awardwinning author alan bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable elevenyearold sleuth flavia de luce the precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of bishops laceymysteries involving a missing tot a fortuneteller and a corpse in flavias own backyardflavia had asked the old gypsy woman to tell her fortune but never expected to stumble across the poor soul bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago certainly flavia understands the bliss of settling scores revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters but how could this crime be connected to the missing baby had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites while still pondering the possibilities flavia stumbles upon another corpsethat of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de luces drawing roompedaling gladys her faithful bicycle across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes flavia uncovers some odd new twists most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possessiona portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all who is flaviaas the red herrings pile up flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets