Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd: A Flavia de Luce Mystery Book 8 (Flavia de Luce, #8) (Flavia de Luce #08)

by Alan Bradley

Curiosity won't kill this cat...

Twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is back at Buckshaw at last, but her homecoming is overshadowed by news of her father's illness.

Forbidden from visiting Colonel de Luce in hospital, Flavia busies herself in the village, but she soon makes a macabre discover: the corpse of a reclusive woodcarver hanging upside down on the back of a door, in a house empty but for a curiously uncurious cat.

While the local constabulary are stumped, Flavia is soon piecing together a puzzle that connects a death by murderous gulls on a desolate island, a local woman said to be a witch, and a beloved children's author who terrified his own son - plus, of course, a certain tortoise-shell cat...

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: 1409149501
• ISBN13: 9781409149507
• Publish Date: 22 September 2016 (first published 20 September 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
• Imprint: Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Beth C.]

She's back! Our favorite pint-sized sleuth is back, and as usual, trouble has followed her. When running an errand, she discovers the dead body of a local wood carver. Since death is, to Flavia, as peanut butter is to a dog, she begins trying to solve the murder. In the meantime, her father is sick in the hospital, giving her free reign (mostly) to come and go as she pleases.

This Flavia book has a slightly darker tone to it, which matches the fact that our girl is beginning to grow up a little bit and has experienced some bumpy roads. But she's still dear Flavia, and she makes her own way in this book, as she has in the others. As far as the story itself, it is heads and tails better than the short story that came before - that felt like fluff meant to appease readers until this showed up. Thankfully, things are back on track.

Some of the usual characters pop up here, including the Inspector and the Vicar's wife. There are some new ones, of course, and an old friend from her brief time at boarding school (the short story).

Overall, it was (as usual) a great read and a fun way to pass the time. I'm not so keen on the ending - not necessarily because of what happened, but because of the abruptness of it. However, I look forward to reading more about Flavia in the future!