1993 historical detection, fifth in Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series
(1920s flapper detective in Australia). During a dance competition at
the Green Mill, a figure slumps to the ground. Was he the target of
his attacker – or was it Phryne? And why has her partner for the
evening bolted?
Plus point: homosexual characters treated even-handedly, bearing
in mind the legal situation of the era. Minus point: they're
desperately stereotyped, a weepy interior decorator and two rough
outdoorsy women. There's also lots of infodumping on jazz: sure, we
need background, and research-fests can be fun to read, but it
shouldn't feel like an infodump.
This is the only book to make major mention of Phryne's talent for
aviation (perhaps Greenwood thought it was an ability too far even for
this perfect heroine), as she flies to a remote settlement in search
of a missing brother. This section feels less like a lecture, though
it may be just that I'm already familiar with the subject matter. (And
the actual flying sequences are lyrical in the extreme.)
A disappointing element here is that Phryne lets a murderer go:
granted, for reasons which seem sufficient to her, but I did rather
fall out of willingness to go along with the story at that point. (And
I'm very surprised her friends in the police are willing to keep
talking to her.) The focus isn't really on the mystery, but the
deductive aspects of the story are stronger than usual and the whole
thing holds together pretty well.
Be warned that some copies of the 2007 Poisoned Pen Press edition are
missing the final chapter. Followed by Blood and Circuses.
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