The east wing of her sprawling, ancestral home is unheated, she reminds us, so it was no trouble to flood the room and create her own private arena. The novel opens with Flavia skating past paintings of her long-dead relatives in Buckshaw’s portrait gallery. All the usual elements seemed to be there but it just wasn’t quite as captivating as the previous stories for me. I did feel though that some of the charm had gone missing in this one. I’ve been picking at this series on occasion as it’s very endearing and looks at the genre from an unusual perspective. Can she unmask the killer and find out if Santa is real or not? Flavia also wants to prove/disprove the existence of Father Christmas. With so many people in residence the local police (and also Flavia, of course) will have plenty to do to catch the murderer. The crew along with most of the village who’ve come to witness an impromptu performance from the production’s two stars get snowed in when the weather takes a nasty turn and it’s not long before a murder ensues.

This instalment sees a film company infest the house in order for Flavia’s father to raise money for some much needed repairs and running costs. 'Bradley's plot twists and turns delightfully.Fourth in the Flavia de Luce country house mystery series where the Jane Marple character is replaced by a young girl. Flavia is a classic literary character who manages to appeal to both young and old readers equally.'-Wichita Falls Times Record News ' the most intrepid and charming adolescent chemist/detective/busybody in all of rural, post-World War II England.'- The Seattle Times But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight. 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 strangled to death with a length of film.

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. It's Christmastime, and Flavia de Luce-an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry-is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. ' Bradley has created one of the most original, charming, devilishly creative and hilarious detectives of any age or any time.'-Bookreporter 'Every Flavia de Luce novel is a reason to celebrate.'- USA TodayĪLAN BRADLEY, AUTHOR OF THE MOST AWARD-WINNING SERIES DEBUT OF ANY YEAR, RETURNS WITH ANOTHER IRRESISTIBLE FLAVIA DE LUCE NOVEL.

I am half sick of shadows alan bradley