Death Before Wicket: A Phryne Fisher Mystery [Paperback]

Kerry Greenwood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2008

It is 1928 and Phryne Fisher has packed her best dresses, her finest sportswear, and her elusive smile for a Sydney get-away. But, Dot's sister Joan has vanished. The neighbors think that Joan has run away with a secret lover, but Dot finds it highly unlikely that Joan would have willingly abandoned her children--leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. And what of the recent theft at the nearby university? The garnets belonging to the wife of the Dean have been missing now for days along with an irreplaceable illuminated book. Are these two mysterious happenings somehow related? Could black magic be at play?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In one of Greenwood's stronger entries in her acclaimed series set in 1920s Australia (Ruddy Gore, etc.), her elegant, larger-than-life amateur sleuth Phryne Fisher travels on holiday from Melbourne to Sydney, where she confronts a pair of pressing mysteries as soon as she washes off the grime of her train trip. Joss Hart and Clarence Ottery, young gentlemen escorts who are students at the University of Sydney, ask Phryne to exonerate a friend accused of stealing exams from a safe in the dean's office. Then Phryne's maid, Dot Williams, discovers her sister, Joan, has disappeared, leaving two young children in the care of Joan's loutish husband. With typical aplomb, Phryne juggles both puzzles, even as she crosses swords with a sinister cult leader who may have at least some of the answers she seeks. The author artfully blends action, humor and deduction. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"one of Greenwood's stronger entries in her acclaimed series set in 1920s Australia...The author artfully blends action, humor and deduction."  --Publisher's Weekly

"The change of scene and a hint of Dorothy L. Sayers gives the delightfully refreshing Phryne one of her best cases to date." --Kirkus Reviews

"This series is the best Australian import since Nicole Kidman, and Phyrne is the flashiest new female sleuth in the genre."  --Booklist starred review of Away with the Faeries

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (March 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590585577
• ISBN-13: 978-1590585573
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flapper Phryne Fisher bats for Australia, July 7, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Chamberlin "Betsy Reader" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death Before Wicket: A Phryne Fisher Mystery (Paperback)

Even though much of the time I could not make sense of the cricket action, I loved this entry in the Phryne Fisher series. The contrast between the over-civilized university and the brutal degradation of the Melbourne slums was wonderfully depicted.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Aussie Sleuth is a Hit, April 28, 2008

By 

Jaded Mystery Lover "Mystery Lover" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death Before Wicket (Phryne Fisher Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

Once again, the delightful Phryne Fisher is out and about, solving Australia's mysteries during the twenties...the writing is crisp, the characters (especially the secondary characters) are deftly drawn, and this is a book to curl up with on a cold spring day. A cozy series with a touch of bitters--Angostura?--that makes a tart, but charming read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Ain't Cricket, February 7, 2008

By 

Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Death Before Wicket (Phryne Fisher Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

The further adventures of the Hon. Phryne Fisher take place in Sydney where she and her maid, Dorothy, go for a "vacation." Phryne promises Dot `no murders on this trip.' Instead, she does undertake to solve two mysteries.

Two young men, university students, implore her to solve a theft from the university safe in the Dean's office of a number of items, including an ancient Egyptian papyrus, so that a friend of theirs can be absolved of the thievery. Then there is the matter of Dot's sister, who is missing. Each involves usual circumstances, enabling the author to demonstrate Phryne's unusual tastes and ability to intuit, as well as to use a wide range of uncanny knowledge of ancient lore and rituals.

The novel is the 10th in chronological order in the series' original publication sequence. PPP has published 12 of these in no particular order. Each, so far, has been very much worth the while of the reader.