Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Phryne

  • Just Murdered

    Just Murdered

    Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries

    Peregrine Fisher, niece of the famous Phryne Fisher, is summoned to the Adventurers Club of the Antipodes, a club of which her Aunt had been a member for many years. She is not at all sure why she has been called to these exalted realms, where a chair with the name of Adventuress Fisher sits empty, her Aunt having failed to return from an adventure some six months previous.

    Such is the setting for this somewhat fast paced murder mystery Just Murder set in the 1960’s first introduced as a TV series, an affiliate series bouncing off the Phryne Fisher series of worldwide publicity.

    Peregrine, the niece, who had absolutely no idea she had such a famous Aunt, is in a go nowhere relationship, has budding aspirations to become a Private Investigator and has just been sacked from her day job as a hair dresser, for making a complete mess of someone’s hair style.

    Going home to regroup, she comes across a pile of letters and bills, hidden by her controlling boyfriend, son to be ex-boyfriend; in amongst these is the summons to the Adventurer’s Club inviting her to call in as she has an inheritance waiting to be collected. While she is being put through her paces Florence Astor, a doyen of the Club is accused of murder. Peregrine jumps at the chance to prove she has the skills and tenacity to solve the case.

    Enter Detective James Steed, who has been sent to investigate the case. He soon realizes that Peregrine is not going to be stopped interfering and decides the best way forward is to work with her. When a second death occurs, followed with a request from up high in the Police Force to solve the case quickly, they both realise there is more to the two murders than is immediately obvious.

    Placed strategically throughout the story are references to Phryne’s exploits and daring do, without changing the storyline to much, but sufficient to hold the plot together.

    Entertaining, enjoyable and so much more detailed than the TV series Just Murdered makes a great light hearted read about murder, mayhem and corruption presented in a blend of the popular TV series The Avengers, Emma Peel and John Steed fame of 1970’s fame and the Phryne Fisher Murder mystery series.

  • The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions

    The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions

    The ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher collection

    The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions begins with a lovely introduction from Kerry Greenwood which is well worth the read, as it explains a little about a lot that goes into the creation of the heroine beloved of many, Phryne Fisher and how she became the richly blessed mistress of intrigue and panache.

    The collection of short stories are the ideas or drafts of stories that were either put to one side for later, refused to develop further or eventually grew into fully blown adventures laced with spice, intrigue, a massively good lashing of fashion with of course a charming  ‘young man’ ripe for seduction by a green eyed temptress.

    We get to meet the characters that have almost become part of the family in their infancy; the lovable Dot, Jack Robinson, a vastly different character to the television series, Cecil and Bert, Mr Butler and eventually  the two young girls, Jane and Ruth, wards of Phryne’s.

    Each of the stories has a vastly different life setting, which while dressed up in Greenwood finery for the occasion reflect well on the times when life was challenging, women’s rights were non-existent, earning a living was often fraught with hazard and the moneyed class still stood for something in society.   

    Enjoyable in extreme, the short version of the life, times and adventures of a heroine who surprised us all, has created collection that is excellent for that time when there is only a little while to relax into a good story that is brief, exciting and most importantly takes you out of the everyday hum drum into a world that was exciting as only the 1920’s or the ‘roaring twenties’ could be!