The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

From the novel:
"Dogger" I whispered, "Have you seen what I've just seen?"
"Yes, Miss Flavia. Murder - I fear we have seen murder."



The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag By Alan Bradley is the second book in the Flavia de Luce Series. For those keeping track (cough - Jacko) I actually read this one, not listen to it on my sansa as I have been known to do. I had to imagine up the fantastic British accents all on my own this time. But it was worth it, as I am impatient and i couldn't find it on audio CD yet.


Its a new mystery for Flavia to solve in the same style as the first book - an old, unsolved murder tangled together with a murder Flavia has witnessed first hand. Admittedly, I liked the first book better, but this one was quite enjoyable.

I am still in love with the 11 yr old child chemist concept. Seriously, I'm a dork but at least I know it. How is it that she can collect tears off a handkerchief from an unknowing person and mix a couple chemical together, wait a few minutes, and ta-dah, a home concocted pregnancy test. The whole time I was reading that scene I was thinking back to how I tried the whole mixing your pee with Drano to determine the sex of your baby trick and how it ended unsuccessfully. Even considering that I already knew what I was having so it should have been a no-brainer.

My other favorite line from the book written in Romeo and Juliet fashion "Would calcium hypochlorite by any other name smell as sweet"

I submit that it would not.