Book Review: 'Speaking from Among the Bones' by Alan Bradley

✰✰✰✰ It is early springtime in Bishop's Lacey, and 11 year old Flavia de Luce is in search of adventure. At her young age, she has already solved four mysteries, but she's itching for another one to solve. She doesn't need to look far. It just happens to be the 500th anniversary of the death of St. Tancred, the patron saint of the local church. As the townspeople gather for the excavation of St. Tancred's tomb, Flavia insists on being front and center. However, before the ancient bones can be unearthed, a fresher corpse is discovered. Luckily, Flavia is on hand with her keen sense of observation.

In her quest to flesh out the murderer, Flavia uncovers several town secrets and surprising information about Harriet, the mother she never knew. Meanwhile, the future of Buckshaw remains questionable. The grounds are deteriorating, and Flavia's father is more preoccupied than ever. To complicate things even more, this time around Flavia has some new competition in the race to solve the murder. Will she figure it out before everyone else or has she finally met her match? The last 100 pages (including the cliffhanger ending) will leave you breathless.

The Bottom Line: As the fifth book in the series, Speaking from Among the Bones is an engaging read. Flavia and her sisters are growing up; thus, Flavia is starting to experience some preteen moods and awkwardness. It's a good thing Flavia has another mystery to solve to keep her mind focused. As always, Flavia takes to her state-of-the-art chemistry lab when she needs to sort things out. In addition to solving a murder, there are several subplots to keep the reader interested. Plus, new characters are introduced to keep the series fresh. With an ancient crypt, family secrets, and graveyard tunnels, Speaking from Among the Bones proves to be darker and more complicated than the previous mysteries. Highly recommended for both adult and young adult mystery fans who enjoy cozies set in the English countryside. The Flavia de Luce mysteries are always a fun diversion from the ordinary.

Details: Speaking from Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley. Hardcover published by Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House Publishing Group) in 2013. 400 p. ISBN: 978-0-385-34403-6 Note: I received an advance uncorrected proof from Random House in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewer program at LibraryThing.