Synopses & Reviews
Phryne Fisher is on holiday. She means to take the train to Sydney (where the harbour bridge is being built), go to a few cricket matches, dine with the Chancellor of the university and perhaps go to the Arts Ball with that celebrated young modernist, Chas Nutall. She has the costume of a lifetime and she's not afraid to use it. When she arrives there, however, her maid Dot finds that her extremely respectable married sister Joan has vanished, leaving her small children to the neglectful care of a resentful husband. She rescues the children, but what has become of Joan, who would never leave her babies? Surely she hasn't run away with a lover, as gossip suggests? Phryne must trawl the nightclubs and bloodtubs of Darlinghurst to find out. And while Phryne is visiting the university, two very pretty young men, Joss and Clarence, ask her to find out who has broken into the Dean's safe and stolen a number of things, including the Dean's wife's garnets and an irreplaceable illuminated book called the Hours of Juana the Mad. An innocent student has been blamed. So there is no rest for the wicked, and Phryne girds up her loins, loads her pearl handled .32 Beretta, and sallies forth to find mayhem, murder, black magic, and perhaps a really good cocktail at the Hotel Australia.
Review
"one of Greenwood's stronger entries in her acclaimed series set in 1920s Australia...The author artfully blends action, humor and deduction." --
Publisher's Weekly "The change of scene and a hint of Dorothy L. Sayers gives the delightfully refreshing Phryne one of her best cases to date." --Kirkus Reviews
"This series is the best Australian import since Nicole Kidman, and Phyrne is the flashiest new female sleuth in the genre." --Booklist starred review of Away with the Faeries
Synopsis
It is 1928 and Phryne Fisher has packed her best dresses, her finest sportswear, and her elusive smile for a Sydney get-away. But, Dot's sister Joan has vanished. The neighbors think that Joan has run away with a secret lover, but Dot finds it highly unlikely that Joan would have willingly abandoned her children--leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. And what of the recent theft at the nearby university? The garnets belonging to the wife of the Dean have been missing now for days along with an irreplaceable illuminated book. Are these two mysterious happenings somehow related? Could black magic be at play?
Synopsis
Phryne's fans get everything they could possibly want from this installment in the long-running and ever more popular series: a fast-talking, tough heroine; an engaging cast of supporting players; a couple of really nifty mysteries; and plenty of fun. --Booklist
Phryne Fisher is on holiday. She means to take the train to Sydney (where the harbour bridge is being built), go to a few cricket matches, dine with the Chancellor of the university, and perhaps go to the Arts Ball with that young modernist, Chas Nutall. She has the costume of a lifetime, and she's not afraid to use it.
When she arrives there, however, her maid Dot finds that her extremely respectable married sister Joan has vanished, leaving her small children to the neglectful care of a resentful husband. What has become of Joan, who would never leave her babies? Surely, she hasn't run away with a lover, as gossip suggests?
Then while Phryne is visiting the university, the very pretty Joss and Clarence ask her to find out who has broken into the Dean's safe and stolen a number of things, including the Dean's wife's garnets and an irreplaceable illuminated book called the Hours of Juana the Mad. An innocent student has been blamed.
So Phryne girds up her loins, loads her pearl-handled .32 Beretta, and sallies forth to find mayhem, murder, black magic, and perhaps a really good cocktail before more crime erupts in Sydney.
About the Author
Kerry Greenwood was born in Melbourne suburb of Footscray where she now lives and writes. She has degrees in English and Law from Melbourne University. Her more than 20 novels include both the Phryne Fisher series and the Corinna Chapman series. In 2003 Kerry won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Crime Writers' Association of Australia.