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Phryne Fisher #4
Death at Victoria Dock
A very young man with muddied hair, a pierced ear and a blue tattoo lies cradled in Phryne’s arms. But sadly it’s not another scene of glorious seduction—this time it’s death. Outraged by this brutal slaughter, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. But Phryne doesn’t yet know how deeply into the mire she’ll have to go—bank robbery, tattoo parlours, pubs, spiritualist halls and the Anarchists.
164 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Kerry Greenwood
82 books2,425 followersKerry Greenwood was born in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray and after wandering far and wide, she returned to live there. She has a degree in English and Law from Melbourne University and was admitted to the legal profession on the 1st April 1982, a day which she finds both soothing and significant.
Kerry has written twenty novels, a number of plays, including The Troubadours with Stephen D'Arcy, is an award-winning children's writer and has edited and contributed to several anthologies. In 1996 she published a book of essays on female murderers called Things She Loves: Why women Kill.
The Phryne Fisher series (pronounced Fry-knee, to rhyme with briny) began in 1989 with Cocaine Blues which was a great success. Kerry has written thirteen books in this series with no sign yet of Miss Fisher hanging up her pearl-handled pistol. Kerry says that as long as people want to read them, she can keep writing them.
Kerry Greenwood has worked as a folk singer, factory hand, director, producer, translator, costume-maker, cook and is currently a solicitor. When she is not writing, she works as a locum solicitor for the Victorian Legal Aid. She is also the unpaid curator of seven thousand books, three cats (Attila, Belladonna and Ashe) and a computer called Apple (which squeaks). She embroiders very well but cannot knit. She has flown planes and leapt out of them (with a parachute) in an attempt to cure her fear of heights (she is now terrified of jumping out of planes but can climb ladders without fear). She can detect second-hand bookshops from blocks away and is often found within them.
For fun Kerry reads science fiction/fantasy and detective stories. She is not married, has no children and lives with a registered wizard. When she is not doing any of the above she stares blankly out of the window.
http://www.earthlydelights.net.au
Kerry has written twenty novels, a number of plays, including The Troubadours with Stephen D'Arcy, is an award-winning children's writer and has edited and contributed to several anthologies. In 1996 she published a book of essays on female murderers called Things She Loves: Why women Kill.
The Phryne Fisher series (pronounced Fry-knee, to rhyme with briny) began in 1989 with Cocaine Blues which was a great success. Kerry has written thirteen books in this series with no sign yet of Miss Fisher hanging up her pearl-handled pistol. Kerry says that as long as people want to read them, she can keep writing them.
Kerry Greenwood has worked as a folk singer, factory hand, director, producer, translator, costume-maker, cook and is currently a solicitor. When she is not writing, she works as a locum solicitor for the Victorian Legal Aid. She is also the unpaid curator of seven thousand books, three cats (Attila, Belladonna and Ashe) and a computer called Apple (which squeaks). She embroiders very well but cannot knit. She has flown planes and leapt out of them (with a parachute) in an attempt to cure her fear of heights (she is now terrified of jumping out of planes but can climb ladders without fear). She can detect second-hand bookshops from blocks away and is often found within them.
For fun Kerry reads science fiction/fantasy and detective stories. She is not married, has no children and lives with a registered wizard. When she is not doing any of the above she stares blankly out of the window.
http://www.earthlydelights.net.au
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 667 reviews
February 11, 2018
I could have given this book 4 stars, but decided that I would now rate books 4 stars only if I wanted to reread them. To read this book was like pulling teeth. I find it hard to see myself NOT reading the sequels, however.
These books in the series are not memorable, but they are incendiary. I found it hard to have action sequences splice in right from the beginning. I couldn't feel cozy reading it. Also I found the promiscuity of the heroine shocking.
I know, it's a problem for me to accept that my heroines can have sex with any good looking gym rats they want to. Sometimes literally at the drop of a hat. But I've crossed an important step in that direction. The book itself was hard to follow, and slightly unsatisfactory.
The author has talent and this is why I'm sticking with this prurient heroine. The cases she takes on are wild in their promise. The secrets uncovered are brutal. But the author is definitely not phoning it in till now. Just my 2 cents.
These books in the series are not memorable, but they are incendiary. I found it hard to have action sequences splice in right from the beginning. I couldn't feel cozy reading it. Also I found the promiscuity of the heroine shocking.
I know, it's a problem for me to accept that my heroines can have sex with any good looking gym rats they want to. Sometimes literally at the drop of a hat. But I've crossed an important step in that direction. The book itself was hard to follow, and slightly unsatisfactory.
The author has talent and this is why I'm sticking with this prurient heroine. The cases she takes on are wild in their promise. The secrets uncovered are brutal. But the author is definitely not phoning it in till now. Just my 2 cents.
November 25, 2021
4★
“Dot followed Phryne up the stairs with a glass of port. Dot's father had sworn by port for shock. Phryne drank the port with less respect than it deserved and threw off her clothes. Dot found that the knees of the silk trousers were wet and stained with blood and wondered what had become of Phryne's shirt.”
Well might Dot wonder! We know, of course, because it was the opening of this story of foreign anarchists in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) in 1928. The first words of the first chapter are
“The windscreen shattered. Only then did Phryne Fisher realize that the stinging hum which she had heard above the roar of the Hispano-Suiza's engine was not the mosquito she had taken it for. The windscreen broke into a thousand shards and showered her with razor-sharp fragments. She jammed on the huge car's brakes, and it rolled to a stop. She brushed glass from her driving goggles and pulled them off. Someone was shooting at her.”
She was not mistaken, but when she discovers a handsome young lad dying in the road, she realises he was probably the intended target. Then she sees the villains make their escape over the Gas Works’ wall and vows to make them pay.
Phryne’s adventures are always worth following, what with their mix of risk and wit and fashion and romance, along with the family she has established in her home. The well-named Mr. and Mrs. Butler are in charge of the household, and while they answer Phryne’s every beck and call, she treats them as fondly as she treats her friends. In return, they adore and mother her.
Phryne is an amateur detective, and Dot is now her personal assistant, side-kick, partner-in-crime, and she loves it. Timid by nature, she is growing into a brave, resourceful woman. There are a couple of schoolgirls, whom Phryne rescued in the past and now refers to as her daughters, and they are invaluable in helping to track a missing rich girl.
As is often the case, there is more than one story, and both are entertaining. Greenwood makes sure we understand the historical background (most readers aren't likely to know much about Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and anarchists in Australia in 1928), but even if you don't remember the history, you can follow the story as it moves right along.
“Peter Smith” is a battle-scarred (but very appealing!) Latvian who ends up in Phryne’s bed, as someone (or more than one) always does in each book, so the Butlers are quite accustomed to new faces at the breakfast table. Peter is trying to prevent the European struggles from affecting life in Australia.
“Regrettably we refuge-seekers have brought it with us. All our pain, all our grudges, all our atrocities. One does not forget murder, assassination, the death of children. It is impossible. And then, we clump together. It is sweet to hear your own language, your own idioms; to recall the old country. With this, however, comes the old feuds.”
There are amusing moments as well. Bert and Cec are a couple of working men friends of Phryne’s who have contacts with rather questionable people. Actually, there’s no question – they’re shady characters. As Cec describes one “assignment”, he mentions the pub they went to, which Phryne asks about.
“‘Olympic Games? I don't know a hotel of that name.’
‘Nah, it's called the Railway Hotel. In ’Roy. They have an SP in the courtyard, see, and when the cops raid 'em there's lots of Olympic events for the blokes who are running away. The long jump, the hundred yard dash, the high-jump over the wall.’”
I do enjoy Miss Fisher. She is easily distracted by the call of the ocean for a swim or the appearance of a handsome man on the scene. There are a couple of kidnapping attempts, one successful, so she has to remind herself that she’s not indestructible and must stay alert.
“Meanwhile, there were the anarchists. Phryne was wearing her Beretta in her garter, and she had a throwing knife strapped to her forearm. She did not intend to be taken by surprise again.”
Not indestructible maybe, but so far, she’s ahead of the game. Always good fun!
“Dot followed Phryne up the stairs with a glass of port. Dot's father had sworn by port for shock. Phryne drank the port with less respect than it deserved and threw off her clothes. Dot found that the knees of the silk trousers were wet and stained with blood and wondered what had become of Phryne's shirt.”
Well might Dot wonder! We know, of course, because it was the opening of this story of foreign anarchists in Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) in 1928. The first words of the first chapter are
“The windscreen shattered. Only then did Phryne Fisher realize that the stinging hum which she had heard above the roar of the Hispano-Suiza's engine was not the mosquito she had taken it for. The windscreen broke into a thousand shards and showered her with razor-sharp fragments. She jammed on the huge car's brakes, and it rolled to a stop. She brushed glass from her driving goggles and pulled them off. Someone was shooting at her.”
She was not mistaken, but when she discovers a handsome young lad dying in the road, she realises he was probably the intended target. Then she sees the villains make their escape over the Gas Works’ wall and vows to make them pay.
Phryne’s adventures are always worth following, what with their mix of risk and wit and fashion and romance, along with the family she has established in her home. The well-named Mr. and Mrs. Butler are in charge of the household, and while they answer Phryne’s every beck and call, she treats them as fondly as she treats her friends. In return, they adore and mother her.
Phryne is an amateur detective, and Dot is now her personal assistant, side-kick, partner-in-crime, and she loves it. Timid by nature, she is growing into a brave, resourceful woman. There are a couple of schoolgirls, whom Phryne rescued in the past and now refers to as her daughters, and they are invaluable in helping to track a missing rich girl.
As is often the case, there is more than one story, and both are entertaining. Greenwood makes sure we understand the historical background (most readers aren't likely to know much about Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and anarchists in Australia in 1928), but even if you don't remember the history, you can follow the story as it moves right along.
“Peter Smith” is a battle-scarred (but very appealing!) Latvian who ends up in Phryne’s bed, as someone (or more than one) always does in each book, so the Butlers are quite accustomed to new faces at the breakfast table. Peter is trying to prevent the European struggles from affecting life in Australia.
“Regrettably we refuge-seekers have brought it with us. All our pain, all our grudges, all our atrocities. One does not forget murder, assassination, the death of children. It is impossible. And then, we clump together. It is sweet to hear your own language, your own idioms; to recall the old country. With this, however, comes the old feuds.”
There are amusing moments as well. Bert and Cec are a couple of working men friends of Phryne’s who have contacts with rather questionable people. Actually, there’s no question – they’re shady characters. As Cec describes one “assignment”, he mentions the pub they went to, which Phryne asks about.
“‘Olympic Games? I don't know a hotel of that name.’
‘Nah, it's called the Railway Hotel. In ’Roy. They have an SP in the courtyard, see, and when the cops raid 'em there's lots of Olympic events for the blokes who are running away. The long jump, the hundred yard dash, the high-jump over the wall.’”
I do enjoy Miss Fisher. She is easily distracted by the call of the ocean for a swim or the appearance of a handsome man on the scene. There are a couple of kidnapping attempts, one successful, so she has to remind herself that she’s not indestructible and must stay alert.
“Meanwhile, there were the anarchists. Phryne was wearing her Beretta in her garter, and she had a throwing knife strapped to her forearm. She did not intend to be taken by surprise again.”
Not indestructible maybe, but so far, she’s ahead of the game. Always good fun!
December 18, 2016
I was introduced to the lovely Phryne Fisher book series by the TV series. However, I just must point out that, despite liking the books my heart has been captivated by the TV series and I deeply, very deeply miss Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in this book. Now, he doesn't have a prominent role in the book series that have in the TV series and that is regrettable. At least that's how I feel.
Now, how about this book? I did enjoy reading this cozy mystery series. I quite like Phryne Fisher and those around her; her adopted daughters Jane and Ruth, and Bert and Cec that are working for her. And of course Dot, her assistant, and friend. In this book, we are also introduced to Hugh Collins who is playing a large part in Dot's life in the TV series. It will be interesting to see the book's version of their relationship. I did feel that the book's story was familiar, it has probably been made into an episode, but I didn't mind it because it was quite entertaining to read the book. Although I found the missing young girl a bit more interesting to read about than the dead anarchist. Not, that the storyline was uninteresting. I was just more intrigued by the lost girl and the secret she knew.
All and all, a nice interesting story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books I have yet to read in this series!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Now, how about this book? I did enjoy reading this cozy mystery series. I quite like Phryne Fisher and those around her; her adopted daughters Jane and Ruth, and Bert and Cec that are working for her. And of course Dot, her assistant, and friend. In this book, we are also introduced to Hugh Collins who is playing a large part in Dot's life in the TV series. It will be interesting to see the book's version of their relationship. I did feel that the book's story was familiar, it has probably been made into an episode, but I didn't mind it because it was quite entertaining to read the book. Although I found the missing young girl a bit more interesting to read about than the dead anarchist. Not, that the storyline was uninteresting. I was just more intrigued by the lost girl and the secret she knew.
All and all, a nice interesting story and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books I have yet to read in this series!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
February 9, 2017
The fabulous Phryne Fisher returns in the fourth installment of Kerry Greenwood’s delightful series, and she remains as clever, just, and chic as ever. When Phryne alights from her Hispano-Suiza only to have a handsome young anarchist die in her arms, she launches into an investigation at Melbourne’s wharf.
With the help of a new friend, a handsome communist wharfie named Peter Smith, and of her stalwarts — fellow “red-raggers” Cec and Bert, her intrepid maid Dot Williams, and adopted daughters Ruth and Jane — Phryne not only solves the Victoria Dock murder but more. Every Phryne Fisher novel is a gem. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
With the help of a new friend, a handsome communist wharfie named Peter Smith, and of her stalwarts — fellow “red-raggers” Cec and Bert, her intrepid maid Dot Williams, and adopted daughters Ruth and Jane — Phryne not only solves the Victoria Dock murder but more. Every Phryne Fisher novel is a gem. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
June 23, 2021
I found this one slightly hard to follow but I think that's my fault rather than the author's as I'm finding it hard to concentrate in general at the moment, due to ill health and my stress levels being a tad on the high side.
This one opens with Phryne being shot at by a machine gun while out for a drive and gets more exciting from there, with abductions, infiltrations of anarchist movements, spiritualists, fake tattoos, gunfights, faked deaths and more.
Thanks to my suffering noddle I wasn't 100% sure how all these exciting elements went together as a cohesive whole but they were certainly entertaining episodes while I was reading them.
I'd probably give this one 3.5 stars if I could, but I'll round up rather than down as I'm pretty sure if I was in a better place, I'd've got more out of it. I'll try to concentrate harder on the next one, honest, guv...
My next book: The Four Zoas
This one opens with Phryne being shot at by a machine gun while out for a drive and gets more exciting from there, with abductions, infiltrations of anarchist movements, spiritualists, fake tattoos, gunfights, faked deaths and more.
Thanks to my suffering noddle I wasn't 100% sure how all these exciting elements went together as a cohesive whole but they were certainly entertaining episodes while I was reading them.
I'd probably give this one 3.5 stars if I could, but I'll round up rather than down as I'm pretty sure if I was in a better place, I'd've got more out of it. I'll try to concentrate harder on the next one, honest, guv...
My next book: The Four Zoas
June 9, 2017
A short little escapism read. This was my first Phryne book, tho it is number 4 in the series.. I had just started watching the tv series (at the recommendation of a good friend) and thought it was quite fun. I saw this book available for request on NetGalley (a long while back- 2016) and downloaded it, but, didn't get to it til this summer break. I think it's entertaining and I feel I know the characters much better having read one of the books. Phryne is unforgettable and I like her as a sleuth very much.
I see there are many summaries already posted here on Goodreads, so I will skip that. Two good mysteries here....that of a man she sees murdered at the dock and that of a the disappearance of the friend of one of her adopted daughters. Of course Phyrne jumps in to solve both and we love how she does it. I do recommend this book for those that especially like a good who-dunnit mystery in the likes of Miss Marple, Sherlock, Jessica in Murder She Wrote. Phryne has a lot of class and guts. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty, but she does like the good things in life. She keeps those she cares about close.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a review copy to read. Very entertaining!
I see there are many summaries already posted here on Goodreads, so I will skip that. Two good mysteries here....that of a man she sees murdered at the dock and that of a the disappearance of the friend of one of her adopted daughters. Of course Phyrne jumps in to solve both and we love how she does it. I do recommend this book for those that especially like a good who-dunnit mystery in the likes of Miss Marple, Sherlock, Jessica in Murder She Wrote. Phryne has a lot of class and guts. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty, but she does like the good things in life. She keeps those she cares about close.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me a review copy to read. Very entertaining!
December 2, 2015
If you were under the impression that Phryne is unfeeling, that her lovers mean nothing to her, this one should thoroughly disabuse you of that notion. I don’t know how you could be under that illusion after the anger she feels about the people hurting Sasha in Cocaine Blues, or the way she protects Jane and Ruth, but still. The story opens with a young man dying in her arms and that injustice drives the story, through Phryne’s anger.
The story itself is a whole world away from what I’m used to/know about, in terms of date, setting and politics, so I mostly just let it carry me. I love, though, that Phryne has loyal friends in the chance-met Bert and Cec, in Dot and in her adopted daughters. It’s a found family thing, which I always love.
In a way, the books don’t really bring anything new. There doesn’t seem to be an overarching plot, and Phryne isn’t changing, really. But it’s still so refreshing to have her so capable, so independent (but not infallible, not invulnerable, as this book particularly shows us) that I can’t stop reading them.
Originally posted here.
The story itself is a whole world away from what I’m used to/know about, in terms of date, setting and politics, so I mostly just let it carry me. I love, though, that Phryne has loyal friends in the chance-met Bert and Cec, in Dot and in her adopted daughters. It’s a found family thing, which I always love.
In a way, the books don’t really bring anything new. There doesn’t seem to be an overarching plot, and Phryne isn’t changing, really. But it’s still so refreshing to have her so capable, so independent (but not infallible, not invulnerable, as this book particularly shows us) that I can’t stop reading them.
Originally posted here.
April 10, 2018
Very enjoyable, as always.
April 29, 2019
I love these cosy mysteries featuring the Honourable Phryne Fisher in 1928 Australia.
They're lots of fun with plenty of action and likeable characters - Phryne is great!
They're lots of fun with plenty of action and likeable characters - Phryne is great!
July 26, 2020
While driving by the docks in her Hispano-Suiza, Phryne Fisher’s windshield is shattered by a gunshot but nothing compares to finding a handsome teenaged boy, who dies in her arms. Determined to find the perpetrators, who she had spotted fleeing the scene, Phryne becomes entangled with Latvian anarchists, a tattooist, a spiritualist, kidnappers, bank robbers, and her latest lover, Latvian Peter Smith. She meets Constable Hugh Collins. She is, also, investigating the disappearance of runaway 14-year-old Mary Waddington-Forsythe, who wants to become a nun. Appearances may be deceiving at Mary’s home where she left behind her father, pregnant stepmother, and twin brother. Miss Fisher’s newly adopted daughters, Jane and Ruth, assist. Dot, Bert, Cec, and the Butlers are all part of the action. An enjoyable read with plenty of excitement set in 1928 Australia.
December 30, 2011
Rating: 2.5* of five
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood is the fourth installment in the Phryne Fisher series.
I am seriously irked. This Greenwood moll has something against teenaged girls, and puts them repeatedly in the most heinous jeopardy imaginable and then when they're extricated all is suddenly sweetness and light.
I don't do book reports, because if I want to know what a book's about I read it. I also hate spoilers. But I am about to make a big fat plot-ruining spoiler here, so go away if you don't like them.
Are you gone yet?
Good.
I have one daughter in this life. She is, thankfully, well out of teen-age and in fact is pushing thirty. I still find stories of teenagers abused by adults extremely upsetting, on her behalf as well as my own. The teenaged girl in this story is abused sexually by her older brother. She quite naturally Has Issues, and one of them is her new stepmomma is preggers by that same brother. She gets locked up in the goofy garage by stepmomma, who wants brother boy all to herself, and is sprung by our own Phryne, only to be delivered TO THE NUNS!!! Child abuse on top of child abuse. Poor deluded little lass has expressed a desire to become a nun, and in the only bit of sanity in this plotline, her father is outraged and drags her out of their clutches. Then Phryne, normally a force for good, chucks her back into the maw of evil.
This book has upset me greatly. I think the other plot, about a Latvian anarchist plot to rob a bank, is pretty tame, but it gives Fisher's Watsoness Dot a chance to fall in love at last. Janie and Ruthie appear to have settled into a life of luxury without a hitch, so all is well.
If the next book in this series has another girl getting abused, I am so outta here. I won't recommend this book except for completists who MUST read every volume of a series.
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood is the fourth installment in the Phryne Fisher series.
I am seriously irked. This Greenwood moll has something against teenaged girls, and puts them repeatedly in the most heinous jeopardy imaginable and then when they're extricated all is suddenly sweetness and light.
I don't do book reports, because if I want to know what a book's about I read it. I also hate spoilers. But I am about to make a big fat plot-ruining spoiler here, so go away if you don't like them.
Are you gone yet?
Good.
I have one daughter in this life. She is, thankfully, well out of teen-age and in fact is pushing thirty. I still find stories of teenagers abused by adults extremely upsetting, on her behalf as well as my own. The teenaged girl in this story is abused sexually by her older brother. She quite naturally Has Issues, and one of them is her new stepmomma is preggers by that same brother. She gets locked up in the goofy garage by stepmomma, who wants brother boy all to herself, and is sprung by our own Phryne, only to be delivered TO THE NUNS!!! Child abuse on top of child abuse. Poor deluded little lass has expressed a desire to become a nun, and in the only bit of sanity in this plotline, her father is outraged and drags her out of their clutches. Then Phryne, normally a force for good, chucks her back into the maw of evil.
This book has upset me greatly. I think the other plot, about a Latvian anarchist plot to rob a bank, is pretty tame, but it gives Fisher's Watsoness Dot a chance to fall in love at last. Janie and Ruthie appear to have settled into a life of luxury without a hitch, so all is well.
If the next book in this series has another girl getting abused, I am so outta here. I won't recommend this book except for completists who MUST read every volume of a series.
January 5, 2021
The fourth and the best of the series to this point. Greenwood has definitely found Miss Fisher’s voice. The characters are well fleshed out and the various plot threads flow smoothly.
When her windshield is shot out and a young man dies in her arms Phryne Fisher vows vengeance and justice upon those involved. This historical mystery jumps right into it with Anarchists, Communists, and Spiritualists, involved with robbery, revolution and kidnapping.
When her windshield is shot out and a young man dies in her arms Phryne Fisher vows vengeance and justice upon those involved. This historical mystery jumps right into it with Anarchists, Communists, and Spiritualists, involved with robbery, revolution and kidnapping.
October 8, 2016
I love a lady detective in the old days. Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, and obviously now, Phryne Fisher. I started watching the TV series first and then moved on to the books. The TV series is great, that is where you get to see The Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher in her old school splendor. On paper her glamour dims a little but she is still a formidable character.
I like the book well enough, this book has been dramatized and if you have seen the episode, you would be familiar with the book. I imagine I would have loved this book more had I not watched the episode. Most of the time a mystery is at its best when it remains a mystery.
*This review is for an ARC received from the publisher on NetGalley.
I like the book well enough, this book has been dramatized and if you have seen the episode, you would be familiar with the book. I imagine I would have loved this book more had I not watched the episode. Most of the time a mystery is at its best when it remains a mystery.
*This review is for an ARC received from the publisher on NetGalley.
October 27, 2017
My favorite of the bunch— two mysteries for the price of one!!
April 25, 2021
I find myself disappointed with one element of Death at Victoria Dock, and disappointed enough that it sort of tainted what would otherwise have been my favourite Phryne Fisher book so far.
No need to go into that here.
What I will say is how much I love Miss Fisher. I love that she is a sexual being, and unrepentantly so. I love that she is clever, fierce, empathetic (most of the time), loyal, manipulative, open minded, daring, and cool under fire (both literally and figuratively). Whatever disappointments may come my way in this series, I can't see stopping. I'm really taken with Kerry Greenwood's heroine (especially as voiced by Stephanie Daniel). I think I really need to start watching the series in earnest. If Essie Davis' screen performance is half as good as Daniel's audio performance, I'll adore the television series. Fingers crossed.
No need to go into that here.
What I will say is how much I love Miss Fisher. I love that she is a sexual being, and unrepentantly so. I love that she is clever, fierce, empathetic (most of the time), loyal, manipulative, open minded, daring, and cool under fire (both literally and figuratively). Whatever disappointments may come my way in this series, I can't see stopping. I'm really taken with Kerry Greenwood's heroine (especially as voiced by Stephanie Daniel). I think I really need to start watching the series in earnest. If Essie Davis' screen performance is half as good as Daniel's audio performance, I'll adore the television series. Fingers crossed.
July 17, 2022
4,25 stars - English Ebook
The glamorous, indestructible Australian flapper Phryne Fisher avenges the death of a young man who dies in her arms after she and her car are shot at by two men.
Although Phryne and members of her household are in danger from anarchists, they manage to foil a bank robbery while also solving the case of a missing young girl.
The always well-dressed, fearless Phryne can take care of herself, enjoys her sexuality, and is a woman ahead of her times in the Australia of the late 1920s.
She is supported in her adventurous lifestyle by her maid and companion, Dot, and by Mr and Mrs. Butler, who run her household while asking no questions.
A fresh time period and location, a feisty main character, and a well-developed sense of place distinguish this historical mystery series.
Enjoyed this book so mutch.
The glamorous, indestructible Australian flapper Phryne Fisher avenges the death of a young man who dies in her arms after she and her car are shot at by two men.
Although Phryne and members of her household are in danger from anarchists, they manage to foil a bank robbery while also solving the case of a missing young girl.
The always well-dressed, fearless Phryne can take care of herself, enjoys her sexuality, and is a woman ahead of her times in the Australia of the late 1920s.
She is supported in her adventurous lifestyle by her maid and companion, Dot, and by Mr and Mrs. Butler, who run her household while asking no questions.
A fresh time period and location, a feisty main character, and a well-developed sense of place distinguish this historical mystery series.
Enjoyed this book so mutch.
July 16, 2017
Phryne Fisher solves the mystery of a missing girl and some chaos-making anarchists.
(I am slightly frustrated with the fact that the television show has cut several characters from the books. Especially when you realize that many of them are ladies: Mrs. Butler, Ruthie, WPC Jones, etc. Yes, many of the male police officers are eliminated too, but it's ... not a pleasing realization.)
(I am slightly frustrated with the fact that the television show has cut several characters from the books. Especially when you realize that many of them are ladies: Mrs. Butler, Ruthie, WPC Jones, etc. Yes, many of the male police officers are eliminated too, but it's ... not a pleasing realization.)
July 27, 2018
Phryne again get's drawn into a mysterious and dangerous affair (yeah I know I get the word play there but Phryne's relationships don't actually reach the commitment level of affairs). When a young man dies in her arms she is incensed (partly at the waste of an attractive young man) and sets out to right the wrong.
These are very much their own thing so far as mystery series are concerned and have a pretty good mix of drama, mystery and humor. You will also get a dose of gratuitous sex in each one...
Enjoy if it's your cup of tea...or something stronger.
These are very much their own thing so far as mystery series are concerned and have a pretty good mix of drama, mystery and humor. You will also get a dose of gratuitous sex in each one...
Enjoy if it's your cup of tea...or something stronger.
July 5, 2015
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood is the 4th book in the Phryne Fisher Mystery series. After witnessing the killing of a young man and being shot at, Phryne becomes mixed up with Latvian anarchists. She has also been hired to find a missing girl who disappeared after she was turned away from a nunnery. Another fast paced mystery where Phryne is ably assisted by her staff. There is never a dull moment with a nice satisfying ending.
November 6, 2017
I must say this was one of the finest Phryne Fisher novels I've red so far. Anarchists, religious zealosts, cuckkoolds and a machine gun. Roaring twenties really roar from the pages of this book.
March 12, 2024
Kerry Greenwood es la creadora del personaje Phryne Fisher, una detective independiente , rica, de ideas liberales y muy buen corazón.
En esta entrega Phryne es atacada por hombres misteriosos mientras maneja rumbo a casa, en ese ataque un joven es baleado y muere en sus brazos.
Phryne jura ante el cadaver encontrar a los asesinos, y se embarca en una búsqueda frenética para encontrar a los responsables.
Es 1920 en Melbourne, una ciudad que parece pacifica pero que empieza a sufrir por la presencia de exiliados que siguen haciendo la guerra desde el exterior para defender a su país, en este caso en la historia se mezclan anarquistas, con bolcheviques, expatriados pacifistas, con este cóctel se da una serie de acontecimientos que van desde sesiones espiritistas, secuestros y romance.
En medio de todo esto Phryne se da tiempo para investigar un caso paralelo, una adolescente ha desaparecido, y su padre teme por su vida, esta historia es bastante jugosa y escabrosa, aunque se resuelve, los detalles son bastante pecaminosos.
Es una historia entretenida, con personajes ya conocidos que se han ido integrando a lo largo de otras aventuras, también se va haciendo la cuenta de las parejas que Phryne va teniendo pues se me olvidaba comentar que es bastante fogosa y siempre encuentra tiempo para acostarse con algún personaje atractivo, ya sea por su físico, su personalidad o sus sentimientos, ella no discrimina.
Es una pena que este libro y el resto de la serie no haya sido editado aún en español. Son ligeros, pero muy bien escritos.
En esta entrega Phryne es atacada por hombres misteriosos mientras maneja rumbo a casa, en ese ataque un joven es baleado y muere en sus brazos.
Phryne jura ante el cadaver encontrar a los asesinos, y se embarca en una búsqueda frenética para encontrar a los responsables.
Es 1920 en Melbourne, una ciudad que parece pacifica pero que empieza a sufrir por la presencia de exiliados que siguen haciendo la guerra desde el exterior para defender a su país, en este caso en la historia se mezclan anarquistas, con bolcheviques, expatriados pacifistas, con este cóctel se da una serie de acontecimientos que van desde sesiones espiritistas, secuestros y romance.
En medio de todo esto Phryne se da tiempo para investigar un caso paralelo, una adolescente ha desaparecido, y su padre teme por su vida, esta historia es bastante jugosa y escabrosa, aunque se resuelve, los detalles son bastante pecaminosos.
Es una historia entretenida, con personajes ya conocidos que se han ido integrando a lo largo de otras aventuras, también se va haciendo la cuenta de las parejas que Phryne va teniendo pues se me olvidaba comentar que es bastante fogosa y siempre encuentra tiempo para acostarse con algún personaje atractivo, ya sea por su físico, su personalidad o sus sentimientos, ella no discrimina.
Es una pena que este libro y el resto de la serie no haya sido editado aún en español. Son ligeros, pero muy bien escritos.
April 1, 2017
Another fun outing with Phryne, this one opening with a young man dying in Phryne’s arms. That gives us a driven, cold, angry Phryne. It’s always fun to see Phryne shocked right out of her comfort zone and realising that death can touch those around her, and this book gives us a Phryne who is almost (but not quite) out of her depth, with the kidnap of Dot and… well, everything else that happens.
I did find it a little too dramatic this time around, though. Anarchy! Guns! Seances! It’s all a bit sensational, and while I know that’s what I’m likely to get with a Phryne novel, still… this one definitely doesn’t have the cosy feel of some of the others, and there’s a real sense of peril in places which is at odds with the pretty clothes, sexual liberation and epic spreads at lunch and dinner.
Originally reviewed on my blog.
I did find it a little too dramatic this time around, though. Anarchy! Guns! Seances! It’s all a bit sensational, and while I know that’s what I’m likely to get with a Phryne novel, still… this one definitely doesn’t have the cosy feel of some of the others, and there’s a real sense of peril in places which is at odds with the pretty clothes, sexual liberation and epic spreads at lunch and dinner.
Originally reviewed on my blog.
September 23, 2019
Miss Fisher is now a solid stand by for when I want to read something that I can reasonably finish and enjoy within a day. I have been struggling with focusing while reading this month, so sitting down to read this was a really welcome change of pace.
I am always impressed by Greenwood's ability to write characters in a way that is both illustrative and to the point without being overly cliche. I also liked the two mysteries in this one, the theme of a lost girl seems to be a favourite of Greenwood, but the high stakes anarchists kept the book from feeling stale. Both plots were interesting in different ways, but I was really happy that the two mysteries stayed separate entities, rather than conveniently connecting in the end.
Also, 10 out of 10 for the book version of Collins. I was wondering when he was going to be introduced!
I am always impressed by Greenwood's ability to write characters in a way that is both illustrative and to the point without being overly cliche. I also liked the two mysteries in this one, the theme of a lost girl seems to be a favourite of Greenwood, but the high stakes anarchists kept the book from feeling stale. Both plots were interesting in different ways, but I was really happy that the two mysteries stayed separate entities, rather than conveniently connecting in the end.
Also, 10 out of 10 for the book version of Collins. I was wondering when he was going to be introduced!
March 5, 2018
From a narrative point of view, I enjoyed this one. But it also felt a little, overly dramatic, let's say. The foiling of an anarchist plot feels a tad over the top, at times.
But it is fairly well told, for all that. And Ruth and Jane are delightful, SO.
Oh, and:
2018 Reading Challenge - a book with characters who are twins (okay, so they're not major characters, and are involved in the depressing subplot around the family, but it still counts. And I was going to use Indexing by Seanan McGuire, because it apparently has twins in it, but I'm not sure I'm going to get through it the second time around either.)
But it is fairly well told, for all that. And Ruth and Jane are delightful, SO.
Oh, and:
2018 Reading Challenge - a book with characters who are twins (okay, so they're not major characters, and are involved in the depressing subplot around the family, but it still counts. And I was going to use Indexing by Seanan McGuire, because it apparently has twins in it, but I'm not sure I'm going to get through it the second time around either.)
July 6, 2019
This was my first Kerry Greenwood book, and I thought it was quite good. Miss Fisher is a strong female lead, independent in every way, and the mystery unfolded nicely. I’m looking forward to trying this series on Netflix as well.
Note: some sexual content and possibly minor instances of language—nothing terribly explicit.
Note: some sexual content and possibly minor instances of language—nothing terribly explicit.
February 13, 2018
I've definitely warmed to this series since seeing the TV show.
April 4, 2020
Fun story!
I really like Phryne, she’s way ahead of her time. Her adventures are fun and fast paced. Looking forward to the next one.
I really like Phryne, she’s way ahead of her time. Her adventures are fun and fast paced. Looking forward to the next one.
December 3, 2019
Death at Victoria Dock is book four in the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries series by Kerry Greenwood. Phryne upset and angry about the young man who dies in her arms, and decided to investigate. However, for Phryne, this was not an easy case to solve and on top of that, she caught a case of missing young girl from the nunnery. Are these two cases connected? The readers of Death at Victoria Dock will continue to follow Phryne to find out the answers.
Death at Victoria Dock is another lovely addition to Miss Fisher's cozy mysteries series. Kerry Greenwood did an excellent job in describing her settings that allow her readers to image living in Melbourne in the 1920s. I love Kerry Greenwood portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Death at Victoria Dock is well written and researched by Kerry Greenwood.
The readers of Death at Victoria Dock will learn about the Melbourne Port during the 1920s. Also, the readers of Death at Victoria Dock will learn about living in a Nunnery in the 1920s Melbourne.
I recommend this book.
Death at Victoria Dock is another lovely addition to Miss Fisher's cozy mysteries series. Kerry Greenwood did an excellent job in describing her settings that allow her readers to image living in Melbourne in the 1920s. I love Kerry Greenwood portrayal of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. Death at Victoria Dock is well written and researched by Kerry Greenwood.
The readers of Death at Victoria Dock will learn about the Melbourne Port during the 1920s. Also, the readers of Death at Victoria Dock will learn about living in a Nunnery in the 1920s Melbourne.
I recommend this book.
March 24, 2022
Very enjoyable.
October 24, 2023
Zanimljivo, uzbudljivo, po meni, bolja prica nego u prethodnim knjigama, vise drzi paznju. Svakako nastavljam sa serijalom.
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