Speaking from Among the Bones

Jayne Entwhistle is irresistible as Flavia de Luce; she portrays the almost-12-year-old English amateur detective with terrific comic timing and deadpan outrageousness. When Flavia discovers a recent corpse in a saint's ancient tomb under the village church, her delight in detecting is matched only by her delight in outpacing the local constabulary. Entwhistle deftly shifts from Flavia's astute observations to her more peevish moments and shares the frustration of Flavia's sisters and father with elan. The post-WWII villagers are equally well characterized, particularly as some shift from innocuous to menacing. Flavia not only must fend off diabolical choir members and grave robbers, she must also try to save the family manse from the tax man. D.P.D. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine