Tuesday 20 April 2010

Second in a Series

Finished April 20
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle
Flavia de Luce is back and more curious than ever. Flavia happens to be on the scene when the van of a famous puppeteer, Rupert Porson, breaks down in Bishop Lacey. She befriends his assistant Nialla and helps unload when the vicar steps in to request a local performance while repairs are done. Escorting them to a local farmer's field to camp, Flavia introduces them to the local madwoman who lives in Gibbet Wood and herself meets the local farmhand, a former POW. As the novel progresses, we learn more about this farmer and his wife and the tragedy that befell them. We also see that Porson may be more familiar with this area of the country than he admits. When Rupert dies dramatically during the puppet performance, Flavia is, of course, eager to be on hand to assist the police in their endeavours. Flavia's love of chemistry shows itself several times in the plot, and proves very useful.
A great followup to the first novel, and an engaging character.

No comments:

Post a Comment