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A Red Herring Without Mustard
517 pages
A delightfully macabre romp through a 1950s English village, led by a poison-obsessed eleven-year-old with a razor-sharp wit.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like exploring a decaying 1950s English country estate armed with a chemistry set and a wicked sense of humor. The narrative moves at a brisk clip, propelled by the delightfully precocious, darkly comedic voice of its eleven-year-old protagonist. It balances the cozy familiarity of a classic village mystery with a macabre edge, creating an atmosphere that is both nostalgic and sharply observant. The prose is erudite and witty, dripping with clever chemical metaphors and wry observations about adult eccentricities. Beneath the gleeful investigations of murder and mayhem, there is a surprising tenderness as it explores family legacy and the loneliness of growing up. It is a perfect delight for readers who appreciate a brilliant, unapologetically oddball heroine and a mystery that delivers both sharp laughs and genuine heart.
- Mood
- cozy yet macabre
- autumnal
- eccentric
- village-gothic
- Tone
- wry
- precocious
- darkly comedic
- charming
- nostalgic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- loss of innocence · family legacy · eccentric village life · sibling rivalry · the pursuit of truth
- The writing
- Erudite, sharply witty, and peppered with delightful chemical metaphors and precocious vocabulary.
- The arc
- Moves from gleeful, morbid curiosity into a surprisingly tender exploration of identity and belonging.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love clever, slightly morbid protagonists, classic English village mysteries, and a heavy dose of dark humor.
Content notes
- murder
- kidnapping themes
- mild peril
- prejudice against Romani people
About the book
Award-winning author Alan Bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop's Lacey--mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia's own backyard.
Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse--that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce's drawing room.
Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession--a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?
As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.
Description from Open Library.
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