The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

by Alan Bradley

  Shelagh Rogers, of CBC Radio, whose words brought much-needed warmth to a bitterly cold winter’s day, and Marc Tyley, of Manx Radio, who so kindly made it possible.

  I am especially grateful to Fiona Clarke (www.bonezdesignz.com) for allowing us to use her gorgeous original font A Gothique Time to illustrate the Samson and Delilah panels of the stained-glass windows at St. Tancred’s.

  Shena Dyer, for planting the seed of a crucial idea over a lovely Manx dinner.

  Chris Ewan (again) for his much-needed assistance. I would like to be in his debt, but he won’t let me.

  Robert Bruce Thompson, YouTube’s Home Scientist, who has not only been a generous and helpful correspondent, but has done so much to encourage the development of home chemistry labs for teaching.

  As always, to my patient editors on both sides of the Atlantic: Bill Massey, of Orion Books; Kate Miciak, of Delacorte Books; and Kristin Cochrane, of Doubleday Canada; and to my agent, Denise Bukowski, of the Bukowski Agency, who has been with me every step of the way.

  To Loren Noveck, senior production editor, and her terrific team at Random House in New York who go to such remarkable lengths to make it look easy. Any remaining egg on my face is strictly my own.

  To John and Janet Harland, best of friends and co-conspirators.

  And finally, my wife, Shirley, who, with love, has endured all things.

  Alan Bradley

  Isle of Man, Midsummer’s Eve 2013

  BY ALAN BRADLEY

  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

  The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag

  A Red Herring Without Mustard

  I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

  Speaking from Among the Bones

  The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ALAN BRADLEY is the internationally bestselling author of many short stories, children’s stories, newspaper columns, and the memoir The Shoebox Bible. His first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, received the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award, and was nominated for the Anthony Award. His other Flavia de Luce novels are The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, Speaking from Among the Bones, and The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches.

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