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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is the 11th Flavia de Luce novel by Alan Bradley. Released 3rd Sept 2024 by by Penguin Random House on their Bantam book imprint, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Flavia is wickedly wryly funny (and clever) and Bradley is a truly prodigiously gifted author. She and her dogsbody/batman, appropriately named Dogger are a force to be reckoned with and outmaneuver, outflank and outwit all comers. She's possessed of a Greek Nemesis' brain strapped into the body of a precocious adolescent and all bets are off.

This book doesn't work particularly well as a standalone. Whilst most of the necessary background info is provided by the author (cleverly not "telling" but always "showing"), there are a number of spoilers/plot twists from previous entries which are directly referred to in this book. Much more fun to find a rainy fall weekend and binge read the whole series.

For readers who are unfamiliar with Flavia, she's not your average youngster. She's self contained and prodigiously interested in chemistry and crime. Dogger does most of the heavy lifting.

I don't often laugh out loud at books, but I have done so with every single one of the Flavia books.

I have recommended these books to my circle of crime-reading friends and the verdicts seem to be almost evenly split between 'wonderful' and 'no, thanks'. Definitely worth a try if you appreciate very well crafted mysteries with a touch of the absurd and/or slightly gallows humor.

Four and a half stars in my appreciative estimation. Long may she reign! 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Amazing!!! I was a little wary because I DNFed The Sword of Kaigen, but I clicked with Blood Over Bright Haven straight away. Such an addicting, thoughtful read.