Without Mustard' because so far of the Flavia De Luce mysteries I think this is the most twisty and complex. It is still set in the 1950's fictional English town of Bishop's Lacey where the De Luce's reside in the grand house of Buckshaw and it is indeed in the grounds of Buckshaw where a brutal attack is carried out on a gypsy who Flavia has given permission to camp in. Palings is a slightly spooky wooded part of the estate which of course gives great atmosphere to the opening of the book and makes it all the more thrilling.

Naturally the police involved, in particular Inspector Hewitt, don't want Flavia to be. This is much to Flavia's fury and indeed indignation as she has solved a few crimes for them for in the past. So naturally she starts trying to investigate herself. What turns up is not just the mystery of the gypsy but a murder mystery from Bishop Lacey's past and one that isn't as forgotten as Flavia initially believes. If that wasn't enough as Flavia uncovers more secrets new light starts to shine on the very death of Flavia's mother Harriet, all started off by her whimsical visit to the gypsy in question at the village fete.

Some people might say that these are cosy crime novels and yet I think in every one of Alan Bradley's novels so far there is a real darkness, along with a certain camp, that make them so addictive. I also think his choice of Flavia as an unusual child protagonist with her character and observations are precocious, hilarious and blunt all in one, are spot on. You are thrilled and entertained in equal measure. In only a few pages, when discussing her sisters Daphne and Feely and after having caused some absolute havoc, you know you are in the mind of Flavia and the fun begins.

I loved `A Red Herring Without Mustard'. Not only for its plot which is the perfect mystery with thrills and spills, and lots of red herrings, also because I got to spend more time with Flavia, more time with her family and more time with some of the bonkers characters living in the village. If you want a mystery that is entertaining, well written (and really makes you feel you are living in the world it creates) and will have you guessing then you can't go wrong with this.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Flavia is on the case 27 April 2011

By Michael Finn TOP 1000 REVIEWER

This third outing of Alan Bradley's irrepressible Flavia De Luce gets the series back up to top form. Flavia saves the life of an old Gypsy fortune-teller who has been beaten and left for dead. Ok our young heroine had almost managed to burn her to a crisp the previous evening but the less said about such details the better. Flavia sets out to track down the assailant, trampling over several crime scenes in the process, bamboozling the local constabulary and driving her family to new levels of embarrassment. Flavia can't resist the siren call of an unsolved serious misdemeanor, so when a body is found hung on an ornamental fountain in the grounds of Buckshaw Flavia is ecstatic. Never mind justice - think of the opportunities to prove her cleverness to that lovely man Inspector Hewitt. Perhaps he'll even invite her to tea.
The second book stepped over the line a few times with the added absurdities of the world of the puppet show. The fun, tongue in cheek adventures of Flavia combined with the exaggerated staginess of puppeteering didn't quite complement each other. This one is much more to my liking. We also get the introduction of a new character called Porcelain Lee who is a great inclusion, mainly because of her ability to bamboozle the bamboozler. She also gets a wonderful scene homaging perhaps Du Maurier's Rebecca, as she appears on the staircase dressed as Flavia's late mother Harriet. It's the ability to bring off that sort of a poignant vibe counterpointing the cheeky adventures of our precocious investigator that sets these books aside from a lot of its competitors. Bravo to Mr Bradley. And please sir, can we have some more.

The third enthralling adventure of Flavia de Luce. 14 Mar 2011

By J. Lesley TOP 1000 REVIEWER

This charming series of novels written by Alan Bradley is positively addictive. You can start at any point, with any of the three, but Flavia along with her family, friends and neighbors in the tiny British hamlet of Bishop's Lacey will surely capture your imagination, your sympathy, or your heart. Probably all three.

Flavia is the most unusual eleven year old girl you could ever meet. Her interests are centered around chemistry, riding her bicycle (called Gladys) and escaping the evil clutches of her two older sisters who torture her at every turn. Ah, siblings. In this third action packed adventure Flavia starts out wanting to have her fortune told at the village f�te and ends up burning down the tent of the gypsy fortune teller. Of course it was all an accident and Flavia does her best to make amends by seeing that Fenella Faa has a safe place to park her caravan while she recovers from the effects of the smoke she inhaled. And what better place than on the grounds of her family's estate, Buckshaw? Events begin to spiral into more and more unusual situations as Flavia begins to uncover facts of an ancient religious group, a kidnapped infant, valuable antiques disappearing and then reappearing, and a vicious attack, then a murder. All the while the police are pursuing their inquiries and Flavia is pursuing her own investigation. What is that smell of dead fish she seems to keep noticing?

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I had been looking forward to following along while this young detective solved the puzzles which seemed to keep mounting up and I certainly was not disappointed. The deeper Flavia went into the attack on Fenella the more questions were raised about other things going on in both Bishop's Lacey and other nearby villages. In the middle of it all hangs the very real life troubles of the de Luce family and their money problems. Flavia's father has to make some hard decisions and some sacrifices are necessary now, and more will surely be faced in the future. Come along into this wonderful world and meet Flavia's father, her sisters Ophelia and Daphne, Mrs. Mallet, Dogger, the doctor, the vicar, the police inspector and his sergeant and a host of neighbors both nice and not so nice. A small English village, an eleven year old girl, the 1950's and crime of many kinds. A recipe for adventure and delight.