The Golden Tresses of the Dead: A Flavia de Luce Novel

Everyone who reads this series agrees that the author is a splendid writer and the stories are gripping--even a 75-year old man and not just little girls. I have all the books in the series and intend to re-read.

Love the Language & brilliant ideas but the plot seemed forced *spoilers* further down the review.Please note that like other reviewers who purchased this book from Amazon, my copy had quite a few pages that were barely legible .I have read & own all the Flavia books & some are better than others. This one, however, felt embarrassingly below par .The Draw of this series is Flavia's quirkiness, sharp intellect & the way she delights in the macabre.I acknowledge loudly that Bradley is a masterful wordsmith, yet this latest offering had me wondering if the bar of my expectations was set unfairly high. The short answer to my rating is : the plot felt like a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces were forced unnaturally together. Yes, it's a whole picture in the end, but the continuity is off kilter.The premise of the story is fascinating, but the time frame does not work because it requires a social level of gullibility that necessitates being set 20-30 years prior.*spoilers** I also question the plausibility of a snake oil salesman & associates going to the trouble of using legitimate ingredients. Lastly, the incomprehensible, but key action : a priest sees me conversing with someone & I fear he will ask me to turn out my pockets (? really, by a priest ?) ,So I hide a item with the intention of retrieving it later. The hiding place is not only contrived but SO stupid that no one in the history of the world would ever have done it.Oh, Mr Bradley; you put the cat in the teapot AT tea time ! How could you !? Simply having a character blindly toss an item in a general direction would have been undeniably better. I must also admit that another plot point left me bereft of understanding. The answer as to why a women is killed is incongruously presented . By the time the reveals came, my annoyance level had risen to the point where I simply did not care. Having said all that about the plot I'm sorry to relay that there were other disappointments that were rather outside of the plot.Flavia is now 14. She acts & emotes pretty much as she did in the books from the beginning of the series (when she was 11 & 12 years old). Somehow she has managed to stay childish,both emotionally & socially. Example: her hurtling around on her bicycle Gladys & Her complete lack of bodily awareness. Shouldn't she be confronting puberty by now ? Shouldn't that be coloring her outlook ?. Another problem with this story is the lack of adult oversight of 3 minors. Flavia's older sister is gone, the aunt is nowhere around & the housekeeper goes home in the evening. There is only Dogger, who, though a much beloved character, isn't really a right sort to be overseeing the girls...especially when you remember that his mental health can be fragile.Yes I will keep this book on my book shelf along with it's series brethren. Yes, I will read any further book in this series because by that time I will have forgiven Mr Bradley for these transgressions...but really, I would not be able to do so if Mr. Bradley didn't serve up an incredible word feast every time he invites us to his story table :P !

I read the first four books in the Flavia de Luce series and enjoyed them all. I tend to burn out with longer book series, so I have not read one in some years. Reading the latest installment this week was like meeting up with an old friend. One of those friends who is so comfortable and familiar it is like time has not passed. And perhaps time has not passed because it appears that Flavia has barely aged in the 10 years that Mr. Bradley has been writing this series. Does any reader know the answer to that question?This mystery begins with a severed finger being found in the wedding cake of Flavia's sister Ophelia. Luckily, Flavia and her trusted gardener and confidante have just opened their detective agency: Arthur W. Dogger & Associates. Just as they are planning to figure out who belongs to the finger, they are approached by Mrs. Anastasia Prill. She needs help finding some letters that have been stolen from her home. But things are never as they seem. And we're off! Along the way we are introduced to Mrs. Prill's father, Dr. Brocken, who is famous for his homeopathic elixirs. We also meet missionaries Miss Pursemaker and Miss Stonebrook, recently back from Africa and in the village to give a lecture. And then there is Clary Truelove, head of the alter guild. These folks are connected in some nefarious ways.Thankfully, many of the familiar members of the small town of Bishop's Lacey are present as well. Mrs. Mullet the cook, Flavia's sisters Daphne and Ophelia, her cousin Undine, and Inspector Hewitt. I think that this current book is written with even more humor than some of the previous. Flavia's observations and comments are priceless. Mr. Bradley's knowledge of chemistry, the Bible, literature, and a host of other things is impressive. I'm so happy that I came back home to Flavia. She is better than ever!

I have read all the books in this series and loved them. Some better than others, but as a whole, really a delightful series. I liked the case to be solved in this book. I was a bit disappointed that Dogger's story wasn't more fully explained. And some of the players in the mystery weren't as developed as I would have liked, but still a very enjoyable book.

Alan Bradley's 10th book in the 10-book series was satisfying and oddly cliff-hangerish. So many opportunities to continue the stories but one has to respect that Mr. Bradley is 81 years old and may not want to continue this singular creation. I would hope so, however, because now that Dogger has his mental health in hand and is as sharp as ever, we can see him assisting Flavia and the obviously brilliant, if annoying, Undine through more shining opportunities. From my own aspect, I would appreciate it if Inspector Hewitt were to be a little less snotty towards Flavia and Dogger in future (if there is a future). Dropping the sisters' presence to nearly nothing was a blessing. Still, a very outlandish sort of story but once again deftly and sweetly handled. I shall hope for another iteration but if this is the end, it's OK.

I adore this series. The characters are so unique and it's always a pleasure to see what Flavia imagines and discovers in every book.

This most recent of the Flavia de Luce mystery stories presents the usual puzzle and pleases the reader with the outcome. Flavia is a most enjoyable and believable pre-teen sleuth. It is entirely credible, not designed for young readers, and pleasingly recreates the world of the 1950s.

Quirky plots spiced with the enthusiasm of Flavia's youth, the grace of Dogger and dryness of the constabulry. It is a pleasure to read books with a moral thread.

I have all the previous Flavia books but I found golden tresses just a little disappointing. The ending fell flat. I also dislike the red cover which I photo copies in grey

If you love Flavia you will get a kick out of this book, but I haven't loved the last couple of books as much as the first few, of course the last book had a difficult subject matter.

It is always a pleasure to find a new book in the Flavia de Luce series. This may not be the strongest book in the ten book series, but the characters and plots are so unique each one is a joy to read.Twelve-year-old Flavia is a chemistry expert, with a particular fascination for poisonous substances. She is also a sleuth and busybody. She is more focused and not as annoying as in previous books but seems to be growing conceited from all her talents and success. Life has become dull for Flavia at Buckshaw manor. With both parents dead, her sister Fenny’s wedding and sister Daffy absenting herself in her room to read and write her memoirs, Flavia is becoming bored. Luckily, she has Dogger, her late father’s friend and handyman/gardener, as a partner in their new detective agency. Dogger’s talents are a revelation. He seems to match Flavia in knowledge of chemicals, and when aware of them keeps her worst impulses in check. He displays a wonderful way of conducting interviews in criminal investigations. I enjoyed her annoying younger cousin, Undine. She is like a little, unrestrained Flavia mini-me. She has a lot of potential. Maybe a book featuring Undine as Flavia matures and grows up? Nothing gives Flavia greater joy than discovering a murdered body and searching for clues before the local police solve the crime. At Feeny’s wedding reception the new bride is shocked and hysterical when she cuts into the cake and sees a severed finger. Flavia is delighted to now have a new crime to investigate and convinces Feeny that she was mistaken in what she saw. A woman becomes their new detective agency’s first client, requesting them to track down some missing letters she says were stolen from her. This leads Flavia and Dogger to discover a body, dead from poisoning. The investigation is convoluted but clues are found which lead them to a conspiracy of medical fraud. A mystery set in the 1950s in a small English village with idiosyncratic characters and unusual crimes. Recommended. The child sleuth/ chemist is always a delight.