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

by Alan Bradley

[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!