*****9 1/2 stars****
Dedication: "For Shirley"
Epigraph:
Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie,
Who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?
--William King, The Art of Cookery (1708)
Yes, please! More Flavia de Luce right away! The best news I can tell you is that Alan Bradley is hard at work on the second Flavia de Luce novel as we speak; the second-best news for you (if you live in Abilene) is that I'm sending the Abilene Public Library's copy with Karen to work tomorrow, for her to return if she gets a minute. Whip out your library card, put this one on hold, and read this GREAT book for FREE! (Sorry, Mr. Bradley. Not only have you made plenty of money already, but we public educators are huge fans of the Free Library System. In fact, Karen and I toasted the memory of Ben Franklin just last night.)
This book, which won the Debut Dagger Award from the Crime Writers' Association, is a MUST-READ for anyone who loves mysteries and/or All Things British...castles, boarding schools, headmasters, nosy villagers, servants, and MURDER. You will absolutely love it, and Flavia's fresh voice will rivet you from the first page.
Favorite quote? Oh, there are so many, but this one took the cake:
"...Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No...eight days a week."
Thanks to Dr. Norton for this book recommendation! Thanks to Karen for picking it up (and returning it) for me! (Karen, if you ever have an operation and are forbidden to drive, I swear to do ALL your library-related errands with a smile and enthusiasm...)
