A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3) in Q&A with Alan Bradley

Feb 20, 2011 Dee rated it really liked it

I love this series with the 11-year-0ld narrator! She is smart, loves chemistry, half believes what her older sisters, Pheelie and Daffy tell her, especially about their mother, Harriet, who they believe died in a Tibetan mountain-climbing accident. (They tell her that their mother hated her, aas they do.)
In this story, a Gypsy fortune-teller is attacked at her caravan. Flavia de Luce, (her name) discovers her, and calls the police. Of course, she believes that she is just as good a detective as ...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Reader57 rated it really liked it

This remains a terrific series. Flavia is growing up and her father and the Inspector are seeing the ever growing dangers of her doing her own murder investigations. Still, she's easy to love and very clever. In this one she helps an old gypsy woman by letting her park her wagon on her family's property. The night she is there she is attacked and beaten near to death. This leads Flavia to meet the gypsy's granddaughter who is about her own age, but has had a totally different life. This is Flavi ...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Erin rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery

Precocious Flavia De Luce returns in Bradley's third mystery featuring the preteen chemist/detective. For someone who doesn't normally read mysteries, I find these books incredibly endearing and charming. Bradley's descriptive writing style really brings the village of Bishop's Lacey to life, and the ever-so-English eccentricities of its residents never fails to amuse.

This time, Flavia stumbles upon a bludgeoned gypsy, and then a body hanging from a fountain at Buckshaw. As usual, she snoops aro ...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Isabel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

OK, I'm hooked on this series. I only wish I hadn't found the first book when it was published, but stumbled on a whole series years from now so that I could devour them all together. This way, I'm waiting (not so) patiently for the next book. Flavia de Luce is a smart-assed, intelligent, quirky and self-possessed 11 year old who lives in a crumbling country house in England with her father and 2 sisters, Ophelia and Daphne. The author must have daughters (or have had sisters) cos he knows how c ...more

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May 05, 2014 Diane rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery

I love Flavia de Luce, 11 year old detective. I am looking forward to the next one….

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Mar 08, 2011 K.C. rated it it was amazing

Flavia our precocious 11 year scientist/sleuth is back!
I love love love these books, Flavia is once again embroiled in a mystery. Gypsies, stolen antiques & a dead body hanging from a statue show up. Flavia is right in the middle of it, following clues & at times destroying important evidence much to the Inspector's chagrin. A very enjoyable read! ...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Cara rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-club, 2011

I found part 3 of the Flavia de Luce series just OK. I had a difficult time following all the who, what and where of this story, it all seemed very scattered. However, there were quite a few side stories that added depth some of the re-occurring characters that make this a part of the Flavia story I wouldn't pass up.

Predictions at this point - possible spoilers:
Harriet will return to Buckshaw
We haven't seen the last of Porcelain - and who knows if she's good or bad ...more

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Mar 15, 2011 Christine rated it liked it

Another great episode for Flavia! And this time she's way ahead of the inspector. But it's time she had a birthday. She's way too clever for any 11-year-old! Gypsies, underground passageways, and secrets about Harriet, Flavia's deceased mother. Quite a tale! ...more

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