I had actually heard of these stories through Go Fug Yourself – they were discussing the fashions worn by the main character on the television show based on the books. So I had to check this out, and I was not disappointed. I love a good classic mystery, especially jazzy ones. Unfortunate titles notwithstanding.
Miss Phryne Fisher is well ahead of her time. After she solves a robbery at a dinner party (embarrassing the culprit to boot), she is asked to travel to Australia to check on a couple’s daughter – they think her husband is trying to kill her. So Phryne heads to Melbourne, and sets up housekeeping in a hotel downtown. She hires a young local girl to be her maid – slash – everything. And she immediately begins to make an impact on local society.
Phryne also gets involved in investigating several mysteries, and gets in almost over her head (but never all the way). She encounters cocaine dealers, Russian dancers, back alley abortionists, and she’s still trying to figure out if her original target is actually being poisoned.
This is the first book in a series, I will definitely be exploring the rest of them as time goes on.
Happy Cannonball!