joysmith 's review for:

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley

4.0

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I’ve been reading this series since 9th grade and have thoroughly enjoyed every one of its 11 installments. This most recent book is what I assume to be the end of the series (although I wouldn’t be upset if Alan Bradley continued writing more), and it tied up some loose ends very nicely. This book seemed to be faster paced than the earlier books (from what I remember since I began the series 13 years ago) and there were admittedly a couple times when I was a little confused by how quickly events of the story were unfolding. The murder mystery in this book didn’t seem to have as much depth as previous stories in the series. Instead, this book focuses more on Flavia’s coming-of-age, her grappling with some major changes in her life from the previous few books, and the development of more positive relationships she has in her life. These aspects of the story were worth the small sacrifice of a detailed grisly murder, in my opinion. The nostalgia, familiarity, and the love I have for the characters, as well as seeing Flavia’s growth really show up in this book, definitely contributed to my high rating despite the story’s occasional confusion and fast pace. I would recommend this whole series to anyone who loves a cozy mystery, and to anyone who loves a confident young female protagonist.