From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce, #5)

Alan Bradley

Start date: November 13, 2021

Finish date: December 6, 2021

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Next in our series of Flavia de Luce buddy reads.
[close] Next in our series of Flavia de Luce buddy reads.

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Buddy reads

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last updated Sep 21, 2025 08:01AM

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What Members Thought

May 20, 2022 David Bryant rated it really liked it

Flavia DeLuce at (nearly) her best! Quite enjoyable.
First, a comment about the sequence of reading the books in the series: Before I read this story, book 5 in the series, I had already read books 6 and 7 in this series, having carelessly skipped over this one, not realizing how important the sequence would become. Big mistake! So, my first advice to readers of this series is that you should not read book 6 (“The Dead in their Vaulted Arches”) before reading at least some of the preceding books Flavia DeLuce at (nearly) her best! Quite enjoyable.
First, a comment about the sequence of reading the books in the series: Before I read this story, book 5 in the series, I had already read books 6 and 7 in this series, having carelessly skipped over this one, not realizing how important the sequence would become. Big mistake! So, my first advice to readers of this series is that you should not read book 6 (“The Dead in their Vaulted Arches”) before reading at least some of the preceding books. They are, to a large degree, stand-along mysteries, charming and enjoyable on their own, without worrying too much about the back-story of the family members. Thinking back, I do not think the sequence is terribly important among books 1-4. The back story evolves a bit, but not greatly, until you reach this one. But this one ends with a startling announcement that leads into book 6. And book 6 is simply so focused on the back story that you should not read it as if it were a stand-alone mystery – you will be too confused and miss the background. Then book 7 is almost like the series starts over, springing from what happens in book 6.
Anyway, that’s my advice!
As for this book itself, I gave it 4 stars, not 5, mainly because I found it a bit confusing. Flavia finds herself crawling around in several parts of the village church, St. Tancred’s, including inside the organ casing (the cabinet of organ pipes), in a burial crypt, a tomb, and in some connecting tunnels and spaces. I found it difficult to picture the action as she moved from one place to another. The terminology wasn’t always clear, and I found myself a bit lost in trying to picture the physical relationships of the churchyard, the crypt and the organ. I could not see how so many people could be together in the Trying to picture the complicated arrangement was perhaps a distraction for me, but proved somewhat frustrating.
As for the plot, Flavia was portrayed as clever and charming, but she is beginning to be almost too lucky, too amazing. She manages to outwit and even physically defeat some adults bent on harm, in fact escaping at least one close call with imminent death!
Regardless of these minor faults, I found this to be a page-turner, and plowed through it quickly. And actually, the plot is complex enough that I might have lost the thread if I had set it aside for very long.
All in all, a very enjoyable diversion… ...more

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