A Red Herring Without Mustard (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
These books are so well done because even though we get are in Flavia's brain she stil manages to know who did it before we do and reveal it all with a flourish! All the characters here are very deep and we still never truly know what they're about, especially in this case when there's not just bad guy who's locked away and that's the end of it. Call me crazy, but I think there's more to Daffy and Felly as well. Speaking of family, their family dynamic is interesting to watch evolve, especially as Colonel de Luce tries to get more involved in his daughter's lives. I definitely get the sense that everybody is starting to appreciate Flavia more as she solves her 3rd murder! This book has just enough action and sleuthing to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time! A Red Herring Without Mustard takes place in mid-twentieth century countryside England, where there are enough murder mysteries to keep the main character, brilliant and witty 11 year old Flavia de Luce, meddling her days away. The book begins when she allows an old gypsy woman to park her caravan at the de Luce estate, Buckshaw. Late that night Flavia gets up to check on the old woman, and finds Brookie Harewood, the town hoodlum, in the parlor! At that moment, Flavia had no idea that the next day would reveal the gypsy attacked and almost killed, and Brookie swinging from a garden statue, dead! Flavia, having a taste for the morbid, does discovers both crime scenes, and begins to investigate. The rest of the book involves a lot of probably illegal snooping, in which Flavia discovers the story of a missing child, a secretive and strange religion, and a forgery business. Somehow, all of these things are related, and can solve the mysteries at Buckshaw. This book made me think about a very dark topic - the Holocaust. Flavia, as well as most other British people at the time held the prejudice that the Roma people were kidnappers, and the old woman almost got killed for it. This encounter in the book made me think about how easily hatred can turn into violence, and how easily terrible things like the Holocaust can happen because of it.I recommend this book because of the detailed, twisting, and suspenseful plot, and the incredible descriptions of the English countryside. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a humorous, lovable, and dynamic character like Flavia and lots of suspense, and to those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes and other English mystery novels.
What do You think about A Red Herring Without Mustard (2011)?
I listened to this one, and the reader was amazing. I now love Flavia even more!
—teridee
Flavia is still great. I can't recommend these books enough.
—lolabbyx3
These books just get better and better, don't they.
—damo
