Speaking from Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Flavia de Luce, #5)

by Alan Bradley

An ancient tomb...a very modern murder

When the tomb of St Tancred is opened, no one expects to find the body of the organist, lying in a pool of blood, his handsome features covered by a gas mask.

Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce is intrigued. Why would anyone want to kill the much-admired organist in such a brutal and bizarre fashion?

Why place his body in the tomb? And what happened to the remains of the previous occupant?

The mystery leads Flavia deep into the past, to a strange story of lost manuscripts and ancient relics...

Praise for the historical Flavia de Luce mysteries:
'The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite' Mail on Sunday

'A cross between Dodie Smith's I Capture The Castle and the Addams family...delightfully entertaining' Guardian

Fans of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, Frances Brody and Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy the Flavia de Luce mysteries:
1. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
2. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
3. A Red Herring Without Mustard
4. I Am Half Sick of Shadows
5. Speaking From Among the Bones
6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
7. As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust
8. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd
9. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place

If you're looking for a cosy crime series to keep you hooked then look no further than the Flavia de Luce mysteries.

* Each Flavia de Luce mystery can be read as a standalone or in series order *

• ISBN10: 0385344031
• ISBN13: 9780385344036
• Publish Date: 29 January 2013 (first published 1 January 2013)
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 25 March 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 378
• Language: English

Reviews

[dpfaef]

The Flavia deLuce series without a doubt is one of my favorites.  Flavia, a twelve-year-old living on a failing estate, Buckshaw,  in England right after WWII with two sisters and severely depressed father sets the stage for the young detective.  Flavia's mother died in a mountain climbing accident shortly after Flavia was born.  Dogger, Mr deLuce's man-servant and all around handyman rounds out the cast. Dogger served with Mr. deLuce in WWII and has PTSD.

Flavia left mostly to her own devices has found her dead uncles chemistry lab where she spends her time studying poisons.  When not in her lab, she is found nosing  around the town she lives in, Bishop Lacey, where there seems to considerable amount of murder.

Alan Bradley has created a truly unique heroine, what is more amazing is that he has kept her fresh for the last five novels, that in and of itself is an accomplishment. The dry British humor shines through all the books.This review was originally posted on THE PFAEFFLE JOURNAL

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

I have loved the Flavia de Luce novels in the past but found Speaking From Among the Bones to be lackluster. I didn't feel like there was much of a mystery element as there has been previously. Alan Bradley seemed to go off on tangents and thought the death of Mr. Collicutt took a backseat only to be reminded of it at the novel's end.

Even so, the tangents gave more of a backstory and better understanding of the de Luce clan, with a conclusion that had me saying "no, this can't be the end!".

Overall, it was a decent novel but thought Speaking From Among the Bones was more filler than mystery.

[elvinagb]

You've got to hand it to Flavia de Luce, she has an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time and always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another great book from Alan Bradley. What at twisty twisted ending though. When does book #6 come out?

[Beth C.]

I'm a huge Flavia de Luce fan, but as you go along in a series, it is easy to start wondering if the latest book will be able to compare with the ones that came before. So it came as somewhat of a relief to realize that Flavia was better than ever!

In this newest installment in the series, Flavia has a lot going on. Her family is on the verge of losing their home, she finds the local church organist dead during the opening of a Saint's tomb, everyone is acting out of character (including Flavia) - it's almost too much to bear. But not for our favorite authority on poisons! As usual, she goes out of her way to figure out the mystery, but this time, she learns some interesting lessons about *living* life along the way. The dead may be fascinating, but the living will always keep you guessing...

The only downside to this book was the absolute cliffhanger ending. Don't get me wrong - there was absolutely resolution to the story. However, if you have been through all of Flavia's ups and downs, then leaving the story as it did seems a tad bit on the cruel side. I know that it is partly to convince people to read the next one, but I personally believe that the stories are so well written that a cliffhanger of this variety is unnecessary. Other than that - I quite enjoyed this book, and I will look forward to the next one whenever it makes its appearance!