Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd

Finished October 11
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley, read by Jayne Entwistle

Flavia is back home in England, but things are not the same. When she arrives home, Dogger meets her at the ship, but at home no one is there to welcome her. Her father is sick with pneumonia in hospital. Too sick for visitors she is told although she yearns to see him. Her oldest sister Ophelia is having relationship issues, and her young cousin Undine is an interesting character addition.
Flavia still relies on her bicycle Gladys to get around between home and the village of Bishop Lacey, and on an errand for Cynthia, the vicar's wife, she discovers a dead body in peculiar circumstances. As she is alone and not pressed for time, she takes the time for a careful inspection of the body and its environs, both of which will help her as she works toward the solution to this crime.
Twice Flavia ventures up to London in search of information, and one of her Canadian friends assists her on that end of things, providing some adult guidance and expertise in some areas.
Flavia also makes use of the telephone to gather information using subterfuge to deal with suspected eavesdroppers. Flavia has matured some here. She is less likely to blurt things out, thinks about how others may react to what she says, and generally is more polite in company than she was previously. She is also more independent, perhaps gained confidence from her solo sojourn to Canada in the previous book.
Things are changing in Flavia's life, and as Dogger says early in the book, not necessarily for the better. I look forward to seeing how Flavia deals with the new challenges this book leaves her with.