The Grave's a Fine and Private Place: A Flavia de Luce Novel

Liked that we got to see and learn some more about Dogger. I thought the ending was a good set-up for the next book.

Though I think Alan Bradley's THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, is the best of his Flavia de Luce series, I have liked them all. Flavia is the ideal precocious little girl. She has a propensity for finding dead bodies and then figuring out what happened to them using her advanced knowledge of chemistry among other things. During the series Mr. Bradley advances Flavia in years until she attains the advanced age of 12 in this book THE GRAVE'S A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE. I confess that I prefer the 11 year old Flavia de Luce to the 12 year old Flavia, but that is just my preference.In this latest and maybe last book of the Flavia de Luce series, Flavia, her two sisters and Dogger go on a holiday. Col. de Luce, Flavia, Feely and Daffy's father and Dogger's friend and employer has just passed away. The quartet decides to visit a small village with an interesting history concerning a triple murder. This is just the thing to cheer Flavia up. No one loves a murder more than Flavia. While out in a small boat with Dogger and her two sisters, Flavia hooks her hand in the mouth of a floating corpse. Yes, that is odd, but if you have read the other books in the series it is about par for the course. This particular corpse turns out to be the son of the local priest who was hanged for the above mentioned triple murders. Flavia sets out, with Dogger and Daffy's help, Feely is too busy courting Dieter to become much involved, to solve the case of the floating corpse. In the end they solve all four murders, discover the secret of Dogger's lady friend, and save Flavia from an evil villain who locks her in a coffin. During the course of the novel we find out more about Dogger's past.I do hope that this is not the final novel in this series. I don't know how Mr. Bradley could work out having Flavia find more corpses, but maybe he can. The ending of this novel just may foreshadow more Flavia de Luce stories to come. We shall see. I highly recommend Flavia to all readers.

I just read a 7 book YA fiction series that had a great plot but dismal prose & grammar. Diving into this was like finding the door to spring in a house of winter. Suddenly all of your senses are awash in the perfect blend in a way that leads to instant euphoria. This is not a novel to rush through.Why would you guzzle fine aged wine or swallow the most exquisite bar of chocolate whole ? Some references I did not get (I'm not a British citizen, nor am I extremely well versed in the classics), but it did not really detract that much from the experience as a whole.I also was not completely sure why Orlando had to die or exactly how he was killed as the reasons seemed a bit shallow. That could be due to the fact that some things were implied or suggested & I wasn't really tracking the thread out of distraction from not being well versed in poetry or the classics. It was a very tricky thing for the author to have the de Luce girls be on an adventure so soon after their father's death. I felt like the mystery & their grief was handled superbly. I was glad to see growth in all the characters that we've become so familiar with.Finally we delve into more of who Dogger is.We begin to see Flavia evolve more & more. I, for one, am anxious to see her become a teen.I'm dying to know what will Flavia be like as a 16 year old . Will she be like Wednesday Addams,A vulcan Nancy Drew,or take a turn for the nefarious & be more like a slightly Miss Marple-ish Artemis Fowl ?

The Grave’s a Fine and Private PlaceAuthor: Alan BradleyHardback ISBN: 978-0-345-54001-0The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place is Alan Bradley’s tenth Flavia de Luce novel. Our precocious twelve-year-old sleuth is wise beyond her years in areas of science, physics, chemistry, and unforgiving inquisitiveness. She lives at Buckshaw, a grand old British house that has seen better years, with her two sisters, Mrs. Mullet their cook, and the longtime family handyman and gardener, Arthur Dogger.This time, we are taken away from Flavia’s familiar surroundings in the village of Bishop’s Lacy to the nearby hamlet of Volesthorpe where the entire book takes place. A body, unsolved murders, and a boy! In the first few pages, Flavia’s hand brushes a submerged body during a relaxed rowboat excursion with Dogger. Flavia’s immediately in her element: sleuthing, snooping, and conducting her own investigations. Who is he? How did he die? Suicide or foul play?I’ve enjoyed every Flavia book and feel that I know her well. In The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place, we learn a bit more about her and a lot more about her trusted friend and assistant, Dogger. He plays a major role in this one and Flavia’s sisters Feely and Daffy actually assist her instead of being adversarial for a change. I get the sense that Flavia is maturing and that perhaps in future novels, she won’t be stuck forever at twelve years old. If this ever happens, my fingers are crossed.Flavia’s instinctive fact-tracking and brilliant mind shine here. Although the mystery itself seemed a bit muddy in places, our heroine’s abilities and deductive reasoning make it great fun nonetheless. Her personality is so pervasive and intense that nearly everyone else becomes just another character.For the many Flavia fans — go get this book, you won’t be disappointed. To those who are new to these wonderful “who-done-its”, jump right in, the water’s fine!

When one enters the world of Flavia de Luce, one enters a world of intrigue, entertainment, and humor. Each book is delightful. I don't want Flavia to ever grow up, but I am thankful she is finally getting along better with her sisters.

The ending is a muddle and the motive for murder absurd but otherwise the usual light hearted romp which you either find enchanting or a waste of printed paper. You can forgive the American spelling - color and liter - but would Flavia have used liter in 1952? - perhaps as a chemist but she certainly would not have used suspenders for braces - to hold up trousers not as she does later for correcting teeth. Also, why the odd use of Da and sicked by Hob the ragamuffin boy? Nitpicking! From the acknowledgment at the back the author hints at Flavia being at journeys end, this volume does seem to be running out of steam.

Oh, what a wonderful weekend I had. Tucked up in the house with this marvellous book. After the loss of their Father. The ever faithful Dogger takes the girls on holiday. And Flavia immediately finds a murder to solve. Which is of course, her idea of the perfect holiday. With suspicious characters and dead bodies everywhere, it does not take our heroine long to be embroiled in uncovering the guilty party.Alan Bradley's brilliant writing and characterisations keep you totally engrossed. The only complaint is I enjoy his books so much I read them in a couple of days. And then have to wait for the next in the series.I cannot wait to see what Flavia, Dogger, Feely and Daffy do next.

I adore the Flavia de Luce series. This did not disappoint. A real page turner.My only criticism is the American spellings of some words; they do tend to jump off the page at me. The book is set in England. Just a small niggle.

Good value for money. Arrived later than indicated, but since it was not an urgent order, it didn't really matter.

Bought as a gift for my sister.I'm told it is a fine read!