THE WEED THAT STRINGS THE HANGMAN'S BAG

Flavia de Luce is an 11-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving mysteries. In portraying her, Jayne Entwistle’s delicate, high-pitched voice is expressive, unaffected, and full of spunk and effervescence. And she manages to massage the same timbre to seamlessly portray other quirky and nefarious characters. This mystery is made unique through character—especially Flavia herself—and setting—1950s England, specifically Flavia’s family’s crumbling mansion. Entwistle’s portrayal of the heroine is peppered with Flavia's remarkable insights, bubbling humor, and knack for going straight to the heart of a matter. A puppeteer and his charming assistant become the victims of a deadly fate. Flavia is right on the scene, of course, subtly observant and prepared to unravel the most obscure clues. Answers lie not only in Flavia's chemistry lab but in suspicious circumstances of the past. A listening treasure. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2010]