The Grave's A Fine and Private Place

The Grave's A Fine and Private Place. Flavia de Luce #9. Alan Bradley. 2018. 365 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: I am on my deathbed. Again.

Premise/plot: The Grave's A Fine and Private Place is the ninth Flavia de Luce mystery novel. Flavia is on a vacation of sorts--a holiday boating trip--when she discovers a dead man floating in the river. She secures a few things from the crime scene--or the body, in this case--and sets to work solving a mystery away from home. She has some help from Dogger along the way. But not everyone she meets in town is prepared for the awesomeness that is Flavia. Not everyone wants the crime to be solved...

My thoughts: I had completely blocked from memory the TRAGEDY that occurred at the end of the last novel. So beginning this one was like discovering it all over again. It was a ROUGH start for that reason. My bad memory is not the author's fault--though I suppose you could blame him for taking the plot in that direction in the first place.

I enjoyed spending time with Flavia for the most part. I wish I'd taken the time to tag the passages that made me smile. Flavia can be quite witty. Some of her jokes fall flat, in my opinion, but overall I do like her.

She IS maturing. I was going to write for better or for worse. But that wouldn't be fair. She's growing up, and no one stays exactly the same. If after eight adventures she hasn't changed at all, then that would be reason for concern. Realistic characters age.

For those new to the series, I would recommend reading them in order. The series is set in England in the early 1950s.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews