The Honourable Phryne Fisher (often referred to as "Miss Fisher") is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. Phryne (pronounced fry-nee) is a wealthy aristocrat who lives in St Kilda, Melbourne in 1928.
She is a 28-year-old detective who, with the assistance of her maid Dot and Bert and Cec (who are wharfies, taxi drivers and red raggers), solves all manner of crimes.
Phryne is no ordinary aristocrat, as she can fly a plane, drives her own car (a Hispano-Suiza) and sometimes wears trousers.
However, while displaying bohemian panache, she manages also to maintain style and class. -per wikipedia
READ about her exploits...
Phyrne is in part of a cozy mystery series (up to book 19) set during the 1920s in Melbourne, Australia.
A Phryne Fisher Mystery - book 4
by Kerry Greenwood
The devastating Phryne Fisher is under fire again in her fourth mystery.
A very young man with muddied hair, a pierced ear and a blue tattoo lies cradled in Phryne's arms. But sadly it's not another scene of glorious seduction - this time it's death.
The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, beautifully dressed in loose trousers, a cream silk shirt and a red-fox fur has just had her windscreen shot out inches in front of her divine nose. But worse is the fate of the pale young man lying on the road, his body hit by bullets, who draws his final blood-filled breath with Phryne at his side.
Outraged by this brutal slaughter, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. But Phryne doesn't yet know how deeply into the mire she'll have to go - bank robbery, tattoo parlours, pubs, spiritualist halls and the Anarchists.
Along this path, Phryne meets Peter, a battle-scarred, sexy Slav, who offers much more to her than just information. But all thoughts of these delights flee from Phryne's mind when her beloved maid, Dot, disappears. There's nothing Phryne won't do to get her back safely.
Quote-to-note:
Pretty boy. You know how I feel about pretty boys. There are not enough of them in the world as it is. We can't have people wantonly removing them.
- track 6, audio version
My two-bits:
I discovered this book through my local library by chance while preparing for the Flappers at Floyd's event which is why I did not start with the first book in the series. Based on this book, I became hooked!
The time period and setting descriptions really set the tone and mood well.
Phyrne has a fun yet serious detective style. As her personal backstory develops it keeps you wondering more and more about this amazing woman.
Now, I want to go back to book one to catch up before I continue forward to the most current book in the series.
side note: must also say that part of the appeal for this series is the cover art by artist, Beth Norling - gorgeous!
AND check out ALL the covers here
A Phryne Fisher Mystery - first book in series, book 1
by Kerry Greenwood
The first of Phryne's adventures from Australia's most elegant and irrepressible sleuth.
The London season is in full fling at the end of the 1920s, but the Honourable 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.
A Phryne Fisher Mystery - most current, book 19
by Kerry Greenwood
1929: Girls are going missing in Melbourne. Little, pretty golden-haired girls. And not just pretty. Three of them are pregnant, poor girls from the harsh confines of the Magdalene Laundry. People are getting nervous.
Polly Kettle, a pushy, self-important Girl Reporter with ambition and no sense of self preservation, decides to investigate - and promptly goes missing herself.
It's time for Phryne and Dot to put a stop to this and find Polly Kettle before something quite irreparable happens to all of them. It's all piracy and dark cellars, convents and plots, murder and mystery .... and Phryne finally finds out if it's true that blondes have more fun.
WATCH her in action...
PeekInside:
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012)
Season One - promo trailer
Producer: Fiona Eagger
Producer/Writer: Deb Cox
Starring:
Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher
Nathan Page as Detective John 'Jack' Robinson
After many years abroad, Phryne returns to Melbourne, in part to start a new life in her home town, but to also ensure that Murdoch Foyle (Nicholas Bell), the man thought to be responsible for her younger sister’s mysterious disappearance, never gets out of jail. But before her very proper Aunt Prudence (Miriam Margolyes), a well-known society matriarch, can drag Phryne off to attend her first soiree, Phryne finds herself embroiled in a murder.
She befriends the most unlikely of murder suspects – an innocent Catholic girl, Dot Williams (Ashleigh Cummings). Phryne takes Dot under her wing, employing her as a maid. Over time, Dot becomes one of Phryne’s closest companions; with Dot’s natural intelligence in all things domestic and catholic she is often an unexpected asset in Phryne’s murder investigations. From illegal abortions to union disputes, exploited workers and missing girls, Phryne finds justice for those who can’t help themselves.
As she delves deeper into the murky world of murder, Phryne crosses paths with the local constabulary, befriending the handsome Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page). Despite being married, Jack finds himself drawn to Phryne’s vibrant personality and seeks to ensure that she is kept out of harm’s way as they endeavour to solve the cases.
They come to rely on each other, Jack for the information he gets through diligent police procedures, and Phryne for the information she obtains using her charms and daring. When Jack won’t give Phryne the information she needs, she can easily manipulate Jack’s trusting deputy, Constable Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt), to keep her informed even if he is not aware he is doing so. Leaving a trail of admirers in her wake, our heroine makes sure she enjoys every moment of her lucky life and along the way she unlocks the truth of her own dark history.
The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher began life in 1989 as the daring lady detective protagonist of a series of 18 crime books written by Australian author, Kerry Greenwood. With an acquired taste for the best, but impeccable working-class origins, Phryne was an instant success with readers and still shows no sign of hanging up her pearl-handled pistol or giving up her ‘adventurous’ love-life for just one man.
- per ABC tv
My two-bits:
I am currently watching this DVD series along with the House of Eliott and loving it as well!
Phyrne's story being made for tv is slightly altered than the book series per usual creative and production reasons. But it still is as engaging and fun to watch. The cast is perfect.
Phyrne is one fashionable detective with lots of sass and pizzaz!
* image source: for Flapper Phryne
