Review: A Red Herring Without Mustard

Flavia de Luce is back in A Red Herring Without Mustard, and she has reason to heat up the Bunsen burners in her laboratory. A precocious eleven year-old sleuth, she has her fortune told by a gypsy at a local fair in Bishop's Lacey. Hours later, she finds the woman bludgeoned, barely alive, but perhaps part of an old child abduction scandal. For a wee town, there's a lot smoldering under the surface.

A local ne'er do well, Brookie Harewood is found dead, hanging from the Poseidon statue on de Luce property. Any connection to the gypsy? The Inspector is not pleased at the multiple trips needed to contain Flavia, recover evidence, and put together pieces of the puzzle. All the while, our young lady is two steps ahead of him and outwitting her older mean sisters, too.

From the back cover - As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.

Alan Bradley introduced us to Flavia in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. He has a winning heroine, an enchanting writing style, tricky clues, and an exciting page turner. He's imbued Flavia with a wicked sense of humor and you'll enjoy her exasperation at life in Bishop's Lacey. Even under house arrest, it is hard to contain this delightfully dark yet winning young lady.

I highly recommend A Red Herring Without Mustard. It is a superbly entertaining summer brain twister.