Greenwood, Kerry – COCAINE BLUES

[LJ Roberts]

COCAINE BLUES (Amateur Sleuth-Australia-1920s) – VG Greenwood, Kerry – 1^st in series
McPhee Gribble, 1989-TP

Phryne Fisher has traveled to Australia in order to check on Lydia Andrews; whose parents suspect her husband is poisoning her. Along the way she takes in a desperate young woman, teams with a pair of cab drivers after a back-room abortionist and helps a Russian dancer who is after a cocaine dealer.

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.