Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley [Review]

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd (Flavia de Luce #8) by Alan Bradley
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
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Date read: July 17, 2025

Flavia de Luce
1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
2. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
3. A Red Herring Without Mustard
4. I am Half-Sick of Shadows
5. Speaking from Among the Bones
6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
6.5. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse
7. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
8. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd - Paperback | Kindle
9. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
10. The Golden Tresses of the Dead
11. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust

Alan Bradley
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

In spite of being ejected from Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Canada, twelve-year-old Flavia de Luce is excited to be sailing home to England. But instead of a joyous homecoming, she is greeted on the docks with unfortunate news: Her father has fallen ill, and a hospital visit will have to wait while he rests. But with Flavia’s blasted sisters and insufferable cousin underfoot, Buckshaw now seems both too empty—and not empty enough. Only too eager to run an errand for the vicar’s wife, Flavia hops on her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to deliver a message to a reclusive wood-carver. Finding the front door ajar, Flavia enters and stumbles upon the poor man’s body hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The only living creature in the house is a feline that shows little interest in the disturbing scene. Curiosity may not kill this cat, but Flavia is energized at the prospect of a new investigation. It’s amazing what the discovery of a corpse can do for one’s spirits. But what awaits Flavia will shake her to the very core.

Thoughts on Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd: No lie, it's been a while since I spent any time in Flavia's world and BOY have things changed for the crafty sleuth. Well, those at the house still seem the same, but Flavia's circumstances have taken a turn. To be fair, I missed the books where she was shipped off to Canada (and that's mostly what I'm talking about), but she was and now she's been shipped back home and she's in an odd mental space upon arriving.

To start with, her father's in the hospital when she arrives home and Flavia keeps missing the chance to visit him. So she distracts herself (as only Flavia can) by running an errand for a friend and stumbling over a body. While this is decidedly a bad situation for the dead man, it's exactly what Flavia needs. She throws herself into investigating the deceased and the things she's finding don't quite line up. So she looks deeper. And things line up even less.

Which means Flavia has to call on old friends, do some research, engage in a little B&E, listen to a performance (which tests every bit of patience she has), deal with her family with all their quirks, and otherwise unravel the tangled threads she's finding. And if things take a turn and become a little dangerous? Well, that's just a day in the life of Flavia de Luce.