I am Half-Sick of Shadows / Alan Bradley / 293 pages

I love these Flavia de Luce mysteries set in Buckshaw, a crumbling British manor home. The books are quaint, humorous, alive with interesting characters, and all round satisfying. Flavia, the 11 year old youngest daughter in a poor aristocratic family, is a chemist and loves poisons. She has insatiable curiosity and never seems to quail when discovering dead bodies. Half-Sick of Shadows is the 4th book (and one of the best) in the series. While these books are in the adult collection, teens and those precocious young readers who are looking for good books that aren't too "mature" would also enjoy reading about Flavia, her family, her passion for chemistry and her logical approach to solving mysteries. Can't wait to read the next Flavia de Luce mystery.