The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia de Luce, #2)

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The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia de Luce #2)

by Alan Bradley (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 16,247 ratings · 2,811 reviews

From Dagger Award–winning and internationally bestselling author Alan Bradley comes this utterly beguiling mystery starring one of fiction’s most remarkable sleuths: Flavia de Luce, a dangerously brilliant eleven-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving murders. This time, Flavia finds herself untangling two deaths—separated by time but linked by the...more

Hardcover, 364 pages

Published March 9th 2010 by Delacorte Press

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Jun 05, 2010 Jeanette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-fiction, young-adult-books, miss-trees

I see I'm not the only one unthrilled by this second book. There are no spoilers in what follows, but if you loved the first one and are excited for this one, read no further. Or if you do, don't complain to me that I killed your joy.

This story meandered way too much to keep my interest, and I thought the plot was dreadfully thin. Lots of window dressing and trying too hard to be cute. It felt very much like a 70-something-year-old man trying to sound like an 11-year-old girl. And of course, th...more

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May 09, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, mystery

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag picks up a little more than a month after The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie leaves off, so it was good to read them consecutively. It's summer in Bishop's Lacey, the little village outside of which eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce lives with her father and two older sisters in the old family manor, Buckshaw. Flavia's relaxing in the churchyard when she sees that she has company: it turns out that the van of a famous puppeteer, Rupert Porson, has broken...more The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag picks up a little more than a month after The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie leaves off, so it was good to read them consecutively. It's summer in Bishop's Lacey, the little village outside of which eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce lives with her father and two older sisters in the old family manor, Buckshaw. Flavia's relaxing in the churchyard when she sees that she has company: it turns out that the van of a famous puppeteer, Rupert Porson, has broken down, and he and his assistant are stranded. The vicar convinces them to put on a show while they wait for the mechanic to fix the van, and Flavia's roped into helping them set up and settle in: they've been given permission to camp in the field of a neighboring farm. The farm belongs to a couple whose young son was found hanged in the woods five years earlier, and they've become reclusive since then: Flavia has a more-than-a-little creepy encounter with the woman of the house, which makes you wonder what other creepiness has happened on/near this farm, and what other creepiness is still in store.

As with the last Flavia de Luce mystery, in this one the stranger who arrives in town dies soon after—and turns out not to be a stranger at all. And once again, Flavia has a role in unraveling how the "stranger" is connected to Bishop's Lacey, and why he's ended up dead.

I am (still) fond of Flavia and her boldness and cleverness; passages like the below crack me up:

"You are unreliable, Flavia," he said. "Utterly unreliable."
Of course I was! It was one of the things I loved most about myself.
Eleven-year-olds are supposed to be unreliable. We're past the age of being poppets: the age where people bend over and poke us in the tum with their fingers and make idiotic noises that sound like "boof-boof"—just the thought of which is enough to make me bring up my Bovril. And yet we're still not at the age where anyone ever mistakes us for a grown-up. The fact is, we're invisible—except when we choose not to be. (p 112)

I like the little world of Bishop's Lacey, and I feel like Bradley's writing is better in this book than the last one—or maybe I was just paying better attention—I really enjoyed the descriptions of, say, the cool damp forest and all its plant life, or the wonder of looking down from above at a well-constructed puppet theater, the magic of it. And, like with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, I like the conventions of the mystery, the way different characters, many with a motive, are introduced, and the way you stay guessing. I read this book over the course of a few days when I was sick with a nasty cold, and it felt like perfect curled-up-with-a-blanket reading.(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, lol-funny, historical-fiction, favorites

OK, I could only barely make it through one Harry Potter novel even though I lived in Edinburgh frequented the same cafes in the years that J.K Rowling wrote her books. Yet I am addicted to Flavia de Luce books as much as Flavia is addicted to chemistry, solving mysteries and devouring horehound sticks. Flavia has a hilarious and sweet view of her world and she make you want to be a part of it.

Eleven year old Flavia lives in Buckshaw, an old estate on the edge of Bishop's Lacey. She is know by...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all Flavia de Luce fans

Shelves: 2010, mysteries-thrillers-horror, series-in-progress-still-like

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 th...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Carolina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, policial

EXCELENTE, ADOREI ESTE LIVRO! Provavelmente o melhor que vou ler este ano.
A capa e o resumo na contra capa fazem com que pensemos que seja um livro infantil, mas e tudo menos isso.
Flavia de Luce é uma miúda esquisita mas não deixa de ser uma das personagens mais incríveis que eu já conheci. Muito divertida e curiosa, Flavia tem um fascínio pela morte e por venenos sendo um investigadora fugaz. Neste livro, Flavia investiga umas misteriosa morte de um homem que faz marionetas, um homem que é odia...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: full-reviews

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
Alan Bradley
Read by Jayne Entwistle
Random House Audio, March 2010
ISBN 0307576418
Unabridged Audio Book

Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old with a near-genius mind, apparently has way too much time, and too much curiosity, for a child who is benignly neglected by her father and ignored, at best, by her disdainful and tormenting older sisters. When we first encounter her in The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, she is prostrate in the Bishop's Lacey village c...more The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
Alan Bradley
Read by Jayne Entwistle
Random House Audio, March 2010
ISBN 0307576418
Unabridged Audio Book

Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old with a near-genius mind, apparently has way too much time, and too much curiosity, for a child who is benignly neglected by her father and ignored, at best, by her disdainful and tormenting older sisters. When we first encounter her in The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, she is prostrate in the Bishop's Lacey village churchyard, imagining her own funeral in all its glory, but is distracted by the sound of a crying woman. The woman is Nialla, assistant to a nationally known puppeteer, Rupert Porson, and their van has broken down in the village.

While their van is being repaired, Rupert and Nialla find temporary quarters with a local family and Rupert agrees to put on a show of "Jack and the Beanstalk" for the village. Rupert claims to have never met the host family before but one of his puppets bears an uncanny resemblance to the family's child who died in mysterious circumstances several years earlier. Later, Rupert is killed in a questionable way and Flavia begins to wonder if the two deaths are connected. Abandoning her current chemical experiments, including the dastardly poisoning of a box of chocolates intended for her sister, she and her trusty bicycle, Gladys, are off on the hunt. (One of the funniest scenes in the book takes place when Flavia must retrieve the chocolates before the wrong person eats them.)

Canadian author Alan Bradley is a mystery in himself---how does a middle-aged man do so well at evoking the charm and ferocious brilliance of this young girl? The first book won quite a few awards and this second entry in the series is no slouch itself. I only wish we didn't have to wait so long for the next one, A Red Herring Without Mustard, due in March 2011.

Flavia de Luce is my favorite sleuth these days, hands down. When I first met her last year in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, I thought the author had created a wonderful character, one who could appeal to nearly all types of mystery readers, not to mention non-mystery readers who just like a really good story. Throw in a large dash of humor and you've got a winner. Best of all, Flavia is a terrific introduction to mysteries for the younger reader and, as a bonus, they can learn a little about post-World War II England. This one's in my Top Five for 2010.

Much of my reading is by way of audio editions and I've become downright picky about the narrators. This is the second of three I've listened to that's read by Jayne Entwistle and I wish she had more. In both of the Flavia books, Ms. Entwistle IS Flavia and I really can't imagine any other voice for her . An already wonderful book is made even more delightful by the right narrator and, in this case, Jayne Entwistle is it.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, May 2010.(less)

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Dec 06, 2011 Lisa Vegan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery, novel, gr-author, historical-fiction, reviewed, orphaned-and-quasi-orphaned-kids

I think I liked this second book even better than I did the first book in the series, even though I didn’t get to experience the same novelty of Flavia as a character.

I love Flavia and Flavia’s narration. She’s such a hoot. It helps to have a very warped sense of humor to enjoy this mystery series, and I am the proud possessor of a warped sense of humor, which allows me to enjoy all sorts of humor.

I knew too much about the mystery too soon, sort of, but the whole joy of this series is Flavia as...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2012, mystery, flavia-de-luce, series

I don't read many mystery books, but I am hooked on this series--and have gotten my mom hooked as well. In this second book, 11-year-old Flavia continues her adventures in the British countryside where she roams wild with her unhealthy interest in murder and poison. In this book, a visiting puppeteer is murdered, and the cast of suspects is wide. Bradley, a Canadian, has a magnificent knack for creating characters who are brilliant and quirky in that perfectly British mold. Really, it would be a...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Lyndsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: brit-authors, audio, era-1946-1959-post-wwii, library, series, amateur-detective, mystery-cozy, europe, adult-fiction, kindle-read, murder, mystery, england, single-parent

It took awhile for the action to start in this one. I was about half way through before the victim was murdered.
Given that i stuck with it. Nice twists in the end. We learned a lot of people had a motive to bump Rupert off.

Flavia is clever, and her sense of humor is rather cheeky.

Her relationship with the police is delightful. Inspector Hewitt doesn't know what to do with her. She gains more information and draws brilliant deductions than his sgts.

I will continue to read this series

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Feb 23, 2013 Ja Calton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Second in the Flavia de Luce series, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag returns to the English village of Bishop's Lacy. This time, the puppets are coming! And this time there are two deaths.

Riding her bicycle, Gladys, Flavia comes upon a woman crying in a meadow and is soon tangled in the strings of the woman's partner, puppeteer Rupert Porson. And it seems like everyone is hiding secrets. If that isn't enough to deal with, Flavia is kidnapped and tortured by her own sisters.

In her inves...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Porson's Puppet's van breaks down in Flavia's village and soon enough, Rupert Porson is electrocuted in a shocking (ahem) conclusion to his Jack and the Beanstalk performance. Flavia, snoopy and clever, collects clues like a magpie. Her desire to solve the mystery is twofold: she would like to be taken seriously by the police inspector, and not merely dismissed as a little girl. Also, she just cannot leave a puzzle be.

More of the family mysteries are delved into, just tiny bits, tantalizing. Poo...more

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Jan 12, 2013 S rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review originally posted to my blog, Writing Without Numbers, here:
http://ararebit.wordpress.com/2012/12...

With Flavia de Luce, Bradley has created a compelling new detective: a mercurial (wouldn’t Flavia appreciate that adjective?), hot-tempered, brilliant child with the chemical know-how and vocabulary of a postdoc. Astride her bicycle Gladys, Flavia boils through her sleepy town, left to her own devices by an absent-minded father and two dismissive elder sisters. She’s always in somebody’s bu...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Blablabla Aleatório rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nubia

“Como era excitante pensar que, muito depois de o mundo ter terminado, tudo o que restasse de nossos corpos seria transformado em uma deslumbrante nevasca de poeira de diamante, soprada rumo à eternidade sob a luz vermelha de um sol moribundo.”

O que mais me surpreendeu na protagonista criada por Bradley foi seu pensamento afiado e sua grande paixão pela química. Flávia de Luce como quem não quer nada mostrou que seu poder de dedução não deixa nada a dever aos outros grandes detetetives e que com...more “Como era excitante pensar que, muito depois de o mundo ter terminado, tudo o que restasse de nossos corpos seria transformado em uma deslumbrante nevasca de poeira de diamante, soprada rumo à eternidade sob a luz vermelha de um sol moribundo.”

O que mais me surpreendeu na protagonista criada por Bradley foi seu pensamento afiado e sua grande paixão pela química. Flávia de Luce como quem não quer nada mostrou que seu poder de dedução não deixa nada a dever aos outros grandes detetetives e que com um punhado de intrepidez e falta de limites é impossível não descobrir as mentes por trás dos crimes. Já estava com saudades da pequena detetive-cientista e no segundo volume da série, Bradley mostra que sua heroína veio para ficar e nos deixa com ansiedade esperando por suas próximas aventuras.

Rupert Porson é um exímio fabricante e apresentador de marionetes, de muito sucesso em toda Inglaterra. Por aquelas coincidências do destino (será mesmo?) ele acaba indo parar em Bishop’s Lacey na companhia de sua assistente Nialla e uma van quebrada em frente ao pátio paroquial. Com o carro quebrado impedindo o prosseguimento da viagem, o vigário sugere que Rupert faça duas apresentações no Salão Paroquial e a Flávia coube o papel de cicerone da dupla. É assim que a garota começa a elaborar suas suposições, primeiro sobre o relacionamento de Rupert e Nialla, depois sobre o lado profissional de Rupert que acabou indo parar em Bishop’s Lacey porque brigou com seu produtor da BBC e acaba descobrindo uma intricada rede de relacionamentos envolvendo o artista.

Em Flávia de Luce e o Teatro de Marionetes, Bradley demora um pouco mais para entregar qual o mistério da vez, diferentemente da primeira aventura de Flávia o assassinato não ocorre logo nos primeiros capítulos e só depois nos são dadas as pistas. Neste segundo volume, as pistas são fornecidas desde o primeiro capítulo, o caso fez-se caso antes mesmo de existir e Flávia precisa retroceder nos eventos para decifrar a história por trás dessa nova tragédia.

Leia mais em: http://feanari.wordpress.com/2012/02/...(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Jesse Cozean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having enjoyed Bradley's first Flavia de Luce mystery, I was excited to continue the series. I was slightly disappointed with the second installment, though still quickly tore through it's pages. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie drew me in and kept the tension throughout the book - The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag lacked the same sense of urgency. I loved Flavia's character and quirky humor, but her interactions with her family seemed contrived and unnecessary. The plot rambled a bi...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Flavia de Luce is back in the second murder mystery to strike her idyllic English town. The resurfacing of circumstances of the mysterious death of a small boy and the sudden appearance of a famous puppeteer for the BBC seem to be inexplicably intertwined.

I found Bradley's sophomore cozy mystery to be much less charming that his first. The actual murder mystery aspects were not revealed until about halfway through the book (and not even surprisingly, as the death of Rupert Porson is stated on t...more Flavia de Luce is back in the second murder mystery to strike her idyllic English town. The resurfacing of circumstances of the mysterious death of a small boy and the sudden appearance of a famous puppeteer for the BBC seem to be inexplicably intertwined.

I found Bradley's sophomore cozy mystery to be much less charming that his first. The actual murder mystery aspects were not revealed until about halfway through the book (and not even surprisingly, as the death of Rupert Porson is stated on the dust-jacket summary); Flavia's investigation is very much separate from the Inspectors, which removed the aspect of her remaining one ingenious step ahead of the official investigation; and the solving of the mystery seemed to come a little out of no-where and lacked the intrigue and danger of the first book. I am starting to be less sympathetic and more appalled by the home life of Flavia - her sisters are allowed to torment her endlessly and her father seems completely unconcerned with where she disappears to for endless amounts of time.

What saved this book from a lower rating is that Flavia is a lovable character who is witty and precocious without being too rebellious, though her blatant love for chemistry was reduced to my dismay; the story did have some very surprising twists and turns as the lives and relationships of the townsfolk were revealed; and Dodger is perhaps the most unlikely of insightful, father-like characters in contemporary fiction, and I can't help but absolutely adore his and Flavia's friendship. I enjoy the role that small-town gossip plays in the story - being from a small town I so I am completely amused by how realistic the "secret" information is passed along at the speed of light! lol

While I generally am not a huge fan of cozy mysteries (I am morbidly fascinated by gory details of the murders and investigations) but I will most likely indulge in the third Flavia de Luce that Bradley is currently writing - The Red Herring Without Mustard - in hopes that it will be more similar to The Sweetness than The Weed. (less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Monica Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

I usually do not like books for adults that have a child as the narrator, but once again I find myself making the exception for Flavia de Luce. She is no ordinary 11 year old girl. She is fascinated with death and poisons, and after her first mystery "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" she is of course ready to take on another investigation. Flavia is playing dead (seriously) in the town's graveyard when she comes across a lovely young woman who is upset. Flavia comforts her and finds out t...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Nancy Cours added it

Shelves: audio-books

The/My second Flavia de Luce mystery. Such a clever series. It's a shame this precocious 11-year-old has a macabre fascination with death, because otherwise she would be quite the heroine for young readers. Alas, I think the plot lines, despite their charming protagonist, is meant for more mature audiences.

I wish I could speak like Flavia-- so very witty, British, and fabulously 1950s (a time when kids still rode their bikes everywhere and had machinery in their mouths for braces).

I am so impr...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-story, historical, mystery

1950s chemistry and mystery-loving tween Flavia DeLuce, resident of the crumbling manor house Buckshaw, is somehow always at the center of the action in her small town of Bishop's Lacey. This time, she gets involved with a traveling puppeteer whose van breaks down by the church, and whom the vicar convinces to put on a couple of shows while waiting for the van to be fixed. The puppeteer and his female assistant/lover camp at the nearby Ingleby's farm, a sad place since the Ingleby's five-year-ol...more

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May 22, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Probably more like a three-and-a-half starrer.

The great pitfall for these Flavia de Luce books are obviously that we won't buy this precocious girl's voice, or that we won't buy this sometimes twee British world she lives in, or that it will all be too much for entertainment's sake and with no real emotional stake for the reader. (In that way, I suppose it is like the second season of Downton Abbey, which was a kind of cloying dreadful that makes me spitting angry). For the most part, this nove...more

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May 19, 2012 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden age of Mysteries is Back, May 18, 2012
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Novel (Flavia de Luce Mysteries) (Paperback)
I'm truly at a loss for words. This author, Mr. Bradley, is a story teller in the purest sense. He belongs on the same shelf with John Dickson Carter or Phoebe Atwood Taylor authors from the golden Age of mysteries. Each character in Flavia's life has a sto...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Falling in love with Flavia de Luce is easy to do. Fans of "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" will be happy to find this sequel. If you’ve never met Flavia before, you’re in for a treat. Your prior acquaintance is not required in order to start reading The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag.

Flavia is the plucky, self-appointed crime solver of her rural English town. She lives in a shabby, old mansion, the third floor of which boasts a fully functional chemistry lab. Flavia spends much of...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Book Concierge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book on CD performed by Jayne Entwistle
3.5***

I just love 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, who relies on her keen powers of observation (and a more than a little knowledge of chemistry) to solve yet another murder (or two) in Bishop’s Lacey. Among the happenings and characters she encounters in this outing: a child who died by accidental hanging some years back; the “witch” who lives in the woods; the boy’s mother, deranged by grief; a master puppeteer and his faithful assistant; a former German POW;...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Hanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ich war ja schon vom ersten Flavia-Band total begeistert, denn Flavia haut mich einfach um. Sie ist erst elf Jahre alt und hat ein eigenes Chemie-Labor und bessere Kenntnisse als Schüler aus der Oberstufe. Außerdem hat sie einen so scharfen verstand und ist gleichzeitig frech und liebenswürdig. Man muss dieses kleine Mädchen einfach ins Herz schließen! Deshalb hat es mir partou nichts ausgemacht, erst mal ein wneig Zeit "mit Flavia zu verbringen", denn wirklich begonnen hat die Geschichte erst n...more Ich war ja schon vom ersten Flavia-Band total begeistert, denn Flavia haut mich einfach um. Sie ist erst elf Jahre alt und hat ein eigenes Chemie-Labor und bessere Kenntnisse als Schüler aus der Oberstufe. Außerdem hat sie einen so scharfen verstand und ist gleichzeitig frech und liebenswürdig. Man muss dieses kleine Mädchen einfach ins Herz schließen! Deshalb hat es mir partou nichts ausgemacht, erst mal ein wneig Zeit "mit Flavia zu verbringen", denn wirklich begonnen hat die Geschichte erst nach über 100 Seiten. Aber wie gesagt, fand ich das eher schön, denn Flavia ist ja so ein süßes Mädchen und ihre ganze Umgebung ist ja so schön Englisch, da war die lange Einleitung sehr entspannend.

Ich musste immer wieder grinsen, auch wenn das Buch ein Krimi ist, vorwiegend dienst es schon zur Unterhaltung, als zum Gruseln. Dennoch hat Bradley es geschafft, genügend Spannung in das Buch zu bringen (als ob irgendjemand das Buch selbst ohne Spannung aus der Hand gelegt hätte), das wirklich niemand auf die Idee käme, vorzeitig aufzuhören (ich rede natürlich von denen, die meinen Geschmack teilen, nicht, dass ihr denkt, ich würde hier für die ganze Welt sprechen).

Auch wenn es ein paar Parrallelen zu dem anderen Fall gab (was ja bei denselben Charakteren kaum zu vermeiden ist), kann ich nicht behaupten, dass sich in der Handlung irgendetwas wiederholt hätte. Vorwissen vom ersten Teil war auch nicht nötig, Flavia erwähnte nur an einigen Stellen, dass und auch warum sie schon mal mit Inspektor Hewitt und Detectiv Seargent Woolmer und Graves zutun gehabt hatte. Das war auch sehr angenehm, schließlich ist es schon ein halbes Jahr oder länger her, dass ich den ersten Band gelesen habe ;)

Schön fand ich bei Flavia, dass sie die Verdächtigen alle auf eine Liste gesetzt hat, sodass man einen kleinen Überblick hatte und dann selbst spekulieren konnte.

Leider ist dann aber in Flavias kleiner Welt doch der Kriminalfall ein wneig kurz gekommen. An dieser Stellung ein kleines Achtung an die Leser, die sich das Buch nur zu kaufen gedenken, weil es ein Krimi ist. Denn wie schon gesagt: Flavia ist eine ganz andere Ermittlerin als sonst. Das Buch ist sehr raffiniert und verzweigt aufgebaut und alles schön von Flavia erklärt, aber ... wie soll man es sagen ... die Spannung ist zwar da, aber nur insofern, dass man wissen möchte, wer der Mörder ist/war, nicht dass etwas Spannendes passiert. Im ersten Teil wurde Flavia ja entführt. Aber in diesem Teil ist sie nie in Gefahr. Für mich war das super, ich hasse es immer, mir Sorgen um eine gute Figur in einem Buch zu machen, aber Flavia ist halt erst elf und da macht man sich immer noch mehr Sorgen :)

Fazit

Insgesamt ein tolles Buch, wieder mal ein Fall für das Regal, in dem meine Lieblingsbücher stehen (neeeiiiiiiiiiiiiin, das Buch ist ja von meiner Freundin geliehen *schluuchz* :/)
Es lohnt sich, zuzugreifen, aber nicht, wenn man auf einen Krimi aus ist, sondern auf eine gute Geschichte mit einer kriminellen Note ;)(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Colin rated it 3 of 5 stars

My feelings about this book are similar to the first book in the series: certainly fun, and an interesting concept to have a intelligent, chemistry-maven child character as the protragonist, but, in the end, there is something missing to put these books over the top for me.

Everything about the book is "nice", or "good" but not "awesome", or "great". For example, the mysteries are interesting, but certainly not mind-blowingly entertaining. The characters are good, but certainly, other than perhap...more

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Jan 15, 2012 kamelin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Die verflixte Sinfonie klebte verzweifelt am Leben!" [german review]

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...more "Die verflixte Sinfonie klebte verzweifelt am Leben!" [german review]

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!
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Oct 29, 2011 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

These are cute, cute, cute books! I don't buy it, a kid being this kind of smart, but I don't care. The plot's a little on the thin side, but I don't care. The fun of these books is the delightful fantasy of Eng-er-land post-WWII seen through the eyes of eleven-year-old Flavia, daughter of decayed privilege.

The murdered man, a puppeteer/drug dealer, *richly* deserved killing, which always makes a mystery more fun for me. His relict, of sorts, is of course a suspect, but her Delicate Condition (w...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Kendra Recht rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's hard to write a review of the second book in a series, because for the most part, my thoughts about the general writing remain the same. Thus this will have to be quite a bit shorter than my review of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, but not for lack of loving it. Everything that I enjoyed in the previous book was brought back here.

As in the last book, young Flavia de Luce stumbles upon another mystery -- another murder mystery, to be precise. And, much like the last book, there are...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

Oh how I cried when I reached the end of the published Maisie Dobbs books! I thought I’d never find such a fun mystery series again. It was almost as bad as when I finished my third Tana French book, knowing there were no more out.

Well, my friends, I have found a new mystery series that I just adore…to death.

My lovely pal, Flavian de Luce and her creator, Alan Bradley, are just phenomenal. I’d give all of the cdit to Bradley since it is technically he that...more http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

Oh how I cried when I reached the end of the published Maisie Dobbs books! I thought I’d never find such a fun mystery series again. It was almost as bad as when I finished my third Tana French book, knowing there were no more out.

Well, my friends, I have found a new mystery series that I just adore…to death.

My lovely pal, Flavian de Luce and her creator, Alan Bradley, are just phenomenal. I’d give all of the cdit to Bradley since it is technically he that is responsible for such a wonder but Flavian has such character and life of her own that it’s really impossible not to count her as her own living entity.

This is her second story and man, it just gets better and better. This time, she finds herself literally tangled up in puppet strings, in a deadly dance with a troop passing through town. When the lead gets knocked off due to “accidental electrical failure”, Flavian is on the beat in a heartbeat, tracking down suspects and putting pieces into the puzzle.

The mystery is in high suspense until the end while leads continue to appear, disappear and reappear. History is a bigger part of this mystery than it was in the first which is always a rocking good time for this geek.

I have to say that Bradley is incredibly good at writing female characters. From Hollywood starlets to tween detectives to lumpy kitchen staff, he always creates such deep, lovable, women. The men are, well, fine, but they don’t always have that much depth. I’m not really complaining because, especially for a male writer this is a first to go the opposite way.

I think that the third in the set is going to have to wait until I get out of the hospital in a few weeks because by then it will be out in paperback. Good timing, I think. The fourth, thank goodness, comes out around the holidays so I won’t have long to wait. This is such a fun series and I’m loving it…ahem…to death.

Oh and this is also my second contribution to the R.I.P. challenge which I am seriously enjoying.(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second outing for Flavia and I have to say that I liked this one better than the first one.

In this one, a traveling puppet show has become stranded in the village. While the puppeteer and his lovely assistant wait for their van to be repaired, they put on a puppet show at the encouragement of the vicar. The show ends in death not the fairy tale ending everyone was expecting. Flavia once again due to her snooping skills and scientific knowledge realizes that the charlatan puppet maste...more

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May 06, 2011 Edlvspw rated it 5 of 5 stars

I sat down to read "The weed that strings the hangman’s bag" and to be perfectly honest I expected the same old over published drivel. I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy it, but as with any book I start reading I continue on to the end.
My head was filled with doubts, how can I have an interest in an expert chemist in the 1950's let alone a pre pubescent girl who solves mysteries? It all seemed very unbelievable. How wrong I was.

Alan Bradley has an amazing skill and considerable zest, he project...more I sat down to read "The weed that strings the hangman’s bag" and to be perfectly honest I expected the same old over published drivel. I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy it, but as with any book I start reading I continue on to the end.
My head was filled with doubts, how can I have an interest in an expert chemist in the 1950's let alone a pre pubescent girl who solves mysteries? It all seemed very unbelievable. How wrong I was.

Alan Bradley has an amazing skill and considerable zest, he projected Flavia De Luce into my thoughts it was almost as though she was in my sitting room and I was watching this whole mystery played for me unravelling in front of my eyes
I found myself laughing out loud to her wicked sense of humour and conspiring with her in her uncle’s laboratory against her evil sisters feely and daffy.
Her manipulation skills are incredible especially to the unsuspecting people of Buckshaw and much of the time to her "anything for a quiet life” father.

This is the second book in the De Luce series so far and it is by no means of inferior quality than the first "the sweetness in the bottom of the pie".

This is a nice flowing story there is no hard work to get past "reading blocks" as there are none. its written perfectly and is extremely descriptive, it begins as Flavia is at the cemetery describing her own funeral this may sound depressing but I assure you it is far from it, she hears a woman crying in the cemetery as she has an acute sense of hearing. a BBC puppeteer breaks down in the middle of Buckshaw and in order to pay his mechanic fees he hosts a show of jack and the beanstalk in the local church hall which raised many question as to why his puppet looked like the young boy who was found hanging five years before in the woods, why does mad meg seem to recognise him too? Suddenly a death which is obviously suspicious but they are no match for little Flavia nor are the police.

I would not like to be on the wrong side of Flavia by no means although I do find the loneliness surrounding her to be rather useful it suits her and she suits herself.

the characters are all very real I personally love the over imposing aunt and mad meg is very believable I would like to see these characters developed more in future books but I am more then anxious to get my hands on a copy of the third book in this series “A red herring without mustard”
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About Alan Bradley

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

With an education in electronic engineering, Alan worked at numerous radio and television stations in Ontario, and at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in Toronto, before becoming Director of Television Engineering in the media centre at the Universit...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

With an education in electronic engineering, Alan worked at numerous radio and television stations in Ontario, and at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in Toronto, before becoming Director of Television Engineering in the media centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, where he remained for 25 years before taking early retirement to write in 1994.

He became the first President of the Saskatoon Writers, and a founding member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. His children's stories were published in The Canadian Children's Annual, and his short story, Meet Miss Mullen, was the first recipient of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children's Literature.

For a number of years, he regularly taught Script Writing and Television Production courses at the University of Saskatchewan (Extension Division) at both beginner and advanced levels.

His fiction has been published in literary journals and he has given many public readings in schools and galleries. His short stories have been broadcast by CBC Radio.

He was a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings. Here, he met the late Dr. William A.S. Sarjeant, with whom he collaborated on their classic book, Ms Holmes of Baker Street. This work put forth the startling theory that the Great Detective was a woman, and was greeted upon publication with what has been described as "a firestorm of controversy".

The release of Ms. Holmes resulted in national media coverage, with the authors embarking upon an extensive series of interviews, radio and television appearances, and a public debate at Toronto's Harbourfront. His lifestyle and humorous pieces have appeared in The Globe and Mail and The National Post.

His book The Shoebox Bible (McClelland and Stewart, 2006) has been compared with Tuesdays With Morrie and Mr. God, This is Anna.

In July of 2007 he won the Debut Dagger Award of the (British) Crimewriter's Association for his novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first of a series featuring eleven year old Flavia de Luce, which has since won the 2009 Agatha Award for Best First Novel,the 2010 Dilys Award,the Spotted Owl Award, and the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie has also been nominated for the Macavity, the Barry, and the Arthur Awards.

Alan Bradley lives in Malta with his wife Shirley and two calculating cats. (less)

More about Alan Bradley...

Books by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia de Luce, #1)

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 )

Flavia de Luce 3-Book Bundle: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard

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Quotes from The Weed That Strings ...

“If you remember nothing else, remember this: Inspiration from outside one's self is like the heat in an oven. It makes passable Bath buns. But inspiration from within is like a volcano: It changes the face of the world.” — 55 people liked it

“You are unreliable, Flavia,' he said. 'Utterly unreliable.'
Of course I was! It was one of the things I loved most about myself.” — 52 people liked it

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The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Flavia de Luce #2)

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