Two plots in this one, and they do NOT end up intertwined- although her work on them is, somewhat. Phryne accidentally strays onto the site of a murder, getting shot at herself, and a beautiful young man bleeds to death in her arms. Phryne is not one to gloss over the death of a beautiful young man! and so she vows justice. Meanwhile a daughter of privilege goes missing, and her father hires Miss Fisher to find her. Both plots lead to some fairly dark territory.
While social justice isn't really a concern of Miss Fisher's- at least not one she'll admit to!- she nonetheless has friends and compatriots who care a lot about such, and is supportive of them and their causes.
Phryne is herself perhaps a bit less vivid in this one, but we get to spend more time with her loyal companion Dot, her two adopted daughters, a novice policeman who is smitten with Dot, various anarchists, and a lovely Mother Superior of a convent... not to mention the marvelous Bert and Cec.
We also enjoy sumptuous descriptions of clothes, cocktails, and amazing meals, which add to the atmosphere, as well as great period slang. I very much enjoy that these are far less anachronistic than most modern novels set in the past!
Recommended. You can start here, but it'll be more fun if you start from the beginning (Cocaine Blues).
I very much admire the way Greenwood can deal with some very sensitive and sobering issues compassionately, while still maintaining a light touch overall.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
$14.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 20
In Stock
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Anarchists and Wicked Stepmothers? A Very Good Phryne Fisher!
It's 1928 and the world is full of labor unrest and revolutionary fervor. Apparently Melbourne, Australia, is not immune, because as Phyrne drives home late one night, her windscreen is shattered by a bullet just as she's passing the gates of Victoria Dock. She survives intact, but a young man lying in the road is not so lucky. His last words before he dies in her arms are "Ma mére est à Riga." His mother is in Latvia?In addition to Phyrne's need to avenge the young man, she has a new case. Mr. Waddington-Forsythe, rich and possessed of a young dim wife, has lost his 14 year-old daughter. Anarchists and faulty family mechanics and a new lover – Phryne is in for excitement."Death at Victoria Dock" is the 4th in Kerry Greenwoods' Phryne Fisher series, originally published in 1992. I've been reading them in order, and thought the 1st three were fun, though not exceptional. This 4th book, however, is very good, even if talk of revolutionaries can seem clichéd. The pacing is fast and I thoroughly enjoyed it. These are cozies. If you don't expect forensics and police procedures, I think you'll have fun. If you are familiar with the characters, this is the book where Dot first meets Constable Collins.Trivia: The Presbyterian Ladies College, where Phyrne's adopted girls go to school, is a real school. It opened in 1875 (see photo), and is still going strong as a K-12 boarding school.Happy Reader
