Murder in Montparnasse

May 3, 2004
Set in the 1920s, Australian author Greenwood's U.S. debut introduces the engaging Phryne Fisher, an independent, unconventional PI whose competence and unflappability call to mind Dorothy Sayers's Harriet Vane. Fisher is confronted with two puzzles to unravel—the disappearance of a young woman set to marry a much older man and the strange deaths of two ex-soldiers that have been officially judged accidental. A couple of the dead men's surviving mates, Bert and Cec, seek Fisher's help, and she employs her varied army of allies to ascertain whether the troops shared some information that was dangerous to someone now bent on wiping them all out. When clues point to a shared experience in Paris during WWI, the ghosts of an old but lingering trauma from Fisher's early love life reawaken with a vengeance. Greenwood's language is almost Wodehousian at some points, and she surrounds her sleuth with a diverse supporting cast, including her prudish butler, her Chinese lover and an accommodating police inspector who knows when to look the other way. While the narrative's prime twist stems from an artificial device, and the main villain's identity is too obvious, the charm of the setting and the characters more than compensates. (June 21)

FYI:
Poisoned Pen plans to publish the 13 other books in the series. Greenwood recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Crime Writers Association.

Starred review from June 1, 2004
Despite having been lavished with all good things, Phryne Fisher drove ambulances during World War I in France. Now, ten years later, she maintains a household in St. Kilda, Australia, keeps tabs on people via her friendly local detective, sorts out various complaints, and still admires anything French. She has just been asked to locate a missing 18-year-old woman when two friends claim that someone is trying to kill them. They and three others-not to mention Phryne herself-apparently witnessed a murder in 1918 Montparnasse. A most charming, sexy, independent, and candid heroine; clever, literate dialog; and closely woven plotting will win immediate fans for this debut series. Greenwood was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Crime Writers' Association of Australia in 2003. [Previewed in Mystery Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/04.]

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2004
From its exotic Australian locale, through its fascinating 1920s setting, to its flamboyant heroine, Greenwood's Phryne (rhymes with briny) Fisher series is a winner on all counts. Occupying center stage is Phryne's eclectic household, populated by her adopted daughters, cuddly pets, worshipful domestics, and current lover, the gorgeous Lin Chung. Greenwood does a masterful job of imparting history lessons within the context of a suspenseful story. This time, with a plot centering on what happened to seven Australian soldiers on leave in Paris during World War I, she sprinkles the tale with cameos by various real-life figures, including Alice B. Toklas, and reflects on the lingering psychological effects of the Great War. Two of Phryne's friends--among the group of seven who caroused together in Paris--ask Phryne to look into the suspicious deaths of two of their mates. As she investigates, Phryne, an ambulance driver in France during the war, remembers her own experiences in Paris. Brimming with glamour, high life, and a hint of debauchery, Greenwood's series delivers a literary glass of champagne, lifting readers' spirits while tickling their fancies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)