Book Reviews

Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood

This is the 21st instalment in the ever engaging Honorable Phryne Fisher, lady detective series. It’s been a long seven years since the 20th instalment Murder and Mendelssohn was published and this new book has been worth the wait.

In this reader’s humble opinion, Ms Greenwood’s prose has reached new heights with the wonderful heroine and her many and various friends. More coquettish, more Cole Porter-ish, perhaps it is due to being set in Marvelous Melbourne of 1929. This time there are two very separate plots afoot, with Phyrne and her faithful companion Dot making their way to Daylesford, leaving the Fisher household occupants to solve a murder on their own (with the help of Hugh Collins).

This book is a weighty tome of 315 pages and needs every page to keep two such large plots running. Being separate adventures which don’t interweave until the very end, this reader cheated a little by reading every second section, following Jane, Ruth, Tinker, Cec and Bert as they resolved their murder mystery, then returned to the start to read of Phyrne and Dot’s mystery. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Belinda Coombs
Mystery and Crime Reading Group

Find this book in SMSA Library
Death in Daylesford by Kerry Greenwood
Membership

When you join SMSA as member, you get a wide range of benefits.

Access to the SMSA Library

We are home to a unique collection of books, a highlight being our Mystery and Crime section.

Able to borrow from the Tom Keneally Centre

We are honoured to be the home of Tom Keneally’s personal collection of books, many of which have been used as research for his own works.

Access to member only events

Join a members group, share your passions, learn new skills, make new friends and get involved.

Access to member only activities such as members groups

We provide a variety of member only events, these are relaxed social occasions to have fun and make new friends.

Join as a Member

Subscribe to stay up-to-date