Reviews

A bit of a peculiar read. Towards the end Phryne lists a set of questions which had been raised during the investigation but not answered, and I think that sums it up!

This is another book that suffers from a large cast of characters, as we end up with two sets of people to keen track of - the boarding house tenants, and the magazine staff.

It was interesting to see how the victim's life was unfolded, and I really enjoyed seeing Dot take on some of the investigation.

I also like the B-plot of Phryne rescuing Lin Chung. It dragged at first - all just foreboding and bad dreams - but once events started to move it was with satisfying swiftness and action.

ayoh's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

msjenne's review against another edition

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3.0

Hmm, I thought this one was kind of a mess. The two plotlines didn't really go together.

likesbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I started somewhere in the middle with this series as I needed a new mystery and this one popped on my holds list.... Phryne (rhymes with Briny) is a sophisticated London lady (now in Melbourne) in 1928 (in this book) with wide open eyes for what people can be up to. When Miss Lavender dies suddenly Phryne is called in to help her police officer buddy with the investigation to see if it is murder. After all, a woman notices things that a trained male police officer might not. (gag)
In addition to the investigation in to Miss Lavendar's death is the developing story that Phryne's lover Lin Chung is possibly missing.

There's a bit of something for everyone here. I'll read the first one when it comes in and go from there.

stitchinthyme's review against another edition

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4.0

Overall a solid addition to the series. I liked the B-plot (the abduction of Lin Chung) better than the main story. I really enjoy Phryne as a character, especially her unwillingness to conform to the standards of how ladies should act or what they should want out of life. I suppose the willingness of the other characters to accept Phryne as she is may not be entirely realistic, though I guess if you're rich enough, you can get away with things poorer people can't...and Phryne's family are all far away.

Anyway, I always enjoy the secondary characters, especially Dot, Bert, and Cec, and Phryne's interactions with Detective Inspector Jack Robinson are always fun. Intriguing to see that Phryne seems to have much deeper feelings for Lin Chung than she has let on in the past, and

I enjoyed the way she ensured that she wouldn't have to give him up even when he married a family-sanctioned Chinese woman

writerlibrarian's review against another edition

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3.0

More like 3.5 stars. This one has two parallel investigations that climax in different times with quite different fall outs. The look into a turn of the century magazine/journal was interesting, so was the South Sea Pirates. The whole rescue was a bit over the top but then again it's Phryne style to be over the top.

factandfables's review against another edition

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3.0

When these are great, they are so fun. But they are definitely a little messy in terms of plot!

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