117. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (buy)
Flavia de Luce, #6

Rating: (3/5)

Jan 14 2014; Doubleday Canada, 160 pgs

Ages: (18+) (YA Crossover)

"Bishop's Lacey is never short of two things: mysteries to solve and pre-adolescent detectives to solve them. In this New York Times bestselling series of cozy mysteries, young chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce once again brings her knowledge of poisons and her indefatigable spirit to solve the most dastardly crimes the English countryside has to offer, and in the process, she comes closer than ever to solving her life's greatest mystery--her mother's disappearance. . ."

Received a review copy from Random House Canada & an egalley from the publisher through Netgalley.

I have read every book in this series and have loved each of them.  So it is with a heavy heart I must say, this was not up to par with the others at all.  Reasons I like these novels: the quaint British village murder mysteries, Flavia's obsession with chemistry and her sensibilities, her ability to go places as a child member of the community where the police could never do so that she ends up giving the Inspector insightful details to solving the mystery.

This book changes form, and while still well-written, having the same characters I've grown to love, the story here goes back to the events surrounding Harriet's disappearance and turns into something more along the lines of an espionage/spy story.  The book fully concentrates on the family background.  However with the book's conclusion, the entire situation changes and we can see that Flavia is about to embark on the next step of her life's journey.  I do sincerely hope the mysteries turn back around somehow to those previous quaint mysteries, but I'm not quite sure how the author would manage to proceed with that from this point.  We will have to see, as he has signed on to continue the series for another four more books.