Flying Too High

July 3, 2006
The many U.S. fans of Greenwood's feisty and plucky Australian flapper sleuth Phryne Fisher should especially enjoy the second entry in the series (Cocaine Blues, etc.), which presents another pair of cases from the early days of her career as a private detective. The two inquiries present quite different challenges: the first, to track down the kidnappers of a young girl, whose father just won the lottery, before she is harmed; the second, to identify the murderer of a bully whose son has been charged with the offense. Fisher again displays an impressive set of skills, from air-walking and daredevil plane flying to blood-splatter analysis, and Greenwood leavens her plot with Wodehousian characters and wit.

July 1, 2006
In her latest adventure, the incomparable Phryne Fisher ("Murder in Montparnasse") -beautiful, wealthy, sophisticated, but, above all, daring and intelligent -is confronted with two unrelated crimes, murder and child kidnapping. While investigating these cases, she also takes a daredevil walk on the wing of a plane in flight, poses for a sculptor, then makes love to him. With each Phryne Fisher novel, Greenwood widens the social circle of the inimitable detective/noblewoman; here we are introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Butler -you guessed it -Phryne's butler and cook. Speaking through Phryne, the author also offers catty yet humorous descriptions of characters, food, drink, dé cor, and clothing of the 1920s while lending credibility to Phryne's unbelievable exploits. Phryne Fisher's delightful flapper antics will appeal to fans of Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ "3/1/06.]" -Lamia Doumato, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2006
The dashing Phryne Fisher, Australian flapper, makes her sixteenth appearance, and she hasn't worn out her welcome. Phryne, a glamorous detective and aviatrix, living in 1920s Melbourne, solves a mystery as easily as she lands a plane. Here her cases involve a murder and a kidnapping, but what makes the story delicious are the flourishes, from Phryne's interior-decorating style (nude paintings of Phryne) to her detecting techniques (jumping into bed with a source). A strong cast of characters surrounds the inimitable flapper, including the kidnapped child (shades of "The Ransom of Red Chief") and a group of women nearly as irrepressible as Phryne herself. Great fun!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)