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Published Jan 2018
384 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
"The world's greatest adolescent British chemist/busybody/sleuth" (The Seattle Times), Flavia de Luce, returns in a twisty new mystery novel from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Alan Bradley.
In the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is struggling to fill her empty days. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is ecstatic. Suddenly something grazes her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object, imagining herself Ernest Hemingway battling a marlin, and pulls up what she expects will be a giant fish. But in Flavia's grip is something far better: a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia's mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder - although one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave.
"Starred Review. As usual, Bradley makes his improbable series conceit work and relieves the plot's inherent darkness with clever humor." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Series fans will anticipate the details of this investigation, along with one last taste of Flavia's unorthodox family life." - Library Journal
"A promising partnership is ahead for the irrepressible Flavia, whose cozy escapades hold appeal for all ages." - Booklist
"Despite a climactic attempt on her life, Bradley's unquenchable heroine brings 'the most complicated case I had ever come across' to a highly satisfying conclusion, with the promise of still brighter days ahead." - Kirkus
This information about The Grave's a Fine and Private Place was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Shirley Bradley
Alan Bradley was born in Toronto, Ont. and grew up in the pleasant lakeside town of Cobourg, Ont. After a long career in television broadcasting, he took early retirement from the University of Saskatchewan to write full-time. He has published many children's stories as well as lifestyle and arts columns in Canadian newspapers. His adult stories have been broadcast on CBC radio and published in various literary journals. He has also written several screenplays and taught university-level courses in screenwriting. He was the recipient of the first Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children's Literature. After writing for several years on the Maltese island of Gozo, Alan Bradley now lives on the Isle of Man.
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