Away with the Fairies

Starred review from December 15, 2004
American fans have been treated to several installments in the beguiling Phryne Fisher series (among them, the recently released " Castlemaine Murders" [BKL S 15 04]), but this one, originally published in Australia in 2001, may be the best yet. It's 1928, and the globetrotting, glamorous Phryne (rhymes with briny) is at home near Melbourne, missing her lover, Lin Chung, who is on a silk-buying trip in China. When Phryne's detective friend, Jack, asks for her help investigating the murder of Miss Lavender, a well-known author of fairy stories, Phryne is glad of the distraction. The investigation leads to a temporary job as a fashion reporter for " Women's Choice" magazine, Miss Lavender's former employer. Phryne's encounters with the various magazine staffers add considerable zest to the adventure, as does Lin Chung's possible abduction by pirates. Phryne on the rampage makes for fine entertainment all on its own, but Greenwood effectively combines her inimitable heroine's antics with thought-provoking details about the struggles of women in the 1920s, forced to adjust to the loss of the unprecedented independence they had enjoyed during the war. This series is the best Australian import since Nicole Kidman, and Phryne is the flashiest new female sleuth in the genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)