Twelve year old Flavia de Luce returns for another round investigations into mysterious goings on in and around her home of Buckshaw in the English countryside near the village of Bishop's Lacey. As Flavia's reputation for solving crimes has grown she "had little choice but to turn professional" and has gone into business as a private investigator with Dogger, the faithful family retainer and former valet of the late Mr. de Luce.
Ophelia, the oldest de Luce daughter is getting married and the lovely occasion is marred by the discovery of a human finger in the wedding cake. This mystery is quickly followed by finding their first client dead from poison. The arrival of two women "missionaries" as houseguests at Buckshaw adds another level of mystery for Flavia to contend with. And then there is her annoying young cousin, Undine, who is always butting into her business. The first person narration by young Flavia is what brings this series to life. Her running internal commentary gives insight to the working of this highly intelligent girl's thought processes. This book reveals some of the ways in which Flavia has matured since the first book ten volumes ago. And who can resist a book which includes in the first paragraph someone who can break wind to the tune of "Joy to the World". Yes, murder can be fun.
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