Book 10 - The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley is the second book in his Flavia de Luce mystery series. Flavia is daydreaming in the church cemetery when she hears someone crying. Upon investigating, she meets Nialla the assistant of the famous puppeteer Rupert Porson whose van has broken down nearby. In order to make money to pay for the van's repairs, the puppeteer agrees to perform two shows in the church parish hall that Saturday. Flavia helps with the unloading of gear and returns the following day to see how she can be useful. The first sign of trouble appears at the Saturday matinee when the audience is shocked to see that the puppet Jack looks remarkably similar to a young local boy named Robin who was found hanging dead in the woods a few years previous. At the evening show, the audience is shocked when the play ends not with the crash of the giant but instead with the dead body of Porson falling onto the stage. Flavia, immediately focusing on the scene in front of her, quickly concludes that the puppeteer has been electrocuted, and launches her own investigation into his death.

While I still find some of the dynamics of Flavia's family disturbing (especially those between her and her sisters), Bradley has nevertheless creating another excellent, entertaining mystery that I found engrossing and enjoyable. I would recommend it for ages 14 and up.