The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag - A Flavia de Luce Novel

Nach der grandiosen Theater-Vorstellung des Puppenspielers Rupert Porson, fällt am Ende nicht nur der Vorhang, sondern auch eine Leiche auf die Bühne. Jetzt heißt es Ruhe- und einen kühlen Kopf bewahren, denn was zunächst wie ein Unfall aussieht, entpuppt sich schnell als skrupelloser Mord.
Flavia ermittelt wieder, und dabei ist ihr Inspektor Hewitt keine große Hilfe. Statt sie in sein Ermittlungsteam aufzunehmen, behandelt er sie wie eine gewöhnliche Elfjährige, was der Guten gehörig gegen den Strich geht. Und da am Ende jemand den Inspektor vorführen muss, macht Flavia sich ganz allein auf die Suche nach dem Mörder, und entwirrt dabei gleich zwei Verbrechen, die auf den ersten Blick nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Aber Flavia wäre nicht Flavia, wenn sie diesen Fall nicht knacken würde. Frei nach dem Motto: '"Begabung und Moral haben nichts miteinander zu tun'", schnüffelt sie Tatverdächtigen hinterher, steigt in Nachbars Häuser ein, und steckt ihre Nase in Angelegenheiten, die sie todsicher nichts angehen.

Wer allergisch gegen Lachfältchen ist, sollte die Finger von diesem Roman lassen, durch den ich mich innerhalb kürzester Zeit gekichert habe. Ich mag Flavia und ich mag Alan Bradleys Schreibstil. Sein Wortwitz, und seine Flavia-mäßige Sprache haben mir ein schelmisches Dauergrinsen ins Gesicht gezaubert, das noch einige Zeit nachgewirkt hat. Der Roman ist von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite mit witzigen, neunmalklugen oder einfach nur niedlichen Passagen gespickt, wie die auf Seite 51, als Flavia ihre Schwester ärgern will, indem sie sich über Ludwig van Beethoven lustig macht:
"Ey, spiel doch ma den Mondlicht-Solara-Dimgens von Louis B."
Oder Flavias Antwort auf die Frage, ob sie raucht:
'Ich hatte schon überlegt, ob ich nächste Woche damit anfange. (...) Ich bin einfach noch nicht dazu gekommen." (Seite 22).

Aber die Geschichte lebt nicht nur von Flavia, sondern auch von den vielen schrulligen Nebenfiguren mit all ihren Macken und Kanten, wie Dogger, Flavias Vater, ihrer '"Du-bist-echt ''ne-Wucht'"-Tante Felicity, sowie Tee-Tanten, wie Miss Puddock, die wahrscheinlich einzige Person in England, die auf die Idee kommt, ihren Samowar "'Peter der Große"' zu nennen.

Fazit:
Volle Punktzahl für einen herrlich-komischen Roman, der bis zur letzten Seite ein runder Lesespaß war, und zum Schluß sogar noch richtig spannend wurde.

Abschließend möchte ich noch die beiden Übersetzer erwähnen, Gerald Jung und Katharina Orgaß, die wieder mal einen richtig tollen Job gemacht haben!

Bisher erschienen:
* The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia De Luce Mystery 1)
* The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia De Luce Mystery 2)
* A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia De Luce Mystery 3) - Teil 3 Erscheint im Februar 2011

Bisher übersetzt:
* Flavia de Luce (1) - Mord im Gurkenbeet; gibt es übrigens auch als Hörbuch
* Flavia de Luce (2) - Mord ist kein Kinderspiel; ist ebenfalls als Hörbuch erschienen

Child chemist Flavia de Luce is back investigating murder. This time a popular puppeteer is electrocuted during a performance. Flavia is convinced it is not an accident. Her investigations suggest that puppeteer Rupert Porson was not the stranger in the village he claimed to be, and it seems that his death might be linked to that of a child found hanged several years earlier.

I enjoyed this Flavia de Luce mystery more than the first. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that there was so much hype about the first one that it couldn't possibly meet expectations. I did find that the family dynamics were more developed in this book, which greatly added to my enjoyment. The addition of Aunt Felicity is a welcome one. There's more to the family in this book than Flavia's sisters trying to convince her that she was adopted. This second book in the series also gave Flavia more depth. I'm most definitely looking forward to the next one.

I am not normally a fan of novels about precocious children. In the hands of a less skilled writer, they start to sound like abnormally short and obnoxious adults. However, in the case of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce, I found an utterly believable eleven year old with a bent for chemistry, mysteries, and mischief -- a charming combination. This is the second one in the series -- I'm sorry to say I have not yet read the first -- and Bradley is working on the third already.

The story takes place in a pastoral English town in 1950, complete with balmy English characters, some with secrets to be discovered. When the book opens, Flavia is dead. Well, she's pretending to be dead and imagining the funeral procession with careful detail. She is interrupted by the sound of a woman weeping. This woman, Nialla, turns out to be the traveling companion of the famous Rupert Porson, the puppeteer. Rupert has secrets, Nialla has secrets -- and it turns out these secrets are more closely emeshed with the little town and environs of Bishop's Lacey. There is, in due course, a murder. A crazed woman in the forest, a little boy found hung many years ago, a farmer growing hemp -- Flavia has her hands full as does Bradley. Not to mention Flavia's extremely obnoxious sisters who persist in trying to convince her that she has been adopted and/or caused the death of her mother. Flavia's abilities as chemist help solve the murder -- a bit of a stretch perhaps but very nicely rendered.

The characters and setting of this book are a lot of fun -- and the mystery is worth the read. Strongly recommend.

The amazing young chemist Miss Flavia de Luce is back to sneaking about the post-World War II village of Bishop's Lacey in order to uncover the tragic history of the latest murder and even wins her Aunt Felicity's approval to do so. Flavia has also softened up a bit and become much more believable as a precocious eleven year old. (Ignore that awful voice in the video tour of Buckshaw--that's obviously an adult pretending to be Flavia!) All of the interesting characters from the first book are present and we learn much more about many of them.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag came quite soon after we were introduced to her in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery, quickly enough that I worried it would not live up to that delightful book. However, it is worthy of its predecessor and then some. We have here another very clever work of humor masquerading as a light murder mystery not unaware of its roots in classic English murder mysteries set in country houses and church graveyards.

The writing definitely transports the reader into a time and place where television is a novelty and eggs are delivered still warm from the hen. It is full of interesting observations, descriptions, and phrases that make for engaging reading. Overall, this second volume is even more captivating than the first since the reader is already familiar with some of the background explanations of the settings and people and the plot moves along a bit more smoothly without that friction. It is certainly more enjoyable than Mrs. Mullet's stuffed sow's liver brought whole to the table and passed off as a Mock Denbighshire Sweet Loaf!

I very highly recommend this newest Flavia de Luce Mystery and am already looking forward to the next installment. It's simply loads of fun!

In 1950 in Bishop's Lacy, England, eleven year old (well almost eleven but at her age who quibbles except her siblings) Flavia de Luce assumes her sleuthing career after solving the Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is over. Still she figures there is no harm in expanding her knowledge of poisoning through her experiments; she understands she just has to hide her endeavor from her nosy big sisters Ophelia and Daphne.

However, while musing in dream land over her death funeral, she hears weeping. Awakened by the sounds of crying, Flavia meets Mother Goose who is actually Nialla the actress playing the part n Rupert Porson's puppet show, but their vehicle has broken down while on tour. Vicar Canon Richardson offers them lodging at Inglebys's Culverhouse Farm while their van is repaired. Thankful for the kindness Rupert offers to repay them by putting on a puppet production of "Jack and the Beanstalk" at St. Tancred's parish. Jack the puppet looks eerily like Robin Inglebys who died five years ago in what the police called a misadventure. Now it is Rupert who dies in another misadventure. Inspector Hewitt lets his tweener amateur sleuth make her inquiries as Flavia solved his previous homicide for him.

The eccentric cast especially her obsessed philatelist father, her two sisters, the inspector, and Rupert's assistant enhance a great whodunit in which Flavia is the weirdest of them all especially in her lab as she holds the story line together. For instance her doctoring her sister's chocolate is a timeless prank that will have readers laughing and wondering if Ophelia and Daphne are correct about her heritage. The investigation is clever and fun to follow, but it is the escapades of refreshing fabulous Flavia who makes The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag into an enjoyable historical whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

Flavia's back and the precocious 11-year-old chemist and poison-lover is just as feisty as in her debut novel, The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.

In this somewhat more intricate novel, Flavia encounters and befriends the assistant of a polio-crippled puppeteer in the cemetery. Their van has broken down and the local vicar offers a helping hand in exchange for a show to be presented in the parish hall. During the presentation, the audience is shocked to see a puppet with a face carved to resemble that of a little boy found hanged in the woods several years earlier. A second shock comes with an electrocution which wasn't in the script.

Naturally, Flavia already has poked her nose into several lesser mysteries leading up to this. When Inspector Hewitt insults Flavia by treating her as a child, she withholds some vital clues and continues her own investigations. Her deductive skills may seem a bit over the top at times, but that's a minor flaw in an otherwise skillfully drawn character and engaging plot.

As in the previous novel, Flavia's father is still engrossed with his stamp collection while his fortune dwindles, her sisters are just as mean to her, Dogger, Mrs. Mullet and all the other fascinating and eccentric denizens of the 1950 village of Bishop's Lacey (including a few new ones) add spice to the mix.

Alan Bradley has created one of the most engaging sleuths in recent years and I'm glad to see her adventures are just begun. Bradley reveals in an afterword he is already at work on the third novel in the series.

This book is well-written and engaging. 11 year-old Flavia is charming and disturbing at the same time. The book is witty and kept my interest to the very end. Moreover, the novel paints an evocative portrait of post-WWII life in a small English village; much of it seems very realistic (I liked Flavia's visits to the various shops and the church), though I would have thought that class distinctions would have played a greater role in daily life than is suggested in this book (example: the former German POW).

Though the main character (Flavia) is a precocious 11-year-old, this book is not written for children. A very young child dies and the details are pretty disturbing. The resolution of the story is also quite macabre; I am an adult and I was troubled by it. I am not sure how many adults will be drawn to a novel with a child detective, so I question the marketing wisdom of this series -- but not its execution.

Why not a "5"? I feel that the character of Flavia, though entertaining, does not reflect a realistic 11-year-old. She is too "knowing" by half, and she does not think or speak like an 11-year-old. More importantly, some of her behavior (I am thinking about her shenanigans with the chocolate box) seem out of character and pretty unthinkable for a child to do. In addition, I found the back story of why the German POW crashes (and why he loves England) to be beyond ridiculous!)

The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag is the 2nd book in the Flavia DeLuce series by Alan Bradly. Our budding scientist Flavia again sees a murder occur...this one in front of an entire audience! Who could possibly want to electrocute TV puppeteer Rupert Porson? And why was he in the village to begin with? How is his lovely helper Nialla involved with the goings on? This has got to be one of the most entertaining series that I have read...Great read...now onto the third book in the series!

This is the second mystery starring Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old prodigy who lives in the large mansion (in the 1950's) in a sleepy English village, along with her philatelist father and two older sisters. Having "inherited" a full chemistry laboratory from her uncle in the east wing of the house, Flavia has an overwhelming interest in mixing and analyzing potions (especially poisons), as well as a keen eye for detail and an excellent memory. As in the first book, her natural talents enable her to best the adults in charge by noting things that they miss and figuring out their meaning so that she is able to catch a murderer.

Lying in a graveyard imagining her own funeral, Flavia makes the acquaintance of a famous London puppeteer and his assistant whose van has broken down near the vicarage. The vicar invites the visitors to perform for the town while waiting for their van to be fixed, setting in motion several days of intrigue, mystery and a fascinating cast of characters that Flavia's natural curiosity leads her to investigate...curiosity that comes in handy when these magical days come abruptly to an end with a horrifying death. Afterwards ensues the attempt of the local inspector to solve the mystery and catch the murderer; something Flavia is also determined to do.

This mystery is ripe with period British detail, colorful characters, red herrings, side issues and lots of detail from Flavia's curious brain. It is a delightful read.

This is the second in the Flavia de Luce series and I highly recommend it. I had started listening to the audiobook version of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery before this book arrived and decided not to finish the first but just jump into the second. I probably missed some details of the family background but it did not limit my enjoyment of the book. If you haven't read either of them, you should probably start with the first one, but if you are impatient like me, you can start here.

The setting is a small village in post-WW2 England and the story is told in first person narrative by the very precocious Flavia de Luce. Flavia is 12 and the youngest of 3 sisters; their mother died when she was quite young. Her older sisters torment her as only older sisters can do - but even more so because their father is generally preoccupied with other things. Although Flavia is young, this is not a Nancy Drew-type mystery; it is definitely written more for adults than children. Flavia is a chemist (quite accomplished for one so young) and is fascinated by poisons and poisoners. She uses this knowledge against her sisters in particularly devious ways. She is outwardly polite to the adults she encounters but the politeness is often her cover to pump them for information. Flavia does not want anyone to get in the way of her solving the murder.

There is another mystery wrapped up in the murder mystery and it was enjoyable to read about village life and to learn "who done it." Normally I prefer contemporary thrillers to period mysteries but I have become a fan of this series and will go back to finish the first book and then wait patiently for the next in the series.

Having read and enjoyed "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie," Alan Bradley's first mystery featuring eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce, I was looking forward to reading its sequel. I was not disappointed. Flavia is a precocious kid rattling around a large manor house in post-WWII England. Her father is preoccupied with money woes and his stamp collection, and her older sisters prefer boys, books and teasing Flavia to spending time with her. So Flavia entertains herself by studying chemistry -- and the people around her. There's a bit of Harriet The Spy in Flavia; she is keenly interested in people but they tend to ignore children, allowing her to pick up all sorts of interesting tidbits of gossip.

The plot in "The Weed" takes a little while to get going. The murder which Flavia endeavors to solve doesn't happen until 150 pages in, and this was my only criticism of the book: it takes a while to get going. But Bradley writes charmingly of the village in which Flavia lives and the eccentric people that surround her. The book begins with the appearance of a puppetmaster whose van breaks down outside the village. The vicar convinces the puppetmaster to put on a show for the local children while his van is being fixed. In the midst of the second show, the puppetmaster is found murdered. Ever-curious Flavia investigates, and we're treated to another offbeat mystery, with interesting characters, plot twists, and a liberal dose of humor.

I skipped the other 2 books I have out from the library to dive right into this! One of my favorite lines in this book, "Take myself, for instance: I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways of bringing my enemies to sudden, gagging, writhing, agonizing death." Oh Flavia! Such a funny, smart ass. And she's only 11! Another delightful murder mystery in which Flavia de Luce is miles ahead of the police. Very enjoyable. Going to try book 3 on audio!

My favorite fiction genre is the mystery. For a genre with such a huge number of releases, it's pretty hard to find ones that are more than formulaic potboilers with a gimmick (the chef mysteries, the landscaper mysteries, the dog walker mysteries ad infinitum). And while I may consume this junk food, I am always overjoyed when I come across a book that offers more. I had heard of "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" but never read it because something about the title turned me off and the summary didn't catch my interest either. But when "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" was available, that DID sound interesting and I'm glad to have read it. (I also picked up the previous book as soon as I finished it and read that too!) Flavia de Luce is an intriguing mix of precociousness and insecurity and the story of the puppetmaster murdered mid-performance in Flavia's village is well plotted. The supporting characters are nicely realized and purposeful to the story as well. In my imagination, Flavia is the kind of child Agatha Christie's Miss Marple would have been if she hadn't been raised to such strict conformity and before she had built up her catalogue of traits of human nature ... observant and determined. "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" does indeed hark back to Christie's books, when mysteries were a little more than what is usually on offer nowadays.

What a marvelous book! If I had any worries at all that The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag would suffer from sophomore slump, they were immediately put to rest with the first pages of the story when we find Flavia in the cemetery, contemplating her death--just how sorry her family will feel that she is gone.

Alan Bradley has created not only a marvelous character in Flavia deLuce, but has created such a feeling of time and place in his creation of the village of Bishop's Lacey that one can see it all so clearly. In this second book about Flavia, we are introduced to even more eccentric and delightful villagers and even another character from Flavia's family, her Aunt Felicity.

The mystery involved in this story, that of the murder of a puppeteer during a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk, is very well laid out with multiple characters who could have caused his death. And of course Flavia is in the middle of the mystery, finding answers and solving not only the current mystery, but one from quite a few years ago.

I enjoyed every page of this book and loved the humor involved in the telling of the story by an 11-year-old Flavia. Now if I could only find a way to hurry Mr. Bradley up in writing the next installment!

This is an entertaining, fascinating mystery that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a superb read.

All of the Flavia De Luce novels by Alan Bradley are brilliant and entertaining. De Luce in latin means "Of Light" and Ms. De Luce is the delightful, pardon the pun, prodigy and heroine of these wonderful tales. Each character is rendered in full color. The plot and the story move along with every page. Can you figure out the solution to the mystery before Flavia? It is such a treat to read an adventure story about a very modern young girl, who is brilliant, clever, witty, and kind. For an added treat, listen to the recorded version of these books, available from Audible. The reader, Jayne Entwistle, captures the exact right voice for all the endearing characters, but especially for Flavia. I am a granny and I revel in these escapades. I plan to give this series to my grand daughter when she turns 12. The stories are all a bit dark, dealing as they do with a murder or two, and also quite openly with sibling rivalry. So when a child is ready to read these stories will of course depend on each individual child.

Flavia de Luce is back! A devotee of chemistry and interested in poisons, aged eleven, she lives with her widower father and two annoying older sisters, plus her father's shell-shocked former batman from the war, at Buckshaw, a crumbling estate outside the small English village of Bishop's Lacey. Flavia is wandering in the churchyard when she becomes involved with a puppet show being held at the church by a BBC children's show host (in reality an abusive lout who nevertheless creates magic with his stunning puppetry) and his female assistant. As quickly as you can say nux vomica and sal hepatica, our plucky heroine, and her loyal bicycle Gladys, is swept up into a muddle of the vicar's missing bicycle clip, Mad Meg of the forest, a former Land Girl and a former prisoner of war, a farm couple whose young son tragically hanged himself five years earlier, a field of cannabis, and, worst of all, a visit from martinet Aunt Felicity, who has the ability to cow even her father. Once mayhem occurs, the story takes off with a gallop.

Flavia remains her precocious, brilliant self, but thankfully her metaphors have also been reined in, which suits me just fine. In addition, we learn more about her late mother Harriet in a rather uncharacteristic, touching scene with Aunt Felicity. An English "cozy" (complete with absent-minded vicar!) with a unique narrative voice.

Another lovely and funny Flavia de Luce mystery.

One afternoon Flavia stumbles upon a traveling puppet show van at the local church's graveyard. The van is broken and in the temporary absence of the mechanic, stranded in Bishop's Lacy for a few days. Not to waste their time, performers decide to do a couple of shows to entertain local public. Of course, Flavia doesn't hesitate to befriend the famous puppeteer Rupert Porson and his beautiful (and pregnant) assistant. Tragedy strikes when during the evening show Rupert is electrocuted. Is it an accident? Is it a murder? And if it's a murder, who would have a reason to kill a traveling performer? And does this electrocution have anything to do with an accidental suicide of a little boy that happened a few years prior? Naturally, only Flavia is able to untangle this mess.

This book is simply a pleasure to read. Flavia's voice is a delight. I love her precociousness, her childish innocence and book smarts. Just like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, this book is full of eccentric characters (some old, some new), sibling rivalry, flirtation, humor and chemistry (of course!).

The mystery itself is a little weaker than in the first Flavia de Luce book, in my opinion. It takes quite a few pages to get to the murder (almost half of the book). But the story is still a lively read thanks to Flavia's endless adventures.

Flavia is becoming one of my favorite amateur sleuths. There is no doubt I'll be devouring next book about her adventures - A Red Herring Without Mustard.

Flavia de Luce is back and better than ever. After solving a murder in "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" she is back and into more murder mysteries. She is still eleven-years-old and living at Buckshaw with her uninterested father and two mean older sisters. After all de Luces have lived at Buckshaw since William the Conquerer though most lived more grandly than the current de Luces. Flavia is highly intelligent and spends most of her time in her laboratory plotting poisonous ways to off her two sisters.

In this particular story Flavia meets a pair of bohemian puppeteers, Rupert and Nialla, touring the country in a beat-up old van. It turns out that Rupert is a quite famous television personality, although Flavia has never heard of him, because her father won't allow them to have television in their home. Anyway Rupert and Nialla are performing their act at the church when Rupert falls from above to the stage - dead. Inspector Hewitt is on the case and with more than a little help from Flavia is bound to find out who did it.

This is a charming book and as good as the first one. Bradley's Flavia is charming, precocious, and very intelligent. This book also has a cast of eccentric characters not to be missed. If you loved "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" you will also love this book. Even if you missed the first book you will still love this one.

This the second book in the Flavia de Luce mysteries and I liked it even more than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie). Flavia is an extremely smart 11-year- old living in the UK in the fifties who just happens to be extremely good at solving murder mysteries. This one involves (among others) a rather talented puppeteer who comes to their village, his assistant/lover, a German POW, and a little boy who was murdered years ago. Flavia is a master chemist and has an amazing ability to manipulate adults into telling her things they shouldn't. Her two older sisters treat her horribly and she also spends a good deal of time plotting her revenge. I heard the audio version of this book and found the reader, Jane Entwisle, to be incredibly talented. She not only captured Flavia's voice perfectly she also was able to convey a large number of other voices and accents that were both convincing and often amusing. I dare you not to fall in love with this heroine.

I'm reviewing the audio version of this one, even though I both read AND listened to it. Special props to narrator Jayne Entwhistle. She *IS* Flavia de Luce (and I quickly learned that it's FLAY-via, with a long A, not FLAH-via.) Her narration captures Flavia's youthful zeal for life--and especially chemistry!

As for the plot, this one is darker and more tangled than the first. Flavia uncovers a cold case involving a young boy and investigates the electrocution of a newcomer to Bishop's Lacey. It's more interesting than the mystery in the first novel, and leads Flavia down some interesting paths.

Flavia's relationships with adults are always interesting, especially her rapport with Nialla and Inspector Hewitt, whom I always want to see more verbal sparring with. Flavia is basically an orphan--her mother is dead and her father is so emotionally absent he may as well be--so I'm always fascinated to see which adults Flavia bonds with, which she abhors, and how she speaks to them as though they are equal with her.

In this second mystery from Alan Bradley, readers revisit eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce in her crumbling manor house in England. This time, Flavia stumbles across a true celebrity - a puppetmaster who is known around England for his shows. When he dies during a show, Flavia is convinced it was not an accident and is once again on the case.

Flavia is a wonderful character, and it was great to spend more time with her in The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag. She is divisive though - from my experience, readers will either instantly take to her, loving her exploits and appreciating her intelligence, or completely despise her and think she is unrealistically brilliant (which she is, but it's just a part of the storyline readers must be able to accept). If you can swallow Flavia, you will love this series, and this book in particular, but if you can't and didn't like her in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery, then you shouldn't bother with this book. For my part, I really enjoyed it.

The mystery is intriguing and gripping, though it takes some time for it to materialize. As a result, readers get to see Flavia as she is when she isn't sleuthing, and it's a wonderfully cozy image. This is a great series, and I'm excited to read the next installment releasing in March 2011.

I skipped the other 2 books I have out from the library to dive right into this! One of my favorite lines in this book, "Take myself, for instance: I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways of bringing my enemies to sudden, gagging, writhing, agonizing death." Oh Flavia! Such a funny, smart ass. And she's only 11! Another delightful murder mystery in which Flavia de Luce is miles ahead of the police. Very enjoyable. Going to try book 3 on audio!

My favorite fiction genre is the mystery. For a genre with such a huge number of releases, it's pretty hard to find ones that are more than formulaic potboilers with a gimmick (the chef mysteries, the landscaper mysteries, the dog walker mysteries ad infinitum). And while I may consume this junk food, I am always overjoyed when I come across a book that offers more. I had heard of "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" but never read it because something about the title turned me off and the summary didn't catch my interest either. But when "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" was available, that DID sound interesting and I'm glad to have read it. (I also picked up the previous book as soon as I finished it and read that too!) Flavia de Luce is an intriguing mix of precociousness and insecurity and the story of the puppetmaster murdered mid-performance in Flavia's village is well plotted. The supporting characters are nicely realized and purposeful to the story as well. In my imagination, Flavia is the kind of child Agatha Christie's Miss Marple would have been if she hadn't been raised to such strict conformity and before she had built up her catalogue of traits of human nature ... observant and determined. "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" does indeed hark back to Christie's books, when mysteries were a little more than what is usually on offer nowadays.

What a marvelous book! If I had any worries at all that The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag would suffer from sophomore slump, they were immediately put to rest with the first pages of the story when we find Flavia in the cemetery, contemplating her death--just how sorry her family will feel that she is gone.

Alan Bradley has created not only a marvelous character in Flavia deLuce, but has created such a feeling of time and place in his creation of the village of Bishop's Lacey that one can see it all so clearly. In this second book about Flavia, we are introduced to even more eccentric and delightful villagers and even another character from Flavia's family, her Aunt Felicity.

The mystery involved in this story, that of the murder of a puppeteer during a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk, is very well laid out with multiple characters who could have caused his death. And of course Flavia is in the middle of the mystery, finding answers and solving not only the current mystery, but one from quite a few years ago.

I enjoyed every page of this book and loved the humor involved in the telling of the story by an 11-year-old Flavia. Now if I could only find a way to hurry Mr. Bradley up in writing the next installment!

This is an entertaining, fascinating mystery that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a superb read.

All of the Flavia De Luce novels by Alan Bradley are brilliant and entertaining. De Luce in latin means "Of Light" and Ms. De Luce is the delightful, pardon the pun, prodigy and heroine of these wonderful tales. Each character is rendered in full color. The plot and the story move along with every page. Can you figure out the solution to the mystery before Flavia? It is such a treat to read an adventure story about a very modern young girl, who is brilliant, clever, witty, and kind. For an added treat, listen to the recorded version of these books, available from Audible. The reader, Jayne Entwistle, captures the exact right voice for all the endearing characters, but especially for Flavia. I am a granny and I revel in these escapades. I plan to give this series to my grand daughter when she turns 12. The stories are all a bit dark, dealing as they do with a murder or two, and also quite openly with sibling rivalry. So when a child is ready to read these stories will of course depend on each individual child.

Flavia de Luce is back! A devotee of chemistry and interested in poisons, aged eleven, she lives with her widower father and two annoying older sisters, plus her father's shell-shocked former batman from the war, at Buckshaw, a crumbling estate outside the small English village of Bishop's Lacey. Flavia is wandering in the churchyard when she becomes involved with a puppet show being held at the church by a BBC children's show host (in reality an abusive lout who nevertheless creates magic with his stunning puppetry) and his female assistant. As quickly as you can say nux vomica and sal hepatica, our plucky heroine, and her loyal bicycle Gladys, is swept up into a muddle of the vicar's missing bicycle clip, Mad Meg of the forest, a former Land Girl and a former prisoner of war, a farm couple whose young son tragically hanged himself five years earlier, a field of cannabis, and, worst of all, a visit from martinet Aunt Felicity, who has the ability to cow even her father. Once mayhem occurs, the story takes off with a gallop.

Flavia remains her precocious, brilliant self, but thankfully her metaphors have also been reined in, which suits me just fine. In addition, we learn more about her late mother Harriet in a rather uncharacteristic, touching scene with Aunt Felicity. An English "cozy" (complete with absent-minded vicar!) with a unique narrative voice.

Another lovely and funny Flavia de Luce mystery.

One afternoon Flavia stumbles upon a traveling puppet show van at the local church's graveyard. The van is broken and in the temporary absence of the mechanic, stranded in Bishop's Lacy for a few days. Not to waste their time, performers decide to do a couple of shows to entertain local public. Of course, Flavia doesn't hesitate to befriend the famous puppeteer Rupert Porson and his beautiful (and pregnant) assistant. Tragedy strikes when during the evening show Rupert is electrocuted. Is it an accident? Is it a murder? And if it's a murder, who would have a reason to kill a traveling performer? And does this electrocution have anything to do with an accidental suicide of a little boy that happened a few years prior? Naturally, only Flavia is able to untangle this mess.

This book is simply a pleasure to read. Flavia's voice is a delight. I love her precociousness, her childish innocence and book smarts. Just like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, this book is full of eccentric characters (some old, some new), sibling rivalry, flirtation, humor and chemistry (of course!).

The mystery itself is a little weaker than in the first Flavia de Luce book, in my opinion. It takes quite a few pages to get to the murder (almost half of the book). But the story is still a lively read thanks to Flavia's endless adventures.

Flavia is becoming one of my favorite amateur sleuths. There is no doubt I'll be devouring next book about her adventures - A Red Herring Without Mustard.

Flavia de Luce is back and better than ever. After solving a murder in "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" she is back and into more murder mysteries. She is still eleven-years-old and living at Buckshaw with her uninterested father and two mean older sisters. After all de Luces have lived at Buckshaw since William the Conquerer though most lived more grandly than the current de Luces. Flavia is highly intelligent and spends most of her time in her laboratory plotting poisonous ways to off her two sisters.

In this particular story Flavia meets a pair of bohemian puppeteers, Rupert and Nialla, touring the country in a beat-up old van. It turns out that Rupert is a quite famous television personality, although Flavia has never heard of him, because her father won't allow them to have television in their home. Anyway Rupert and Nialla are performing their act at the church when Rupert falls from above to the stage - dead. Inspector Hewitt is on the case and with more than a little help from Flavia is bound to find out who did it.

This is a charming book and as good as the first one. Bradley's Flavia is charming, precocious, and very intelligent. This book also has a cast of eccentric characters not to be missed. If you loved "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" you will also love this book. Even if you missed the first book you will still love this one.

This the second book in the Flavia de Luce mysteries and I liked it even more than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie). Flavia is an extremely smart 11-year- old living in the UK in the fifties who just happens to be extremely good at solving murder mysteries. This one involves (among others) a rather talented puppeteer who comes to their village, his assistant/lover, a German POW, and a little boy who was murdered years ago. Flavia is a master chemist and has an amazing ability to manipulate adults into telling her things they shouldn't. Her two older sisters treat her horribly and she also spends a good deal of time plotting her revenge. I heard the audio version of this book and found the reader, Jane Entwisle, to be incredibly talented. She not only captured Flavia's voice perfectly she also was able to convey a large number of other voices and accents that were both convincing and often amusing. I dare you not to fall in love with this heroine.

I'm reviewing the audio version of this one, even though I both read AND listened to it. Special props to narrator Jayne Entwhistle. She *IS* Flavia de Luce (and I quickly learned that it's FLAY-via, with a long A, not FLAH-via.) Her narration captures Flavia's youthful zeal for life--and especially chemistry!

As for the plot, this one is darker and more tangled than the first. Flavia uncovers a cold case involving a young boy and investigates the electrocution of a newcomer to Bishop's Lacey. It's more interesting than the mystery in the first novel, and leads Flavia down some interesting paths.

Flavia's relationships with adults are always interesting, especially her rapport with Nialla and Inspector Hewitt, whom I always want to see more verbal sparring with. Flavia is basically an orphan--her mother is dead and her father is so emotionally absent he may as well be--so I'm always fascinated to see which adults Flavia bonds with, which she abhors, and how she speaks to them as though they are equal with her.

This is the best adventure novel I have read in the last year! I love the precocious and sometimes impertinent little Flavia de Luce, 11 years old, as she covers her little English village of Bishop's Lacey on her bicycle named Gladys. Bored with her two older sisters and their pursuits, she spends a lot of time in her late uncle's Victorian chemistry laboratory and learns how to analyze vegetation and make a sleeping potion. When she's not in her lab, she is keeping her nose to the ground as she covers the village inch by inch, keeping her ears and eyes open for clues. A visiting performer has been killed during his performance, and Flavia connects the death to a death 5 years earlier, the hanging death of a little boy.

I just love the way the book is written. Flavia is a delightful character and I didn't want the book to end. The pranks she plays on her two older sisters are very cunning and amusing (and well deserved).

I hope the author can channel more novels from Flavia. I intend to look for the first novel in the series (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie) and read that too. If anyone can take the place of Miss Marple, I think it will be Flavia de Luce.

The second book in the Flave de Luce was another delightfully fun mystery.

There was one aspect of the story, besides the mystery, that really appealed to me. In the first book, I feel like we got to know the backstory of the family's trusted gardener, valet, manservant, confidante, etc., Dogger. In this story, however, we get to know more of the family, particularly Flavia's father and also Aunt Felicity is introduced. She adds a great dynamice to the story.

Flavia herself went deeper as a character. She talked more her mother, and her conflicted emotions surrounding her death. I felt like I got to know her better.

My one qualm was how late in the story the mystery shows up. I wouldn't have minded if it had been introduced a little earlier in the plot. It was nearly half-way through the book when the big catalyst moment for the rest of the story happened, which made the plot drag a bit. Other than that, it was great!

I'm ready for the 3rd book! :)

Once again, I didn't actually read this. I listened to the audio book while traveling. As before, the incomparable Jane Entwistle brings Bradley's story to life. Bradley captures the essence of the change from child to adult. Flavia is beginning to lose some of her childlike shine and to take on some of the worn understanding of adulthood. The mystery is not the center of the book - Flavia is. Her adventures, her thoughts, her life, her family - that is the center of the story. The mystery is merely how we get to know her. My eagerness to watch Flavia grow is nearly overwhelming. I can't recommend this story enough, and in particular, the reading by Jane Entwistle.

Flavia De Luce is back and in full force! Still precocious. Still brilliant. Still holding an unfortunate fascination with poisons...

As with the first book of the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, we begin with a seemingly urgent, if not sheer emergency, situation that once again turns out to be Flavia's form of play. And while the family does not present the best of role models (smile), our little heroine does demonstrate good character here and there as she progresses through this adventure. The interesting treatment of perceptions around German prisoners of war from WWII add historical perspective, and Flavia's critical view of villagers, such as the Vicar's mean wife and their sad relationship, fill in character profiles with deep colors. Ultimately, the reader is left with a smile on her face, and moving the next story in the series (A Red Herring Without Mustard) to the top of her reading to-do list. Excellent read! Recommended for ages 14 through 102, a fun addition to literature curriculum, your Litland.com family or teen book club, and vacation reading.

This second book in the Flavia de Luce mysteries is just as delightful as the first! Flavia is whip-smart, very intuitive, humorous, and she has a talent for revenge (exacted upon her older sisters, who are far from innocent themselves). In this second book, Flavia meets renowned puppeteer Rupert Porson and his assistant, Nialla, when their van breaks down in Bishop's Lacey. When they give a performance to raise funds to repair their vehicle, Porson ends up dead on the stage. The audience is horrified...except for Flavia, who is downright thrilled at the new mystery.

Who would want Porson dead? Certainly he wasn't a very popular person, as Flavia finds. But what she is surprised to discover is his connection to Bishop's Lacey during the war, and the events of another tragedy. Who killed Porson...and will they come after Flavia if she gets too close to the truth?

Bradley is a highly talented author with such a fresh and engaging voice! This is one satisfying mystery that will have you eager to pick up book three, A Red Herring Without Mustard!

My daughter and I have both greatly enjoyed the Flavia mysteries. We started with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery and then moved on to this one.

I won't re hash what has been said before. Flavia as a character has just enough imp and verve to make her multi-dimensional. Fiendishly clever and delightfully sneaky her antics will keep you enchanted. The setting is just a perfect foil for her - I'm not sure it could have been set in current times without losing some of its panache. All the other characters are well fleshed out - and her sisters are always fun to read about. A little bit Cinderalla but without all the romance stuff.

I read a lot of mysteries and this series is one of my favorites. It is one of the few series my daughter and I both love (she is 13). We've shared our recommendation with a friend who enjoys books set in the UK and she loved it as well so it's not only for mystery lovers.

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! My daughter would also like to add if you've a teen who enjoys this series and very smart female characters that you check out the Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos book and its sequels.

As a child, many a Saturday would find me curled up with a Nancy Drew mystery, building to the teen years and beyond, when Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple garnered my rapt attention of "whodunit".
To my great delight, after several decades of devouring British-themed murder mysteries (having long since passed up the magically-ridiculous sleuthing of the venerable Nancy Drew), I've discovered a scintillating central character in Alan Bradley's debut series : a "tween-aged" sleuth romantically named Flavia de Luce, who first appeared last summer in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I firmly believe you will run out and read the first immediately after finishing The Weed... if you've not already.
Flavia, an archetypal heroine, lives with her widowed father and older sisters in a rambling country estate in post-WWII England. (Her mother died in a climbing accident when baby Flavia had just reached one year of age.) In his grief, Haviland de Luce retreated, leaving his youngest to grow up under the influence of the household. Now eleven, Flavia divides her spare time between her uncle's Victorian-era chemistry set and rolling along hedgerow-lined lanes on her late mother's bicycle.
Gallavanting across the countryside leads Flavia to the discovery of Nialla, the beleaguered chattel of a traveling puppeteer and London television personality, Rupert Porson. Further meanderings along the lanes lead to Gordon Ingleby's farm, where young Miss Sleuth Flavia de Luce uncovers a web of sub rosa relationships and Mrs. Ingleby's shrine to their son, found hanged at five years of age.
Bradley slowly brings the secrets into the open through Flavia's deductive reasonings (and her hilarious inner-monologue) after Rupert falls, electrified, during his puppet-show performance at the local parish hall. The tales converge in a veritable tangle, like puppet strings, while Bradley swings colorful characters such as the Vicar and his wife, a gentle German POW, and a woodland recluse known as Mad Meg, in and out of the changing scenes.
The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag entwines and intrigues as it imbues you with reminders of the delicious freedoms of being eleven, riding your bike in the sunshine and thinking great thoughts. Look for Miss de Luce in the upcoming A Red Herring Without Mustard, the third in the series. I simply cannot wait.

Julia Brantley, author of A Score Of Intervals

Flavia is up to her tricks in this second in the Flavia DeLuce series. A BBC puppeteer group has come to Bishops Lacey and the small village is in for murder and mayhem.

Flavia meets one of the puppeteers in the village churchyard, the cemetery, actually and thereby becomes involved in all the goings on.

Flavia is ahead of the detectives as she works to determine the murderer and introduces us to more of the townsfolk of Bishops Lacey. During her search for the killer, we meet a cast of new and eccentric characters, the Misses Puddock, who regularly subject the local parish to "musical entertainment", Mad Meg, the resident mad woman who lives in the woods, and Dieter Schrantz, the resident German prisoner of war who is a die hard Anglophile

The regular cast of characters are here as well including Flavia's sisters who live to torment her.

The mystery is solved handily by the ever precocious Flavia who is as ever witty and wily. A good second in the series. I anxiously await the third.

This was a great sequel to the previous book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Some authors don't have more than one great character but I was pleased to note the return of Daffy, Feely, and the rest of the gang.

One small complaint is that the story took some time gathering steam. But the writing was good and the ultimate solution to the mystery logical and satisfying so I really have no complaints. If anything it just gave me more reading enjoyment. Another thing some people might object to is the main character Flavia. She is supposed to be eleven years old but displays a level of precocity unlikely in someone of that age. But for me it just adds to the fun. I like to think that somewhere there may exist a girl of her exceptional ability and it is a great fantasy to finally get even with all those condescending adults of our youth (even if only vicariously).

Overall a very fun read and I look forward to more books by this author (and hopefully the continued adventures of Flavia de Luce).

The Flavia de Luce series is one I feel like I should like, and while the first book was a disappointment, I thought I'd give the series one more try. I was raised on English village murder mysteries, and the twist of a precocious 11-year-old protagonist is something that ought to work for me. However, once again, this never really hooked my interest or engaged me. In her second adventure, a famous TV puppeteer stops in the village near Flavia's manor home, and she gets involved in helping stage a show at the vicarage. Soon enough, there's all kinds of intrigue, including a hidden marijuana crop, a former German POW who's stayed on, the lingering memory of the death of a local boy some years previously, and a secret pregnancy, just to highlight the major items. It's theoretically fodder for a entertaining story, but I found my attention constantly wandering. Perhaps I ultimately just don't care for Flavia as narrator, or character? Her digressions into poisons and chemistry just don't do anything for me, and her family role as harassed younger sister is kind of nothing, and she's a little too precious as a detective. I think this is The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back, and I won't be returning to her company.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Flavia's second case follows the traditional set up of the golden-age of classic British mysteries. A travelling puppet show comes to town, but not just anyone; this is Ruper Porson famous for his television puppet show. He agrees to put a show on for the village. At this point the reader is completely immersed in the story, introduced to all the characters, in the village, and the newcomers, along with bits and pieces of backstories but never enough to let us know who is going to commit a murder. And a murder there will be, just like the classic Agatha Christie we know this is all building up to the right moment and we've figured out who will get murdered and probably when but not how.

Once the murder has been committed the rest of the book follows through keeping the pacing and formatting similar to the classic British mystery. Of course there are a few modern twists, our protagonist is an 11-year old girl, who is fascinated with poisons and completely knowledgeable in chemistry and herbs to be able to make an unlimited amount of poisons and their remedies. Flavia is a very interesting character. She is bright and knows it but is never smarmy or ignorant to adults. She knows when to use the child side of her to get more answers for certain witnesses. Flavia starts out by totally expecting the police to take her on as a deductive member of the team from her experiences showing them her skills last time but when she is questioned and then sent along she is feels indignant that they would dismiss her so easily. So Flavia takes on the case by herself, sneaking around, traveling by bicycle (just like the old-time female British sleuths!) and getting interviews that the police couldn't possibly succeed in as well as she, beloved child and fellow villager, is able. The author seems to have a good hold on her character by this point, as she is now entirely believable as a child, which I had problems with in the first book. It is good to see the character more realistic and fleshed out.

I will say though, I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I think the original uniqueness of the situation has worn off a bit and while the book is so comparable to a typical Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh, I do prefer my mysteries nowadays to start right off the bat with the murder. O course that's just me. Flavia de Luce is going to be a winner with all lovers of British cozies, one you'll surely not want to miss.

Flavia de Luce is something else. One either likes her or detests her, understands her or doesn't get her at all. For those who enjoy Flavia and her adventures, this book will be a delight. The rest of you can go read something a little more run of the mill.

A famous puppeteer is dead in Bishop's Lacey and Flavia is determined to be in on the case. As always, her wealth of information is catholic and eclectic, her awareness of human frailty keen and yet sometimes not quite spot-on. Her family still puts the fun in dysfunctional, although there are some others in Bishop's Lacey who could give the de Luce's a run for their money.

Bradley has given us another wonderful story. Flavia is one of the most unusual protagonists to have emerged on the mystery scene in a while, and it's a pleasure to read about her live and adventures.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag - Alan Bradley
4 stars

There's been another murder in Bishop's Lacey and Flavia de Luce is on the case. As with any cozy mystery series we must set aside the unlikely coincidence of two unrelated murders occurring so close together in such an unusual way. It's best to simply accept the quirky mix of characters. More than anything it is important to just sit back and believe in Flavia and her exceptional abilities to outsmart all of the adults. Alan Bradley makes it easy to slip into Flavia's world. In this book, I especially enjoyed the historical details of a decaying English village in the early 50's. With the help of Flavia's sister Daffy, I was even more aware of the many literary references that Bradley scatters through the story. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I look forward to the next one.

Flavia de Luce is back and better than ever. Actually, I can say that I enjoyed this second book even more than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery) because the mystery was very good in this second novel and Flavia really had to use her powers of deductive reasoning to find the culprit and answer all the questions raised.

Something as simple as the breakdown of a van was the catalyst for involving the people of the hamlet of Bishop's Lacy in murder. This second story in the series involves the entire population of the village when the famous puppeteer agrees to put on a show in the church hall to pay the expenses for fixing his van. The world of Flavia de Luce in 1950's England is once more brought brilliantly to life by Alan Bradley. All of the characters we met were very interesting for me and the sheer number introduced made the solving of this mystery very much harder than in the first novel. There were hidden things going on in the background of this small community which came to light as Flavia and the police began to investigate who had committed this murder.

I really enjoy the way Bradley has written the character of Flavia here. There is more humor in this book than in the first and it really solidified my liking for Flavia as a person. In all honesty I must say that I had never noticed before how many of the worlds most infamous (or should that be famous?) poisoners had names beginning with the letter "C". Now that's the kind of interactions Bradley makes his character have with the reader that allows me to think that Flavia could walk into this room right now and I could hold a conversation with her. She and I would get along just fine. Mysteries are a passion of mine also, and poison has always been my "weapon of choice", so to speak. She could run rings around me when it comes to knowledge of chemistry and all it's wonders, but otherwise, she's your average highly intelligent 11 year old girl who solves murder mysteries without benefit of all the information the police have.

In all seriousness, there is nothing "average" about this book. Flavia is a delight, the pages are filled with both humor and pathos, the mystery is well constructed and multi-layered, and the author has a way of capturing my imagination so that I feel totally involved and drawn into the story. Now the only question is how long we have to wait for the third book. I'm also of the opinion that if this author starts a completely different series, I will be right there waiting to buy my copy. Yes, he's that good.

Another lovely Flavia de Luce mystery (this one is #2 in the series). Flavia is still eleven - I'm thankful the author isn't aging her dramatically each book - and still as precocious as ever. Similar to the first book in the series, remember you aren't reading these for the mystery plot itself, although they are charming plots. These books are to be read for the complete enjoyment of our witty protagonist and an absolutely delightful cast of eccentric characters. No sex, no graphic violence, no obscene language. Don't misunderstand - those items have their place in books and I've enjoyed plenty of them....but the Flavia de Luce mysteries are simply refreshing. It's like a cold glass of water that washes everything else away and is a real treat for readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Flavia de Luce's second adventure. Puppeteer Rupert Porson, with assitant Nialla, find themselves stuck in Bishop's Lacey with a broken down van. In order to make enough money to fix it, they strike a deal with the vicar to hold their Jack and the Beanstalk play at the church. A terribly accident ensues, but it's up to Inspector Hewitt and, of course, Flavia, to determine if it is something more. Flavia shines in this story. Gallant bike Gladys is a perfect mode of transportation, her sisters tease her often, and Flavia's outlook about the people of her country town are priceless. She mentions at one point that she is the perfect age for being invisible--too old for a nursemaid and too young to worry about suitors and the niceties that brings. How true. I will follow this "retired" Girl Guide on to many adventures.

I waited to begin reading "Weed" till I'd finished the first of the series, "Sweetness in the bottom of the pie." This volume seems better. It's more tightly written with a more discernible whodunit plot that will satisfy more mystery readers.

As other reviewers pointed out, Bradley offers a meticulous glimpse of England in the early 1950s. It's like Brideshead Revisited once more, as we realize memories of the war are still very fresh. Even a few prisoners of war are hanging about...well, at least one very charming one.

This delightful romp begins when a puppeteer comes to town. The vicar encourages them to put on a puppet show to earn money to repair their broken van. It turns out that the puppeteer actually is a famous BBC performer with a checkered past. His arrival in the village may be more than coincidence...and may hold the key to some unsolved mysteries.

Flavia De Luce, riding her trusty bicycle Gladys, takes the reader through the entire village as she learns more about the newcomers. She begins detecting in earnest when someone is killed and she immediately senses it's a murder, not an accident. For background we meet Flavia's family, which seems odd rather than dysfunctional. Flavia's sisters either ignore her or torture her, mentally or physically. She bounces back with her knowledge of chemistry.

Ultimately the success of this book depends on how the reader perceives Flavia De Luce, now eleven years old, a precocious budding chemist who creates her own joy by solving mysteries and mixing substances in her fortuitously located chemistry lab. She's an Eloise turned loose in an English village...larger than life and you don't want to think about realism and probability.

I particular admire Flavia's almost improbable thick skin. She lives with a father who's distant at best and two sisters who hate her for reasons she herself doesn't understand. She has no friends her own age. The family housekeeper serves unappetizing meals. She's always on her toes, knowing how to ingratiate herself with everyone in the Village. She picks up "female only" messages. Yet somehow she says she doesn't know what we used to call the facts of life.

I would have given 5 stars as the book is highly entertaining but the 11 yr old Flavia is just too darn smart! It's hard to believe that someone hasn't noticed her chemistry genius. She wanders about her day trying to figure out a murder just as if she's a Chief Inspector, with a calculating mind of a PhD Chemistry professor, and handles an overdose like an experienced ER MD! still, a fun book, she's brilliant, but scary!

Ah, Flavia, Flavia! I loved the book as much as I loved the main character's name! This was the first book that I have read by Alan Bradley and I am hooked. I am amazed that a man can write from a little girl's perspective so well. But,his writing was dead on target. Ths book had enough twists and turns in it to keep me guessing for the entire story. Flavia is a fascinating character, and you cannot help but love her. Although the book is written from the perspective of an eleven year old girl,it is not childish in any way. Any adult looking for a good mystery will love it. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

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I first met Flavia deLuce last year with, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and truly loved her personality, quirkiness, and the setting of the book. Bradley hit another home run with his second book in this series. We meet back up with Flavia and she takes us on quite a journey through the countryside of Bishop's Lacy. I felt that this murder/mystery plot was much more enjoyable than the previous book and I actually picked up on a few clues that Flavia reveals in the last pages. I only have one problem with this series and that is how Flavia is portrayed as a chemistry genius.....plus, all of that seems to fly right over my head and is slightly distracting to the rest of the story. This is a series that I will continue to read, but I'm hoping that Bradley will tone down the chemistry formulas in the next one!

I enjoyed the small English village setting & the characters that inhabit the mystery. Narrator is Flavia - an unusual girl with a passion for odd experimental science. The story was entertaining and engaging. Astounding that the author's sense of English countryside came from his mother & that his first trip to Great Britain was to accept a major mystery award for this his first novel. Looking forward to reading more by Alan Bradley.

This second Flavia de Luce mystery is even better than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie).

Flavia is an 11 year old girl genius, with a passion for chemistry. She is thoroughly engaging. She wobbles wonderfully between being very adult, and extremely childish. And she solves crimes like Sherlock himself.

In this book, the murder mystery is more intricate than in the previous book. To solve the curent crime (a puppetteer murdered during a show), Flavia must also solve a past 'cold case'. The mysteries are nicely interwoven, and the clues come in at just the right pace.

But it is the characters that really make the Flavia stories. They make the stories not just interesting, but fun.

This review is for both "The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag" and the first book, "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie."

After working successfully in Canadian children's television for 25 years, Alan Bradley decided to occupy his time in retirement by writing an internationally acclaimed, best-selling mystery, and then by writing it's equally entertaining sequel. If the level and diversity of intellect displayed in these books are indicative of the results of a standard Canadian education, I shall have to relocate to Toronto should I ever decide to raise children.

Much like Spencer Quinn's books (Dog on It and Thereby Hangs a Tail), these two tomes contain humorous mysteries told from a unique perspective. This time, the narrator is 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, the youngest of three sisters living a rather solitary life with a withdrawn father in a sprawling mansion in the countryside of post-WWII Britain. Flavia is obsessed with chemistry and potions. She is a precocious child whose curiosity and powers of deduction help her to discover the perpetrators of several crimes, much to the consternation of the town's Inspector.

I don't like to fill up these reviews with too much plot detail, as the book covers themselves and/or their listings on any book-selling site can tell you those. Rather, I prefer to convey a bit of the spirit of the thing, should it match your fancy. That last phrase may have sounded a bit British, but it's not nearly so good as the delightful words ("muddlerumpus") and turns of phrase ("she went to the dogs by way of the horses") that are to be found within these books. Along with laugh out loud exchanges and scenarios, there are also exceptionally poignant moments, and you may even find yourself reading aloud words of wisdom from Flavia's aunt to whomever is nearby at the moment. (In my case, my husband.) In addition, the books are packed with literary references and chemical compounds. It is possible to feel both smarter and dumber after having read these books. You may learn a great deal, a great deal of which you may feel you should have already known. (Unless you were educated in Canada, of course.)

I read these books back to back in a very short time, and am eager for Mr Bradley to get on with his "hobby" and publish a third. I don't know when that is expected to happen, so you may want to read them more slowly, to make them last longer.

I loved the first of this series and jumped on the chance to read this second outing. I was not disappointed. Flavia remains as fresh and entertaining a heroine as you could ask for.

While staying in the same location, the plot wasn't a mere recycling of the first outing. As a bonus, the descriptions become even more beautifully written. The new characters are very well drawn. We get even more insight into Flavia's thoughts.

Part of my enjoyment stems from the fact that Mr. Bradley allows Flavia, even with her odd hobbies and interests, to maintain a very real innocence that is particularly appealing. Fans of the first novel will not be disappointed. This is one I willl highly recommend to my friends.

I love Flavia - she just keeps getting better - I find myself smiling as I read her adventures, and I can't wait for the next one. She's funny and sneaky and smart and shameless, and I'd love to be flying alongside her and Gladys as they ply the dusty lanes around Bishop's Lacey (better yet, I wish she'd been my chemistry lab partner in high school - it would have been MUCH more interesting!) I read mystery series as a kid about kid detectives who manage to solve the puzzle because adults don't pay attention to what kids say or do (or the questions they work into their seemingly mindless prattle), but nobody comes close to Flavia for brains, deviance or sheer courage!

I have the utmost respect for Mr. Alan Bradley. As a former eleven-year-old girl myself, although my personality was never much like Flavia's at that age, I can totally relate to hers, and I am amazed that Mr. Bradley has done such an outstanding job of capturing the voice of a brilliant and hilarious eleven-year-old of the 1950s. I read a great deal of period detective fiction, and this story was definitely unique. I don't often read books with protagonists as young as eleven, but Flavia was a very feisty and enjoyable narrator. The setting of a small town in Britain just after the War was lovely, and the characters were well-drawn.
All of that being said, this book drove me a little crazy. Flavia was very active throughout the course of the novel, but she spent so much time listening to interminable, irrelevant stories and committing irrelevant (but hilarious) atrocities (like nearly poisoning her sister), that before the book was halfway through I just wanted it to be over. Pages and pages went by without anything of significance being discovered or occurring. If you want to read a novel for setting alone, or slightly-disagreeable-but-hilarious-eleven-year-old narrator alone, I would definitely recommend this book, but if you're looking for a fast to moderately-fast-paced period mystery, this is probably not the book for you.

Flavia de Luce is the oldest 12 year old you will ever meet. She is charming and obnoxious all at once and very smart. Her English family lives in a crumbling mansion in a small village in England. She seems to be in the thick of every situation and finds bodies often. She has a passion for chemistry - poisions mostly- and uses her knowledge to advantage in solving murders or just retaliating against her ever present harassing sisters.
there is subtle humor throughout the book as well and also a continuing saga about her deceased mother.... or is she?????
Enjoy!

This new series is very promising! The eleven year old heroine Flavia de Luce is already extremely well developed and drawn out. She does win one's heart. One hopes she doesn't grow up too soon and that she has many more cases while yet so young. The Plotting is exceptional as is the atmosphere and setting. Chacterization is also excellent. I won't go into the story and ruin it for you, but it and all the characters work very well. I plan on ordering the first book which I missed; and I also plan on reading all future mysteries. The author appears to have burst on the scene fully developed and mature. On observation: the setting is 1950 English Manor House and it really works. It almost starts a decade before Christie finishes. A WORTHY SUCESSOR TO DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE with more detail and a very young new SLEUTH!!! The genre may get labeled a "cozy" but it is way more than that! There is also a real sense of "tongue in cheek" humor. Not a farce; but a lot of fun to read.

The Flavia de Luce novels are such a delight--nothing heavy or intellectual about them, just fun, light reading that satisfies. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag is no exception. Flavia solves two mysteries in this novel--one mysterious death from several years before the action in this novel and one mysterious death that occurs right in front of her. The novel is filled with much good humor and entertainment. Have fun!

The strength of this series is the absolutely delightful character of 11 year old detective Flavia de Luce. Everything about Flavia is funny and engaging-- her love of poisons, her tenaciousness, her battle of wits with sisters, her longing to know more about her mother, and her precocious self-confidence and spunk.

This second installment of Flavia's adventures is even better than the first (The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery. Characters are more fully developed, the setting comes alive with new characters and dilemmas (including the effort to save the family's home), and the mystery at the center of the plot is clever and interesting.

But the real pleasure of this book is charming, unexpected, and original Flavia. I can't wait for her next adventure. :)

"The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag" is as much fun as "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie". I love Flavia de Luce! She is intelligent, determined, and so very crafty, yet she is still an 11-year-old little girl that brings back memories of years gone by. She is absolutely delightful! If you liked her in the first novel, you'll continue to be glad you've made her acquaintance and get to know her better.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and the second was even better. Flavia de Luce is a precocious young lady and trouble always seems to find her. She can be a nuisance to local police, but they begin to rely on her crime scene investigation skills. The girl is a real hoot! And props go out to her bicycle as well.

Flavia de Luce rides again. Aboard her trusty bicycle "Gladys" the eleven year old sleuth/aspiring chemist is off on another adventure. Her latest escapade is precipitated by a chance meeting in the local churchyard with a young woman named Nialla, assistant to a relatively famous television puppeteer named Rupert Porson. Rupert, it seems, has some ties with at least one of the local village residents and when the vicar extends an invitation to Rupert and Nialla to perform their puppet show for the locals, the mystery begins. As with Alan Bradley's first novel,THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE, this story also takes place in the small English village of Bishop's Lacy circa 1950. Once again, suspicious deaths are the order of the day and Flavia takes center stage in this unusual who-dunnit.

Flavia's family still resides in the crumbling mansion known as Buckshaw. Still present are the banes of Flavias young life, her sisters, seventeen year old Ophelia and thirteen year old Daphne, who take gleeful pleasure in taunting Flavia with tales of her unwanted birth and/or adoption and, as usual, Flavia continues to plot delicious and devious ways to avenge herself on her tormenters (her latest attempt at "getting even" involves a box of candy and noxious odors). The unconventional family is rounded out by Flavia's introverted philetalist father and her eccentric, outspoken visiting Aunt Felicity. Although Flavia's reaction to her sisters represents the typical reaction of an 11 year old to teasing, her powers of deductive reasoning, her knowledge of chemistry and her wild imagination definitely place her far beyond her chronological years.

To enjoy this book, please do not attempt to apply logic when it comes to Flavia's amazing and unbelievable intelligence. Just think of Flavia as wonderful wine ......you don't know how it's made, but the flavor is full and pleasing so you just enjoy it. 3 ½ stars

Alan Bradley's character Flavia De Luce is an 11 year old juvenile genius in the field of chemistery, with an unhealthy interest in poisons... a vivid, unforgettable character, in the midst of an exciting and fast moving plot. I have read every one of them so far, and they just keep getting better.

I wasn't sure I'd like this book based on what I read in the descriptions but it was a real delight. The main character has an interesting perspective on her world and is a charmer to boot. I will go back and read the first in the series and will eagerly look for the next one.

Always entertaining to read about the exploits of Flavia de Luce. Pleasant blend of humor, mystery and an amazing knowledge of chemistry. I find myself quietly cheering for Flavia, something this somewhat jaded 75-year-old is not used to doing.

This series is well written, and unique for a "cozy" British mystery with an eleven year-old girl as the protagonist. She is sharp, witty and knows a whole lot of things about chemistry that I don't.

Flavia's personality keeps me enthralled. What I imagine is Miss Marple as a little girl. And her family, supporting characters, and surroundings add just the right amount of charm. Thoroughly enjoyable and readable, I intend to read all Flavia de Luce stories.

The second book in the series, and just as enjoyable as the first. Flavia continues to delight and frustrate, and again we are transported back to a gentler time in the 1950s when murder seemed so civilized! Flavia is well established now as a student of crime and she is still only 12! Love it.

Really wanted to like this one, as I thought "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" was one of the best books of 2009. However, this one didn't really grab me. The core plot felt like it took a long time to unwind and I grew impatient and stopped reading about midway through (I even grew a little sick of Flavia -- she didn't seem as "natural" as the first book). I'll keep reading the series, and hope that this book was an anomaly.

Nancy, formerly of Seattle, WA, now in Tacoma, WA : How delightful to scramble through the world with Flavia. To 'watch' her trying to make sense of what she finds. The heartache of Flavia struggling through the emotional badlands of the death of a mother she was too young to ever know.
I am looking forward to many further adventures!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me fall in to the old world of a English village. I found myself unable to put the book down. Started off a little confusing but I was right on track after that. Good read.

I actually started 'reading' this series thanks to audio books. I must say that although I love the writing of the book, the narrator of the audio books, Jayne Entwistle, brings Falvia to life in such an amazing way. I love love love these books - for their whimsy, charm and pure escape to another time and place. And Alan Bradley is from my part of the world, so we are very proud!

Don't know how Mr. Bradley managed to make this book even better than the first of the Flavia series but he did. Absolutely love this character and the series, well-written, funny and greatly British.

This 2nd Flavia de Luce book surpasses Alan Bradley's first and is more enjoyable and quirky. The tongue in cheek British comedy is a joy to read and for me happy reminders of a more innocent and carefree time when children could safely be out up to mischief all day.

The only thing I would add is that the audiobooks are fab. Really, do give Flavia a try in the audio version.

I just finished "Hangman's Bag" and cannot think of a better companion to pass the time with, Flavia.

The first Flavia de Luce novel was a bucket of fun to read-but to be honest I wasn't paying close enough attention. A heroine better than Nancy Drew totally drew my attention away from the fact that the mystery wasn't really that good and at times was downright confusing. So while reading "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag", even before the mystery really got going, when Flavia was being a little less interesting then in her debut, it hit me. As the character flagged I stopped caring at all about the mystery ahead.

I was not enjoying this book. In any way. So I decided not to finish it. That has of course been factored into my ranking of the book.

Two stars.

It was amusing. 9 -11 year olds will likely enjoy it. The thing that is the downfall of this book (and series) is that Flavia comes with existing brilliance. There is no chance for the reader to discover things along with Flavia. She just "knows" how to do everything, how to find all the answers and how to manage everyone! Everything that the reader finds out Flavia has already discovered. What she needs is a brilliant sidekick who will knock her ego into place!

Bought this item listed as very good condition. Has no slip cover, and is covered in what appears to be food stains. Not what it was listed as being. Very upset especially since the store won't let me return it. Will not order from this seller again. And it appears from other reviews that I am not the only one that has been upset with condition of their product. Spend the extra money to get a new item, you'd be better off.

I should have known better when it comes to my penchant for fast paced mysteries not to plunk myself down in slow, bucolic Bishop's Lacy to follow an eleven-year-old english eccentric around for a few days. Flavia is exactly the type of outspoken, smug little miss I generally try to avoid, and the whole business of beginning this novel with her fantasy death, described in lugubrious detail, left me totally confused as to where we were going in this story. Flavia also possesses an unrealistic, encyclopedic knowledge of chemistry and poisons which might have been fun, except there was way too much information about chemicals that had no bearing on the mystery itself. This writer is fascinated with the smallest detail of EVERYTHING and I was bored to tears except when it came to exchanges between Flavia and her two nasty sisters, who could be pretty inventive in their insults. I listened to this novel in audio form and I did enjoy the woman reading the story as her voice contained a lovely range of emotion. This is one for the Miss Marple set, not me.

Really enjoyed this book, as I did the first in this series. It was hard to guess which character was the killer until very near the end. Bradley is able to describe believable characters who are also likable. This book was worth spending time reading, as well as money!

I loved The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie so I was looking forward to the second in the series. But I got half way through the book and walked away from it. Flavia came across as a brat and the story took forever to get going. Maybe I need to try again another time. Not worth my time.

I gave this book as a gift to a friend after she read "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie," also by Bradley. She liked both books, as I did. For my complete review of the series, see "The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches."

the precious 12 year old is back in a new tale of murder in her small village. using her skills and intelligence she helps uncover the killer of the puppeteer and also find out other secrets in her village.

Having not ready the previous Flavia de Luce book, I was a bit concerned that it might take me a little extra time to establish my relationship with the main character, as many authors do not do as good a job "courting" the reader in subsequent novels as they do in the first. It turned out that I need not have worried. I managed to be drawn in straight from the beginning and immediately identified with Flavia; from annoying sisters to arriving home tardy, I could see myself in her shoes (even when they are wet and dirty). The character slipped into my mind so comfortably, I did not even realize it consciously for a couple of chapters.

The story is centered on the death of a famous puppeteer, but the mystery surrounding it spreads throughout the village to all its quirky inhabitants and their dark secrets. None of the characters we encounter as Flavia works her way toward solving the mystery are forgettable; each has his or her own eccentricities and through Flavia's discerning eye and mind we get to see them as they truly are.

While the mystery is fun, I was much more intrigued by the "setting" provided by her family and the townspeople. Flavia lost her mother very early, so she has grown up with her eccentric father and her two sisters in the ancient family estate home that belonged to her mother. Thrown in the opinionated aunt that comes for a visit and you have a recipe for disaster, or hilarity, or both. The 1950 time-period is great because it provides a sense innocence that would be missing in a modern-era story, as well as giving us with former German prisoners of war and former soldiers suffering from combat stress.

Little Flavia embodies so many of the things we hope to see in ourselves, independence, genius, and a comfort with who she is and what she hopes to become. I think this is why I so readily identified with her, and why others will as well. I now intend to purchase the first novel and hope to see more.

Bought this item listed as very good condition. Has no slip cover, and is covered in what appears to be food stains. Not what it was listed as being. Very upset especially since the store won't let me return it. Will not order from this seller again. And it appears from other reviews that I am not the only one that has been upset with condition of their product. Spend the extra money to get a new item, you'd be better off.

I should have known better when it comes to my penchant for fast paced mysteries not to plunk myself down in slow, bucolic Bishop's Lacy to follow an eleven-year-old english eccentric around for a few days. Flavia is exactly the type of outspoken, smug little miss I generally try to avoid, and the whole business of beginning this novel with her fantasy death, described in lugubrious detail, left me totally confused as to where we were going in this story. Flavia also possesses an unrealistic, encyclopedic knowledge of chemistry and poisons which might have been fun, except there was way too much information about chemicals that had no bearing on the mystery itself. This writer is fascinated with the smallest detail of EVERYTHING and I was bored to tears except when it came to exchanges between Flavia and her two nasty sisters, who could be pretty inventive in their insults. I listened to this novel in audio form and I did enjoy the woman reading the story as her voice contained a lovely range of emotion. This is one for the Miss Marple set, not me.

I loved The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie so I was looking forward to the second in the series. But I got half way through the book and walked away from it. Flavia came across as a brat and the story took forever to get going. Maybe I need to try again another time. Not worth my time.