2007 historical detection short stories, in Greenwood's Phryne Fisher
series (1920s flapper detective in Australia).
This is another solution to what I consider the predominant
problem of short detective fiction, that being the lack of space to
develop character: here, Phryne Fisher, whom the reader can be assumed
to know already, is so much more solid a character than anyone else
even in the novels that the guest stars' relative lack of development
doesn't really matter.
On Phryne Fisher is a new and more real-world description of how
Phryne-the-character came to exist: no longer the visionary and
inspirational meeting on a tram that's been recounted in earlier
end-matter, this is a story of a would-be author and a process of
careful construction that rings rather truer to the working writer's
experience than the one vital flash.
Hotel Splendide is a variant of the Vanishing Hotel Room, though
this time it's a vanishing husband rather than a wife or mother. No
surprises, except perhaps what Phryne is prepared to condone, but well
organised. This is the only story set outside Australia.
The Voice is Jacob's Voice is that refreshing thing, a detective
story about twins that doesn't rely on one of them being mistaken for
the other.
Marrying the Bookie's Daughter has a society wedding, a jewel theft,
and hidden deeds a-plenty. All it's really missing is an unsuspected
will.
The Vanishing of Jock McHale's Hat is relatively straightforward,
and suffers thereby, but has some amusing period detail.
Puttin' On the Ritz takes place at a fine restaurant, and everything
is sorted by the time the pudding comes round. It works rather well.
‘Oh dear,' murmured Phryne. ‘A cut off the joint, when he could be
ordering filet en cochonailles. I'm afraid that your papa is a truly
wicked man.'
The Body in the Library is over-short, and the cunning scheme rather
too obvious. A few more pages would have given it a chance to develop.
The Miracle of St Mungo seems remarkably similar in form to
Sayers' The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker: an erring
but repentant woman, a blackmailer, the vital evidence recovered by
cheating at cards. Well, we know that Greenwood is a fan of Sayers. It
really wouldn't work at greater length.
Overheard On a Balcony has a horrible blackmailer whom everyone had
reason to want dead; and everyone is happy that he is. At least once
Phryne sorts them all out.
The Hours of Juana the Mad is clearly the prototype of parts of
Death Before Wicket, though the resolution differs. A lack of
villains is an impairment.
Death Shall Be Dead has a nasty old man murdered… and a gang of
crooks too. It's twisty and fun.
Carnival has the prototype for the carnies in Blood and Circuses,
and a rare poor choice of male companion for Phryne (well, it had to
happen eventually).
The Camberwell Wonder is straightforward if you know about the
Campden Wonder, and has some unfortunately inconsistent behaviour (n
zna jub pnerf fb zhpu nobhg gur jryy-orvat bs gur zragnyyl qrsvpvrag
gung ur'f fgnssrq uvf rfgnoyvfuzrag jvgu gurz, va fcvgr bs gur boivbhf
qenjonpxf; ohg ur'f dhvgr unccl gb frr bar tb gb gur tnyybjf sbe uvf
cerfhzrq zheqre).
Come, Sable Night sees murder done among the madrigal singers – or
was it? Rather neat.
All in all it's a pleasing and varied collection, if slightly patchy;
probably not a great introduction to Phryne, but since the first book
in the series is still available one might as well start there anyway.
Interspersed material includes recipes for food and cocktails.
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