“A Red Herring Without Mustard” by Alan Bradley – A Fortune in Death

A Red Herring Without Mustard is yet another addition by Alan Bradley to the Flavia de Luce mystery series, and it follows in the same vein as the ones that came before it, following our beloved heroine as she tries to solve a murder that should be way above her head.

This time around, the victim is none other than a gypsy woman, who only a few hours before her apparent death read Flavia’s fortune. What’s more, it is known that the gypsy woman was thought of by the locals as a criminal who had something to do with the abduction of a child many years ago.

In addition, Flavia is drawn into a mystery which may or may not be related, centered on the unnoticed theft and disappearance of antiques. Is this retribution, or is there something more sinister going on beneath the surface?

One thing remains certain, and it’s that there is someone or some people out there who don’t want the truth to be found, leaving one red herring after another for Flavia to sort through and find the real culprit.

Just as was the case with the previous two entries in the series, the third one is a rather entertaining exercise in classical detective fiction with a different type of sleuth at the helm. The style used here is rather simple, and Flavia makes for an excellent and interesting protagonist who is far more mature than her age would have you believe.

As the title suggests it, there is indeed a healthy amount of red herrings strewn about, and it is nothing short of captivating to see how Flavia sorts through them all, deciding on which few ones are the real clues. As always, the supporting cast is rather well thought-out, and though it is true that it may be a tad one-dimensional, it surely remains entertaining.

As far as the main course is concerned, the mystery itself, I have to say that I was rather surprised at how Bradley managed to turn what was looking like a stereotypical and obvious plot development into a completely new and different direction, giving something which feels very familiar and yet new and exciting at the same time.

Everything is crafted to perfection, with all the details fitting together for a bit of a complete picture which provides all the excitement and closure one could seek in this type of book.

All in all, if you are already familiar with the Flavia de Luce mysteries, then you can bravely purchase this one and expect the same level of quality as in all the previous works.

If this is your first time, or you are simply looking for a good detective story, then I also recommend you check A Red Herring Without Mustard out as it showcases the author’s talents in all their splendor.

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Alan Bradley Personal site Alan Bradley is a Canadian author whose body of work mostly revolves around the mystery genre, being best-known for penning the Flavia de Luce series, which begins with the book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. On July 5th, 2007, Bradley was awarded the Dagger award in London.