Book #60: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed

"Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d. Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. Harpier cries ’Tis time, ’tis time. Round about the cauldron go; In the poison’d entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter’d venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i’ the charmed pot. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

Here I am, at book #60 of the year. And despite having this title, it has absolutely nothing to do with the above Shakespeare quote... I just wanted to put it in instead of struggling to write an introduction paragraph!

It seems like an absolute age, but I'm back into the wonderful world of Flavia de Luce. Following the previous book, she's returned to England and arrives back home at Buckshaw. Here she finds her father is in hospital with pneumonia, but that she isn't able to visit straight away.

She is sent on an errand by the Vicar's wife to a local wood carver, who is restoring some of the church's woodwork. We are finally reunited with the true hero of the books, Gladys the bicycle, who happily takes Flavia from point to point. Naturally, she finds the wood carver's front door open, and a dead body. Flavia does what she does best, and starts her own investigation, before reporting it to the police.

The rest of the book sees her working her way through the mystery, encountering crazed locals, and Publishing bigwigs along the way. The ending is heartbreaking, and that's all I'm going to say on it.

I really liked this book, I don't think it was the best of the Flavia books, however it was eminently readable. Flavia's character continues to grow, both physically and emotionally. In this book we see a new-found independence in her, as her investigations extend from the local area to much further afield, as she travels to London alone twice.

Her sisters, seem strangely absent from this book, there's a couple of brilliant appearances, but they certainly take a back seat in the book, whilst her fathers absence is felt as his ailment weighs upon Flavia's mind.

I'm shocked that the BBC haven't picked these books up yet for a drama series. It would be absolutely brilliant to see this series on screen. Come on BBC, pick it up!

Onto the next book!

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed: 2.5cm

Total read so far: 60 books, 179.5cm

Total left to read: 60 books, 13.5cm