A Question of Death

Phryne Fisher #18.5

by Kerry Greenwood, Stephanie Daniel (Narrator)

Book by Greenwood, Kerry

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Australia

Audio CD

First published December 1, 2007

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

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

I love Phyrne Fisher's world, and this book is like a sampler box of chocs--short, sweet, and often funny. I don't know where the individual stories fit in the chronology of the author's corpus (pun intended), but readers of the Fisher canon will recognise the seeds of longer works.

There appear to be a couple of different editions of this collection of short stories, as I ran across one a few months ago with very different front matter, including a disclaimer--apparently some readers emailed Ms Greenwood accusing her of taking her ideas from Hitchcock films, urban legend, and of course Chaucer. I couldn't finish the book at that time, but have just finished reading "the other edition"--one that does not address these issues in the preface. Still a good read, though. I enjoyed the illustrations, as well as Phryne's tips on handling mashers!

Sadly, I have but one volume of the Fisher chronicles left to read; however I'm sure that next year I will enjoy re-reading them all just as much.

If you enjoy Phryne Fisher, and/or the Avengers TV series, may I recommend Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise books?

And can anyone out there recommend another source of light-as-air reading of this type?

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm uncertain as to why the title emphasizes "illustrated"; after the author's (quite interesting) essay on how she came to write this series the book is primarily a collection of short stories with recipes and cover art between them. I enjoyed the volume but felt it was a bit of a cheat in that many of the stories and artworks were taken from her previous books, so I had already read and seen them.

"I wanted her to be likes James Bond, with better clothes and fewer gadgets."

"If I ever saw my muse she would be an old woman with a tight bun and spectacles poking me in the middle of the back and growling, 'Wake up and write the book!'"

[Lizpixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of Phryne Fisher short stories, illustrations, cocktail recipes & 1928era food recipes. The same artist that created those beautiful Art Deco paintings in the original novels, Beth Norling, has included some more original paintings of Phryne as well as sketches of her shoes, jewellery & hats. If you’re a Phryne fan, it’s a must read. If you’re not a Phryne fan, go back to the beginning and try again!

[Karen Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a selection of short-stories about Phryne Fisher and I have to say it was brilliant I just love Phryne spunk,intelligence with a style all to her own.

I am looking forward to reading more about Phryne adverters.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of short story mysteries. I was not aware of Phryne Fisher, a twenties flapper who works as a private investigator, before I picked up this book. It was featured in Publisher's Weekly, I believe. It is a quick read - perfect for a weekend getaway book.

Phryne is quite the modern girl, with an eye for observation. This collection has illustrations and recipes that blend with the tales.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely nice collection of short stories starring our intrepid detective, sometimes in early versions of stories modified and made into novels later and sometimes just prequels (so that's how Phryne met the carnies!). Plus more awesome illustrations, the covers are never enough, and recipes. I would have liked more narrative history but this has more solid stories than I expected, so it's a wash.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ако една особена част във вас си пада по двайсетте години заради скандално късите (за времето си) прически, елегантните рокли с пера и пайети, чаровно накривените шапчици и малките бродирани чантички – всяка истинско произведение на ювелирното изкуство, както и новооткритата свобода на жените, можещи да карат коли, да пият завъртяни коктейли и да танцуват джаз до зори, то едва ли сте пропуснали сериала за невероятната Фрайни Фишър и нейните детективски приключения в междувоенна Австралия.

Много хора имат на бюрата си снимки на домашни любимци, деца, семейства, а аз – на Еси Дейвис във вечната ѝ роля на ексцентричната мис Фишър. Така трябва да изглежда здравословният феминизъм – елегантен, красив, интелигентен и знаещ как да се забавлява, но и да помага с женственост и нежна грижа на тези, които имат истинска нужда. Богата наследница, бохем, очарователна вариация на Шерлок Холмс, със страст към ярки спортни коли, силни коктейли и… смърт. Да, винаги има трупове около Фрайни Фишър, но пък тя е специалистка в посочването на извършителите на скверните дела, ако и понякога да проявява морална, а не съдебна справедливост. Защото понякога, само понякога мъртъвците са по-виновни от извършителите.

Е, книгите за мис Фишър малко се отличават от сериала, но блясъкът на главната героиня в никакъв случай не е затъмнен или цензуриран. Фрайни е благородна, но и цинична; добродетелна, но и фриволна; щедра, но и истинска харпия с тези, които се опитват да я използват. До този истински култ към личността на двайсетарската независима жена в сериала се изправя изключително праволинейният, но винаги свестен във всяко отношение инспектор Джак Робинсън, като уравновесител на бляскавата фурия, който обаче в книгите е щастливо женен и с деца. Ех, тъга. Добре, че ги има сериалът и филмът, че да се насладим на достатъчно остроумни словесни битки и забавни флиртове между два впечатляващо силни и ярки характера.

Като изключим обаче тази немалка липса, в книгите атмосферата, стилът и всепоглъщащата магия са запазени, и ако се чудите откъде да ги започнете – този сборник с разкази е идеалното начало на приключението ви. Мис Фишър ще разследва класически в постройката си мистерии за призрачни убийства, откраднали бижута, недискретни изнудвачи и гротескни игри на престъпници, които обаче не могат да стъпят дори на кутрето на австралийската ни светска лъвица. Не знам, ако се съберат в една стая Поаро, Шерлок, Фандорин и Фрайни кой ще прояви най-бляскав интелект, но кой ще изглежда най-добре само по чорапи и с кожено палто нямам съмнение. Кратки, стегнати и дори леко придвидими като развръзка, историите за мис Фишър ще ви донесат абсолютното виновно удоволствие от поредната опасна авантюра в лоша, но завладяваща компания. Вървят с всякакъв вид алкохол, но за най-добрите комбинации погледнете предложените в книжката коктейли. Да, дори това има.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mainly read this for the short stories, none of which I had read elsewhere. The short glossary at the back also told me a few things that I didn't know.

Set in 1928, this anthology was published between #16 and #17 in the Phryne Fisher series (#16 was set on Christmas Eve 1928) There are currently 22 books in the series, with #22 due to be published in May 2022. I haven't read all of them by any means (although more than I have listed below) and so I think I should look for more this year.

Kerry Greenwood has written another 35 books outside this series (see the list at Fantastic Fiction), including some historical non-fiction, and several books for young adults.

There are 13 short stories in A QUESTION OF DEATH, some better than others, but mostly entertaining.

There is an interesting prelude by the author at the front of the anthology in which she says Phryne Fisher is her favourite heroine.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Question of Death by Kerry Greenwood is a collection of stories featuring Phryne Fisher. I enjoyed this collection very much and the added information and recipes were interesting although the illustrations were not very descriptive and I did not think they contributed very much. Phryne was superb as always.

[Marijan Šiško · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and factoids involving Phryne Fisher. Althought interesting, it bis obvious that shorter form is not author's forte and that she clearly expresses herself better using longer for, i.e. novel. Between 3 and 4 stars

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Question of Death is a collection of short stories, recipes, information and tips from Kerry Greenwood’s popular Phyrne Fisher. Greenwood tells how Phryne came to be, and the writing process she follows with these novels. There is a baker’s dozen of short stories featuring the inimitable Phryne: she helps a distraught Australian wife in Paris; at one of her exclusive soirees, Death attends thrice; Phryne avenges a badly-done-by secretary, restores Collingwood’s chances at an important match, retrieves purloined pearls for a good cause, uncovers a brothel, gambles for an important locket, riddles with a book thief, assists in a case of four dead bodies, foils a snake at the circus, and helps prove the innocence of a confessor to a murder; Christmas in June turns deadly for a blackmailer and a playboy meets a deserving end. On tastefully tinted pages with beautiful watermarks and charming illustrations, Phryne gives tips on discouraging overenthusiastic suitors, and recipes are provided for cocktails, cakes and some sumptuous dishes. Lavish colour illustrations by Beth Norling grace the first page of each chapter. This little gem of a book will be welcomed by Phryne fans everywhere.

[Bryan Higgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a couple of Phryne Fisher books, so I picked one up from the local library, and also was enticed by this collection of short detective stories where Phryne unerringly solves each puzzle with no apparent effort. The other book I picked up, Unnatural Habits, I thoroughly enjoyed; it was a fun read (see my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).

This book was, as someone else who reviewed it here said, like a box of chocolates, with a variety of selections. The short stories were very short and fun to read. They were interspersed with illustrations, recipes, etc. (I copied one recipe, Boeuf En Daube, to see whether it was worth trying). I particularly enjoyed the introduction by the author, Kerry Greenwood, about how she came up with the character and the concept of the books. The writing style is tongue-in-cheek and highly enjoyable; the introduction is, itself, a good introduction to the writing style. The characters are well presented, and have their unique quirks. The writing also conveys quite well the period (1920s) and location (Melbourne, Australia).

I had fun with this one, too.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of 13 short stories finds Phryne solving several murders as well as a few other crimes. Set in Australia in 1928, Phryne is a strong woman with lots of intelligence to solve some pretty strange puzzles.

This was my introduction to the character, and I do feel I missed some things not know more about her background and the rest of the obviously recurring characters. However, I did enjoy the stories since they provided good puzzles. Phryne is a really smart detective, and the trip back in time was fun.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Beth E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really happy to find another Phryne book to read. The illustrations are beautiful. There are a lot of short stories in here, especially for a book of this size. It was a very satisfying read. It was also fun to see more of some of the characters who only appeared in one book, such as Lindsey Herbert.

I think that some of the TV show episodes are based on a few of these short stories, which is nice. I am glad that more of the TV show than I had previously thought is based on Kerry Greenwood's writing.

I want to try at least one of the recipes in this book too, which is rare for me.

Although I finished reading it, I am definitely not ready to return it to the library yet.

[Phair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed several of the Phryne Fisher books but this is the first one on audio. What a pleasant experience! I usually dislike short stories but this collection was great: clever & complicated enough to be interesting with good period detail & well drawn characters. I can't praise the reader, Stephanie Daniel, enough. The catchy little bit of period-flavor music and the recipe or factoid that came between each story were such fun. Have to find more audio for this series!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book of short stories was as glossy as Miss Phryne Fisher's bob, as incisive as her sharp green eyes, as flamboyant as her wardrobe, as entertaining as her wit, as eclectic as her supporting cast, and as elegant as Miss Phyrne Fisher's person herself. In short, it was a delightful romp through 1928 Australia, if you don't mind tripping over the dead bodies that people her mystery stories.

[Deanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories featuring our favourite Australian flapper/detective. There's also recipes for drinks and food featured in the books. There's humour and the usual gang makes an appearance.

[Gori Suture · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story in my copy of the book is messed up with some serious typos that makes it hard to read. I’m sure they’ve been fixed by now in later editions. The rest of the stories are pretty good, but not as good as the television show. I did enjoy it, though.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, and I loved the colored pages and illustrations. The stories were fun but lacked the wonderful immersive quality of the novels, which remain my favorite cozy mysteries out there.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book of Phryne morsels and short stories. It helps slightly as I wait for book 21 to come out. Please write faster Ms. Greenwood!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this along with The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions, an updated version edition which included four additional stories and a few updates here and there on the previous adventures. It is always a delight to spend time with Phryne Fisher and I was glad to revisit the stories familiar to me (from this earlier edition which I own) and to have four new opportunities to watch Phryne in action. Some of the stories are more puzzle-oriented rather than the murder mysteries we are used to in the book-length works, but they all showcase Phryne as the independent, intelligent woman she is. I read and examined these books in tandem (since Lady with the Gun builds on A Question of Death), this book is even more delightful because it includes color illustrations and recipes for drinks and food mentioned in the Phryne Fisher series. ★★★★

"Hotel Splendide": Why would the manager of an exclusive hotel give newlyweds a room that doesn't really exist and then tell the new bride that she and her (now missing) groom had never registered?

"The Voice Is Jacob's Voice": A man's punitive will results in the death of his twin sons.

"Marrying the Bookie's Daughter": The mystery of the missing bridal jewels reveals a secret that could ruin the wedding.

"The Vanishing of Jock McHale's Hat": An Archbishop asks Phryne to find a football coach's lucky hat. The reason it was stolen isn't the obvious one....

"Puttin' on the Ritz": Phryne retrieves a young man's pearly inheritance from his swine of a father.

"The Body in the Library": In a hat-tip to Dame Agatha Christie, Phryne and Inspector Robinson investigate the little matter of a deceased blonde dumped in the library of a prominent MP.

"The Miracle of St. Mungo": Phryne is on the hunt for another piece of jewelry. This time it's a locket being held by a blackmailer.

"Overheard on a Balcony": When the nasty blackmailing general dies of an overdose of digitalis there is no lack for suspects nor for those who say they did it. But was it really murder...or suicide?

"The Hours of Juana the Mad": Melbourne University's treasure, a book of hours, has gone missing and it's up to Phryne to track it down.

"Death Shall Be Dead": An old man with little money tells Inspector Robinson that someone has tried to kill him and then someone tried to buy his house. But he wasn't selling. The next day his house catches fired, there are three dead bodies in his kitchen, and he is found dead (heart attack from being tortured) on the back porch. Phryne and the inspector will need to figure out why.

"Carnival": Phryne's escort loses a valuable pearl necklace at the carnival. But all is not as it seems.

"The Camberwell Wonder": A business man disappears leaving only a bloody collar behind. One of his staff confesses to killing him, but Phryne knows that it just isn't so.

"Come, Sable Night": A man who jilted one sister in favor of the other dies of anaphylactic shock in Phryne's house. There are others in the party who also have reason to dislike him. Did he have something he was allergic to? Did a bee sting him? Or is it murder?

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Stven · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the fans of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher novels (of whom I am one), this is an entertaining enough read, and lavishly decorated with illustrations by whoever does the cover artwork for the books. I was glad to get to read a couple of pages on the topic of how our author first invented this character, and the breezy, companionable tone which delights me in the books I found often in the short stories and vignettes herein.

However. Why is it called "A Question of Death"? It had to be called something, but not all the stories even feature a death. And it's stories, plural. It's not "A Question" but numerous questions.

Where did these stories come from? Why is there no listing of original publication dates and magazines? -- if they were even published in magazines, which is never made clear.

What is the artist's name? Five minutes of searching in this pretty volume has not revealed it to me. When the subtitle includes the word "Illustrated," I would expect to find this name on the cover right under the name of the writer. I would expect to find it on the title page. I would expect to find it in the introduction. I might change the title to "A Question of Art."

Finally. Back cover, very bottom, under the ISBN code and in smaller letters than anything else on the cover or in the entire book. "Cover design: Beth Norling." Presumably "design" includes having done the actual artwork, though it might not, and why not be more specific?

[Jess Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This treasury is primarily a collection of short stories, with a sprinkling of illustrations and recipes to add texture to the treasury. I feel like it was PRIMARILY the short stories and there was scope to add more - maybe photos of 1920s Melbourne, more illustrations, maps, or more than one essay about how Phryne came to be. Even a blurb introducing each short story and how it came to be would have been interesting, especially since several of the stories are clearly prototypes of plots that later became novels (the university setting of Death Before Wicket; several of the characters that wound up in Urn Burial; a prequel to Blood and Circuses; and the choir theme, if not the characters or murder, are reminiscent of Murder and Mendelssohn.) It would be fascinating to find out how the stories changed from short story to novel, when they were published etc.

I thought the short story format worked really well, managing to circumvent some of the problems that have crept into the last few books in the series. (Problems that may not have been so glaring if I'd been reading the books as they were published, but that became very obvious when binge-reading.) Instead of info-dumps of research, sluggish plots, and mysteries where Phryne barely seemed to investigate there are punchy wee mysteries with (usually) clever observations and deductions by Phryne. A pleasure to read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

“‘I am what I am and I behave as I wish and I will not be dictated to by anyone. If I want lovers, I take them. If I do not want to be married, I will not be married and there’s nothing you can do to make me! Do you hear?’”

A nice collection of short stories, some of them were very enjoyable and others a bit less. We encounter various characters we’ve met in previous novels, some series regulars and others we haven’t seen before. These short stories are set during 1928/1929 and during or in between Phryne’s sleuthing adventures we read about. They involve various disappearances, a marriage proposal, murders and multiple refreshing cocktails, scrumptious meals and ravishing outfits.

Next to Phryne, we often encounter ✨Jack✨in this collection, with his “gardener’s hand, calloused and hard” and his love for animals when a dog’s master is found that and he decides on the spot to take the dog home with him.

All in all a fun read, with some memorable snippets. The stories I liked most, were Hotel Splendide, Marrying the bookie’s daughter, Overheard on a balcony and Carnival. 3,5 ⭐️.

[COL(ret.) Frank J. Stech, PhD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course the Hon Phryne Fisher had to live in Melbourne. Had she lived in London, she would have had one fling after another with Lord Peter Wimsey, and what would the Duke and Dutchess have said about that!
Well! The murders would have been solved twice as fast!
But the price of Moet would have doubled!
Her 46CV Hispano-Suiza racing his Daimler? The accident rate would double!
The Butlers and Bunter in one household! They'd double sales in Mayfair!

Would you chaps pipe down! This is the card room and gentlemen are playing bridge!

Kerry Greenwood's Melbourne detective Sheila is every bit as witty, brilliant, and sophisticated as Dorothy L. Sayers noble London sleuth. A pair they would have made!

The short short mystery puzzles in this illustrated treasury are priceless. Miss Fisher at her finest. And Beth Norling's illustrations are pure gold. Phryne is deliciously divine.

There is no better way to be introduced to the Hon Phryne Fisher.

[Sora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read this in 2024 and this book reads like early Phryne books and I loved it! It was charming, it was witty, and it was refreshing. I may even do a re-read (unlikely because my TBR list is way too long for me to even consider doing any re-reads at this time). But, I loved this book. It consists of a series of short stories that are Phryne mysteries. I loved all of them. They were succinct, surprising, and quintessentially Phryne. There was also a cameo of the circus folk from Blood & Circus. In fact, it could have been the origin story for it. The prologue of the book describes Phryne as the female James Bond - a smart, resourceful person who can sleep with whoever they want. It describes Phryne perfectly. Fun, smart, resourceful, witty, impressive, and living life to the fullest.

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were nice little entertainments. The plots were serviceable (how many ways can you really spin the short whodunnit.) I can’t say I love Miss Mary Sue Fisher—she can be imperious, arrogant, judgmental, and vain, and I get the impression I’m not meant to think so*. But Greenwood makes up for all that with her assiduous research and attention to detail.

Will a reader/listener get sick of hearing about Miss Fisher’s wonderful Dutch haircut and amazing fashions every story? Probably not.

* I wonder if it’s the narrator’s fault. She sounds so bored and actually Vulcan-ish. I’ve only listened to two Miss Fishers and she’s narrated both. Compare to Penelope Kieth who can make the phone book sound fun.

[Priscilla Herrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been suffering withdrawal pangs since reading the last novel in the Phrynne Fisher series. This anthology helped a lot! Ah yes, Stephanie Daniel's voice as Phrynne (and everyone else as well!) Check! And Phrynne, as well dressed as ever, driving her red Hispano-Suiza sports car. Check! And a scattering of beautiful young men. Check!

For Phrynne's fans, this is delightful. There are short storied - and in some of them, we see the seeds of later novels. What fun! And for those who have not yet met the delightful Miss Fisher, this might be just the right introduction.

My only complaint? It was much too short!!!

[Natashalie Lumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an AMAZING book of short stories. I dearly love Phryne Fisher and getting this sort of inside-look into the short stories that sometimes formed backbones for entire books was awesome to experience. I was a tad bit disappointed that the art was really just 90% covers from books in the series interspersed with things like "What is in Phryne's purse". I had really been hoping that there was artwork similar to the covers that would give a deeper look into the fashion or architecture of the time, or even of her family. However it is an excellent read and I fully recommend getting it from your local library.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A miscellaneous collection of 12 short stories that are often trial runs for characters that are later incorporated into novels, plus several recipes, Phryne trivia, and a glossary. All of her books could use a glossary for those of us not of the Australian persuasion. But at least these days, many things can be found on the internet, including some Australian terms and slang.
Of her standard repeating characters, Dot, Mr. & Mrs. Butler, Inspector Jack Robinson, Bert & Cec, and Dr. McMillan appear at least once. No sigh of Ruth and Jane in these stories.
Interesting, but I feel that Phryne benefits from the longer length of her usually short novels.