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I Am Half-Sick of Shadows: A Flavia de Luce Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 8,446 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It’s Christmastime, and the precocious Flavia de Luce—an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry and a penchant for crime-solving—is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick. But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern. Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop’s Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening’s shocking conclusion: a body found, past midnight, strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must use every ounce of sly wit at her disposal to ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight.
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"I have loved all of the Flavia de Luce adventures. She is only an eleven year old girl, but somehow all the adventures she gets into appeal to this old lady. Being only tolerated by her older sisters and greatly teased, I can relate to that. I am also caught up in her scientific knowledge. I eagerly await for each new book to be published."
— Barbara (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Delightful . . . [Flavia is] a combination of Eloise and Sherlock Holmes. . . . Fearless, cheeky, wildly precocious.
— The Boston Globe, on The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie -
Utterly beguiling . . . wicked wit . . . The real delight here is [Flavia’s] droll voice and the eccentric cast.
— People (four stars), on The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag -
Outstanding . . . [a] marvelous blend of whimsy and mystery.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review), on A Red Herring Without Mustard -
If ever there was a sleuth who’s bold, brilliant, and yes, adorable, it’s Flavia de Luce.
— USA Today -
Acclaim for Alan Bradley’s beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award
Awards
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Selected for the December 2011 Indie Next List
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows Listener Reviews
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David Henry, 6/20/2021
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" As other readers have mentioned, there are some loose threads here that hopefully will be wrapped up in later books. Over all, though, I may have enjoyed this Flavia de Luce book more than any other. "
— Kellyann, 2/19/2014 -
" totally enjoy this series! Flavia always makes me smile "
— Janeene, 2/8/2014 -
" Flavia does it again! She never fails to delight. Although this is not my favorite of the series, it did shed a little more light on Dogger and his past. It also made my heart hurt for Flavia when she gets hugged by Phyllis Wyvern. It makes you think it might have been her actual first hug. "
— Karyn, 2/5/2014 -
" I love Flavia! Great story that makes me laugh out loud. Interesting plots, splashes of chemistry, clean language, jolly good fun. "
— Brittany, 1/30/2014 -
" I loved Flavia's 3 prior adventures. (5 star ratings for me). Bradley writes well, there are some nice twists in detective work, and Flavia is a hoot with her obsession about poisons and her difficult older sisters. I'm concerned though that Bradley now is writing under contract - having to meet deadlines. This book was pretty slim (just over 200 pages); ditto the plot. It was almost half way through the book before the murder occurred, and not much had happened up to that point. I sincerely hope that Bradley finds more inspiration and slows down the throughput, to return to his high standards of books 1 to 3. "
— Mike, 1/29/2014 -
" I really enjoy these quirky mysteries by Alan Bradley. At first I wasn't too sure about Flavia de Luce, but I really can't help but adore her at this point in the series...She is a wonderful, complicated, ingenious young sleuth! "
— Kay, 1/24/2014 -
" Losing interest in the character and the question behind all the books--What happened to Flavia's mother? Each book in the series is more boring than the last. Being reminded i don't really like the mystery genre. "
— teresa, 1/21/2014 -
" I love Flavia de Luce! Can't wait until the next one. "
— Jeanne, 1/20/2014 -
" I really love this mystery series and look forward to each and every one. "
— Erin(and, 1/17/2014 -
" Once again, I can't believe how precocious 12 year old Flavia is but once I put that aside, I really enjoyed this 4th installment of Flavia de Luce mystery. "
— Jin, 1/14/2014 -
" 3.5--fun, but a bit of a stretch--can't say more for fear of spoiler. "
— Leslie, 12/26/2013 -
" Flavia de Luce does it again with all the panache and boldness she possesses! Good characterizations and plot. Motive may be a bit thin. However, a thoroughly enjoyable read. "
— Beverly, 12/16/2013 -
" Love this series! Can't wait for more. Funny suspenseful and clever, very clever girl. "
— Jill, 11/12/2013 -
" This book seemed like a bit of an afterthought. It was short, the story was boring, the conclusion seemed rushed. There was no real character development. Not bradley's best effort. More like a "my publisher is bugging me to get something out asap" "
— Lexy, 9/18/2013 -
" Another fun Flavia De Luce book... Not my favorite but still enjoyable! "
— Jodi, 3/14/2013 -
" Delightfully whimsical English cozy. Flavia sets out to capture Father Christmas and becomes embroiled in a murder of an actress who is with a crew that is filming at Buckthorn. A comical delight, although not as entertaining as other books in the series. "
— Biblophile, 2/8/2013 -
" I heart Flavia de Luce! "
— Ellaine, 2/5/2013 -
" The story is great and the characters come into their full complexity. The relationships between sisters as told by a man, seen through the eyes of a little girl are awesome. Flavia would not like that I called her a little girl, I wonder what poison she'd dream up for me. "
— Bill, 10/6/2012 -
" Oh, Flavia. You are such a funny little girl, solving crimes and tearing up the British countryside. Brings some much needed back story about Buckshaw handyman, Dogger. "
— Pinky, 10/3/2012 -
" Flavia is a fun 11 year old detective to observe at work but this story was more predictable and not as complex as Alan Bradley's other books. "
— Frances, 9/22/2012 -
" I love this series. All the characters are wonderful! I enjoy the story lines. "
— MASH, 5/23/2012 -
" As fun as the first three Flavia De Luce novels. Great fun reads, when I want to "think" about nothing! "
— Pattie, 11/8/2011 -
" I love these books. They are delightful. I adore Flavia! "
— Marianne, 11/7/2011
About Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of novels, short stories, children’s stories, newspaper columns, and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. His first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, received the CWA Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Winn Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award, and was nominated for the Anthony Award.
About Jayne Entwistle
Jayne Entwistle is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning narrator.