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Phryne Fisher #3
Φόνος στο τρένο για το Μπαλαράτ
Για την κομψή Φράινι Φίσερ, ένα ταξίδι με τρένο δεν είναι ποτέ αυτό που φαίνεται.
Όταν η εντυπωσιακή Φράινι Φίσερ, συνοδευόμενη από την πιστή καμαριέρα της, την Ντοτ, αποφασίζει να αφήσει το γρήγορο, κόκκινο αυτοκίνητό της στο σπίτι και να ταξιδέψει στην εξοχή με το τρένο, το τελευταίο που φαντάζεται είναι ότι θα χρειαστεί να καταφύγει στην Μπερέτα της, που δεν αποχωρίζεται ποτέ, για να σώσει ζωές - τη δική της και των συνεπιβατών.
Ό, τι έχει ξεκινήσει με την προσδοκία μιας ευχάριστης διαμονής στην εξοχή, μετατρέπεται σε εφιάλτη. Ένα κορίτσι που έχει χάσει τη μνήμη του, ένα δίκτυο που εξωθεί στην πορνεία ορφανές κοπέλες, διάσημοι υπνωτιστές, μια ηλικιωμένη κυρία που βρίσκεται νεκρή, απογυμνωμένη από τα βαρύτιμα κοσμήματά της.
Και η Φράινι περιστρέφεται στο κέντρο αυτής της δίνης, προσπαθώντας να συνυφάνει τα πλέον ετερόκλιτα στοιχεία για να προσεγγίσει την αδιανόητη αλήθεια, προτού διαπραχθεί ένας ακόμη φόνος. Πάντοτε, βέβαια, καταφέρνει να βρίσκει χρόνο για να ερωτοτροπεί διακριτικά, να διασκεδάζει με τη συντροφιά μιας παρέας νεαρών κωπηλατών και να απολαμβάνει τις χαρές της ζωής. (Από την παρουσίαση στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίου)
Όταν η εντυπωσιακή Φράινι Φίσερ, συνοδευόμενη από την πιστή καμαριέρα της, την Ντοτ, αποφασίζει να αφήσει το γρήγορο, κόκκινο αυτοκίνητό της στο σπίτι και να ταξιδέψει στην εξοχή με το τρένο, το τελευταίο που φαντάζεται είναι ότι θα χρειαστεί να καταφύγει στην Μπερέτα της, που δεν αποχωρίζεται ποτέ, για να σώσει ζωές - τη δική της και των συνεπιβατών.
Ό, τι έχει ξεκινήσει με την προσδοκία μιας ευχάριστης διαμονής στην εξοχή, μετατρέπεται σε εφιάλτη. Ένα κορίτσι που έχει χάσει τη μνήμη του, ένα δίκτυο που εξωθεί στην πορνεία ορφανές κοπέλες, διάσημοι υπνωτιστές, μια ηλικιωμένη κυρία που βρίσκεται νεκρή, απογυμνωμένη από τα βαρύτιμα κοσμήματά της.
Και η Φράινι περιστρέφεται στο κέντρο αυτής της δίνης, προσπαθώντας να συνυφάνει τα πλέον ετερόκλιτα στοιχεία για να προσεγγίσει την αδιανόητη αλήθεια, προτού διαπραχθεί ένας ακόμη φόνος. Πάντοτε, βέβαια, καταφέρνει να βρίσκει χρόνο για να ερωτοτροπεί διακριτικά, να διασκεδάζει με τη συντροφιά μιας παρέας νεαρών κωπηλατών και να απολαμβάνει τις χαρές της ζωής. (Από την παρουσίαση στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίου)
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
566 people are currently reading
4269 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Greenwood
86 books2,540 followersKerry Isabelle Greenwood was an Australian author and lawyer. She wrote many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular television series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. She wrote mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, children's stories, and plays. Greenwood earned the Australian women's crime fiction Davitt Award in 2002 for her young adult novel The Three-Pronged Dagger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 965 reviews
July 6, 2021
4★
“Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.”
I always enjoy Phryne’s free spirit, her weak spot for handsome men, and her soft spot for the underprivileged. Once poor herself, Phyrne is now well off with a smashing car, a devoted young woman companion, and a loyal couple serving as butler and housekeeper/cook.
Anyone who’s seen the TV series of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is aware of her fashion style. She is a head-turner and by no means subtle. In this scene she is
“dressed for what looked to be a cold, nasty winter’s day in trousers of black fine-loomed wool, a silk shirt in emerald green, a jumper knitted with rather amusing cats, and the black cloche. She pulled on her red Russian boots and took a red outer coat of voluminous cut with deep pockets.”
Love it! I was always more of a jeans girl, myself, but it’s such fun imagining this kind of eye-catching outfit. But she’s more than that – she’s a respected sleuth now, and when people are poisoned and someone disappears on the train she and Dot are on to Ballarat, well, she’s hired in an instant. She will be assisting this sergeant.
“This sergeant was one of the large economy-sized policemen, being about six-and-a-half-feet tall and several axehandles across the shoulders. The Australian sun had scorched his milky Celtic complexion into the hue of council house brick. His light grey eyes, however, were bright and shrewd.”
Greenwood leaves us in no doubt as to what people look like or how they behave. I appreciate this. I like knowing what people are thinking and what makes them tick, but it does help to have a mental picture to hang the details on. She lets him know what happened on the train but is a little economical with the truth in one regard. She has her reasons.
“She believed in being just as truthful as was congruent with sense and convenience.”
She accepts the case, and when she discovers there are some handsome young men involved, she is delighted. Even the elderly couple who look after her and her home and guests are happy that she’s found a clean, athletic young man to replace her previous paramour, a rather too colourful painter.
“Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.”
Of course Bert and Cec, her old pals with a truck help her investigation, and of course she takes in some more strays. What’s money for if it’s not to look after people?
It’s another delightful read, and it occurs to me that young readers would probably enjoy feeling grownup reading these books, with their rather naughty, but not salacious, sex scenes. And while people do get hurt, justice triumphs in the end.
“Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.”
I always enjoy Phryne’s free spirit, her weak spot for handsome men, and her soft spot for the underprivileged. Once poor herself, Phyrne is now well off with a smashing car, a devoted young woman companion, and a loyal couple serving as butler and housekeeper/cook.
Anyone who’s seen the TV series of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries is aware of her fashion style. She is a head-turner and by no means subtle. In this scene she is
“dressed for what looked to be a cold, nasty winter’s day in trousers of black fine-loomed wool, a silk shirt in emerald green, a jumper knitted with rather amusing cats, and the black cloche. She pulled on her red Russian boots and took a red outer coat of voluminous cut with deep pockets.”
Love it! I was always more of a jeans girl, myself, but it’s such fun imagining this kind of eye-catching outfit. But she’s more than that – she’s a respected sleuth now, and when people are poisoned and someone disappears on the train she and Dot are on to Ballarat, well, she’s hired in an instant. She will be assisting this sergeant.
“This sergeant was one of the large economy-sized policemen, being about six-and-a-half-feet tall and several axehandles across the shoulders. The Australian sun had scorched his milky Celtic complexion into the hue of council house brick. His light grey eyes, however, were bright and shrewd.”
Greenwood leaves us in no doubt as to what people look like or how they behave. I appreciate this. I like knowing what people are thinking and what makes them tick, but it does help to have a mental picture to hang the details on. She lets him know what happened on the train but is a little economical with the truth in one regard. She has her reasons.
“She believed in being just as truthful as was congruent with sense and convenience.”
She accepts the case, and when she discovers there are some handsome young men involved, she is delighted. Even the elderly couple who look after her and her home and guests are happy that she’s found a clean, athletic young man to replace her previous paramour, a rather too colourful painter.
“Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.”
Of course Bert and Cec, her old pals with a truck help her investigation, and of course she takes in some more strays. What’s money for if it’s not to look after people?
It’s another delightful read, and it occurs to me that young readers would probably enjoy feeling grownup reading these books, with their rather naughty, but not salacious, sex scenes. And while people do get hurt, justice triumphs in the end.
October 30, 2025
This episode in the adventures of 1920s flapper/detective Phryne Fisher starts with a train-car full of people getting gassed and gets weirder from there on out. To be honest, it gets a bit silly in places, what with the hypnotism and the voodoo, but the rest of the book was so exciting and engaging that I'm not going to knock too many stars off for all that.
Cec and Bert are quickly becoming favourite characters for me, which was something of a surprise as I didn't really care for them much in the tv show (yes, I watched the tv adaptation first; feel free to strip me of my Hardline Goodreader ID badge and decoder ring).
Again, don't mistake this for 'cozy mystery' as there are descriptions of rape/child abuse that are essential to the plot in here.
Cec and Bert are quickly becoming favourite characters for me, which was something of a surprise as I didn't really care for them much in the tv show (yes, I watched the tv adaptation first; feel free to strip me of my Hardline Goodreader ID badge and decoder ring).
Again, don't mistake this for 'cozy mystery' as there are descriptions of rape/child abuse that are essential to the plot in here.
March 10, 2018
Great mysteries and great fun to read.
May 20, 2011
What this country 1920s Australia coming to these days? A body can hardly take a train without being chloroformed or horrifically murdered or having molested orphans palmed off on her. And it was such a short book, too! When you subtract all the time spent talking about clothes and seducing the boring college boy (not that he held out long) it's a wonder any detecting got done at all.
March 25, 2021
Phryne Fisher is a sort of Aussie counterpart to Hammett’s The Thin Man. She is smart and tough and willing to have almost any experience in the cause of further knowledge. Greenwood has written a series of “mysteries” for her to solve, but high-style is the thing with ample amounts of heterosexual interactions.
"She saw Phryne’s expensive dressing-gown, edged in fox fur, her Russian leather boots of rusty hue, and an aloof, pale, delicate face, framed in neat, short black hair and with penetrating green eyes. Next to this vision of modish loveliness was a plain young woman with plaits, dressed in a chenille gown like a bedspread. ‘I’m Phryne Fisher and this is Dot Williams, my companion."
"Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.” *
"…but Phryne’s mind, which was seldom involved with her body at all, was ticking over nicely, and she was extracting much interesting information from Lindsay in between embraces."
She has a great sense of moral outrage and a particular affection for the down-trodden.
"‘Catch whom?’ asked Phryne, fighting the urge to free her hand. ‘Calm yourself, Miss Henderson.’
‘The murderer, of course.’
‘Do you really want to hire me? Think about it. I may find out the truth.’
‘That’s what I want you to find,’ said Miss Henderson firmly. ‘I know that Mother was a nuisance. I have quite often felt like killing her myself, God forgive me, but that does not mean that I did it or contrived it. Murder is such a monstrous thing."
There is never a dull moment in this short novel with many moving parts. There are multiple venues, multiple crimes and lots of descriptive details of time and place. Even if you manage to “solve the mystery” before it is revealed, I believe you will still be entertained.
* The descriptions are mildly erotic…see below
(This) "woman was strong and as lithe as a cat; she twisted and moved beneath and above him, stroking and kissing; she loved the touch of his hands and body in the same way as he loved the contact of her skin on his own."
"She saw Phryne’s expensive dressing-gown, edged in fox fur, her Russian leather boots of rusty hue, and an aloof, pale, delicate face, framed in neat, short black hair and with penetrating green eyes. Next to this vision of modish loveliness was a plain young woman with plaits, dressed in a chenille gown like a bedspread. ‘I’m Phryne Fisher and this is Dot Williams, my companion."
"Phryne had retained her deep devotion to the male sex. She took care of her body, and her virtue took care of itself.” *
"…but Phryne’s mind, which was seldom involved with her body at all, was ticking over nicely, and she was extracting much interesting information from Lindsay in between embraces."
She has a great sense of moral outrage and a particular affection for the down-trodden.
"‘Catch whom?’ asked Phryne, fighting the urge to free her hand. ‘Calm yourself, Miss Henderson.’
‘The murderer, of course.’
‘Do you really want to hire me? Think about it. I may find out the truth.’
‘That’s what I want you to find,’ said Miss Henderson firmly. ‘I know that Mother was a nuisance. I have quite often felt like killing her myself, God forgive me, but that does not mean that I did it or contrived it. Murder is such a monstrous thing."
There is never a dull moment in this short novel with many moving parts. There are multiple venues, multiple crimes and lots of descriptive details of time and place. Even if you manage to “solve the mystery” before it is revealed, I believe you will still be entertained.
* The descriptions are mildly erotic…see below
(This) "woman was strong and as lithe as a cat; she twisted and moved beneath and above him, stroking and kissing; she loved the touch of his hands and body in the same way as he loved the contact of her skin on his own."
September 12, 2020
Τρίτο βιβλίο της σειράς με ηρωίδα την φοβερή Φράινι Φίσερ και δηλώνω ξανά αρκούντως ικανοποιημένος, το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι πέρασα τέλεια την ώρα μου, έστω και αν δεν κράτησε όσο θα ήθελα. Εντάξει, το κεντρικό μυστήριο δεν θα έλεγα ότι είναι ιδιαίτερα περίπλοκο ή συγκλονιστικό, πάντως η πλοκή σίγουρα μου κράτησε το ενδιαφέρον από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, ενώ δεν λείπουν και μια-δυο ενδιαφέρουσες εκπληξούλες. Η γραφή για άλλη μια φορά είναι πολύ καλή, ευκολοδιάβαστη και ιδιαίτερα ευχάριστη, ταξιδεύει τον αναγνώστη στη Μελβούρνη της δεκαετίας του '20 ενώ βοηθάει πολύ στη γρήγορη και ξεκούραστη ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Και, φυσικά, η Φράινι Φίσερ είναι για άλλη μια φορά καταπληκτική, με το ιδιαίτερο ταμπεραμέντο της και τον δυναμισμό της. Ελπίζω να δούμε και άλλα βιβλία της σειράς στα ελληνικά, αν μη τι άλλο είναι πολύ ψυχαγωγικά και ατμοσφαιρικά.
May 2, 2022
This is book 3 in the Phyrne Fisher series and another good amateur detective story.
This time Phryne is on the train to Ballarat when she wakes to the smell of chloroform. Much to her horror most of the first class carriage have been impacted by this. On top of it, a person has completely disappeared! Phryne finds herself once again in the middle of a mystery.
Lots of fun, and some disturbing elements too, with child trafficking and slavery being exposed.
This time Phryne is on the train to Ballarat when she wakes to the smell of chloroform. Much to her horror most of the first class carriage have been impacted by this. On top of it, a person has completely disappeared! Phryne finds herself once again in the middle of a mystery.
Lots of fun, and some disturbing elements too, with child trafficking and slavery being exposed.
September 11, 2012
BOTTOM LINE: One of the best of this long series IMO, as we get to meet two people who are going to become very close to Phryne in the future - Jane and Ruth. Their introduction might have been pure melodrama, but Greenwood only very slowly spins out their odd stories, which resolve in a rather grisly - albeit satisfactory - manner.
Almost as contrived as an Edgar Wallace or Sax Rohmer tale, but with Greenwood's nicely light touch the plot just flows along and as long as you can manage to take the odd proceedings with a grain of salt and just enjoy the fun bits, I think you'll find this is a very entertaining story; it also is very moving in many spots, but more on that later. As for the melodrama, let's see, there's chloroform (an entire first-class carriage on a train), a 12-YO girl with loss of memory (and a lot of fear), a missing teenager from a wealthy family willing to spare no expense, music-hall performers, white-slavery, murder-for-profit, a dowdy young woman and her entirely obnoxious mother, a rowing team AND a glee-club, a couple of wild parties, and another lost (but poor) girl. And I haven't even mentioned Phryne's creepy friend Kyra, or the nasty hypnotist, or the attack cat...
There are several quite pathetic parts to the story, as the circumstances around the girls (both those lost, and those found) are described, and as we come to know a couple of them rather well. But there's great satisfaction to be had in the ending (even though one part of it is highly improbable). And a nicely rip-roaring fight scene at the end too, so even though it sounds here as though the story is overloaded and far too melodramatic, "trust me..." - it's all beautifully done, smoothly written, and nicely tied-up at the end. Of course, if you don't happen to *like* mostly (but not entirely) Happy Endings, this pretty much ain't the series for you for, despite the dark themes that abound in the books, most of the endings do manage to have happy - or at least satisfying - bits to them. A difficult, but nicely done, balancing act by the very sly - and extremely talented - Ms. Greenwood.
Almost as contrived as an Edgar Wallace or Sax Rohmer tale, but with Greenwood's nicely light touch the plot just flows along and as long as you can manage to take the odd proceedings with a grain of salt and just enjoy the fun bits, I think you'll find this is a very entertaining story; it also is very moving in many spots, but more on that later. As for the melodrama, let's see, there's chloroform (an entire first-class carriage on a train), a 12-YO girl with loss of memory (and a lot of fear), a missing teenager from a wealthy family willing to spare no expense, music-hall performers, white-slavery, murder-for-profit, a dowdy young woman and her entirely obnoxious mother, a rowing team AND a glee-club, a couple of wild parties, and another lost (but poor) girl. And I haven't even mentioned Phryne's creepy friend Kyra, or the nasty hypnotist, or the attack cat...
There are several quite pathetic parts to the story, as the circumstances around the girls (both those lost, and those found) are described, and as we come to know a couple of them rather well. But there's great satisfaction to be had in the ending (even though one part of it is highly improbable). And a nicely rip-roaring fight scene at the end too, so even though it sounds here as though the story is overloaded and far too melodramatic, "trust me..." - it's all beautifully done, smoothly written, and nicely tied-up at the end. Of course, if you don't happen to *like* mostly (but not entirely) Happy Endings, this pretty much ain't the series for you for, despite the dark themes that abound in the books, most of the endings do manage to have happy - or at least satisfying - bits to them. A difficult, but nicely done, balancing act by the very sly - and extremely talented - Ms. Greenwood.
January 20, 2023
Ahh great. Fun to revisit Miss Fisher again. And this is a bit different than the tv show so at times I had to remind myself that the book came before that. I thought the overall mystery was wonderful and enjoyed the writing!
"Murder of the Ballarat Train" follows Miss Fisher and Dot when they take a train which is stopped after they get "gassed" and then an elderly woman is found dead apparently stomped to death. When a young girl is found (named Jane) who doesn't remember anything, Miss Fisher takes her in and agrees to figure out who killed the elderly woman at the request of her daughter.
This is a terrible subject matter to write about, but Greenwood talks and speaks frankly via other characters about "white slavery" and some horrible things that happened to the young women in this story. I loved that Miss Fisher was gung-ho about taking everyone down.
This book is set in Australia in the 1920s so even though I love Miss Fisher's spirit (taking up with another lover in this one) I often wonder how many people wouldn't blink an eye at what she gets up to.
The ending was great and we are left with Miss Fisher and the newest members of her household.
"Murder of the Ballarat Train" follows Miss Fisher and Dot when they take a train which is stopped after they get "gassed" and then an elderly woman is found dead apparently stomped to death. When a young girl is found (named Jane) who doesn't remember anything, Miss Fisher takes her in and agrees to figure out who killed the elderly woman at the request of her daughter.
This is a terrible subject matter to write about, but Greenwood talks and speaks frankly via other characters about "white slavery" and some horrible things that happened to the young women in this story. I loved that Miss Fisher was gung-ho about taking everyone down.
This book is set in Australia in the 1920s so even though I love Miss Fisher's spirit (taking up with another lover in this one) I often wonder how many people wouldn't blink an eye at what she gets up to.
The ending was great and we are left with Miss Fisher and the newest members of her household.
November 24, 2013
Rating: 2.5* of five for the book, 4* of five for the series.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode 2 was Kerry Greenwood's third novel, MURDER ON THE BALLARAT TRAIN. Four stars for the episode! My review is at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
These episodes, the series in general...such a treat. So satisfyingly beautiful to look at, and the problem of Greenwood's almost taciturn take on exposition is handled by the visuals. An excellent marriage.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode 2 was Kerry Greenwood's third novel, MURDER ON THE BALLARAT TRAIN. Four stars for the episode! My review is at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
These episodes, the series in general...such a treat. So satisfyingly beautiful to look at, and the problem of Greenwood's almost taciturn take on exposition is handled by the visuals. An excellent marriage.
January 8, 2020
I really enjoy the Phryne Fisher series and this one was great. Started off on a train bound for Ballarat, where Phryne wakes up to being chloroformed and gets everyone off the train. An old woman was murdered and a young girl who lost her memory is also found on the train. Phryne takes in the girl to her own home, and is hired by the old woman's daughter to find the killer. Great story telling.
March 20, 2017
treći roman o gđici Fisher, u kojem rješava ubojstvo, zatvara još jednog gada a usput skuplja napuštene mačiće i još ponešto...
March 21, 2022
Phryne Fisher finds herself at the scene of a murder on a train trip to Ballarat. An old lady has been brutally killed and there are very few clues at the scene. Phryne returns to Melbourne with the old lady's daughter and a girl who lost her memory in tow and sets out to solve the crime in her inimitable style. An enjoyable read.
May 30, 2018
Murder On The Ballarat Train is book 3 in the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood. In 1920 Private Detective Miss Phryne Fisher went on holiday to Ballarat. Private Detective Miss Phryne Fisher decided to go by train hoping for a quiet and relaxing trip. However, that did not happen someone tried to chloroform the passengers, and murder of senior women and missing rings. The readers of Murder On The Ballarat Train will follow Phryne Fisher investigation.
Murder On The Ballarat Train was an enjoyable cozy mystery. Murder On The Ballarat Train was well written and researched by Kerry Greenwood. I do love the way Kerry Greenwood portrayed Private Detective Miss Phryne Fisher and the way she interacts with other characters in Murder On The Ballarat Train. I like Kerry Greenwood description of her plot and settings I felt like I was living in 1920.
Murder On The Ballarat Train allows the readers to learn about living in the 1920's in Ballarat and train travel during this period. Also, the readers of Murder On The Ballarat Train will see how law enforcement and private detectives investigations cases in the 1920's.
I recommend this book.
Murder On The Ballarat Train was an enjoyable cozy mystery. Murder On The Ballarat Train was well written and researched by Kerry Greenwood. I do love the way Kerry Greenwood portrayed Private Detective Miss Phryne Fisher and the way she interacts with other characters in Murder On The Ballarat Train. I like Kerry Greenwood description of her plot and settings I felt like I was living in 1920.
Murder On The Ballarat Train allows the readers to learn about living in the 1920's in Ballarat and train travel during this period. Also, the readers of Murder On The Ballarat Train will see how law enforcement and private detectives investigations cases in the 1920's.
I recommend this book.
November 26, 2015
Another fun outing with Phryne! This one ends with her adopting a couple of girls and goes through a bunch of stuff — a crime on a train, hypnotism, murder for an inheritance, mad criminals, etc. I’m not a fan of stories where the criminal turns out to be insane, even though it’s a classic: most crime is carried out by sane people, or certainly people whose mental disorders are not central to the deed. In fact, in the real world, it’s more common for a mentally ill person to be a victim of violence than the perpetrator. It doesn’t help that the whole hypnotism thing is a little too convenient — the hypnotist can get away with just about anything using hypnotism, here.
Still, it’s fun, and I love the found-family stuff at the end. I did predict some turns of the plot, but that’s not really what I’m reading this for anyway.
I don’t think Phryne has had the same lover in any of these books so far, either. I love that there seems to be no drive for her to change her ways, in the story: she’s a flapper, she’s Phryne, and people have to accept that. Don’t get attached to any of her young men!
Originally posted here.
Still, it’s fun, and I love the found-family stuff at the end. I did predict some turns of the plot, but that’s not really what I’m reading this for anyway.
I don’t think Phryne has had the same lover in any of these books so far, either. I love that there seems to be no drive for her to change her ways, in the story: she’s a flapper, she’s Phryne, and people have to accept that. Don’t get attached to any of her young men!
Originally posted here.
February 25, 2018
3.5 stars.
The mystery is fun, right up until the murderer comes down with an overwhelming case of becoming a raving maniac when faced with capture (by a woman no less!).
Bert and Cec are great. Still getting used to Jack's slightly different role in the books.
Really enjoy Jane and Ember.
Slightly maternal Dot is great. As is the fact that she is the one Phrynne really leans on.
Am fine with Phrynne having all the affairs, but the whole college student thing is a bit awkward at times, mostly due to his reaction to it.
Still, a fun read.
The mystery is fun, right up until the murderer comes down with an overwhelming case of becoming a raving maniac when faced with capture (by a woman no less!).
Bert and Cec are great. Still getting used to Jack's slightly different role in the books.
Really enjoy Jane and Ember.
Slightly maternal Dot is great. As is the fact that she is the one Phrynne really leans on.
Am fine with Phrynne having all the affairs, but the whole college student thing is a bit awkward at times, mostly due to his reaction to it.
Still, a fun read.
October 26, 2021
In a way, I'm super glad that I started getting into this by way of the TV show and then started with the newer books, because I feel if I had started with book 1, I may have given up too early. Or, maybe I wouldn't know how GOOD the books could be and stay out of curiosity. Who knows.
That being said, I think compared to her newer books, the early ones are just too short. As in any Phyrne book, there is so much going on that sometimes plots get resolved by Phryne waking up and thinking, "I know who did it!" instead of having to actually work it out, and it made that particular part of the whole plot feel unnecessary in my opinion. The separate parts of the mystery also didn't really blend together very naturally for me. It felt a bit forced to me in places.
I did like how much darker this was than the episode, which really surprised me. I really didn't think The Great Hypno could be even more revolting than on TV...
That being said, I think compared to her newer books, the early ones are just too short. As in any Phyrne book, there is so much going on that sometimes plots get resolved by Phryne waking up and thinking, "I know who did it!" instead of having to actually work it out, and it made that particular part of the whole plot feel unnecessary in my opinion. The separate parts of the mystery also didn't really blend together very naturally for me. It felt a bit forced to me in places.
I did like how much darker this was than the episode, which really surprised me. I really didn't think The Great Hypno could be even more revolting than on TV...
April 28, 2014
As Phryne Fisher struggled to wake, she was assaulted by a dreadful smell – a strong smell which made her feel she was swimming up through a very thick substance. Fumbling for her Beretta she shot out the window of the fast moving train and when a gush of cold air hit her, she could feel her senses gradually returning….
Phryne and her maid Dot had decided to travel by train from their home in Melbourne to Ballarat for a restful few days, little knowing the nightmare they would soon be embroiled in – but with the inimitable Miss Phryne Fisher at the very centre of events, the murderer would soon wish he had never laid eyes on her. And as she worked through the clues she could feel the horror mounting at what she was finding; all deep in a freezing Melbourne winter.
This was another delightful Phryne Fisher murder mystery. Light and entertaining, it was a nice quick read with a satisfying result. I enjoyed the activities of Bert and Cec in their taxi cab; their sense of adventure plus their need to right the wrongs in their world. And of course, do all they can to help Phryne along the way. A series by Aussie author Kerry Greenwood which I highly recommend.
Phryne and her maid Dot had decided to travel by train from their home in Melbourne to Ballarat for a restful few days, little knowing the nightmare they would soon be embroiled in – but with the inimitable Miss Phryne Fisher at the very centre of events, the murderer would soon wish he had never laid eyes on her. And as she worked through the clues she could feel the horror mounting at what she was finding; all deep in a freezing Melbourne winter.
This was another delightful Phryne Fisher murder mystery. Light and entertaining, it was a nice quick read with a satisfying result. I enjoyed the activities of Bert and Cec in their taxi cab; their sense of adventure plus their need to right the wrongs in their world. And of course, do all they can to help Phryne along the way. A series by Aussie author Kerry Greenwood which I highly recommend.
December 10, 2018
I am so conflicted as I write reviews of this series because they are such an odd case where the TV series is so much better. That's especially true with Murder on the Ballarat Train. In the book, the action leaves the train quite quickly, and it feels like a third of the book is about Phryne seducing a college boy. Many of the plot elements remain the same in the episode but are shuffled around a lot, though there's a subplot involving Jane--with Bert and Cec investigating--that was closely reproduced. Details about mesmerism feel unbelievable in both print and film, though the book adds a bit about voodoo that left me saying, "Huh?" However, the characters still shine. I love Bert and Cec, and the Butlers.
This volume finishes off the collection I bought, and I don't plan on reading on.
This volume finishes off the collection I bought, and I don't plan on reading on.
November 27, 2022
This was a fun mystery, albeit nothing brilliant. Phryne (rhymes with shiny--I looked it up) Fisher, a late 1920s detective, is hired to find a murderer after she uses her gun to break a window when someone has poisoned the air on a train. There is more than one mystery that has to be solved. She owns and drives a very hot car from back then--a red Hispano-Suiza racing car and she has been trained by a race car driver herself (as in a female racer). This is a book of 1920s female empowerment as well as a mystery; she is no Miss Marple (but I do enjoy Miss Marple at times). There are a number of things that go on in this book that are very fitting to the 1920s, and I don't just mean cool cars and clothes.
April 28, 2020
Phryne and Dot are assaulted on a train by chloroform. Luckily Phryne wakes up earlier and manages to open some windows to save most of the passengers. Except one, that is. Now who was the intended target of this heinous crime? Its up to Phryne and her gang to uncover the mystery that has more layers than an onion.
Excellent book!
Excellent book!
July 20, 2025
In which we meet Phryne's foster daughters (yes,TV viewers, that plural is correct), and Ember the cat. Phryne seduces another beautiful young man, and solves another murder.
June 7, 2025
Хареса ми, въпреки че имам доста забележки по отношение на Фрайни Фишър... Някак си с всяка следваща книга тя губи от очарованието си за сметка на прекалена самоувереност... което на някои може и да им харесва, но не и на мен.
July 15, 2025
Rollicking fun with a vivacious heroine and the atmopshere of the Roaring Twenties, but it's a shame the mystery is so simple. No challenge here for the armchair detective.
August 5, 2012
The Honorable Phryne Fisher, British ex-pat now living in Melbourne, Australia, can't even board a train without stumbling onto a mystery. While en route to Ballarat in Victoria, the train's passengers are chloroformed and an elderly lady disappears from the train. At the same time, an amnesiac young girl appears on the train. The woman's daughter, Eunice Henderson, hires Phrynne to investigate the disappearance. So Phryne embarks on solving two mysteries: a disappearance and an appearance. Needless to say, Phrynne discovers the solutions with daring and aplomb.
Has there ever been any woman as sexy and clever as Phryne? Probably not. However, the mysteries are excellent (although most readers will deduce who killed Mrs. Henderson before Phryne does), and the novel provides a glimpse of life in Australia in the 1920s and the culture shock of the arrival of a flapper -- someone who smoked, drank, unabashedly took lovers, drove herself, and donned trousers -- in what was then a backwater. In the mold of Dorothy Parker and Isadora Duncan, Phryne Fisher enjoys life to the fullest, extends her generosity to the less fortunate, and isn't afraid to be herself. Beautiful, wealthy, fashionable, exciting, sexy, kind, and clever: Who wouldn't love her?
Has there ever been any woman as sexy and clever as Phryne? Probably not. However, the mysteries are excellent (although most readers will deduce who killed Mrs. Henderson before Phryne does), and the novel provides a glimpse of life in Australia in the 1920s and the culture shock of the arrival of a flapper -- someone who smoked, drank, unabashedly took lovers, drove herself, and donned trousers -- in what was then a backwater. In the mold of Dorothy Parker and Isadora Duncan, Phryne Fisher enjoys life to the fullest, extends her generosity to the less fortunate, and isn't afraid to be herself. Beautiful, wealthy, fashionable, exciting, sexy, kind, and clever: Who wouldn't love her?
March 20, 2017
Another enjoyable outing with Phryne, and this one starts to really bring together her found family with the addition of Jane and Ruth. While I’m noticing some inconsistencies in characters that aren’t Phryne (Dot’s surname changes, for example, and apparently the hair colours of Jane and Ruth too), it’s still fun and those are only really noticeable because I’m reading the books all more or less together, in one glorious reread.
(Note: this is still an excellent way to consume them, though I’m now on book seven and taking a bit of a break.)
My main quibble is still with the mentally ill murderer who suddenly loses it and snaps, ruining all his plans and exposing himself badly. The whole mentally ill killer thing is just so stereotypical; so easy a way out. I mean, it happens, but not usually in this premeditated, coldly planned way. That’s more in the line of a psychopath, which is not quite how the character read. And, people so often forget the real fact: people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of crime, not to be perpetrators.
Originally posted on my blog.
(Note: this is still an excellent way to consume them, though I’m now on book seven and taking a bit of a break.)
My main quibble is still with the mentally ill murderer who suddenly loses it and snaps, ruining all his plans and exposing himself badly. The whole mentally ill killer thing is just so stereotypical; so easy a way out. I mean, it happens, but not usually in this premeditated, coldly planned way. That’s more in the line of a psychopath, which is not quite how the character read. And, people so often forget the real fact: people with mental illness are more likely to be victims of crime, not to be perpetrators.
Originally posted on my blog.
September 11, 2008
Another well-written installment and one that I quite enjoyed--for the most part. Unfortunately, one of the later chapters was decidedly un-cozy in tone -- unsavory men and young, innocent girls and selling them into awful professions -- but the humanity of Phryne and her friends got to shine the more for it. Even so, I'm hoping that the other books in the series follow more along the lines of "Away with the Fairies."
September 5, 2023
Kerry Greenwood es una escritora australiana contemporánea que ha creado a la detective Phryne Fisher, una mujer joven independiente, con recursos propios, que le gusta divertirse, sus libros son ambientados en 1920.
En español se han publicado dos de sus libros: Una detective inesperada y Un misterio de altos vuelos.
Este es el tercer título de la serie, inicia con un incidente de lo más extraño en el tren que va a la ciudad de Ballarat, los pasajeros del vagón de primera han sido rociados con cloroformo, y ha desaparecido una vieja dama que venía acompañada con su hija, además en la estación donde pararon, debido al incidente, ha aparecido una adolescente que no recuerda quien es ni a dónde va.
Por coincidencia Phryne venía en el tren y ofrece alojamiento a la hija de la vieja desaparecida y a La Niña, a partir de ahí busca pistas para descifrar que fue lo qué pasó.
La historia tiene su enredo pero más allá de la resolución, es muy divertida, con unos policías muy inocentes, una Phryne algo disoluta y liberal para su época, sus conexiones con los bajos fondos, y la ayuda de un par de taxistas Cec y Bert que siempre traen risa y frescura a las aventuras.
Otro punto a favor son las deliciosas descripciones de las comidas y las ropas que hacen la lectura mucho más agradable.
Aunque Phryne no hace gala de una gran inteligencia si es verdad que tiene otros recursos que le ayudan a lograr sus objetivos, como el dinero, su carisma y sobre todo haber sido pobre cuando era niña y entender a los que viven tribulaciones en sus vidas.
En español se han publicado dos de sus libros: Una detective inesperada y Un misterio de altos vuelos.
Este es el tercer título de la serie, inicia con un incidente de lo más extraño en el tren que va a la ciudad de Ballarat, los pasajeros del vagón de primera han sido rociados con cloroformo, y ha desaparecido una vieja dama que venía acompañada con su hija, además en la estación donde pararon, debido al incidente, ha aparecido una adolescente que no recuerda quien es ni a dónde va.
Por coincidencia Phryne venía en el tren y ofrece alojamiento a la hija de la vieja desaparecida y a La Niña, a partir de ahí busca pistas para descifrar que fue lo qué pasó.
La historia tiene su enredo pero más allá de la resolución, es muy divertida, con unos policías muy inocentes, una Phryne algo disoluta y liberal para su época, sus conexiones con los bajos fondos, y la ayuda de un par de taxistas Cec y Bert que siempre traen risa y frescura a las aventuras.
Otro punto a favor son las deliciosas descripciones de las comidas y las ropas que hacen la lectura mucho más agradable.
Aunque Phryne no hace gala de una gran inteligencia si es verdad que tiene otros recursos que le ayudan a lograr sus objetivos, como el dinero, su carisma y sobre todo haber sido pobre cuando era niña y entender a los que viven tribulaciones en sus vidas.
January 6, 2018
nice light quick read. exactly what I wanted. different from the tv series, so it stands in its own. I like that.
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