The Grave's a Fine and Private Place - Alan Bradley

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

This  is the 9th book in the Flavia de Luce series. I have read them all with great pleasure, as it is very original crime novels. That is among other due to the detective  and knowledgeable chemist - when the series begin - 11 year old Flavia. She is interested in poison in all its varieties. She lives in the beginning with two older sisters (Feely and Daffy), the father and their "servants" Dogger (her father's best friend ) and Mrs. Mullet (housekeeper and cook, not particular capable of either). They all live in the run down estate, Buckshaw and they are always in need of money.

In the 9th volume the family is on a boat trip on the river. Flavia is sitting with a hand  in the water and grabs what she thinks is a fish, but shows to be a body. Flavia is now 12 years old(? I should think she is older, as she was 11 years old in the first novel) and the relationship with her sisters  develops for the better  Also the relationship with Dogger develops, and we learn  more about his life while the two of them solves the mystery. A mystery that involves a previous  murder by poison of three elderly ladies.
It is not without reason the first book  was awarded the Agatha Award for Best First Novel + a lot of other awards. I really recommend reading them, but in the right order, as the characters and the story evolves.


 I think until now it is only the two first novels that have been translated to Danish, but I recon the quality of the novels will vouch for more to come. The interest will not be lessened either if Sam Mendes is making a TV-series.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Flavia de Luce 1

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's bag - Flavia de Luce 2

A Red Herring Without Mustard - Flavia de Luce 3

I Am Half Sick of Shadows - Flavia de Luce 4

Speaking from Among the Bones - Flavia de Luce 5

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches - Flavia de Luce 6

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust - Flavia de Luce 7

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewd - Flavia de Luce 8

And there is also a short story published as e-book: The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse - Flavia de Luce 6.5

Danish