The dead in their vaulted arches cover

The dead in their vaulted arches

by Alan Bradley

On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother. Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later he is pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Following a trail of clues, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself.

More by Alan Bradley

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?