| Phryne Fisher | |
|---|---|
| Phryne Fisher mysteries character | |
| First appearance | Cocaine Blues |
| Created by | Kerry Greenwood |
| Information | |
| Gender | female |
| Title | Honourable |
| Spouse(s) | NA |
| Children | two adopted daughters, Jane Fisher and Ruth Fisher |
| 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 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 sometimes wears trousers, while maintaining style and class. [1]
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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 a personal maid, Dot; 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.
In Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Every Cloud Productions will commence shooting Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, a 13 x 1hr drama series based on the books and the Phryne character on 10 July 2011, expected to air on the ABC in 2012.
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a television drama series based on the novels, starring Essie Davis in the leading role of Phryne Fisher. The series is set to screen on ABC1 in 2012.