Urn Burial: A Phryne Fisher Mystery

This is the sexiest of the Phryne Fisher series that I've read. Yowsa. A good mystery with a big, thrilling conclusion. One of Greenwood's best.

Kerry Greenwood's URN BURIAL: A PHRYNE FISHER MYSTERY tells of a holiday at an Australian gothic mansion in the country where a host faces death threats and traps are set. When murder results and mysterious funerary urns appear, Phyrne sets out on one of the most dangerous investigations of her life.

Another dip into earlier Greenwood novels from Poisoned Pen Press. I think the Hon. Phryne Fisher is one of the best characters to hit the mystery scene. If you haven't read this yet, why not?! This one follows Ruddy Gore--early in Phryne's relationship with her Chinese lover. Phryne has been invited to a house party some distance in the countryside, and is introducing her love Lin Chung to society ladies who don't quite know what to make of him. Phyrne's on the guest list primarily because her host is getting death threats, and she soon falls into a trap laid for him. And the river's rising so everyone's struck there for a while. A classic English theme played out in the wilds of Australia. And, of course, Phryne's leading people into a future free of Victorian conventions with a vengeance.

The Honorable Phryne Fisher is a society lady who also is a private detective in Australia in 1928. Unable to fit into upper class British society because she feels the mores and customs were too restrictive for females, she ran away from home at eighteen to Paris and then to Australia. She is accepted by Polite Society even though she doesn't conform to the rules women are supposed to live by and her taking of Lin Chung, a Chinese aristocrat as a lover, almost causes a scandal due to prejudice. The duo along with their servants and bodyguard Li Pen go to Cave House in the countryside to attend a party. Even before they arrive, a shot rings out and they rescue Lina, a servant girl who was brutally assaulted. When they arrive at the house, they find out their host is getting death threats. Later Phryne goes to Lina's room to find the young lady dead. When she goes to get help, in the time she is gone, someone steals the body and the people are trapped on the estate with a murderer due to high flood waters but Phryne is determined to root out the murderer who is threatening her host. Kerry Greenwood is one of the best Australian mystery writers in recent years with a deserved fan base in the United States. Readers can't help but like the plucky woman who knows what she wants and goes after it including taking a Chinese man (unheard of in those days) and working as a private detective (something rich aristocrats just don't do). Her current who-done-it showcases a talented author and her terrific heroine. Harriet Klausner

although this is listed in british mysteries, it is written by an australian and set in 1928 australia. phyrne fisher, the series sleuth, is the daughter of a remittance man who ends up the heir to the family fortune after several deaths in england, and is a fabulous and fantastic character. she is independent, capable, brave, intelligent, and, as befits an aussie, brooks no nonsense. her minions and her lover are resourceful and in awe of her. the plot here, as the plots in the other books in the series, is wonderfully twisty. the writing is first rate. the historical bits are as important and as interesting as the mystery (true of the other titles, too). food and fashion feature as stongly as mayhem and detection. there is humor (or humour) as well. if fact, there isn't anything missing from this book and everything is under the control of a very fine writer. while it could stand alone, having read some of the previous titles would add to the enjoyment of this one. this title takes on the traditional country house murder and does it in style. most of the books in this series contain some reference to the golden age of mystery writing, as suitable for the 1928 setting, which will add appeal to fans of the classics. i am thrilled to see this series back in america (the first three books were published here in the early 90s, and i've been ordering all the others from australia since then--i like them enough to pay the outrageous postage!). there are at least thirteen titles now in print, which may be almost enough to tide newcomers until the next one, usually published in june. if you'e tired of all the superficial, badly written, historically inaccurate, infantile, psychologically unlikely mysteries that seem to be getting all too common, try this series.