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Cocaine Blues (Phryne Fisher Mysteries) | 
 enlarge | Author: Kerry Greenwood
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $13.45
You Save: $1.50 (10%)
New (5) Used (5) from $8.50
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 122267
Media: Paperback
Pages: 326
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5
ISBN: 159058385X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781590583852
ASIN: 159058385X
Publication Date: April 9, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks
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Product Description
This is where it all started! The first classic Phryne Fisher mystery, featuring our delectable heroine, cocaine, communism and adventure. Phryne leaves the tedium of English high society for Melbourne, Australia, and never looks back.
The London season is in full fling at the end of the 1920s, but the Honorable Phryne Fisher--she of the green-grey eyes, diamant garters and outfits that should not be sprung suddenly on those of nervous dispositions--is rapidly tiring of the tedium of arranging flowers, making polite conversations with retired colonels, and dancing with weak-chinned men. Instead, Phryne decides it might be rather amusing to try her hand at being a lady detective in Melbourne, Australia.
Almost immediately from the time she books into the Windsor Hotel, Phryne is embroiled in mystery: poisoned wives, cocaine smuggling rings, corrupt cops and communism--not to mention erotic encounters with the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse--until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
The first of the Phryne Fisher mysteries in 1920's Australia March 22, 1999
carolaus@yahoo.com (Australia)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Phryne Fisher sails to Australia in the late 1920's. She finds herself surrounded on all sides by villains during her search for the King of Snow. This book brings alive the magic of 1920's Melbourne and the era of fun and flappers.
Absolutely delightful! June 27, 2005
L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Phryne, pronounced Fry-knee to rhyme with briny, is a wonderful character. She's independent, smart, talented, stylish, and knows both poverty and wealth. This is someone you'd love to know. The story is both light and humorous but deals with serious subjects. The writing is intelligent, clever and in keeping with the period. There are now 15 books in the series and you can believe I'm going to try to find them all.
 a great start to a fantastic series January 12, 2006
E Rice (western ny state)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
cocaine blues, published first in the country as _death by misadventure_, is the first mystery to feature phyrne fisher, australian born daughter of a remittance man, english educated once her father inherits the title and millions, who is asked by a set of parents to investigate the apparent murder attempts against their daughter, who is in australia.
of course, phyrne accepts and returns to the land of her childhood. it is 1928, and one of the many charms of this series is the picture of australia just after the great war. we also get to enjoy the fashions in dress, food, and cars, and wince at the some of the social mores.
phyrne rapidly solves the mystery in the style of the golden age of mystery writing, fitting for the time this is set.
our heroine is definitely her own woman. she is independent, competent, intelligent, remembers the lessons of childhood poverty and enjoys wielding her adult money and title.
the only drawback to the first three in this series is that they are comparatively short. the plots are first rate, the descriptions well done, the characterizations accurate and even pungent. there is also humor of every kind.
this is a mystery and a series not to be missed by any reader who wants a well-written, exciting read.
Jazz Age Gem July 4, 2006
SKW (New York, New York)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Boy, am I glad I stumbled on this series! Greenwood turns the cliche flapper image on its head. Rather than tell us about how flappers were free thinkers, but stop short of showing us, Greenwood shows us Phryne (pronounced FRI-KNEE)rolling in the hay with the beautiful Russian dancer Sasha, unabashedly smoking, drinking and wearing her gorgeous clothing. Social convention be damned in this first installment of Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.
Kerry Greenwood is an unbelievably skillfull writer...a pleasure to read. Not a word is wasted as she sets up the story of (Phryne needs to bring George the Butcher abortionist to justice and uncover the SNOW KING, cocaine dealer and mastermind) introduces us to her taut group of Phryne assistants and secondary characters -- Bert, Cec, Dot, Dr. McMillan. While most amateur sleuth stories require a leap of faith that the amateur is actually capable of solving a crime, as does "Cocaine Blues" but not much. Phryne is a plucky, likeable -- real character. Her charm sweeps the reader along to the novel's satisfying conclusion -- a true to Phryne conclusion.
 Couldn't finish the book September 8, 2006
Christina Lockstein (Oconto Falls, WI USA)
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood did not grab my interest at all. I couldn't finish the book. It was lacking detail, and it felt like the writing was immature. While I've read several good reviews of the Phryne Fisher series, the character seemed flat and uninteresting.
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