Reviewed: “As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust” by Alan Bradley

I’ve got to start by saying that I didn’t realize there were six Flavia de Luce books before As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust when I picked this book up to read it. It’s a credit to Alan Bradley and Flavia de Luce that the only consequence of reading book seven first is that I now want to read the first six books.

Flavia de Luce is a twelve year old student sent far from her English countryside home to a boarding school in Canada because she comes from a long line of talented people – who are probably better described in the first half dozen books. Suffice it to say, Flavia is a chemistry whiz and a well-practiced hand at the art of solving murders.

Lucky for her, Miss Bodycote’s is a hotbed for mystery and murder.

Everybody’s a suspect, and a potential victim really, and everyone at the school has secrets they keep at all costs. It’s the perfect place for Flavia to practice her craft and it all begins on her first night – when a badly body drops out of the chimney of her room.

Flavia leaves no stone unturned and no question unasked, and she does it with a light and fresh inner commentary on all the workings of her mind and the world around her. There isn’t any doubt that she’s wise far beyond her years and that makes her an incredibly fun character to take a journey with.

I want to spend more time with Flavia de Luce!

I received a copy of As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dustthrough NetGalley and Random Publishing House – Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest & original review.