- Paperback: 282 pages
- Publisher: McPhee Gribble (May 1 1995)
- ISBN-10: 086914362X
- ISBN-13: 978-0869143629
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
St. Kilda, Australia, in the 1920s is a fascinating place, and none of its citizens better embody its freewheeling spirit than the debonair and delightful Phryne Fisher. This prequel, which tells the story of how Phryne first met her Chinese lover, Lin Chung, also features interesting tidbits about Gilbert and Sullivan. As the adventure begins, Phryne is off to see a special performance of Ruddigore, a lesser-known G&S operetta. Then the character playing Sir Ruthven collapses onstage, and his understudy falls ill soon after. As Phryne investigates, Greenwood recounts the story of Ruddigore through song lyrics and plot synopses--which will be a joy to G&S fans and interesting even to the uninitiated. The denouement is a bit convoluted, but as G&S might say, "It really doesn't matter." The appeal of this story is the glimpse it provides into the 1920s theater world and the opportunity it affords to observe Phryne and Lin Chung's romance from its inception. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
Praise for Murder in Montparnasse
..."Greenwood's U.S. debut introduces the engaging Phryne Fisher, an independent, unconventional PI whose competence and unflappability call to mind Dorothy Sayers' Harriet Vane...."
--Publishers Weekly
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
..."Greenwood's U.S. debut introduces the engaging Phryne Fisher, an independent, unconventional PI whose competence and unflappability call to mind Dorothy Sayers' Harriet Vane...."
--Publishers Weekly
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The hatchet flicked past, end over end, and struck a wooden shutter with a hollow thud. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
The hatchet flicked past, end over end, and struck a wooden shutter with a hollow thud. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
phyrne's phinally back in the states, Nov 15 2005
By E Rice - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ruddy Gore (Hardcover)
i found the first phyrne in a wonderful used bookstore in portland, oregon, and started searching for the rest. i had to order most of them used from australia.now, at last, she's back, in a uniform edition yet.
ms. greenwood writes well, and, as the series progresses, her plots, her characterizations, the atmosphere all become increasing fine. she writes with humor, an impressive depth of understanding of people (and animals), a monumental grasp of the 20s and the First World War--the historical details are fascinating. her ethical standards are exemplary, as is her compassion.
you might think ethics and compassion are strange things to include in the review of a murder mystery, but ms. greenwood's books are more than murder mysteries--there are elements of social satire, comedy, and tragedy of course. readers of golden age mysteries will enjoy ms. greenwood's take on the conventions.
_ruddy gore_ adds a ghost story to a theatrical setting. ms. greenwood's familiarity with actors and singers is hilariously obvious--but she equally obviously likes stage people.
i did not guess the murderer, though the clues were there--i haven't guessed the villain in any of the books since the third (_murder on the ballarat train_).
so, if you like wonderful writing, interesting history, humor, and really good mysteries, read this series. it's the bee's knees' and the cat's meow.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very nice cozy, April 28 2005
By Kathleene Thomason "katreads" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ruddy Gore (Hardcover)
Phryne Fisher, one of the most delightful sleuths you will meet, is on her way to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore when she meets some thugs in a dark alley and not only manages to handle them nicely but does it without ruining her silver gown. She then learns that she has rescued a handsome young Chinese, Lin Chung and his grandmother and for a brief moment is mistaken for a deity. She denies it but does agree to a cognac. She then goes on to what she hopes will be an enjoyable evening at the theater, but it is not to be. When there is a bizarre death during the play the theater manager calls on her skills to help solve the murder. But before she can solve the new murder, she finds that she must solve a decades old murder and put the theater's ghost to rest before more people are killed. And she also has to figure out if there is connection between the murders and the mysterious stranger who seems to be following her.Set in the 1920's, Phryne Fisher is an independent, unconventional young woman who is also very practical and unflappable in the face of danger. Greenwood has created an engaging sleuth and surrounded her with characters that complement and contrast with her quite well and thrown in enough historical data to make the story interesting without going into so much detail that it bores the reader.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is gorgeous, all the atmosphere and independence - women of the 1920's, Dec 6 2005
By A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Ruddy Gore (Hardcover)
I loved this book, it was the first of the Phryne Fisher mysteries I found. They had been recommended to me before but I never got around to reading them until now.Fisher is an independent woman in the 1920's and this is (apparently) a prequel to her original mysteries, becuase in this one she meets the Chinese lover who features so often later on.
Her coolness under all pressure, who ability to function with humour and strength in all circumstances are wonderful - and there is still a sense of the atmosphere of "Brideshead revisited" in the wealth and glamour.
This is set with Ruddigore, the Gilbert and Sullivan comic Opera in the background - Phryne and Bunji (don't you love that name!) were on the way watch the opera when they come across a Chinese woman being attacked. Phryne picks up an axe and bops one of the attackers on the neck (scientifically of course and using the blunt side)
I didn't know Ruddigore well before this, but this is a great introduction to this opera and it fits in well with the mystery she has to solve.
Fun light and satisfying reading, will definitely be getting more of these to read. To coin a phrase - she is definitely a "kick-ass" style heroine who is fun to read about.
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