Reviews

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

teresaalice's review against another edition

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4.0

I always enjoy this series. The writing style, the characters and their little quirks. Based on this ending, I am hoping it's not the end of the series.

sammiemitten's review against another edition

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mysterious sad

5.0

omegabeth's review against another edition

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4.0

less mystery-to-be-solved, more back story

And I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I can totally see why some reader feel it is uneven compared with Bradley at his best, but I found the story and the reveals on many characters quite enjoyable.

geekwayne's review against another edition

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4.0

'The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches' by Alan Bradley finds young Flavia de Luce sleuthing her heart out. To call her precocious is perhaps a bit too precious, but she is certainly a unique enough character.

In this book, we discover what happened to Flavia's mother Harriet. Upon Harriet's arrival by train, a stranger mouths the phrase "pheasant sandwiches" into Flavia's ear and then is found dead under the train a few minutes later. There is a reel of film that must be developed using Flavia's chemistry knowledge. There is some interesting backstory about Dogger. Flavia meets a younger cousin that may be brighter than even she is. She also finds an interesting connection to Winston Churchill himself. There are also bike rides and airplane rides. Ultimately, Flavia's life is changed in good and bad ways, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for her.

There is not so much a mystery here as general skulking about with some interesting characters. Not that the mystery is all that crucial. Threads of the story are tied up a bit, and the series is sent off into a new direction, which is probably a good thing. The writing is what hangs it all together so nicely, and the ever so bold Flavia. Willing to act like a grown up, even though she is lacking the life experience and some of the street smarts. The supporting characters are also interesting for the most part. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in the series.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

kiminindy's review against another edition

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5.0

I love these books....fairly fast paced and always a little twist.

liliya_klein's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

lsparrow's review against another edition

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4.0

always love the humorous Flavia deLuce.
enjoyed the twist that this story took.

callmecat's review against another edition

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4.0

best one in a while! I liked it a lot. looking forward to the next one. Flavia at school!

mary00's review against another edition

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4.0

This was my favorite Flavia de Luce book so far.

telemwill's review against another edition

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funny mysterious
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

It gains a whole star for including John Bunyan's original verses to the hymn "Who Would True Valour See". These books get more unbelievable as they go along, but I'm totally here for it. I love the characters and the atmosphere