Christmas Comes to Buckshaw! Flavia's Back!

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

By Alan Bradley

About the Book: This book is the fourth in the Flavia de Luce series, and my favorite so far. The series is listed as Adult Mystery, but YA and middle grades readers 11 and up would enjoy as well, because Flavia is an 11 year old sleuth who loves chemistry and is bullied by her sisters. Flavia is witty and fearless as usual!

The Review: Christmas at Buckshaw brings a film crew making a movie (Father is trying to pay off debt and hold onto the family estate). All of Bishop’s Lacey village is snowed in for two days after attending a charity play of Romeo and Juliet. Meanwhile, Flavia has a plan to trap Father Christmas and prove once and for all that he exists. As the village sleeps in the foyer, Flavia creeps to chat with the star actress, who she has befriended, but she finds her, guess what, murdered. She must enlist the help of her dreaded sister Daphne to solve the mystery.

Fun Facts: Don't worry, the next book in the series (still untitled) is due to be released in March 2013! The sixth book in the series, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, will be published in 2014. The title of the book comes from the epigraph, an excerpt from the famous poem about The Lady of Shalott.

Song to Read By: Toccatta by Paradisi (Flavia's favorite song): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vihM0HbuiPI