Phryne Fisher Jazz Age Detective

Phryne Fisher, ennui of glittering upper crust life embarks on a trip to her native Australia to solve a mystery. Set in Melbourne between the wars. Book 1 of the series in which we meet Phyrne and Dot and Bert and Cec and Dr Macmillan.

In the U.S. published as Death by Misadventure : A Roaring Twenties Mystery. Synopsis from JA: It is 1928 when the Honourable Phryne Fisher sails into Melbourne, Australia and sets up as a female detective. She is soon involved in trouble with drugs, Turkish baths and the Women's hospital.

The second Phyrne Fisher adventure begins with the kidnapping of little Candida Alice Maldon.

A child is kidnapped and the Chairman of a flying school at Essendon airport is murdered. The Hon. Phryne Fisher indulges her passion for flying aircraft and becomes involved in the cases.
- James Allen

In this, the third Phryne adventure, she travels by train to Ballarat only to be chloroformed. And what is the story behind young Jane?

Phyrne's investigations feature the usual 'pets' and a party beside the Yarra River in a historic boat house.

Phryne doesn't need to chase mysteries, this one comes to her in the form of a bullet through the windscreen of her beloved Hispano-Suiza and the death of a lovely young man. Her adventure leads her to Trotskyites, spiritualists and a Slavic ex-anarchist, all with a bit of robbery and revolutionary terrorism thrown in to keep her busy.

The fifth Phyrne adventure begins in the middle of a dance marathon at the Green Mill. Murder, blackmail, and jazz musicians make a heady mixture.

Whilst dancing in a Marathon at the Green Mill Dance Hall, The Hon. Phryne Fisher's partner is stabbed from behind and killed. She investigates a night time world of Jazz Clubs and Dance Halls. - James Allen

Phryne's investigation leads her to a career as a trick horse-rider.

It is October 1928. Nasty events are happening at Farrells Circus. The Hon. Phryne Fisher is called upon to investigate, so she joins the circus. She becomes a trick horse rider to see things from the inside, as the circus leaves Melbourne and goes west to Rockbank. - James Allen

There has been a murder at His Majesty's theatre; somehow the local Chinese community of Little Bourke Street is involved. Phryne Fisher is going to see a Gilbert and Sullivan performance when she gets caught up in the mystery.

Dressed in a silver dress like a goddess, Phryne meets Lin Chung and his all-powerful grandmother.

At Cave House, a Gothic Mansion in the Gippsland Mountain country near Buchan Caves, various people come to stay for the weekend. The Hon. Phryne Fisher is among them. Suddenly gun shots ring out and someone is murdered.

Phryne discovers the alternative world of Jewish Melbourne when she starts investigating the poisoning of a young man in a bookshop.

From a bookshop in the Eastern Market of Melbourne, a mysterious poisoning takes Phryne Fisher to the Jewish community of Carlton, in her search for clues. - James Allen

Set in Sydney, during the 1928 Test match between England and Australia. Phryne Fisher has traveled up to watch the cricket, but important ancient Egyptian artifacts have been stolen from a safe at Sydney University. Phryne investigates.

By this time, the author takes it for granted that you know all the regular characters - the rich, beautiful and talented private eye, Phryne, her maid and assistant, Dot, her two servants, Mr and Mrs Butler, the police inspector, Jack Robinson and Phryne's Chinese boyfriend, Lin Chung.

Reviewed by Sue B

Phryne's past in post-war Paris reaches into her idyllic Melbourne existence, while Lin Chung's approaching nuptials threatens to break up her happy home.

Phryne and the incomparable Lin Chung are each faced with mysteries and the challenge of solving murders that happened in bygone ages.

Phryne is about to become 1928's Queen of the Flowers, but of course, nothing is Phryne's life is without murder and mayhem.

see our review

A spate of burglaries has P & O hiring Phryne to investigate. She takes the S.S. Hinemoa to New Zealand with the Great Queen of Sapphires, the Maharani as bait.

Phryne is invited to the Last Best Party of 1928, given by golden twins from Paris and filled with acolytes, ex-grammar school boys, stockmen and stockwomen and sundry others on a Werribee estate.

Phryne nearly misses it, but after she gets an attempt on her life for christmas, she is determined to dig out the mystery. There are kidnapped children, hash fudge parties, a hunt, polo, jazz, and murderous threats. All part of the fun, really.

Phryne has two cases on the go. First, her socialist sister brings a grieving mother who doesn't believe her son drowned himself in the seas. Second, an archbishop recommends her to discreetly search for a possible heir (born out of marriage) to a catholic family's fortune. Meanwhile the relentless heat of the Australian summer makes Phryne wonder if an English winter wasn't so bad after all.

The Hon. Phryne Fisher and family leave for Queenscliff at Phryne's usual high speed. They arrive to find the house they've been offered, deserted, devoid of servants and food -- even the salt and pepper cellars have been emptied. Phyrne has promised her family (including the faithful Dot) a mystery-free holiday, and they arrive to find one. Queenscliff has ocean views, a population of surrealists, holidaying tradespeople and struggling fisherfolk, plus the phantom snipper who is slicing the braids right of young girl's heads.

Ruth comes into her own taking charge of the kitchen with help from a couple of friendly locals, including Tinker, the grubby youth who becomes Phryne's investigative assistant. Dot's fiance arrives to do a spot of undercover work as a freshly-minted Detective Sergeant looking into rum smuggling. And according to local legends, and a very small film-making team, there's treasure somewhere about.

Home in Melbourne, Phyrne and Dr MacMillan are walking to the Adventuress Club when they come upon a woman being threatened by three toughs. Phryne whistles up a group of Chinese, her unofficial bodyguard set by the incomparable Lin Chung to protect his Jade Lady. The woman, a reporter, is investigating the disappearance of three heavily pregnant women who the police reckon probably joined the local brothels! When the reporter herself is kidnapped, Phryne's favourite policeman Jack Robinson asks Phryne to help untangle the mess. Meanwhile Tinker, Phyrne's new apprentice detective, finds a way to make a home in her bijou residence.

To the accompaniment of heavenly choirs singing, the fearless Miss Phryne Fisher returns in her 20th adventure with musical score in hand.

An orchestral conductor has been found dead and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson needs the delightfully incisive and sophisticated Miss Fisher's assistance to enter a world in which he is at sea. Hugh Tregennis, not much liked by anyone, has been murdered in a most flamboyant mode by a killer with a point to prove. But how many killers is Phryne really stalking? (source: Allen & Unwin)

A collection of Phryne short stories.