Away With The Fairies (Phryne Fisher, #11) by Kerry Greenwood

June 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Away With The Fairies (Phryne Fisher, #11) by Kerry Greenwood
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
It’s 1928, and the globetrotting, glamorous Phryne (rhymes with briny) is at home near Melbourne, missing her lover, Lin Chung, who is on a silk-buying trip in China. When Phryne’s detective friend, Jack, asks for her help investigating the murder of Miss Lavender, a well-known author of fairy stories, Phryne is glad of the distraction. The investigation leads to a temporary job as a fashion reporter for Women’s Choice magazine, Miss Lavender’s former employer. Phryne’s encounters with the various magazine staffers add considerable zest to the adventure, as does Lin Chung’s possible abduction by pirates.

Book thirteen for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review

I love Phryne (Fry-knee) Fisher. If I lived in the late 1920’s/early 1930’s, I would want to be her. She is fun, fancy and loves life. She also is in love with Lin Chung, or better yet finally admits to her love of him for various reasons. Don’t get me wrong, this is a murder-mystery through and through, but Greenwood puts just the right about of romance into the story. Plus, Lin Chung never once tries to change Phryne, his old-world grandmother does, but Lin Chung accepts her the way she is: a rarity in 1928.

Back to Away With The Fairies, this is the 11th book in the Phryne Fisher series (previously reviewed here and here) and like the 10 before it there are are two story lines. The first storyline in this mystery is the fact that a well-known mystery author has died and Phryne takes a job at the local paper where the author worked to get to the bottom of it. The second storyline involves Lin Chung and the fact that he has gone missing. Do you see why Phryne figures out how much she loves him?

Both story lines are thrilling and could have easily been two separate books; however, with the way that Greenwood rights the two meshed together perfectly. The Lin Chung storyline carries over into the murder-mystery because Phryne is legitimately worried. Thankfully Phryne has help with the assistance of Mr. Butler, Dot–her maid, and her two drivers. She trusts everyone in her life and because of this they all help her to solve the mystery and Lin Chung’s disappearance (those darn pirates!)

So yes, once again my love of Phryne continues.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood

January 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
Release Date: January 1, 2008
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Source: Audiobook
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Buy It: Amazon
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. Phryne girds up her loins, loads her pearl-handled .32 Beretta, and sallies forth to find mayhem, murder, a bit of black magic, and perhaps a really good cocktail at the Hotel Australia

Book one for 2012 TBR Challenge

Review
In her 10th novel Phryne goes on a trip! To Sydney! It was nice to leave Melbourne for awhile, and there was a cricket back story and even a story involving Dot, Phryne’s companion. Yet this story could not be saved for me. It was dry, it was dull, it was boring. I missed the usual pizazz that is Phyrne Fisher in this story. Part of her is still there, but at the same time she changed a lot from the previous stories. Maybe that is because her lover, Lin Chung isn’t there and she obviously missed him.

I wanted to like this book. Really, I did. I tried to like this book. I love Phyrne Fisher (evidence here.) I love the fact it takes place in 1930s Australia. I love the fact this book series is fun and quick. However, Death Before Wicket, was rough. I can try to blame the fact that I was sick while I listened to most of this. A number of factors could go into the fact that this book just wasn’t my favorite Phyrne.

I did give it two stars however cause it is Phryne, and the writing is strong.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Phryne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood

November 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
Release Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Source: Library
Rating: ★★★★☆
Buy It: Amazon
This is where it all started! The first classic Phryne Fisher mystery, featuring our delectable heroine, cocaine, communism and adventure. Phryne leaves the tedium of English high society for Melbourne, Australia, and never looks back.
The London season is in full fling at the end of the 1920s, but the Honorable Phryne Fisher–she of the green-grey eyes, diamant garters and outfits that should not be sprung suddenly on those of nervous dispositions–is rapidly tiring of the tedium of arranging flowers, making polite conversations with retired colonels, and dancing with weak-chinned men. Instead, Phryne decides it might be rather amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective in Melbourne, Australia.
Almost immediately from the time she books into the Windsor Hotel, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned wives, cocaine smuggling rings, corrupt cops and communism–not to mention erotic encounters with the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse–until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street.

Review
I am in the middle of a love affair with all things post World War I, pre World War II. It has nothing to do with the fact I was a history major and has everything to do with Downton Abbey. THANKS LAUREN. Because of my love affair with Downton Abbey and a recommendation from a coworker, I found Ms. Phryne Fisher. Phryne (pronounced Fry-knee) is light years ahead of her time. She is progressive, knows what she should say and then doesn’t because she doesn’t agree with it. She sleeps with numerous men, until she finally settles down with one many books into the series and then defends him to everyone because many think he isn’t worthy to her status.

The thing about Phryne is there are many things that bother me about her. When reading this series I often feel like you shouldn’t like her, but you do. Because she is awesome, rarely takes no, scares almost all of her friends and staff. Plus, while being awesome she solves murders. She doesn’t set out to solve murders; Phryne is really good at being in the wrong place at the wrong time Yet with the help of a lovely police officer (Detective Inspector John Robinson: ‘call me Jack, everyone else does,’) her staff (Butler, Mrs. Butler and Dot) and friends she solves murders. I have yet to solve one of the murders before she does, which I always find to be a plus when reading mystery novels. So yes, this review is supposed to be about the first book in the series, but I can’t recommend the first book without recommending the series.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: , ,