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The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce, #6)

Alan Bradley

Start date: March 15, 2022

Finish date: April 8, 2022

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: Another in the series for all our Flavia fans.
[close] Another in the series for all our Flavia fans.

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What Members Thought

Feb 16, 2014 Miss M rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: public-library, crime_cosies, x_2014-reads

As much as I love Flavia, there's just no plot in this one, just a lot of needlessly convoluted, attempted exposition of past events in the series. ...more

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Jan 15, 2021 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it

Shelves: murder, mystery, series, flavia-de-luce, alan-bradley

This review contains spoilers for the previous book.

This is book 6 of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries. In Speaking from Amongst the Bones, the previous book, Flavia solves the murder of the church organist Mr Collicut—killed and hidden in the crypt of St Tancred, the patron saint of their village Bishop’s Lacey. At the end though there is a shocking revelation—Flavia’s mother—lost on a mountaineering trip when Flavia was just one—has been found.

In this book, we learn what that revela This review contains spoilers for the previous book.

This is book 6 of Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mysteries. In Speaking from Amongst the Bones, the previous book, Flavia solves the murder of the church organist Mr Collicut—killed and hidden in the crypt of St Tancred, the patron saint of their village Bishop’s Lacey. At the end though there is a shocking revelation—Flavia’s mother—lost on a mountaineering trip when Flavia was just one—has been found.

In this book, we learn what that revelation means. Flavia has been living in Bishiop’s Lacey with her two older sisters Daphne (Daffy) and Ophelia (Feely), their father Col Haviland de Luce, a former pow in the second world war, and Dogger who had saved the Col’s life in the army and now serves them in various capacities. The family has been living in Buckshaw their family home which was owned by Harriet but as she was missing and had left no will, there was no indication what becomes of it. Money is tight and the family must consider selling the house. Flavia, though eleven (twelve or nearly twelve in this one) is an amateur chemist with access to her uncle Tar’s laboratory, and has a rather keen interest in poisons—she even has a ‘poison’-based alphabet. She has so far used this knowledge of chemistry to solve various murders in the village.

In this one when the family is waiting for Harriet at the station, a tall stranger approaches Flavia and charges her with delivering a rather strange message to her father. And before she even knows what’s happening the stranger falls to his death in front of the train, most likely pushed. And with it Flavia once again has a mystery on her hands. Alongside there are other things occupying he attention, her mother and what happened all those years ago.

This book was actually very different from the previous books in the series, and also gives the series an entirely new direction. But at the same time it also preserves the flavour of the earlier books as Flavia as always, returns to her chemistry lab for the answer to whatever problems are plaguing her, in this case to do with her mother. She also has to deal with some relations who have popped up (whom she knew nothing of before), and who are not the most endearing of people. Because of all this, the murder the book starts with stays mostly on the sidelines for much of the book.

It was interesting to see the author trying to give the series a different direction (than just a young girl solving murders in her village), and with it now, Flavia is also set to go to new places. We also learn some secrets from the de Luces’ past, a little of what Dogger did for Flavia’s father in the war, and of course the story of what happened to her mother all those years ago. There was even a rather surprising visitor when the train with Harriet arrives. I enjoyed the book overall but my only complaint was while the stranger’s death is solved, it doesn’t get as much attention in the book as I’d have expected/liked it to. ...more

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Feb 27, 2022 Susan rated it really liked it

This, the sixth in the Flavia de Luce, series, marks a turning point in the books. It begins with the return of Flavia's mother, Harriet, which was revealed in the ending of the last novel. What was not revealed, but should have been obvious, was that it was Harriet's body which should be returning to Buckshaw. Churchill himself arrives on the train, bearing her casket, as do many other characters who have previously appeared and a distant cousin, Lina, with her over-curious daughter, Undine.Of ...more

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Jan 21, 2014 Ellen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-flavia-de-luce, bradley

"The Dead in Their vaulted Arches" by Alan Bradley.

This is perhaps the most outstanding book in the Flavia de Luce series. Five stars hardly begins to rate its value.

The de Luce family with friends and relatives is proceeding to the train station to await the arrival of the de Luce matriarch...Harriet de Luce. It is at this vantage point we find her arrival to be in a coffin. Flavia is presented with the awful truth that her mother is dead. At that same moment a man passes a brief message on to ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Julie Durnell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, england-uk

Another 5-star book in the Flavia DeLuce story! Oh, she is so entertaining! I was glad to have the loose ends of her mother's disappearance tied up. I anxiously await the next adventure, Mr. Bradley! ...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am really enjoying this series, as the family story evolves, really the true mystery. Flavia has captured me as has the time period. The travails of the village and each of the cast as they all try to adjust to post WWII England is fascinating. The picture we have in America of the 50s is quite different. I wish the series would be picked up by the BBC for some marvelous production like Anne of Green gables or something. It could really come alive on screen.

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Jul 10, 2020 Jinx rated it really liked it

I read this out of order, and I'm glad I did. I read the first in the series and enjoyed it, but I was not able to get into the second book. Instead I jumped to this one and I loved it! I listened to the audiobook. Now I might be able to enjoy the rest of the series without hating the unanswered questions. ...more

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