Week Two: Annotations

I have not read this series...

...but I have listened to all of the Flavia de Luce mysteries by author Alan Bradley. These pleasantly old-fashioned mysteries are brought to life through the talents of British narrator, Jayne Entwistle, who deftly creates a panoply of  memorable voices for each of the colorful characters, most especially Flavia.

Set in 1950s Britain, the action revolves around Buckshaw, the de Luce ancestral country estate, and the little village of Bishops Lacey. Told from the perspective of Flavia, the unforgettable 11 year old precocious protagonist who fancies herself an amateur sleuth, the storylines center around Flavia's clever unraveling of each new mystery. In addition to her powers of deduction, Flavia is also a brilliant young chemist, with poisons her particular interest. Better living through Chemistry might be her modern-day motto.

Day to day interactions with her eccentric family, villagers, and occasional visitors are made all the more intrigueing by Flavia's charmingly wicked dialog, full of period Britishism's, and crackerjack descriptions of people and place. While the pace is often leisurely, like a country ramble, it is accented with wizard twists and imminent peril, with the promise of more.

The Execution of Noa  P. Singleton – Elizabeth Silver

In this gripping debut novel, complex layers unfold and become an examination of innocence, guilt, morality, and capital punishment.

Noa Singleton is a young woman on death row for the first-degree murder of another young woman, much like herself. During her trial, Noa never utters a word in her defense, and remains maddeningly silent throughout the 10 years she waits for the chair.

Six months before her execution, Marlene Dixon, high-powered Philadelphia attorney and mother of her victim, contacts Noa with a bargain – tell what happened on the night of the murder in exchange for Marlene’s influence to commute her sentence.  So begins a fierce interplay and battle of wills between the two.

Full of tension, twists and turns, the storyline focuses on relationships and how they can become torn and twisted, and seemingly beyond one’s control. The dialog and interplay between characters is the core of the story and sets the stage for an unforeseen unveiling of secrets and wrenching ending.