Phryne Fisher

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Phryne Fisher
Phryne Fisher mysteries character
First appearance Cocaine Blues
Created by Kerry Greenwood
Information
Gender female
Age 28
Date of birth 13 January, 1900
Title Honourable
Spouse(s) NA
Children two adopted daughters, Jane Fisher and Ruth Fisher
Address St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Religion Church of England

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. Phryne (pronounced fry - nee) is a wealthy aristocrat who lives in St Kilda, Melbourne in 1928. She is a 28 year old woman detective who with the assistance of her maid Dot and Bert and Cec (who are wharfies, taxi drivers and red raggers) solves all manner of crimes. Phryne is no ordinary aristocrat, as she can fly a plane, drives her own car (a Hispano-Suiza) and wears pants whilst maintaining style and class.

Contents

[edit] Phryne's history

Phryne was not always rich, having been born into a poor family in Richmond, Melbourne. During World War I several young men between the 'title' and her father died, thus making her an Hon with an enormous fortune. After finishing school, Phryne ran away to France where she joined a French women's ambulance unit during WWI, receiving a reward for bravery and a French war pension. She then worked as an artist's model in Montparnasse after the war. After several years here and there, Phryne moved from England to Melbourne temporarily to investigate for a family friend. She enjoyed the lifestyle so much she stayed on permanently. Through the course of the books, Phryne collects two adoptive daughters, Ruth and Jane (whom she rescued from slavery); a cat, Ember; a dog, Molly; and two loyal servants, the Butlers. She also has relationships with a string of lovers, most notably Lin Chung, a wealthy Chinese man (whom she rescues in the city one evening). Lin is the only lover with whom she maintains a relationship for more than a few books and even goes so far as to make a deal with his grandmother that when he is married she be allowed to continue a relationship with him. So far Phryne's life is going swimmingly.

[edit] Main characters

Phryne Fisher

Dorothy 'Dot' Williams - Phryne's confidential maid and social secretary

Jane and Ruth - Phryne's adopted daughters

Detective Inspector John 'Jack' Robinson - Phryne's police insider

Lin Chung - Phryne's lover

Li Pen - A Shao Lin monk and Lin's bodyguard

Bert and Cec - Phryne's investigative assistants

Mr and Mrs Butler - Phryne's butler and cook

Hugh Collins - one of Jack's policemen and Dot's husband to be

[edit] The books

  • Cocaine Blues (1991) aka Death by Misadventure
  • Flying Too High (1992)
  • Death at Victoria Dock (1992)
  • Murder on the Ballarat Train (1993)
  • The Green Mill Murder (1993)
  • Blood And Circuses (1994)
  • Ruddy Gore (1995)
  • Urn Burial (1995)
  • Raisins and Almonds (1997)
  • Death before wicket : a Phryne Fisher mystery (2003, c1999)
  • Murder in Montparnasse (2002)
  • The Castlemaine Murders (2004)
  • The Phryne Fisher Mysteries: Cocaine Blues / Flying Too High (omnibus) (2004)
  • Queen of the Flowers (2004)
  • Away With the Fairies (2005)
  • Death By Water (2005)
  • Murder in the Dark (2006)

[edit] References

  • Greenwood, Kerry (2006, c1992). Death at Victoria Dock. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press. ISBN 1-59058-238-1. 
  • Greenwood, Kerry (2006, c1991). Murder on the Ballarat Train. Scottsdale, Arizona: Poisoned Pen Press. ISBN 1-59058-241-1. 

[edit] External links