I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows: 04/10/13

I Am Half-Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley is the fourth of the Flavia de Luce mysteries. This one is set during Christmas time, and because of a blizzard, ends up being a locked room (err, snowed in mansion) mystery.

Flavia's home is invaded by a movie crew who are shooting in the area. The well-meaning vicar invites them over to Buckshaw to put on a charity show for the villagers. That's when the blizzard strikes and someone ends up dead.

Although there is a murder mystery tucked away in I Am Half Sick of Shadows, it comes late in the book. The mystery portion of these books has been drifting further and further into the recesses of the plot. More and more the emphasis is on the family and financial troubles. But Flavia and her family are well enough rendered characters to make these distraction from the mysteries interesting reading.

Five stars

Comments (2)

Comment #1: Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 01:36:29

Perogyo

I really want to know more about her mother. I haven't read the newest book, maybe there's more light shed on the mystery there.

Comment #2: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 14:20:13

Pussreboots

The most recent book, Speaking from Among the Bones has some answers about Harriet and it looks like she will be the focus of the sixth book, The Dead in their Vaulted Arches.