CONTEST: WIN A COPY OF ALAN BRADLEY'S A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD
February 8 marks the launch of a new novel by one of my favorite authors, Alan Bradley. A Red Herring without Mustard (Delacorte Press) is the third installment of the Flavia de Luce series. Flavia, the detective, may be 11, but this is not a YA book, nor is Flavia Nancy Drew. The books are set in 1950s England, and Flavia is an 11 year old sleuth of the English gentry, albeit in fallen straights, who comes upon corpses and poisons. Her Victorian Chemistry lab is worth the price of admission, or in this case, the book!
In this installment, Flavia draws upon her 'encyclopedic knowledge of poisons and gypsy lore to prevent a miscarriage of justice. Gypsies, nobility, English village, historical (1950s), A Red Herring Without Mustard has it all. Whimsical and madcap!
Alan Bradley, a retired radio/TV engineer from Vancouver, BC, was 70 when he submitted a 15 page synopsis of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (#1 in the series) to the British Crime Writers Association for consideration for the Debut Dagger Award. The rest is history!
Alan Bradley won the Macavity Award (and many other awards) for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
CONTEST: Win a copy of A Red Herring without Mustard. Just make a comment below of why you are endeared (or not) by Flavia de Luce. Winner will be chosen by a random numerical system on February 8. Be sure and check back to this post on February for the winner!
Video of Alan Bradley talking about Book 2: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
24 comments:
I found Flavia to be quite engaging because she is a child, not a child as imagined by an adult.
Since I have not read Mr. Bradley's books, I can't comment specifically on his heroine. If she is not like Nancy Drew, however, I already like her. I'm glad she will not be driving her 11-year old self in her roadster with her ambiguously named best friend while gamely solving other people's problems. I do like well-developed characters of any age and some of the better books out there seem to feature young protagonists.
This week, I'm off to the library to get The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Thanks.
Flavia de Luce is such a wonderful character because she is intelligent, precocious, stubborn - and a bit like me and my wonderful daughters ;)
And I would LOVE to win this book!
I was intrigued by Flavia in the first book, but have not had a chance to read the second one. I'll try to get it before #3 comes out.
I enjoy Flavia because I've heard Alan Bradley talk about her. He's not going to age her because she would lose her innocence. I think that's important to the stories. I don't have this third book, and I'd love to read the further adventures of this precocious, special young detective.
I adore Flavia!!!
She reminds me of another little girl I adore - Kay Thompson's Eloise. Can't wait to read the next installment.
But would Flavia and her stories be appropriate reading for a 10-year-old?
Stephen
Yes, Stephen, I do think they're appropriate for a younger reader. No sex, a bit of violence, but the world is always right in the end.
Flavia de Luce is an intelligent young women and Mr. Bdradley gives her a great voice.
Have just heard things about Flavia and would love to read these books.
I'm so glad Flavia is back! Why do I love Flavia? She's cheeky, has an unhealthy fixation on death by poison, can't stand her older sisters, recognizes a murder when she smells one and has a bike as a best friend. Who wouldn't love Flavia?
I hope I'm chosen by the random numerical system...Thanks for the chance.
I haven't yet met Flavia but have heard such a lot about her that I have THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE marked on my "must read" list.
Anyone who survives being locked in a closet and other sisterly harrassing and then retaliates by concocting a poison face cream as wicked revenge is AOK in my book. As the mini lab worker celebrates herself: "All hail, Flavia!"
I also loved the second book about the puppeteers because years ago I was also a touring puppeteer and understand and relate to the insanity of touring to little towns and setting up in woefully inadequate community centers. Though no one was ever electrocuted (thankfully!) we did suffer intense sunburns one summer in St. Louis at the Botanical Gardens. That was dangerous enough for us!
That plucky girl is one of my favorites. I've been waiting all year for the new book to come out!
I've not read one of Bradley's books, but from what I understand you either love Flavia or loathe her, so that has me curious enough to want to read one. I'm wrapped up in food-related novels at the moment having just finished The Love Goddess's Cooking School, Good Enough to Eat, and am now chomping on Jerrilyn Farmer's seasonally appropriate Dim Sum Dead. Flavia might be a welcome change.
I love Flavia because in SWEETNESS she says something like (paraphrased), "I hadn't brought any other weapons with me, so I used the only one I had, and burst into tears."
That made me laugh.
I also like her because Alan Bradley spent three decades working at the University of Saskatchewan, where I work.
Thanks, Janet.
I loved the first book and Flavia and her family. I am looking forward to the 2nd book and would loved to win a copy of the third!
The voice is strong, the mysteries straightforward, and the conceits fun. I love the sibling relationships. My only problem is that I can't believe any 11-year old, no matter how clever, knows so much arcane stuff about so many topics. Chemistry, yes. Or period English furniture. Or, or, or but not and, and and!
Flavia is cool. 'nuff said.
The best thing about Flavia is that she commands the respect of adults.
I like Flavia because she is precocious plus she has a great name. I also love almost any book set in England, especially those taking place in the past.
I thorougly enjoy the exchanges she has with her sisters and the tricks she plays on them for revenge. Quite a delight especially when one has sisters and can identify with her!
I've read the previous two books and loved them. Flavia deLuce is one of the engaging heroines (if not THE most engaging) in mystery fiction. I would love to win this book.
I find Flavia to be annoying and mean-spirited, her chemistry skills to be totally unrealistic, yet somehow I enjoy the stories and will continue to read the series.
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