The Castlemaine Murders

August 23, 2004
In this second light, 1920s-set historical to be published in the U.S. from Australian author Greenwood (Murder in Montparnasse
, etc.), iconoclastic feminist sleuth Phyrne Fisher's eclectic household, which includes her Chinese lover, Lin Chung, is expanded by the arrival of her domineering younger sister, the "Hon. Miss Eliza Fisher," apparently banished from England by their stern father. A pleasure trip to a local amusement park turns nasty when a ride on the Ghost Train produces an ancient and mummified corpse, complete with bullet wound. The probe into this long-ago murder becomes more than academic when Phyrne and her friends receive death threats and are the target of several attacks. The trail may intertwine with Chung's quest for the solution to another old mystery—the theft of a large amount of gold in 1857. While the coincidences pile up a little high, the appealing characters and witty banter make for an enjoyable caper.

September 15, 2004
The world of Phryne Fisher is an exotic and compelling one, thanks both to the setting, 1920s Australia, and to the frenetic heroine herself. Living with two adopted daughters, her Chinese lover Lin Chung, a temperamental but loyal serving staff, and a demanding cat, Phryne is constantly surrounded by activity. Lin Chung takes off for nearby Castlemaine to resolve an ancient Chinese family feud, and Phryne is stuck with her moody younger sister, Eliza, whose visit has put a damper on the otherwise freewheeling Fisher household. After finding a real skeleton inside a supposedly fake cowboy at an amusement park, Phryne discovers a connection to the "dummy" and Castlemaine-- giving her the perfect reason to visit Lin Chung. Greenwood weaves historical data into the plot like gold thread, giving it richness without weighing it down. The gold rush of the 1850s, for example, ties together a story involving four of Lin Chung's relatives and the skeleton cowboy. As always, the highlight of the series is the sexy and sybaritic Phryne, whose kind heart and generous spirit far outweigh her slightly scandalous behavior.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)