Enjoyable, but light. Excellent book to borrow from the library. ( )

Another enjoyable audiobook. I remember this one from the TV episode. ( )

Phryne Fisher is a likeable, charming and vibrant individual. She's kind and generous to those she meets, smart and logical when faced with problems or obstacles and adventurous in her dislike of boredom. She is brave and tenacious and brutal when faced with injustice.

A few deaths of distant relatives were all that stood between her life of poverty and her ascent into luxury at the age of 12 and she never takes her wealth and social standing for granted. The result of which is a kind and generous soul who is always willing to speak up for the victims, the downtrodden or the underdogs and one who relishes fine food, fine clothes and the myriad of pursuits open to her. Her open mindedness leads to an unique and vibrant cast pulled from all walks of life.

Being an Aussie and a proud Melbournian - the Melbourne setting was a highlight. Recognising the street names and places was fun. And Melbournians will understand the delight in recognising how strange our weather is to outsiders.

As far as the genre goes, I don't know if I'd really say it was crime or historical. I mean it is a historical period but it felt kind of modern. The crime was good but it was interspersed with character relationships. There was romance but none of it was meaningful or relevant. It was too lowbrow to be literary and too much reality to be chick lit. It's an odd mix that was an enjoyable read but likely not for everyone.

It's also fairly different from the tv show (and she's a lot younger in the books) but the main elements are present - like Phryne's love of clothes, her humour, confidence and loveable charming personality.

Character wise, I love them all! Phryne, Dot, Dr Elizabeth MacMillan, WPC Jones, Inspector Robinson, Bert and Cec, Mr and Mrs. Butler, Jane, Ruth, they were all fantastic and had me giggling throughout. And I adore the way women are portrayed in this series. I love that all the female characters are strong willed and fierce and able to look after themselves - even when it doesn't always seem like it. I also really like how the cops aren't written as useless or inept - but rather unable to significantly help without someone willing to speak up and testify.

I had a few issues with the third book, mainly to do with the hypnotist thing. I hate the idea of people not being in control of themselves and their actions. It makes me cringe. And I also believe it's a load of crap. That said, the rest of the book was good. I loved Phryne shooting out the window and then lying to the cops about it. I guessed pretty early on who was responsible for killing Mrs Henderson but it was interesting to see how it was resolved. I liked the addition of Jane and Ruth to the gang and I loved getting to see more of Bert and Cec.

Overall 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. ( )

It's been interesting coming to these books after first experiencing the television series. I always find it fascinating in what has and has not changed from book to screen.

In this case, we see the introduction of Jane and Ruth, both of whom feature in the show, but I see that there is one change between this original version and the adaptation. Their story origins are the same, yet more sinister with the reveal of what the Great Hypno does to the girls that fall into his clutches (forcing them to pickpocket is much milder by comparison). Also, this introduces us to one character I would have loved to see on the show, but I guess they felt that Doctor Mac was as inclusive as they could be.

Our two mysteries play out much the same, with the understandable changes from book to show. One interesting change was Lindsay's history, thus eliminating the need for his roommate to steal his alibi for the night of the murder, which he does anyway.

Honestly, I'm loving the books as much as I loved the show. The changes don't bother me here, as they do in some other adaptations.

It turns out my local library (now that I've moved) has the majority of the series, so I'll more than likely be able to read through the rest of the books very soon. I know my reviews are more about the differences between the book and the series episode, but that's how I'm experiencing these stories, so that's my thought process as I write about the books. ( )

Phryne Fisher, Dot and all the other first-class passengers on the train to Ballarat are somehow chloroformed; waking early, Phryne manages to kick open windows, stop the train and save the passengers - all but old lady Henderson, who has somehow disappeared. Phryne takes on the old lady’s daughter, who has sustained bad burns from the chloroform, and also a young girl who has no memory, not even of her own name. When the old lady’s body is found along the train tracks, suffocated and apparently stomped on, it is up to Phryne to trace the clues back to the baffling events…. This third book in the Miss Fisher series introduces some other characters who join her household, notably Jane the amnesiac. As is becoming the norm in this series, Phryne finds a new lover and some of the crimes she investigates are sordid indeed; but just because polite people didn’t talk about sexual desire *or* sexual abuse in the 1920s doesn’t mean those things didn’t happen; that’s one of the refreshing things about this series. Even with serious content, the series is still very light and frothy to me, and a joy to read; recommended! ( )