What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust

by Alan Bradley

Part of Flavia de Luce, book 11

First published 2024

Flavia de Luce finds herself mentoring her disagreeable cousin Undine at Buckshaw after Undine's mother dies. The moon-faced girl proves talented at irritating Flavia, though she shows promise for mischief and rule-breaking. When Major Greyleigh, a reclusive former public hangman, dies after eating a mushroom omelet, suspicion immediately falls on Mrs. Mullet, the de Luce family's longtime cook. She picked the deadly mushrooms, prepared the fatal breakfast, and served it to Greyleigh just before his death. Flavia admits she had hoped for exactly this type of poisoning case to showcase her chemical expertise, though she never wished anyone harm. She knows Mrs. Mullet could never commit murder. Teaming up with Dogger, the estate gardener and her trusted partner in detection, plus the insufferable Undine, Flavia begins hunting for the real killer. She must clear Mrs. Mullet's reputation before it's too late. The investigation takes unexpected turns that lead Flavia toward a shocking revelation with the power to transform her entire world.

Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, 21st-century, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth

Vibes: atmospheric, cozy, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family, investigation

Setting: Buckshaw

Period: 20th-century, 21st-century

298 pages · Hardcover · Bantam

More by Alan Bradley

• A Study in Sherlock
• Speaking from Among the Bones
• The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
• As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
• Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd
• The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
• The Golden Tresses of the Dead
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Readers who liked What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust also liked

• The Mysterious Stylish Affair
• The Proof of the Pudding
• Why Shoot a Butler?
• Many Deadly Returns
• A Bitter Feast
• Death at a Firefly Tea