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Phryne Fisher #9
Raisins and Almonds
Phryne Fisher loves dancing, especially with gorgeous young Simon Abrahams. But Phryne's contentment at the Jewish Young Peoples Society Dance is cut short when Simon's father asks her to investigate the strange death of a devout young student in Miss Sylvia Lee's bookshop located in the Eastern Market.
207 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
305 people are currently reading
2544 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Greenwood
86 books2,518 followersKerry Isabelle Greenwood was an Australian author and lawyer. She wrote many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular television series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. She wrote mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, children's stories, and plays. Greenwood earned the Australian women's crime fiction Davitt Award in 2002 for her young adult novel The Three-Pronged Dagger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
January 6, 2012
Who poisoned the foreign student? Was it the owner of the bookstore where he died? His Zionist connections? The unknown person he was leaving a message for? The person he wanted to buy guns from? The vanished carter? Who?!
But hey, gotcha! In fact there are like no suspects. Greenwood spends most of the book telling you about Zionism and Jewish migration and mysticism and Phryne's clothes. Really most of the stuff you learn in the book is irrelevant to the mystery. I was kind of bored by the mini-lectures and did not entirely care for her depiction of Jews, which was positive but full of stereotypes.
And poor detective Jack Robinson -- his character seems to get rewritten in every book. I didn't find it believable that he would have charged Miss Lee for basically no reason, making up such a groundless explanation to cast her as the murderer. It made no sense and didn't fit how intelligent and open-minded he was in some of the other books.
Not terrible, but my least favorite of the series.
But hey, gotcha! In fact there are like no suspects. Greenwood spends most of the book telling you about Zionism and Jewish migration and mysticism and Phryne's clothes. Really most of the stuff you learn in the book is irrelevant to the mystery. I was kind of bored by the mini-lectures and did not entirely care for her depiction of Jews, which was positive but full of stereotypes.
And poor detective Jack Robinson -- his character seems to get rewritten in every book. I didn't find it believable that he would have charged Miss Lee for basically no reason, making up such a groundless explanation to cast her as the murderer. It made no sense and didn't fit how intelligent and open-minded he was in some of the other books.
Not terrible, but my least favorite of the series.
January 31, 2019
As soon as Phryne Fisher interviewed Miss Lee from the bookshop at the Markets, she knew Detective Inspector Jack Robinson had arrested the wrong person. In Phryne’s opinion, there was no way Miss Lee had murdered the nice young man in her bookshop – all she had to do was prove it.
Searching for the real killer took Phryne into the Jewish quarter where the particular politics remained a puzzle, and the Rabbi she asked for help “difficult”. But with Bert and Cec, Dot, Jane and Ruth by her side, and of course the Abrahams, Phryne was sure she’d find the answers, and remove Miss Lee from prison where she was being held. Phryne always found her “man” – but would she this time?
Raisins and Almonds is the 9th in the Phryne Fisher series by Aussie author Kerry Greenwood, and was another entertaining and fast-paced read. It was interesting to delve into the Jewish customs, though it felt like just a little too much information in places. I’m loving this series, especially the outrageous Phryne! Highly recommended.
Searching for the real killer took Phryne into the Jewish quarter where the particular politics remained a puzzle, and the Rabbi she asked for help “difficult”. But with Bert and Cec, Dot, Jane and Ruth by her side, and of course the Abrahams, Phryne was sure she’d find the answers, and remove Miss Lee from prison where she was being held. Phryne always found her “man” – but would she this time?
Raisins and Almonds is the 9th in the Phryne Fisher series by Aussie author Kerry Greenwood, and was another entertaining and fast-paced read. It was interesting to delve into the Jewish customs, though it felt like just a little too much information in places. I’m loving this series, especially the outrageous Phryne! Highly recommended.
October 17, 2019
Very entertaining and as always, I love the setting!
November 12, 2012
Many of the historical mystery novels that I read also serve as a window into another world and as an in-depth history class. Most of what I know of Ancient Rome has been culled from the Marcus Didius Falco novels by Lindsey Davis; I have learned so much about the world in the 1920s -- be it Great Britain, Palestine, North Africa -- from the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes series penned by Laurie R. King; everything I know about China's Tang Dynasty I learned from Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee mystery novels. So I appreciate a well-crafted novel that interweaves history into a whodunit.
Unfortunately, that's not Raisins and Almonds. It's not that author Kerry Greenwood can't effectively and smoothly splice history lessons into her Phryne Fisher novels: She's done so in the past, particularly in Death at Victoria Dock, which examined anarchism in 1920s Australia, and The Green Mill Murder, which provides a glimpse into life in the untamed, breath-taking Snowy River country during the same time period. However, in Raisins and Almonds, Greenwood is so taken with teaching us about the Kabbalah, medieval Jewish mysticism, kosher dietary laws, early Zionism and Jews in early 20th century Australia that the history lesson gets in the way of the story. Greenwood even provides a Yiddish glossary at the end of the novel, a two-page bibliography "[i]f anyone would like to duplicate my research" (uh, what's the likelihood of that???) and spends a painstaking two pages elucidating the difference between a schlemiel and a schlimazl, for heavens' sake! At times, the Jews emerge as stereotypes (e.g., Julia Abrahams, the mother of Phryne's newfound Jewish lover, as the archetypical suffocating Jewish mother and Rabbi Elijah as the unapproachable Kabbalah mystic). Greenwood's depiction of virgin Simon Abrahams as a fascinating lover is more part and parcel of Greenwood's adolescent fascination with early 20th century Australian Jewry. Seriously, how probable is it that the experienced and experimental Phryne Fisher is going to be impressed by a mama's boy who has never been with a woman? Greenwood is so determined to provide a glowing portrait of the resilient and adaptable Ashkenazi Jews of early 20th century Australia in Raisins and Almonds that, ironically, they emerge as two-dimensional characters.
For those interested in a more three-dimensional -- and better interwoven -- portrayal of Jews in history than you'll get in Raisins and Almonds, please try Sharan Newman's Catherine LeVendeur series about Jews in 12th century Paris; Ariana Franklin's excellent Mistress of the Art of Death, which elucidates the lives of Jews in 12th century Sicily and England; King's and Dorothy and Sidney Rosen's Belle Appleman series, which is set in Depression Era Boston. As with the early Rabbi David Small novels of the late Harry Kemelman, Faye Kellerman's Rina Lazarus series, and King's Mary Russell novels, these provide an education about the Jewish way of life without swamping the mystery aspect of the novel.
Now, how does the mystery in Raisins and Almonds stack up? Even on that level, the novel, the ninth in the Phryne Fisher series, doesn't compare with any of Greenwood's previous novels. A yeshiva student who goes by the Anglicized name of Simon Michaels (actual name: Shimeon Ben Mikhael, an immigrant from Salonika) is poisoned while in a bookstore, and the proprietress gets the blame. A leader of the Jewish community (Simon Abrahams' father Benjamin) hires Phryne to catch the real murderer. As usual, Phryne enlists her faithful maid and companion, Dot Williams; her two "red ragger" pals, Cecil and Bert; and her adoptive daughters to help her discern who really killed Michaels. Usually, the result is a delightful and clever mystery; however, here Greenwood just seems to be going through the motions. You'll figure out how Michaels was poisoned long before Phryne or Detective Inspector John "Call me Jack, everyone does" Robinson do. The identity of the true murderer will, I admit, come as a surprise. Even so, without the unrelieved and clumsy history lessons, the pedestrian Raisins and Almonds might have risen to three stars, but no more. Raisins and Almonds is no Cocaine Blues, Flying Too High, The Green Mill Murder or Blood and Circuses. If you're looking to skip one, this is the one.
Unfortunately, that's not Raisins and Almonds. It's not that author Kerry Greenwood can't effectively and smoothly splice history lessons into her Phryne Fisher novels: She's done so in the past, particularly in Death at Victoria Dock, which examined anarchism in 1920s Australia, and The Green Mill Murder, which provides a glimpse into life in the untamed, breath-taking Snowy River country during the same time period. However, in Raisins and Almonds, Greenwood is so taken with teaching us about the Kabbalah, medieval Jewish mysticism, kosher dietary laws, early Zionism and Jews in early 20th century Australia that the history lesson gets in the way of the story. Greenwood even provides a Yiddish glossary at the end of the novel, a two-page bibliography "[i]f anyone would like to duplicate my research" (uh, what's the likelihood of that???) and spends a painstaking two pages elucidating the difference between a schlemiel and a schlimazl, for heavens' sake! At times, the Jews emerge as stereotypes (e.g., Julia Abrahams, the mother of Phryne's newfound Jewish lover, as the archetypical suffocating Jewish mother and Rabbi Elijah as the unapproachable Kabbalah mystic). Greenwood's depiction of virgin Simon Abrahams as a fascinating lover is more part and parcel of Greenwood's adolescent fascination with early 20th century Australian Jewry. Seriously, how probable is it that the experienced and experimental Phryne Fisher is going to be impressed by a mama's boy who has never been with a woman? Greenwood is so determined to provide a glowing portrait of the resilient and adaptable Ashkenazi Jews of early 20th century Australia in Raisins and Almonds that, ironically, they emerge as two-dimensional characters.
For those interested in a more three-dimensional -- and better interwoven -- portrayal of Jews in history than you'll get in Raisins and Almonds, please try Sharan Newman's Catherine LeVendeur series about Jews in 12th century Paris; Ariana Franklin's excellent Mistress of the Art of Death, which elucidates the lives of Jews in 12th century Sicily and England; King's and Dorothy and Sidney Rosen's Belle Appleman series, which is set in Depression Era Boston. As with the early Rabbi David Small novels of the late Harry Kemelman, Faye Kellerman's Rina Lazarus series, and King's Mary Russell novels, these provide an education about the Jewish way of life without swamping the mystery aspect of the novel.
Now, how does the mystery in Raisins and Almonds stack up? Even on that level, the novel, the ninth in the Phryne Fisher series, doesn't compare with any of Greenwood's previous novels. A yeshiva student who goes by the Anglicized name of Simon Michaels (actual name: Shimeon Ben Mikhael, an immigrant from Salonika) is poisoned while in a bookstore, and the proprietress gets the blame. A leader of the Jewish community (Simon Abrahams' father Benjamin) hires Phryne to catch the real murderer. As usual, Phryne enlists her faithful maid and companion, Dot Williams; her two "red ragger" pals, Cecil and Bert; and her adoptive daughters to help her discern who really killed Michaels. Usually, the result is a delightful and clever mystery; however, here Greenwood just seems to be going through the motions. You'll figure out how Michaels was poisoned long before Phryne or Detective Inspector John "Call me Jack, everyone does" Robinson do. The identity of the true murderer will, I admit, come as a surprise. Even so, without the unrelieved and clumsy history lessons, the pedestrian Raisins and Almonds might have risen to three stars, but no more. Raisins and Almonds is no Cocaine Blues, Flying Too High, The Green Mill Murder or Blood and Circuses. If you're looking to skip one, this is the one.
April 5, 2023
Read as a palate-cleanser, but it will be some time before I'll read another in this series. Padded by at least 45 pages. Tiresome romance with a partner she refers to repeatedly as a boy. Nonetheless, if your tolerance for playing Phryne Fisher bingo is greater than mine, there's significant focus on the experience of the Jewish diaspora both in Australia and in Europe in 1928, and a robust bibliography of sources Greenwood read/consulted. (also, a dippy Yiddish-to-English word list, but I digress.)
But also, TIL that the "philosopher's stone" is a reference going back at least to Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, first performed in 1610, in which said stone -- which can be liquid - is described as a substance that converts base metals to gold and is the elixir of eternal youth and life. It can, however, only be created or possessed by someone: (a) pure, and (b) with pious intentions for its use. No doubt all of my English friends knew this in 1997 when the first HP book dropped, but it gives me yet another reason to despise Scholastic's choice to change the title for its US release.
I recommend passing on Raisins and Almonds unless you're already a huge PF fan, and working your way through the reference books, but it's not awful. As the 3 stars indicate, it's fine.
Some titles follow:
The Book of Werewolves by Sabine Baring-Gould
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Dictionary of Alchemy by Mark Haeffner
The Holy Kabbalah: A Mystical Interpretation of the Scriptures by Arthur Edward Waite
The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten
Man, Myth And Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Of The Supernatural by Richard Cavendish
Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin
The Return of Hyman Kaplan by Leo Rosten
Trial and Error: The Autobiography of Chaim Weizmann by Chaim Weizmann
The Torah
Magic Into Science: The Story Of Paracelsus by Henry M. Pachter
But also, TIL that the "philosopher's stone" is a reference going back at least to Ben Jonson's The Alchemist, first performed in 1610, in which said stone -- which can be liquid - is described as a substance that converts base metals to gold and is the elixir of eternal youth and life. It can, however, only be created or possessed by someone: (a) pure, and (b) with pious intentions for its use. No doubt all of my English friends knew this in 1997 when the first HP book dropped, but it gives me yet another reason to despise Scholastic's choice to change the title for its US release.
I recommend passing on Raisins and Almonds unless you're already a huge PF fan, and working your way through the reference books, but it's not awful. As the 3 stars indicate, it's fine.
Some titles follow:
The Book of Werewolves by Sabine Baring-Gould
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Dictionary of Alchemy by Mark Haeffner
The Holy Kabbalah: A Mystical Interpretation of the Scriptures by Arthur Edward Waite
The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten
Man, Myth And Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia Of The Supernatural by Richard Cavendish
Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin
The Return of Hyman Kaplan by Leo Rosten
Trial and Error: The Autobiography of Chaim Weizmann by Chaim Weizmann
The Torah
Magic Into Science: The Story Of Paracelsus by Henry M. Pachter
June 25, 2017
This book is 20 years old, so I can only imagine that I have a review copy because it is being re-released on its 20th anniversary. Because now that we can also see Phryne Fisher on tv, who wouldn't want to read her adventures? I've previously read books 1-2 of this series and didn't feel like I was missing much by jumping to #9 - much of the story isn't based on what came before, except for the secondary characters.
This is a fun episode because a man is murdered in a bookshop. Elements of the treatment of Jews in 1920s Australia (and the world), immigration, Zionism, and the Kabbalah are all here. Fun, easy read, and a good refresher on the best female detective, who does not let you or anyone else control her life, thank you very much.
This is a fun episode because a man is murdered in a bookshop. Elements of the treatment of Jews in 1920s Australia (and the world), immigration, Zionism, and the Kabbalah are all here. Fun, easy read, and a good refresher on the best female detective, who does not let you or anyone else control her life, thank you very much.
December 26, 2015
In my thoughts on Urn Burial, I wondered if one of Phryne’s lovers was ever going to be really exposed to danger, so that you don’t feel as if everyone around her lives a charmed life. Well, this one has a bit more threat to it — the confrontation chapter, in particular, was tense and a little shocking. I had the sense that it could’ve gone either way, and the desperation of other characters around Phryne who clearly believed that helped. The lengths they were prepared to go to, to save the character in question… yeah, I felt that more than I have for several books.
As for the plot itself, well — it’s typically dramatic, with Phryne getting tangled up in race issues again: this time not Chinese, but Jewish. I know that some people would probably call her a “Mary Sue” for being so adaptable to other people’s customs, but it makes sense with the character: her background, her generally accepting habits, the fact that she is definitely a lady.
One of the scenes was borrowed whole-cloth from Dorothy L. Sayers, which bothers me a little. I think often the homages are deliberate, but taking one of Harriet Vane’s lines to her future husband and putting it in the mouth of a character who will appear in one book, if the pattern holds? Hm. I don’t know if it was deliberate reference, unconscious plagiarism, or what, but it stood out like a sore thumb — Miss Lee joking to Phryne that she will always find her at home, when of course, she’s in prison and can’t leave. That line, in Sayers, tells us so much about Harriet, and yet here it feels wasted. Sigh.
Still, that’s a minor quibble, and for the most part this is a solid outing for Phryne.
Originally posted here.
As for the plot itself, well — it’s typically dramatic, with Phryne getting tangled up in race issues again: this time not Chinese, but Jewish. I know that some people would probably call her a “Mary Sue” for being so adaptable to other people’s customs, but it makes sense with the character: her background, her generally accepting habits, the fact that she is definitely a lady.
One of the scenes was borrowed whole-cloth from Dorothy L. Sayers, which bothers me a little. I think often the homages are deliberate, but taking one of Harriet Vane’s lines to her future husband and putting it in the mouth of a character who will appear in one book, if the pattern holds? Hm. I don’t know if it was deliberate reference, unconscious plagiarism, or what, but it stood out like a sore thumb — Miss Lee joking to Phryne that she will always find her at home, when of course, she’s in prison and can’t leave. That line, in Sayers, tells us so much about Harriet, and yet here it feels wasted. Sigh.
Still, that’s a minor quibble, and for the most part this is a solid outing for Phryne.
Originally posted here.
April 26, 2017
The Phrynne Fisher cozy mysteries by Kerry Greenwood, is a favorite series of mine. The most recent adventure is set in the Jewish community in Melbourne, Australia in the 1920's. The story begins with a Jewish scholar’s mysterious death in a book store. The owner of the bookstore, a woman who refuses to speak up for herself, is arrested and Phrynne is called in to prove her innocence. I found the character of the owner intriguing and I was rooting for her to be exonerated.
As in any good cozy mystery, Phrynne finds romance along the way with a young Jewish man, Simon. The romance was a little disappointing but I always enjoy the scenes with her friends and the family she has created (adopting two young girls) and these were no exception. The dialogue moves along easily and the story is generally fun. Greenwood incorporates Jewish Mysticism and the Kabbalah into her tale, which I found interesting.
A must read for fans of this series and for lovers of cozy mysteries in general. Highly diverting. My thanks to NetGalley for sending me this book.
As in any good cozy mystery, Phrynne finds romance along the way with a young Jewish man, Simon. The romance was a little disappointing but I always enjoy the scenes with her friends and the family she has created (adopting two young girls) and these were no exception. The dialogue moves along easily and the story is generally fun. Greenwood incorporates Jewish Mysticism and the Kabbalah into her tale, which I found interesting.
A must read for fans of this series and for lovers of cozy mysteries in general. Highly diverting. My thanks to NetGalley for sending me this book.
March 18, 2019
The saving grace of this installment of the Fisher series for me was the "cosy" sections--when she is at home, taking tea or a bath, or out for dinner with the usual mouth-watering descriptions of food and drink.
The mystery was OK but doesn't get enough real airtime, as Phryne is preoccupied with Judaism and Kaballah (of all things). We are treated to pages and pages of K., which is not my favourite topic at the best of times...and expected to believe that Phryne can inhale three or four books on the subject overnight, retain all of the information, and then...impress an ultra orthodox rabbi? Yeah, I know she's supposed to be practically perfect in every way, but I got the distinct and unpleasant impression that Phryne felt herself to be "slumming" in her relationship with the latest "beautiful young man" who is, to her, exotic and foreign. She revels in the fact that she is "exotic" in his world. Ick.
The author's research is a little too obvious in this novel; it's not as skilfully woven into the plot as some. The big "reveal scene" went on a bit too long and was somehow unsatisfying. I got the impression somehow that Phryne had jumped on the 1990s Kaballah bandwagon, along with Madonna and Roseanne Barr.
I figured out the "baddy" about two seconds after they made an appearance, and the red herrings were too weak to disinform. Try again, Ms Greenwood.
The mystery was OK but doesn't get enough real airtime, as Phryne is preoccupied with Judaism and Kaballah (of all things). We are treated to pages and pages of K., which is not my favourite topic at the best of times...and expected to believe that Phryne can inhale three or four books on the subject overnight, retain all of the information, and then...impress an ultra orthodox rabbi? Yeah, I know she's supposed to be practically perfect in every way, but I got the distinct and unpleasant impression that Phryne felt herself to be "slumming" in her relationship with the latest "beautiful young man" who is, to her, exotic and foreign. She revels in the fact that she is "exotic" in his world. Ick.
The author's research is a little too obvious in this novel; it's not as skilfully woven into the plot as some. The big "reveal scene" went on a bit too long and was somehow unsatisfying. I got the impression somehow that Phryne had jumped on the 1990s Kaballah bandwagon, along with Madonna and Roseanne Barr.
I figured out the "baddy" about two seconds after they made an appearance, and the red herrings were too weak to disinform. Try again, Ms Greenwood.
April 3, 2018
4 stars, mainly because I prefer how the novel does things better than the TV show for this one.
This is quite a good novel. I feel like it maintains its time and place, while also keeping the social commentary realistic and relevant.
Also, I like how the specifics of the mystery play out in this as opposed to the TV show. Phrynne pointing out the inconsistencies in his case to Jack is fun. I enjoy Phrynne becoming friends with the mother of the latest many she's sleeping with by assuring her that she's not going to try and marry him. And I particularly enjoy that in this version Miss Lee is just a self-possessed and reserved individual, who is not guilty and also not
This is quite a good novel. I feel like it maintains its time and place, while also keeping the social commentary realistic and relevant.
Also, I like how the specifics of the mystery play out in this as opposed to the TV show. Phrynne pointing out the inconsistencies in his case to Jack is fun. I enjoy Phrynne becoming friends with the mother of the latest many she's sleeping with by assuring her that she's not going to try and marry him. And I particularly enjoy that in this version Miss Lee is just a self-possessed and reserved individual, who is not guilty and also not
November 6, 2024
this was plotted in an absurdly bad manner; there were neither any real suspects nor any suspense, with all the pieces of the puzzle appearing in linear progression (and at least twice in a deus ex machina way). every single character, especially the jewish ones, was painted so caricaturally, with such garish, unsubtle, distasteful strokes, that one would have to read it to believe it. the writing was clunky, awkward, and mercilessly exposition-heavy, often reading like a third-rate cozy mystery, and never managing to achieve any flow. what charm the 'main cast' (miss fisher's entourage) did have ultimately did little to redeem this mess
August 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this Phryne Fisher mystery set largely in the Jewish community of Melbourne in the 1920s.
I’ve read several other mysteries in this series, but hadn’t gotten to this one; Phryne Fisher is a fascinating character, and her mysteries are always satisfying, but the Jewish ex-pat community experience in Melbourne between the wars was a whole new setting and experience for me. Very interesting and satisfying - I’ll definitely be returning to read more from Phryne, I got sidetracked years ago by Kerry Greenwood’s other (contemporary) Melbourne female amateur detective, baker Corinna Chapman.
In this outing, Phryne is hired by wealthy Jewish businessman Benjamin Abrahams to investigate the poisoning death of a devout young man in a bookshop; the owner, the very respectable Miss Sylvia Lee, has been arrested for the murder, and Mr. Abrahams owns the building and feels his tenant is innocent. To complicate matters, Phryne is romantically interested in her client’s son, Simon Abrahams, a gorgeous young man, divine dance partner and potential lover...
Her investigation leads Phryne deep into the Melbourne Jewish refugee community, including Yiddish, rabbis, studying the Torah and the Holy Kabala, and Zionism. I suspected who the killer was, but it was still a suspenseful ending. Very interesting.
This book satisfies the Book For All Seasons challenge to read a book with food in the title.
I’ve read several other mysteries in this series, but hadn’t gotten to this one; Phryne Fisher is a fascinating character, and her mysteries are always satisfying, but the Jewish ex-pat community experience in Melbourne between the wars was a whole new setting and experience for me. Very interesting and satisfying - I’ll definitely be returning to read more from Phryne, I got sidetracked years ago by Kerry Greenwood’s other (contemporary) Melbourne female amateur detective, baker Corinna Chapman.
In this outing, Phryne is hired by wealthy Jewish businessman Benjamin Abrahams to investigate the poisoning death of a devout young man in a bookshop; the owner, the very respectable Miss Sylvia Lee, has been arrested for the murder, and Mr. Abrahams owns the building and feels his tenant is innocent. To complicate matters, Phryne is romantically interested in her client’s son, Simon Abrahams, a gorgeous young man, divine dance partner and potential lover...
Her investigation leads Phryne deep into the Melbourne Jewish refugee community, including Yiddish, rabbis, studying the Torah and the Holy Kabala, and Zionism. I suspected who the killer was, but it was still a suspenseful ending. Very interesting.
This book satisfies the Book For All Seasons challenge to read a book with food in the title.
May 25, 2018
I'm getting this/these from the public library so I'm not reading them in order. So far not a problem other than now and then Phryne makes reference to something that happened in a book I haven't read yet...no big deal so far. It's always easy to catch up.
Here Phryne delves into a slightly different kind of mystery than we've seen her in before (and if I say more it's sort of a spoiler... Tell you what if you want to know why it's a little different I'll put it under a spoiler warning: . Now if you read that it's on you.
So still lots of humor, still good plot and characters we get to know. Again I can (with slight reservation over the slightly graphic sex scenes) I can recommend this/these.
Enjoy.
Here Phryne delves into a slightly different kind of mystery than we've seen her in before (and if I say more it's sort of a spoiler... Tell you what if you want to know why it's a little different I'll put it under a spoiler warning: . Now if you read that it's on you.
So still lots of humor, still good plot and characters we get to know. Again I can (with slight reservation over the slightly graphic sex scenes) I can recommend this/these.
Enjoy.
May 25, 2018
I'm getting this/these from the public library so I'm not reading them in order. So far not a problem other than now and then Phryne makes reference to something that happened in a book I haven't read yet...no big deal so far. It's always easy to catch up.
Here Phryne delves into a slightly different kind of mystery than we've seen her in before (and if I say more it's sort of a spoiler... Tell you what if you want to know why it's a little different I'll put it under a spoiler warning: . Now if you read that it's on you.
So still lots of humor, still good plot and characters we get to know. Again I can (with slight reservation over the slightly graphic sex scenes) I can recommend this/these.
Enjoy.
Here Phryne delves into a slightly different kind of mystery than we've seen her in before (and if I say more it's sort of a spoiler... Tell you what if you want to know why it's a little different I'll put it under a spoiler warning: . Now if you read that it's on you.
So still lots of humor, still good plot and characters we get to know. Again I can (with slight reservation over the slightly graphic sex scenes) I can recommend this/these.
Enjoy.
June 4, 2017
U ovoj knjizi Phryne se susreće s židovskom kulturom, i mora se priznati da je autorica tu obavila izvrstan posao. knjiga je čisti gušt za čitati.
alevai omayn!
alevai omayn!
February 6, 2017
#9 Phryne Fisher cozy mystery
This book had a more serious tone compared to other books in this series. Phryne, a wealthy, stylish young socialite in 1920's Australia, her adopted young daughters, Dot, her maid, and other household staff are delightful as usual.
Previous books are much lighter in tone, highly enjoyable, refreshing, and a real treat. This book "brings to life the Jewish culture in Australia in the late 1920s" (Midwest Book Review). Phryne's love interest is Jewish man. She meets his family, and is asked to investigate the strange death of a devout young student.
The investigation leads her "into the world of Yiddish, refugees, rabbis, kosher dinners, Kadimah, strange alchemical symbols and chicken soup." Phryne finds herself wrapped up in discussions of the Jewish faith, the struggle for a permanent homeland, and various views on that subject.
I learned a lot about the Jewish faith, traditions, day to day life, and the centuries-old shocking discrimination and vilification, including mass murders, when they were identified as being Jewish. This book is set in 1920's Australia. I hadn't known the Jewish people had to flee for their lives from so many countries for so many centuries.
Exodus Leon Uris is high on my TBR, as is a non-fiction book on the Middle East Conflict. I am now even more anxious to learn more about the history of these persecuted people.
This book had a more serious tone compared to other books in this series. Phryne, a wealthy, stylish young socialite in 1920's Australia, her adopted young daughters, Dot, her maid, and other household staff are delightful as usual.
Previous books are much lighter in tone, highly enjoyable, refreshing, and a real treat. This book "brings to life the Jewish culture in Australia in the late 1920s" (Midwest Book Review). Phryne's love interest is Jewish man. She meets his family, and is asked to investigate the strange death of a devout young student.
The investigation leads her "into the world of Yiddish, refugees, rabbis, kosher dinners, Kadimah, strange alchemical symbols and chicken soup." Phryne finds herself wrapped up in discussions of the Jewish faith, the struggle for a permanent homeland, and various views on that subject.
I learned a lot about the Jewish faith, traditions, day to day life, and the centuries-old shocking discrimination and vilification, including mass murders, when they were identified as being Jewish. This book is set in 1920's Australia. I hadn't known the Jewish people had to flee for their lives from so many countries for so many centuries.
Exodus Leon Uris is high on my TBR, as is a non-fiction book on the Middle East Conflict. I am now even more anxious to learn more about the history of these persecuted people.
April 12, 2016
Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood is the 9th book in the Phrynne Fisher Mystery series. When a jewish boy is poisoned in a bookshop and the owner arrested, Phrynne is hired to find the real murderer. Another fun book in the series. This time Phrynne becomes involved with the jewish community and their customs, as well as dabbling in alchemy. Fast paced and very entertaining as always.
November 28, 2021
I really can't speak highly enough for this series. Phryne Fisher is one of my favorite female sleuths, and it's an added wow factor that it's set in Melbourne during the 1920s :)
April 24, 2020
This was one of my favourite Phryne's and a lot of fun--I really liked the portions where we followed Bert and Cec and Dot as they did their independent investigations. It was interesting to hear their voices and who can't help but love those three???
This mystery was interesting and I learned a lot about Alchemy surprisingly! Really enjoyed the characters and the examination of the Jewish community in Australia in the 1920s!
This mystery was interesting and I learned a lot about Alchemy surprisingly! Really enjoyed the characters and the examination of the Jewish community in Australia in the 1920s!
September 24, 2021
Twenty Five 'Reviews' In One Day: Book 5!
In this ninth book in the series, amateur detective and socialite Phryne Fisher takes on a case in the heart of the local Jewish community and finds herself yet another lover.
The mystery is fairly by-the-numbers but the strength of the book is our protagonist's stand against bigotry, somewhat uncharacteristic of the 1920s setting as it is. The ending was also rather good and rather amusing... although that might just be my dirty mind...
My next book: Marauders vol. 3
In this ninth book in the series, amateur detective and socialite Phryne Fisher takes on a case in the heart of the local Jewish community and finds herself yet another lover.
The mystery is fairly by-the-numbers but the strength of the book is our protagonist's stand against bigotry, somewhat uncharacteristic of the 1920s setting as it is. The ending was also rather good and rather amusing... although that might just be my dirty mind...
My next book: Marauders vol. 3
March 23, 2009
This is my first Phyne Fisher book. After having read so many good things about her, I was disappointed in this outing. I found the chemistry and the information on Jewish religion overwhelming. Not being an expert in either, it was just TMI for me, more than I wanted and more than I thought was necessary to the plot.
All that said, I have since read reviews of the other books, and will give another one a try. I liked the setting and am curious about the recurring characters.
All that said, I have since read reviews of the other books, and will give another one a try. I liked the setting and am curious about the recurring characters.
April 8, 2017
I thoroughly enjoy this entire series. Each book is rich with intense characters and intriguing plots and this one is not an exception. This book in the series includes Jews in Australia at a time before Hitler is in power. The discussions between the characters on this as well as the age old discussion of a homeland for the Jewish people led to an incredible backdrop for the entire story. And Phryne may be a shiksa but she is definitely also a mazik!
July 27, 2017
I try not to think too much about the way Phryne’s lovers are described at times — Lin Chung and Simon (Chinese and Jewish, respectively) are described as exotic and beautiful and… yeah, I’m starting to get uncomfortable the more I think about it. Likewise, there’s a certain amount of stereotyping that goes on with the Jewish and Chinese characters in particular. It’s not negative, but it is so… generalising and annoying.
On the other hand, the first time I read this I enjoyed it because it puts one of Phryne’s lovers in serious danger, and there’s an incredibly powerful family scene which just felt completely raw and not “cosy” at all. I felt the same this time, and that somewhat mitigated the rather lower star rating I’d have given.
Plus, while I do find aspects of these books problematic, I still adore the idea of Phryne’s character, the way nothing gets in the way, the way she controls her own sexuality and uses it. There’s still a lot of fiction that pretends women are more asexual by default, and it’s annoying. (Yep, even to me, even though I have no actual interest in reading about Phryne having athletic sex.)
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
On the other hand, the first time I read this I enjoyed it because it puts one of Phryne’s lovers in serious danger, and there’s an incredibly powerful family scene which just felt completely raw and not “cosy” at all. I felt the same this time, and that somewhat mitigated the rather lower star rating I’d have given.
Plus, while I do find aspects of these books problematic, I still adore the idea of Phryne’s character, the way nothing gets in the way, the way she controls her own sexuality and uses it. There’s still a lot of fiction that pretends women are more asexual by default, and it’s annoying. (Yep, even to me, even though I have no actual interest in reading about Phryne having athletic sex.)
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
June 11, 2017
I discovered this series a couple years ago on NetFlix. The whole series of books has been turned into an Australian TV show and I've watched all 3 seasons multiple times on NetFlixUS. But I hadn't read any of the books so when I saw this at NetGalley, I promptly requested it. I was actually hesitant to read it because I love the TV show so much, what if I didn't like the books or liked them not as much? Well, I didn't love this but I did enjoy it. The TV episode based on this book was pretty true to the source so I was already familiar with much of the story.
Phryne gets involved in the investigation of a young Jewish man, trying to clear woman accused and hunt up the true killer. In the process, she takes a young, slightly naive, Jewish man as a lover and learns quite a lot about Zionism. It was interesting seeing the discussion from a different perspective, specifically Australian, as I really only know the American perspective. Greenwood does go into a lot of detail, not all of it necessary, and that did bog the story down at times. The actual mystery is second fiddle to the Zion story line though it took me a while to realize that with everything that was happening.
For me, the best parts of the story were the characters themselves; Phryne, Dot, Jack, Hugh, etc. including a few who got chopped from the TV show but are regulars, apparently, in the books. Surprise! :D I enjoyed seeing, or in some cases meeting, them in book form and getting to understand them better. The characters who appear just in the story, such as Miss Lee, and Simon were also interesting though Simon could have been fleshed out more. I loved that Miss Lee, like Phryne, was a resourceful and independent woman, happily making her own way in the world. These women are no shrinking violets! And Phryne has a healthy sexual appetite that is respectfully handled. I was glad to see that she could be gentle with an inexperienced young man. She really does have a knack for handling people.
While the story, and mystery, didn't wow me, I enjoyed the people, the setting, and the details. I liked it enough that I now have two more Miss Fisher re-releases on my Kindle thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Phryne gets involved in the investigation of a young Jewish man, trying to clear woman accused and hunt up the true killer. In the process, she takes a young, slightly naive, Jewish man as a lover and learns quite a lot about Zionism. It was interesting seeing the discussion from a different perspective, specifically Australian, as I really only know the American perspective. Greenwood does go into a lot of detail, not all of it necessary, and that did bog the story down at times. The actual mystery is second fiddle to the Zion story line though it took me a while to realize that with everything that was happening.
For me, the best parts of the story were the characters themselves; Phryne, Dot, Jack, Hugh, etc. including a few who got chopped from the TV show but are regulars, apparently, in the books. Surprise! :D I enjoyed seeing, or in some cases meeting, them in book form and getting to understand them better. The characters who appear just in the story, such as Miss Lee, and Simon were also interesting though Simon could have been fleshed out more. I loved that Miss Lee, like Phryne, was a resourceful and independent woman, happily making her own way in the world. These women are no shrinking violets! And Phryne has a healthy sexual appetite that is respectfully handled. I was glad to see that she could be gentle with an inexperienced young man. She really does have a knack for handling people.
While the story, and mystery, didn't wow me, I enjoyed the people, the setting, and the details. I liked it enough that I now have two more Miss Fisher re-releases on my Kindle thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
Read
January 20, 2020Phryne Fisher comes to the rescue again, this time when a bookshop owner is accused of murdering her Jewish customer. I really enjoy the dynamics between Phryne and police officer Jack Robinson, I love the way they interact and that they both respect each other while not giving anything away. I learned a fair bit about the Jewish population back in the early 1900s and what they endured moving to Australia and how even amongst themselves, like all religions, everyone has a different take on everything.
April 25, 2017
This was my first Phryne Fisher book, although I've watched all episodes of the television show and find them to be great fun. The book, however, was a bit less fun.
The mystery was quite well done but much of the chemistry and other information laid out for the reader felt a touch overdone. I found my eyes glazing over a few times.
All in all, Phryne was still a joy and I loved Dot. Any fan of the show will likely enjoy the book, too.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this one. It's being re-released in June.
The mystery was quite well done but much of the chemistry and other information laid out for the reader felt a touch overdone. I found my eyes glazing over a few times.
All in all, Phryne was still a joy and I loved Dot. Any fan of the show will likely enjoy the book, too.
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this one. It's being re-released in June.
August 28, 2020
Audiobook
Enjoyed the dive into the Melbourne Jewish community of the twenties. I did pick the Agatha Christie-esque mechanism of murder rather early, but not the murderer, so I will survive.
Nice, light audiobook reading.
Enjoyed the dive into the Melbourne Jewish community of the twenties. I did pick the Agatha Christie-esque mechanism of murder rather early, but not the murderer, so I will survive.
Nice, light audiobook reading.
September 7, 2018
In this book, Phryne solves the case and admires pretty boys along the way. Extra points for quoting from The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten.
July 9, 2020
I really enjoyed the detail of the setting in this one. As a mystery it was a bit weak.
July 13, 2020
For me this is the best of the series I have read so far
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