Customer Reviews

Death Before Wicket: A Phryne Fisher Mystery

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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.

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.

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.

First Sentence: Sydney struck Phryne Fisher, quite literally, in the face.

Phryne Fisher is off to Sydney for a bit of cricket, sightseeing and to attend the Artist's Ball. She is barely off the train when two young men, students at the University of Sydney, ask for her help. Exams have been stolen from a safe in the dean's office and their friend has been accused. Phryne is also soon asked by Dot, her maid, to find her sister who has disappeared leaving behind two small children with Dot's less-than-desirable brother-in-law.

Phryne (Fry-knee) Fisher may be my all-time favorite character. Ms. Greenwood has done such a wonderful job creating her, with vivid descriptions of clothes, food and her life, she seems very real. In this book, we learn even more of her childhood, which was very poor and provides an excellent contrast to her present life of wealth.

Phryne is smart, cleaver, independent, and sexy with a wonderful attitude toward affairs while being very loyal and caring. Greenwood is smart in creating the contrasting character of her maid Dot, whom Phryne rescued, is subdued, Catholic and uncertain how much Anglicans knew about religion when she gives Phryne a St. Michael's metal for protection.

This is not your traditional cozy, as there are scenes that are quite sexually explicit. But the book also deals with issues. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is under construction. There are interesting observations on the damage done by the original Brits to Australia and the problems which still exist in Sydney versus Melbourne, Phryne's home. The books also deals with the beliefs of the Aborigines and the belief in magic with a very good line that although one may not believe in magic, one can believe in belief.

Ms. Greenwood writing creates a well-rounded story with excellent dialogue and a very good twist at the end. It includes just the right touch of humor as in a scene where the protagonist does a delightful send-up of the too-stupid-to-live, gothic-novel heroine.

This book was a joy to read and I always look forward to the next book in the series.

DEATH BEFORE WICKET (PI-Phryne Fisher-Australia-Golden Age/1920s - VG

Greenwood, Kerry - 10th in series

Allen & Unwin, ©1999, Aust. Trade Paperback - ISBN: 1741140951

Phryne Fisher accompanied by her maid Dorothy "Dot" Williams takes the train to Sydney for a vacation. The wealthy independent woman looks forward to seeing the Harbour Bridge construction and a few cricket matches though the national team seems older this year than usual. She also plans to have some champagne with the University Vice Chancellor Charles Waterhouse and squeeze in some time with renowned young modernist Chas Nutall.

However, Dot panics when her sister Joan vanishes without a trace. Although a nasty rumor insists she ran off to party with a man, Dot swears her sibling would never abandon her children especially to be left with her ever angry ironmonger husband. Dot feels a bit better although still worried when Phryne says she will investigate starting by dancing at the nightclubs in the wild Darlinghurst section of town; the most likely place Joan would have gone if she did decamp. At about the same time, two university students Jocelyn "Joss" Hart and Clarence Ottery beg Phryne to learn who broke into the Dean of Arts' safe and stole several articles as an innocent scholarship student Adam Harcourt is being accused.

DEATH BEFORE WICKET is a terrific entry in one of the best historical mystery series on the market today. Phryne remains a fresh unique heroine as she does what she wants in 1920s Australia. This time besides touring Sydney, she works on both cases in her classy but tough style. Readers will appreciate this humorous thriller as the heroine when she is not watching cricket or picking up men deals with cultists and an oafish spouse.

Harriet Klausner

Phryne Fisher's plans for her trip to Sydney, Australia unexpectedly go awry when her maid discovers that her thoroughly respectable sister Joan has abandoned her family for the murky and somewhat sleazy nightclub scene. Her trip is again postponed because Phryne can't say no to two youn men who beg for her help in finding their friend innocent of theft. So once again ("Death Before Wicket" is the tenth classic mystery featuring the remarkable Phryne Fisher) she is caught up in a web of blackmail, secrets, lies, and ruthless people who are dangerously dabbling in deep magic. Author Kerry Greenwood once again has created a story that grips the reader's total attention from beginning to end - and will lead those knew to the Phryne Fisher mysteries to seek out all nine of her earlier adventures. This seven CD audiobook edition is superbly narrated by Stephanie Daniel who does full and dramatic justice to Greenwood's brilliant character development and 'cliffhanger' plot.

By the time the main character became possessed by a deity, I already knew this book was terrible, but the possession rather proved it. Greenwood's novels are never great literature, but this is particularly terrible -- an over-perfect heroine, a self-conscious portrayal of Bohemian Sydney (featuring a number of historical figures who would no doubt be appalled to see themselves rendered as caricatures in this farce), juvenile prose, and did I mention the possession?

The worst book in the series by a long shot, without much redeeming quality aside from offering great potential for drinking games.