About this item
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Hailed as "a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes" by The Boston Globe, Flavia de Luce returns in a Christmas mystery from award-winning author Alan Bradley.. In spite of being ejected from Miss Bodycotes Female Academy in Canada, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is excited to be sailing home to England. But instead of a joyous homecoming, she is greeted on the docks with unfortunate news: Her father has fallen ill, and a hospital visit will have to wait while he rests. But with Flavias blasted sisters and insufferable cousin underfoot, Buckshaw now seems both too empty - and not empty enough. Only too eager to run an errand for the vicars wife, Flavia hops on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to deliver a message to a reclusive wood-carver. Finding the front door ajar, Flavia enters and stumbles upon the poor mans body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only living creature in the house is a feline that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Curiosity may not kill this cat, but Flavia is energized at the prospect of a new investigation. Its amazing what the discovery of a corpse can do for ones spirits. But what awaits Flavia will shake her to the very core.. Praise for Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewd. "Mystery fans seeking novels of wit, an immersive English countryside setting, and rich characterizations will be rewarded with this newest entry in the award-winning series." - Library Journal (starred review) . "There is such a thing as willing suspension of disbelief brought on by sheer outlandish charm, and thats what [Alan] Bradley and some delicious writing have tapped." - London Free Press. "Flavias first-person narration reveals her precocious intellect as well as her youthful vulnerability." - Shelf Awareness. "Flavia is once again a fun, science-loving protagonist. . . . This series entry ends on a note that begs for the next story." - Library Reads. "An eleven-year-old prodigy with an astonishing mind for chemistry and a particular interest in poisons." - The Strand Magazine (Five of the Best Historical Heroines) . "Bradleys preteen heroine comes through in the end with a series of deductions so clever she wants to hug herself. So will you." - Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Alan Bradley received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, his first novel, which went on to win the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. He is the author of many short stories, children's stories, newspaper columns, and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. He co-authored Ms. Holmes of Baker Street with the late William A.S. Sarjeant. Bradley lives in Malta with his wife and two calculating cats. His seventh Flavia de Luce mystery, "As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust" will be published in the US and Canada on January 6, 2015, and in the UK on April 23.The first-ever Flavia short story, "The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse" has recently been published in eBook format, as has his 2006 memoir, "The Shoebox Bible".
