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ellemnope 's review for:

3.0
challenging dark informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3.5 stars.

It's been a while since I read the first book in this series, but I do remember being a bit more attached to the characters in that read than I experience with this sequel. Flavia is still an adorable and precocious girl with insatiable curiosity, but something about the story just held me at arm's length.

The setup for the mystery was very clever and there was a decent plot woven around a series of clue discoveries. The characters did seem a bit caricatured and unpredictable, making the story a little chaotic. I lost the plot a few times.

It was a decently quick read with a nice bit of dry humor and I did moderately enjoy it. I will continue the series to see if it bounces back, but this definitely didn't endear me as well as the first book in the series.