From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3)

Alan Bradley

Start date: February 13, 2021

Finish date: March 9, 2021

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: By popular request, next in the series of Flavia de Luce books.
[close] By popular request, next in the series of Flavia de Luce books.

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What Members Thought

Mar 09, 2011 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, currently-re-reading, tbr-with-gr-groups

2021 reread: listened to the audiobook this time - Jane Entwistle is perfect as Flavia, really captures her youthful exuberance. Very much enjoying these rereads with the Reading the Detectives group, as I read each Flavia mystery as they came out, but was always bothered by the animosity of the older sisters, and the distance of Colonel deLuce. Such a sad family, but such great characters.

This time, Flavia gets involved with an elderly gypsy woman - well, accidentally sets her fortune-telling t 2021 reread: listened to the audiobook this time - Jane Entwistle is perfect as Flavia, really captures her youthful exuberance. Very much enjoying these rereads with the Reading the Detectives group, as I read each Flavia mystery as they came out, but was always bothered by the animosity of the older sisters, and the distance of Colonel deLuce. Such a sad family, but such great characters.

This time, Flavia gets involved with an elderly gypsy woman - well, accidentally sets her fortune-telling tent on fire at a fete (nothing is easy with Flavia), then to make amends, invites her to park her caravan on Buckshaw estate lands for a rest. When Flavia goes to check up on her, the old lady is passed out, covered in her own blood. Of course, Flavia is determined to investigate, eventually uncovering possible antique forgers, a dead body and a supposedly defunct religious sect still operating secretly in Bishop’s Lacy...just a typical autumn for my favorite girl chemist and detective!

2011: I still love Flavia, and would recommend these character-driven mysteries to anyone who enjoys humor, quirky characters and a good whodunit; I am getting tired of the ceaseless hostility Flavia receives from her older sisters, however, and would like to know the underlying cause (as, apparently, would Flavia!) There seems to be a bit of a cracking in the wall of anger (Daffy answers a few of Flavia's questions, Feely sends Dieter to keep an eye on Flavia), but it still seems a bit much. I look forward to the next entry in the series to hopefully provide more family background. As I read the book I was suffering from a rotten head cold, so that may have accounted for my difficulty getting into it as much as previous entries; I found myself asking, "Why is she going there? What made her think of that?" more often, mystified by what exactly was propelling the action forward - there seemed no rhyme or reason. Then I decided to just go with it and enjoy the characters and dialogue and the joy of flying up and down the lanes of Bishop's Lacey alongside Flavia and Gladys - "Yaroo" indeed! - and remember Flavia's supposed to be an impetuous, wickedly precocious 11-year-old girl. I can't wait for the next entry in the series! ...more

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Jan 22, 2016 ☼Bookish in Virginia☼ added it

Shelves: where-is-the-next-book

If you have read this far in the series I think you would have made up your own mind if you like or dislike the little town of Bishop's Lacey and the locals. So I won't try to convince you to read this book.

But I will say that it has the same flavor as the others and you will run across many of the regulars --such as the vicar, the doctor, the former librarian, and the former Prisoner of War -- as well as some new folk. The de Luce family is still in character as well. (This is alternately wonde ...more

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Aug 11, 2022 Ruskoley rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, 2011, book-3

Readers know what they are going to get – and if they like it, they like it. If they do not, then they don’t. No great boundaries were pushed around here, nothing innovative or extraordinary was done. This novel is not wholly unlike the previous two – however, if you liked those two, you will enjoy this one. Maybe some readers will feel that the character and stories are stagnant or not going anywhere. I agree with that while at the same time I am satisfied with the novels as they are. I like sp ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Bronwyn rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, title-j-r, historical-fiction, novels, do-not-own, author-a-i, by-men, series, mystery-detective-suspense, european

This story was fine, a bit of a stretch... These books are fine. They're good enough stories. I just don't care for Flavia enough to continue... Every now and then I'd get a glimpse of why people like these, but they're just not for me. ...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Louise Culmer rated it liked it

The third mystery featuring precocious 11-year-old Flavia de Luce. Once more Flavia is there to solve the crime that baffles the police, and as in the previous book there is a death in the past to investigate as well as one in the present.

These books are quite amusing, but I find Flavia an unconvincing heroine. The child who is smarter than all the grown-ups is a familiar character in children's literature, but seems much less convincing in an adult novel. I find myself yearning for a grown-up d ...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Laura Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, british-isles

I loved the "voice" of Flavia (although I wish she didn't tamper with the crime scenes quite so much) since book one, but the mystery plots are getting more intricate with each installment. A part of me wants to immediately devour I Am Half Sick Of Shadows, but I've promised myself to save it until December. That way I can spend the holiday season with my favorite eleven year old sleuth. Yaroo! ...more

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