Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd

Library Journal ¡ï 09/01/2016 In her eighth series installment (after As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust), Flavia de Luce is back tearing up the roads between her family estate at Buckshaw and the village of Bishop's Lacey on her trusty bicycle Gladys. The 12-year-old intrepid girl detective and imaginative chemist has returned home from Canada to a grim house with her father in the hospital. On her first day back, Flavia discovers a corpse, setting off yet another investigation employing her considerable wit and unique logic and leading us through another puzzle steeped in English lore. Part Curious George and part Miss Marple, Flavia is also a lonely little girl growing up in post-World War II England with adults who are otherwise engaged. Still, she manages to make her way, and readers can only delight in watching Flavia make sense of her world. VERDICT Mystery fans seeking novels with wit, an immersive English countryside setting, and rich characterizations will be rewarded with this newest entry in the award-winning series. [See Prepub Alert, 3/14/16; a September LibraryReads Pick.]¡ªCheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA