title: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel
author:  Alan Bradley 
description: <b>Praise for <i>The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br>&ldquo;Part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket&rsquo;s <i>A Series of Unfortunate Events, </i>Flavia is a pert and macabre pragmatist.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The New York Times Book Review</i></b><br> <b>&#160;</b><br> &ldquo;[Alan] Bradley&rsquo;s award winning Flavia de Luce series . . . has enchanted readers with the outrageous sleuthing career of its precocious leading lady. . . . This latest adventure contains all the winning elements of the previous books.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Library Journal </i>(starred review)</b><br><br>&ldquo;Bradley&rsquo;s latest Flavia de Luce novel reaches a new level of perfection as it shows the emotional turmoil and growth of a girl who has always been older than her years and yet is still a child. The mystery is complex and very personal this time, reaching into the past Flavia never knew about. . . . These are astounding, magical books not to be missed.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>RT Book Reviews&#160;</i>(Top Pick)</b><br>&#160;<br>&ldquo;Excellent . . . Flavia retains her droll wit. . . . The solution to a murder is typically neat, and the conclusion sets up future books nicely.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Publishers Weekly </i>(starred review)</b><br> <b>&#160;</b><br> &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to resist either the genre&rsquo;s pre-eminent preteen sleuth or the hushed revelations about her family.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Kirkus Reviews</i></b><br> <i>&#160;</i><br>&ldquo;Flavia . . . is as fetching as ever; her chatty musings and her combination of childish vulnerability and seemingly boundless self-confidence haven&rsquo;t changed a bit.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Booklist</i></b><br><br><b>Acclaim for Alan Bradley&rsquo;s beloved Flavia de Luce novels, winners of the Crime Writers&rsquo; Association Debut Dagger Award, Barry Award, Agatha Award, Macavity Award, Dilys Winn Award, and Arthur Ellis Award</b><br> <b>&#160;</b><br> &ldquo;If ever there were a sleuth who&rsquo;s bold, brilliant, and, yes, adorable, it&rsquo;s Flavia de Luce.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>USA Today</i></b><br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Irresistibly appealing.&rdquo;<b><i>&mdash;The New York Times Book Review</i></b><i>, </i>on<i> A Red Herring Without Mustard</i><br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Original, charming, devilishly creative.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Bookreporter</b>,<i> </i>on<i> I Am Half-Sick of Shadows</i><br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Delightful and entertaining.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>San Jose Mercury News</i></b><i>, </i>on<i> Speaking from Among the Bones</i><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>
zlib_text: Dedication
  
  Thank you to all my readers. You’re the best!
  
    
    
    
    
  
   **visit dpgroup.org for more books**
  
  Prologue
  
  Armand LaForge raced through the dense forest, the pads of his feet making
  almost no sound on the leaf-strewn ground. _Freedom_. That was what his wolf
  gave him, had always given him. Freedom from pain, from his problems, from the
  unrelenting horrors of his past.
  
  He slowed when he reached the edge of a cliff and finally came to a halt
  before peering over the wide expanse. In the distance, the mountains rose
  majestic and strong. Unmovable. Down below, the valley where they’d built
  their homes was sheltered and safe.
  
  It was a good place. Untainted by the past. The air was crisp and clean, so
  unlike the heavy, thick air of the bayou where he’d grown up.
  
  He didn’t miss it.
  
  He much preferred the towering pines, birch and colorful maples to the cypress
  trees covered in Spanish moss, willows and ancient oaks of the place where
  he’d been born.
  
  Armand shifted, allowing t