Bradley Alan Libri

Flavia de Luce, pur non essendo praticante, è affascinata dall'atmosfera della parrocchia in occasione del cinquecentesimo anniversario della morte di San Tancredi. Mentre il vicario dirige i lavori per aprire il sepolcro, l'undicenne detective abbandona il suo laboratorio di chimica e le liti con le sorelle Feely e Daffy per curiosare. È impegnata in un esperimento sul sangue e sta indagando su un pipistrello morto nell'organo, quando scopre un macabro segreto: dietro la pietra tombale, trova il cadavere dell'organista Collicut, mascherato con un aggeggio di gomma. Collicut, un personaggio strano che era scomparso l'estate precedente, solleva interrogativi sulla sua morte e sulla sorte delle ossa di San Tancredi. Flavia, con la sua astuzia investigativa, si concentra su come sia avvenuto il delitto. La sua avventura si intreccia con la competizione e collaborazione con il severo ispettore Hewitt. La serie mescola il mistero di una giovane detective alla Mrs Marple con l'ambientazione della campagna inglese degli anni '50, ormai al tramonto. Flavia affronta enigmi polizieschi in un'atmosfera tenera e spregiudicata, circondata da personaggi bizzarri, mentre la sua innocenza si mescola a provocazioni che sfidano il mondo che la circonda.

The presumed death of Harriet de Luce in a mysterious mountaineering accident in Tibet while Flavia was only a baby cast a sombre shadow over the family, leaving Colonel de Luce a broken man and Flavia herself with no memories of her mother. But now, astonishingly, a specially commissioned train is bringing Harriet back to Buckshaw. But rather than putting the past finally to rest, Harriet's return is set to trigger a further series of bizarre and deadly events, as a most curious group of individuals converge on Buckshaw to pay their respects.

Mystery fans seeking novels of wit, an immersive English countryside setting, and rich characterizations will be rewarded with this newest entry in the award-winning series. - Library Journal (starred review) There is such a thing as willing suspension of disbelief brought on by sheer outlandish charm, and that's what [Alan] Bradley and some delicious writing have tapped. - London Free Press Flavia's first-person narration reveals her precocious intellect as well as her youthful vulnerability. - Shelf Awareness Flavia is once again a fun, science-loving protagonist. . . . This series entry ends on a note that begs for the next story. - Library Reads An eleven-year-old prodigy with an astonishing mind for chemistry and a particular interest in poisons. - The Strand Magazine (Five of the Best Historical Heroines) Bradley's preteen heroine comes through in the end with a series of deductions so clever she wants to hug herself. So will you. - Kirkus Reviews From the Hardcover edition.

Advance praise highlights the unique charm of the series, with Publishers Weekly noting Bradley's ability to blend humor with darker themes. Library Journal emphasizes the anticipation surrounding Flavia's investigation and her unconventional family dynamics. Fans of the clever young detective will eagerly await her witty insights, as she believes that "an unexamined corpse was a tale untold." Kirkus Reviews praises her knack for unraveling complex cases, culminating in a satisfying resolution that hints at even brighter adventures ahead. The Flavia de Luce novels have garnered numerous accolades, including the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award and the Agatha Award, affirming their widespread appeal. USA Today describes Flavia as a bold, brilliant, and adorable sleuth, while The Boston Globe finds her a delightful mix of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes. Daily Mail calls her as addictive as dark chocolate, and The Seattle Times proclaims her the world's greatest adolescent British chemist, busybody, and sleuth. Flavia's character continues to captivate readers with her intelligence and charm, ensuring her place as a beloved figure in contemporary mystery literature.

Although it is autumn in the small English town of Bishop's Lacey, the chapel is decked with exotic flowers. Yes, Flavia de Luce's sister Ophelia is at last getting hitched, like a mule to a wagon. A church is a wonderful place for a wedding, muses Flavia, surrounded as it is by the legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar. Flavia is not your normal twelve-year-old girl. An expert in the chemical nature of poisons, she has solved many mysteries, which has sharpened her considerable detection skills to the point where she had little choice but to turn professional. So Flavia and dependable Dogger, estate gardener and sounding board extraordinaire, set up shop at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, eager to serve--not so simple an endeavor with her odious, little moon-faced cousin, Undine, constantly underfoot. But Flavia and Dogger persevere. Little does she know that their first case will be extremely close to home, beginning with an unwelcome discovery in Ophelia's wedding cake: a human finger.

Krimi. Camped in her horse-drawn caravan at Buckshaw, a young Gypsy woman is charged with the abduction -and then the murder - of a local child, and Flavia must draw upon her encyclopaedic knowledge of poisons - and Gypsy lore - to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.

It's Christmastime, and the precocious Flavia de Luce - an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry and a penchant for crime-solving - is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces' decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern. Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop's Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening's shocking conclusion: a body found, past midnight, strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must use every ounce of sly wit at her disposal to ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight.

Flavia de Luce thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop's Lacey are over-until beloved puppeteer Rupert Porson has his own strings sizzled in an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity.

Flavia de Luce fa un’orrida scoperta nell’orto dei cetrioli, dove trova un corpo semisepolto. L’uomo, esalando l’ultimo respiro, sussurra una parola misteriosa: «Vale!». Poco prima, aveva ascoltato una conversazione inquietante tra il padre e uno sconosciuto riguardo a un certo Twining, morto da trent’anni, e a un omicidio. Inoltre, il padre era quasi svenuto di fronte a un uccellino con un francobollo nel becco. Questi eventi stuzzicano la curiosità dell’undicenne Flavia, una temeraria detective con un talento per la chimica, che la guida in un’avventura tra le campagne di Bishop’s Lacey, dove la sua famiglia, i de Luce, è in declino. Flavia vive con le sorelle maggiori, Daffy e Feely, e una servitù che ricorda la loro madre avventurosa. Le domande si accumulano: chi era Twining? Chi è l’uomo con cui il padre ha discusso? Cosa significa il francobollo? E come si collega tutto ciò a una tragedia avvenuta trent’anni prima nel college? Questo primo romanzo della serie mescola ingegno da giallo classico, ironia scabrosa, realismo macabro e la maliziosa innocenza di una ragazzina, creando un sottogenere giallo originale e di grande successo, capace di suscitare sorrisi, risate e brividi.