Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, has written a review of The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
A Phyrne Fisher Mystery
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-240-3 (1590582403)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-240-4 (9781590582404)
Publication Date: April 2007
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from the publisher): Phryne Fisher is doing one of her favorite things --dancing at the Green Mill (Melbourne's premier dance hall) to the music of Tintagel Stone's Jazzmakers, the band who taught St Vitus how to dance. And she's wearing a sparkling lobelia-coloured georgette dress. Nothing can flap the unflappable Phryne--especially on a dance floor with so many delectable partners. Nothing except death, that is.
The dance competition is trailing into its last hours when suddenly, in the middle of "Bye Bye Blackbird" a figure slumps to the ground. No shot was heard. Phryne, conscious of how narrowly the missile missed her own bare shoulder, back, and dress, investigates.
This leads her into the dark smoky jazz clubs of Fitzroy, into the arms of eloquent strangers, and finally into the the sky, as she follows a complicated family tragedy of the great War and the damaged men who came back from ANZAC cove.
Phryne flies her Gypsy Moth Rigel into the Autralian Alps, where she meets a hermit with a dog called Lucky and a wombat living under his bunk....and risks her life on the love between brothers.
Review: The Green Mill Murder is, chronologically, the fifth mystery in the Phryne Fisher series by Australian author Kerry Greenwood, though the tenth published by Poisoned Pen Press.
It is the 1920s and the Great War is over. It is now the time for laughter, music, dancing, beer and wacky cocktails. Phryne Fisher, an anything goes lady, spends an evening at her favorite dance hall, The Green Mill. There is a continuing dance marathon going on as she and her escort dance to the music of Tintagel Stone’s Jazzmakers. In view of the band, the marathoners and the casual dancers, one of the dancers falls and is dead before hitting the floor. No one witnessed the man being stabbed in his heart. The police are called but no one can or will tell them anything. Phryne’s escort actually runs away from the scene and goes into hiding. Because Phryne is an investigator she is asked by the police to help solve this crime.
The mother of Charlie, Phryne’s escort, hires her to find Charlie before the police do, and bring him home. While she’s doing this, the mother tells her she has another son who ran away right after the war and she would appreciate it if she would she look for him. She doesn’t know where to look and she doesn’t even know if he’s still alive or if he is dead.
So, Phryne has three mysteries to solve: who murdered the dancer, where is Charlie, and where is his brother?
Kerry Greenwood makes Melbourne, Australia, come to life in the 1920s. Phryne Fisher is a wealthy woman living in comfort with servants, driving a very large car (actually she is chauffeured most of the time), and a two seated airplane that she loves to fly herself. She wears beautiful expensive dresses with shoes and hats to match. Her jewelry is exquisite.
She has investigated and helped to solve a number of cases with the police so the problem of the murder on the dance floor, plus the two missing brothers is not unusual for her.
Phryne leaps into these mysteries with courage, intelligence and humor. She is a funny, fun-loving lady, with just a tad of “blue” humor. On the ground and in the air, Phryne goes to any length to solve these cases.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Green Mill Murder and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
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