Dead Man's Chest

Phryne Fisher #18

by Kerry Greenwood

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, now streaming on Netflix, starring Essie Davis as the honourable Phryne Fisher

Dot unfolded the note. "He says that his married couple will look after the divine Miss Fisher...I'll leave out a bit...their name is Johnson and they seem very reliable." Phryne got the door open at last. She stepped into the hall. "I think he was mistaken about that," she commented.

Traveling at high speed in her beloved Hispano-Suiza with her maid and trusted companion Dot, her two adoptive daughters Jane and Ruth, and their dog Molly, Phryne Fisher is off to Queenscliff. She'd promised everyone a nice holiday by the sea with absolutely no murders, but when they arrive at their rented accommodation that doesn't seem likely at all.

An empty house, a gang of teenage louts, a fisherboy saved, and a missing butler and his wife seem to lead inexorably toward a hunt for buried treasure by the sea. Phryne knows to what depths people will sink for greed, but with a glass of champagne in one hand and a pearl-handled Beretta in the other, no one is getting past her.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Australia, Audiobook

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2010

About the author

Kerry 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.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The arrival in Queenscliff, not far from her home of Melbourne, by Phryne Fisher and her entourage – companion Dot, adopted daughters Jane and Ruth, and Molly the dog – for a holiday, was like a breath of fresh air. But the strange disappearance of the elderly couple who were to look after them in the home they borrowed from an acquaintance was the immediate start to a mystery which needed answers.

It seemed the quiet little town of Queenscliff wasn’t so quiet after all with Phryne coming up against three bullying youths; talk of buried treasure that no one was sure even existed; and of course the missing couple – Phryne’s deep sigh of despair at the knowledge that this was unlikely to be as peaceful a holiday as she’d promised everyone alerted them all. But the arrival of young Tinker along with Gaston the dog, lent some excitement to the air. Knowing what happened when the Hon Miss Phryne Fisher was around, Dot and the girls knew something would be up…

Dead Man’s Chest by Aussie author Kerry Greenwood is another rollicking tale centred around the inimitable Phryne Fisher. Never one to be concerned about the dangers of the moment, she always comes out on top! An excellent cosy mystery in the Phryne Fisher series which I recommend.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead Man’s Chest takes Phryne from the comforts of her own home to an attempted holiday, much in the vein of Peter and Harriet’s honeymoon in Sayers’ Lord Peter books, that is to say: a busman’s holiday. For all that, it’s a reasonably relaxed mystery, without too many dead bodies or late night attacks. There’s one or two nastier elements, but for the most part it focuses on Ruth getting to play house. In fact, the nastier element is almost entirely glossed over…

In this book, a new character joins the cast, and I rather hope he’ll be a recurring one. Enter Tinker: a young boy who spends most of his time gadding about and isn’t any too clean or conscientious, until Phryne gets her hands on him. He quickly finds a place in the household, and it doesn’t feel forced; I quickly found myself interested in what Tinker was up to and what was going to happen to him. (And poor Gaston, the dog.)

Some of the usual elements are missing here — I don’t think there’s a single sex scene? — but for the most part, it’s what you’d expect from a holiday with Phryne. It captures the feel of a long warm day pretty well, too — and I’d say you can almost taste the gin and tonic, but I have no idea what that tastes like (and not much inclination to find out).

I think these books have essentially stopped surprising me at all, and instead become something comforting that comes out more or less as I’d expect, and deals with characters you can mostly sympathise with and like. There’s a place for that kind of reading, and I’m not disparaging it at all: it’s just that the Miss Fisher mysteries do somewhat lose their spice as they go along, because you get used to it.

Originally posted here.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood is the 18th book in the Miss Fisher Mysteries series. Phrynne, together with her companion Dot and daughters Ruth and Jane, travels to the seaside town of Queenscliff for a holiday only to find that the couple that was to look after them gone missing. An enjoyable book with the addition of a new character, a young boy, Tinker, reader of Sexton Blake stories and who utterly adores Phrynne. The surrealist neighbours seemed a bit weird though. Otherwise an interesting, light and fun addition to the series.

[♥ WishfulMiss ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even while on holiday, Phryne Fisher can't manage to steer clear of those ever present mysteries. When the house she is renting appears to have been abandoned in a hurry, the servants gone missing and the small town constable seemingly satisfied to sweep in all under the rug, the mystery practically begs for a lady detective to do a bit of her own sleuthing.

I'm a huge fan of the TV show and when I saw this book I couldn't turn it down. If you're not familiar with Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, I highly recommend checking it out on Netflix. I was hooked from that first intro episode. And if you like the show, I would highly recommend reading the books.

What really caught my attention in the books versus the show is the supporting characters. (Not that I don't love all the secondary characters like Bert, Cecile, Mr. Butler and of course, Jack Robinson!) The difference being, there are so many more characters in the book that play pivot roles that we either don't get at all on TV or they are down played. For example, I loved Jane and Ruth, they were such diverse, likable characters and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them again. Dot and Hugh were once again adorable and perfect and in case you didn't know I ship them so hard!

Mystery wise, there was a lot going on and more than one mystery to solve in this edition but it flowed nicely, kept me wildly entertained and surprised me in the end. I would recommend for those who like a little mystery, humor and good old fashion sleuthing led by a lady detective with wit and fashion style.

* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for this instalment with no sex, no gore, just a good read. I begin to understand why those who started with the TV series dislike the books so much. I did see the filmed version of this book before reading it and boy, did they ever change it!!

Phryne goes on holiday with her family only to find that the house a stranger offered her for the stay is empty of food and domestic staff. Said total stranger is off to the back blocks, and she's not even sure where he is, let alone how to reach him. (It has happened to me too, that a person I knew only slightly offered to let me stay in their house while they were away. Amazing people, but that was 30 years ago, too.) Nothing daunted, she settles in and the mysteries start to come to her. Who is cutting off the local girls' long braids? Where are the Johnsons, and why did they leave their dog behind? What is going on at that mysterious moving company? And what really happened to that nasty old woman across the street?

If cosy comfortable fiction is your forte, you will enjoy this. Call me old-fashioned (and goodness knows I am) but it was nice not to be subjected to sexual encounters that do nothing to further the story. There's even a recipe for Impossible Pie at the end. I'm not usually sold on mysteries-mit-recipes, but I was glad for once that I didn't have to Google the dish myself. Some of the mystery threads come unravelled, but not even Phryne is perfect.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Miss Phryne Fisher and her adopted family want is a nice, quiet holiday in Queenscliff. Just a few days at the beach, far away from the city...



But, Phryne being Phryne, she attracts danger wherever she goes. As they arrive at the house they rented for the holiday, they realize the housekeepers have been abducted, the pantry raided, and the valuables missing. Summoning a local constable, Phryne realizes that if she wants to know what happened, she will have to investigate herself. Soon, she finds herself in the midst of domestic problems, loss, kidnapping, an attempted murder, a smuggling enterprise, and searching for the "Phantom Pigtail Snipper", and, oh yes, a pirate treasure.

This was a fun one. The atmosphere Greenwood created was very different in this one, and you could relax along with Phryne while she and her family enjoyed themselves. The mysteries were all connected to the various interesting people Phryne meets (which, this time, include a bunch of Surrealists who were very interesting), and it was, as always, expertly drawn.

The more I read by this wonderful author, the more I realize how wonderfully she can create atmosphere: due to her meticulous research, you always like you are right there with Phryne, and the people she meets are so much a result of this atmosphere, it is amazing how natural it all feels.

This is definitely one of my favorite Phryne books so far, and could be read as a stand-alone. Not that I'm advising missing out on anything, but I think this would be a good introduction to Phryne for anyone who has never read one of the books :)

*I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has ups and downs. When it’s down, it’s really, really down. When it’s up…we have this story. Phryne has taken her little family on vacation (without the Bakers). The couple that was supposed to be staffing her vacation rental is missing and she decides to investigate. Along the way, there’s a smuggling outfit, a possible treasure, and a few more side plots. Hugh arrives, newly promoted, to help with the smuggling part of the story. The writing is delightful and everything wraps up nicely with a new member of the family going home with Phryne.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rather relaxed mystery takes place immediately after the events in Murder on a Midsummer Night. Deciding that her domestic circle is in need of some relaxation after her most recent, rather trying, investigation, Miss Fisher takes her companion and two adopted daughters for a month at the seaside. But when she arrives she finds her borrowed house unlocked and the servants missing. Foul play? Of course! But of what nature? Since the Johnsons seem to have left under their own steam this mystery is not urgent and the tone of the book proceeds in a more leisurely and unhurried way even than Phryne's normally sybaritic routine. Greenwood captures the feel of a long vacation with not much to do, creating a perfect read for one's own long weekend or day at the beach.
With cocktails, naturally.

[Lyn Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

In between some pretty solid reading, I've relieved the tension by scooting through three of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mysteries, set in the 1920s, always over the top, and nearly always fun.

This one was especially good - a beach holiday, deserted house, pirates, errant poor kids picked up and fed, rum smuggling baddies who are satisfactorily dealt with by gorgeous Phryne with help from the larrikin kids.

Kerry Greenwood must have really enjoyed writing it.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I enjoyed reading this book, #18 in the series. I have already read book one in the series and have been watching the tv series. This book has Phryne going to the coast to stay in a house borrowed from an acquaintance while her house is being renovated. She arrives to find the live in servants and all of the food gone. She determines to find out what happened and encounters an interesting group of characters. It was a light, easy read. In 1920s Australia, cigarettes are called "gaspers"
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ebook.

[Malia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Ms Greenwood delivers with this Phryne Fisher mystery. The Fisher household is on holiday and run into some trouble, as one does;)
The story is interesting, but I read these books for the characters who become more vivid and multifaceted in every book. If you're a fan of the series or like light-hearted mysteries with a fabulous detective, this is for you.

Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series but this one didn't wow me. It's also one of my least favorite episodes in the show which is funny since they have little in common in terms of characters, story, and plot.

I liked the idea of seeing Miss Fisher and minions on holiday, and though Phryne promised her family no mysteries or investigations, she's not able to keep that promise. The lack of promised servants at the rental house also changes their plans. Ruth, who enjoys cooking and can't wait to run her own household, takes on the responsibility for cooking meals, running the kitchen, and overseeing what help they were able to hire on short notice. There was too much time and detail spent on grocery and menu selection as well as household details but I did enjoy seeing Ruth come into her own. This was the first book, and it may have to do with the fact I'm reading the series wildly out of order, but this was the first time I really saw the difference between Jane and Ruth. While Ruth is busy cooking and managing the house, Jane is busy exploring old skeletons and hiding away to read a book. Go Jane!

Missing servants, a possible pirate's treasure, a movie being filmed in town, smuggling, a nasty prankster, a nosy neighbor, a suspicious death, and a houseful of surrealists round out the story. As always, there are many threads and several plots intermingled. Honestly, it was too much at times. I wish Greenwood had narrowed her focus more. And the missing servant storyline was overly convoluted and not very believable. I preferred the other mysteries and happenings, well, except for all the details on the mechanics of running a kitchen.

I do enjoy Greenwood's writing style. Though the books are have been in written in recent years, the tone of the writing incorporates elements both current now and those were current at the time the stories occur (see quotes below for a sampling). The behavior and thinking of the character seems true to the time period and place (bearing in mind that I know little about Australia in the 1920s).

While "Dead Man's Chest" was a fair romp, it lacked the luster of other Phryne Fisher titles. Still, it's enjoyable and I loved getting to know Ruth and Jane better, and Tinker, their newest addition to the household, was full of sass and loyalty.

Some favorite quotes ~

Phryne was getting out of the car. Dot closed her eyes. Miss Fisher was about to happen to someone again. She hoped that Phryne wouldn't get blood on her shoes. That glace kid was a beast to clean.

"...Almost caused Dot to swear." "No!" objected Jane. "Well, she blessed me a lot of times in the name of various saints and was distinctly heard to say 'drat' more than once. That's strong language for Dot."

Tinker had cleared his plate and was now leaning back with the expression of a tiger shark who had ravened down a goodly portion of sperm whale and really couldn't eat another toothful of that nice nourishing blubber.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Man’s Chest is the 18th book in the Phryne Fisher series by popular Australian author, Kerry Greenwood. It is January, and Phryne has decided to take her family to Queenscliff on holiday while her bathroom is renovated. But their arrival at the beachside house borrowed from Mr Thomas, an anthropologist currently on a field trip in deepest Northern Territory, instantly immerses them in a mystery. The Johnsons, butler and cook, are absent, along with all their goods and chattels. Their immediate neighbours, a Hungarian lady with surrealist tendencies and a widow hosting three obnoxious teenaged schoolboys, are unable to clarify matters. The local constable, Tom Dawson, is soon labelled Constable Moron by Phryne. To make matters more interesting, there is someone going around snipping plaits off young ladies and there is a film crew making a movie about the legendary Swan Bay pirate, Benito, and his hidden treasure of Peruvian gold. When the Johnsons beloved dog, Gaston turns up, the mystery deepens. Luckily, an eager young lad, soon christened Tinker by Phryne, is engaged to assist with investigations, adopted daughter Ruth delights in testing her culinary skills, and Dot’s fiance, now a Detective Sergeant, Hugh Collins arrives to lend official help where needed. In this instalment, Jane reads a lot, sorts bones and stars in a movie; Dot buys a dress and uses a coal scuttle as a weapon; Ruth lovingly prepares many meals; Phryne muses on the contents of boys pockets, on Crimes against Couture, and the dogs solution to any problem, barking; a fish skeleton is used as a fashion accessory and a weapon; Phryne spends an evening with surrealists; there is murder, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, a treasure hunt and smuggling of tobacco and rum. After causing readers mouths to water with several mentions of Impossible Pie, Greenwood thoughtfully provides the recipe for this, as well as Potato Scones and Noyau Cocktail. Another excellent dose of Miss Fisher.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the nineteenth novel in the series, Unnatural Habits, before I read No. 18, Dead Man’s Chest, so it is only now that I am discovering how Tinker (whom I’d wrongly presumed to be an orphan) became part of the Honorable Phryne Fisher’s household.

It’s January 1929, summer in Australia, and the fabulous Phryne is taking her adopted daughters Ruth and Jane and her loyal maid and friend, Dot Williams, to enjoy the seaside at Queenscliff for a few weeks. (Sadly, the Butlers remain in Melbourne to deal with the remodeling to Phryne’s house.) But there’s no rest for Phryne Fisher! The resident servants where the household is staying, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, are gone, as are some kitchen supplies — even though the silver is untouched and a François Boucher painting and a quartet of 18th century Chelsea Porcelain statuettes remain in the cellar. The Johnsons clearly left in a hurry. Why? And where are they now? And why would they abandon their beloved Jack Russell terrier Gaston?

Along with this larger mystery, Phryne hears of a Phantom Snipper, who has been slicing off the braided plaits of local girls, and several more mysteries that I won’t spoil here. A delightful romp by the seaside for both the Fisher household and author Kerry Greenwood’s devoted readers. One of Greenwood’s best efforts — which is saying a lot!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Andree · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly serviceable installment in the series. I liked Phrynne in this one, and her frustrations at people being generally terrible, and her lack of willingness to tolerate it. I also thought the relationship between Jane and Ruth, her adopted daughters was neatly showcased, as were Ruth's strengths as cook/manager. I also liked the addition of Tinker, the young boy Phrynne picks up to help her out after the Johnson's disappeared.

I did feel that the whole treasure hunt plotline was underwhelming, in that it didn't really feel necessary. Not sure how it really helped the finding of the Johnsons, but whatever. I also thought the surrealists were a bit much, but that's clearly the point of them. Also, this one seemed to have a lot of minor side-plots.

That said, it's a fun read. It's refreshingly not as dark as some of the recent ones in this series have been.

[Marijan Šiško · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although eighteenth book inthe series, Dead men's Chest is as charming and interesting as eariler books, if not even more. The author acheived much with change of scenery, adding new characters and putting old characters in new situations. Not to mention treasure hunt.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phyrne Fisher takes her adopted daughters, Ruth, Jane and her companion, Dot to the seaside for a vacation. When they arrived, the couple that she was expecting to look after the house is missing. Ruth takes over the cooking and Jane finds a large number of books to read. Phyrne reports couple missing, however, the local police are not impressed and do nothing. There 3 boys next door are bullies, Phyrne decided to straighten out youngsters and to find the missing couple. Where is the missing couple or did they flee, taking no treasures from the house. I recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley for an honest review I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Sentence: Dot opened her eyes.

The Honorable Phryne Fisher, private investigator, takes her family on vacation to a house she’s been lent in Queenscliff, Australia. The owner had promised Phryne, her maid Dot, adopted daughters Ruth and Jane, and dog Molly, would be well looked after by Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. However, when they arrive, the Johnson’s and their possessions are gone, the larder is completely empty and the back door wide open. The family settles in to make do while Phryne tries to find out what’s happened to the Johnsons, and the girls are concerned about the phantom snipper who is cutting off girl’s braids.

From the very first page, you glean an insight into several of the principal characters. From the first few pages, you can’t help but love Phryne. My opinion has not changed; I really to want to be Phryne Fisher when I grow up.

Phryne was not born to money, so she knows hard times, but through twists of fate, is now titled, wealthy and very independent. She is kind, protective of those less fortunate, impatient with fools, has no tolerance for bigots, intelligent, observant, shoots, flies a plane, can defend herself and has a non-emotional attitude toward sex. Greenwood skillfully provides insight into those surrounding Phryne with simple descriptions of their bedrooms, including the fact that Jane reads Dorothy L Sayers.

It is fun to look at the 1920s through Fisher’s eyes. We see the impact of the War, learn about the surrealists—which did lead to a conversation that was a bit esoteric for me--see an early film being made, and are treated to a view of life in Australia in this time. Greenwood creates such a strong sense of place with descriptions, she paints a visual scene. Her wonderful descriptions of food left me hungry; I’m delighted there is a recipe at the end of the book.

The plot was a bit unusual for Phryne. As the characters are on vacation, in a sense so were we. The mystery is certainly there and although there are deaths, as Phryne said “…I got through the week without a murder.” Well, sort of; at least none at her hand, and when Phryne solves a crime, it makes perfect sense had one been paying attention.

“Dead Man’s Chest” is yet another wonderful book in an altogether delightful series. From literary quotes, to delightful characters, a touch of humor, and unusual crimes to solve; I highly recommend it.

DEAD MAN’S CHEST (Hist Mys/PI-Phryne Fisher-Australia-Golden Age) – G+
Greenwood, Kerry – 18th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, ©2010, ARC -- US Hardcover ISBN: 9781590587973

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one as much as the first one if not more. Another one is waiting for me at the library. I have to read all of these.

[Karoliina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this not having read any of the other Miss Fisher books, but I have bingewatched the TV show based on them several times and found it easy to jump right in. Since I was introduced to the show first, the story was slower and less gruesome than I initially expected, but once I adjusted to that change I thoroughly enjoyed the its calm pace.

In addition to being a cosy mystery, it is also credible as a piece of historical fiction and clearly very well-researched. The bibliography provided at the end has made me want to look more into 1920s cinema and the Surrealist movement. The end notes also include recipes from the story, which I find really charming, and I think I'll give The Impossible Pie and the Noyau Cocktail a go.

[Alison C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the busy times Phryne’s been experiencing lately, she finally takes a vacation at a seaside town, along with daughters Jane and Ruth, and companion Dot. Expecting a soothing time all around, she’s immediately disenchanted - the couple supposed to “do” for the family have disappeared, along with all their furniture and most of the food in the house! And that’s only the beginning of difficulties Phryne will encounter in Queenscliff - there are smugglers, adolescent dolts, a nasty old woman who sees everything, Surrealists, and perhaps hidden pirate treasure too…. I enjoyed this outing of Miss Fisher’s much more than the televised version, which had far more violence than in the book. I also enjoyed the guest-starring characters, the new addition to her household and, perhaps most of all, the quite absurd Surrealists, who were clearly having a splendid time of it! Although with respect to the nasty old woman, why was her only heir a mistreated niece when she’s living in her own daughter’s home? That discrepancy puzzled me; still, recommended.

[Stacie Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this was my first Phryne Fisher, I wouldn't have liked it. This is one that you like because you have come to care for the characters.

[Danceangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books of the series. Phryne Fisher is magnificent as always, but we also have a better glimpse on the characters of Ruth, Jane and Dot - and also Tinker and especially Gaston the doggie are quite adorable :) Last but not least, I can do with Australian sun and ocean!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super easy to get into. From the first paragraph, I was drawn straight into Phryne Fisher's world. The writing is wonderful and made the book feel more real to me than my actual life!

And all the food descriptions! Knowing what characters what like to eat makes them 10x more realistic to me. There are even about 3 recipes at the end of the book for some of the food they ate. And little gems like this made me smile:

"Dot supplied herself, Jane, Ruth and Tinker with cocoa and a few biscuits to guard against night starvation."

I can relate to people that aren't happy until they have planned when and what their next meal will be.

Descriptions of people are so well done I could imagine myself there in the book next to them.

"Madame Sélavy was tall, thin and haggard. Her face was bony, her nose beaky, her eyes as bright as pins. She was heavily made-up, white paint and red lips and kohl around the eyes. She wore a draped gown which Princess Eugenie might have considered overdecorated, dripping with black and gold bugle beads, embroideries, tassels and fringes to the utmost tolerance of woven cloth. She smelt strongly of patchouli. Rings burdened every finger, her neck was wrapped in pearl-studded chains and a band of brilliants encircled her throat. "

The main mystery was solved by an unlikely coincidence. I can forgive this because there was some decent investigating up to that point and Phryne did solve one of the sub-mysteries. That was enough to keep me happy so I'm not too bothered about the coincidence that was thrown in there.

There are a few loose ends that I can't work out. I'm not entirely sure what the point of the treasure hunt was, or what the bit in the cave near the end was about. If people had been searching for the treasure for so long wouldn't they already have found that? Phryne didn't do anything special to get there, it was just a cave on a beach. And when the two men tried to abduct Phryne, who was watching from the neighbour's house and why?

Everything else about the book I loved. I've read two in the series now and Phryne Fisher is already one of my favourite book characters. You've got to admire a woman that will quite happily abandon her clothes if it helps her escape the grasp of an attacker.

An absolute delight, this is a feel-good story that is perfect for a weekend of indulgent reading.

I received a free copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Jann Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've said before, I would love to be Phryne. Barring that, I would love to be her best friend and fellow sleuth.

This is the 18th entry in the series and picks up where "Murder on a Midsummer Night" left off. Phryne had indicated the need for a vacation, so she leaves Mr. and Mrs. Butler at the house and takes Dot, Jane, Ruth, and Molly (the dog) to a house at Queenscliff (offered to her by a character from said previous book).

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, the live-in couple at the house, were nowhere to be found. Their belongings had disappeared, yet their beloved dog turned up covered in smelly garbage.

Phryne enlists the aid of a boy who immediately becomes an adoring fan, and he may appear in future books in the series. The house on one side is occupied by a rather hysterical women and three surly troublemaking young louts, while on the other side, a group of surrealists provide interesting moments. The phantom snipper (who cuts off braids from unsuspecting young women) is at work, and a trio of filmmakers revives interest in buried treasure.

Greenwood held my attention yet again. I wouldn't use the word "frothy" to describe these books, but they are fun to read and she often tosses in a vocabulary word with which I am unfamiliar. I like that.

I will continue to read this series and have a lot of catching up to do!

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

“Miss Fisher was about to happen to someone again.” That’s according to Dot, Phryne Fisher’s companion/lady’s maid, when Miss Fisher, Dot, Phryne’s adopted daughters Jane and Ruth, and their dog Molly, arrive in Queenscliff, a lovely little holiday-by-the-sea town in Australia.

But Dot’s bit of internal monologue could easily serve as the opening for every book in the series, as well as every episode of the TV series that was based on it. Because the gist of pretty much everything is that Miss Fisher happens to someone, shenanigans ensue, and one or two bodies turn up.

A good time is had by all, including the reader and/or viewer as Phryne saves the day – or several days – in her own inimitable fashion, and then she swans off to happen to someone else.

That would be the very short version of the story. The details in the slightly longer version are what make this entry in the book series so much fun.

At first, the mystery in this entry is uncomfortably on the domestic side. Phryne has rented a house in Queenscliff from a casual acquaintance, expecting to arrive and find the house fully staffed and ready to welcome her and her entourage.

Instead, the house is empty, and not merely the staff are absent but so is all their furniture, the cupboard is completely bare and the back door is swinging open along with the back gate. But there’s no blood, no bodies, and it seems like nothing missing that didn’t belong to the staff, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.

But there is one thing extra. The Johnson’s little dog, Gaston, is piteously searching through garbage trying to find enough scraps to survive on. The Johnsons doted on the tiny terrier as if he were their child, but somehow he got left behind. It doesn’t add up.

And the local constabulary doesn’t want to even attempt to make it add up. The Johnsons are gone, their effects are gone, the bitter old gossip at the end of the street witnessed the removal van come and take away all their furniture. Case closed.

But not for Phryne. Even before she gets her household organized, she’s on the trail of the missing couple. Along the way she finds a new member for her eclectic household, a scrum of unruly boys, a smuggling ring – and a surprisingly well-guarded pirate’s treasure.

Escape Rating A-: Just like yesterday, this was simply a case of the right book at the right time. I was looking for comfort reads so dipped into two series that I know will reliably pull me into their worlds and out of my own with a sigh of relief.

Phryne always delivers – a mystery, a bit of derring-do, a dead body – and a surprising amount of commentary on the world in which she lives – along with her honest contempt for a fair number of people in it.

I said in my review of Riviera Gold a few weeks ago that I’d love to be a fly on the wall at a meeting between Phryne and Mary Russell. They are contemporaries, both operating during the pre-Depression 1920s, both living in the same upper class circles – when they are not undercover on one mystery or another – and both women who are seldom shy about saying what they think, operating independently and not caring beyond the minimum necessary about what most other people think.

This particular entry in the series feels very domestic, for lack of a better word. Phryne and her family are on their own in Queenscliff, without the support of the redoubtable Butlers, the able assistance and occasional guard duty provided by Bert and Cec, or the sometimes reluctant assistance of the Melbourne CIB in the persons of Jack Robinson and Hugh Collins.

Not that Hugh doesn’t turn up before the end. But he’s not the one who saves the day – or as it turns out, night. That’s Phryne. That’s always Phryne. It’s her series, after all.

But in spite of the “walk on” role of the pirate’s treasure, most of what happens in this one is wrapped around the various households involved.

Not just Phryne’s, where they take to being on their own without any staff with a great deal of fun. It’s easy to forget that none of these women, Phryne, Dot, Jane or Ruth, began their lives in easy circumstances. Phryne may have money now, but she spent a lot of years dirt poor and has never forgotten. So, while it’s a lark to be on their own, it’s still streets above where any of them started.

And it does give Ruth a chance to try out her skills as a cook, something she wants to make a career out of. She does so well that the reader will salivate at the description of all the things she makes. There are even recipes in the back for those who want to try it for themselves.

But all of the households have a toehold in this particular mystery, from the Mason family next door, where a gang of upper class bullying hooligans is running around cutting girls’ ponytails and selling the hair, to the Greens at the end, where the local doctor’s house is ruled by the iron fist and screeching voice of his nasty, busybody mother-in-law – at least until she drops dead.

And then there’s the disorganized house of Surrealists, who may or may not know something about the various crime sprees in Queenscliff, but certainly know plenty about all the other goings on.

But no one expects that the local legend that the pirate Benito dropped a load of gold in the harbor is really true. And Phryne is certainly not planning to tell. After all, part of her scheme to find the missing Johnsons and out the smugglers involves faking the discovery of the pirate’s hoard. Letting out the secret that it’s real after all would mess up all of her plans.

One final note. I’ve had an absolute ball reading this series. I also loved the TV show. But by this point in the books it’s excruciatingly clear that the one has very little to do with the other when it comes to even the broadest details of any story. Readers will enjoy the books more if they keep them firmly separated in their minds from the TV series. They’re each marvelous, but in their own, very separate ways. Even if they both do start with the same story, Cocaine Blues.

[Jenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites of the series so far. Lots of delicious food and fabulous outfits and rescuing people and other people getting their comeuppances. Plus Surrealists!
It was just the perfect thing to read in the park on a sunny afternoon.

[CatBookMom · Rating 4 out of 5]

2016 - This book always has something interesting to find, even when it's a re-re-read.

2014 - Followed a line from another book to this (about Jane refusing to be suckered into doing the neighbor boys' homework), so decided to read it again. May listen again, too.

[Karen Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phryne finds herself on holidays with a mystery to solve with the help of some new friends.

We get to meet Phryne two adopted daughters and also what they like and don't like.

Great story and the first where Phryne has no man to play with keep her mind off the Mystery.

[Lil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phryne is back in fine form! After abandoning the last book, I was afraid Miss Fisher had run her course. So glad to be proved wrong.