Greenwood, Kerry – DEATH AT VICTORIA DOCK

[LJ Roberts]

DEATH AT VICTORIA DOCK (Unlicensed Investigator-Australia- VG
Greenwood, Kerry – 4th in series
Allen & Unwin, 1992- Australian paperback

The Honorable Phryne Fisher becomes involved in hunting down anarchists after they shoot out her windscreen, and cause her to hold an attractive young man in her arms as he dies. The trail leads her to a tattoo parlor, spiritualist, a new lover and her “family” being in danger. Simultaneously, she is looking for a young girl who has run away from home wanting to join a convent; however, the girl was turned away by an unsympathetic nun and disappeared. Phyrne is determined to find her.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; I just love Phryne. She is strong, independent, elegant, and one of the most wonderful totally fictional female characters around. The story begins with a great hook; “The windscreen shattered.” Greenwood always sets the stage well so that you have a sense of time and place. Her dialogue is good and appropriate to each character. The plot is over the top and is really a device to showcase the characters. And that’s what really drives the story. It’s definitely the characters that keep me coming back and Greenwood’s obvious fun in writing them and my enjoyment in reading them.