1920s Melbourne and in the Green Mill dance hall the final stagings of a dance marathon are cut short by a killing. Also on the dance floor is Phryne Fisher with her dance partner Charles Freeman. When Charles disappears his mother employs Phryne to find him and prove him innocent.
An interesting enough mystery with some likable characters.

The Green Mill Murder is book five in the Phryne Fisher series and you can read them as stand-alone's, although you probably will get a better insight into the characters by reading from the beginning. I have so far read all but one prior to this book, but I have also seen the TV-series. And, have you seen the TV-series will you definitely both have a familiar feeling reading these books, but also feel that so much is different. And, the one thing I miss most of all is the flirtatious relationship between Phryne and Detective Jack Robinson. In this book, at least he was present for a little while, although I would have loved for him to have had a larger part.

As for the murder case at the Green Mill was it pretty easy to figure out how the man was murdered and I had an inkling to whom the murderer was. But, I was still a bit surprised when it all came together at the end. I may have guessed the murder weapon and the murderer, but I did have the whole picture. But, the part that I found myself liking the best was the later part of the book when Phryne flies into the Australian Alps looking for a man who wandered off years ago, left his family and civilization and become a hermit. The milieu that was described made me yearn to travel to Australia.

As for the hermit, I did wonder how long it would take for Phryne to seduce him since well, she has a knack for that. Did she seduce him? Well, I guess you have to read the book since I'm not giving the answer away!

The Green Mill Murder was an easygoing cozy mystery book, and I felt it was perfect for the moment. Sometimes I need something light between heavier books. And this worked like a charm!

5 stars

Phryne is enjoying a night of dancing at the Green Mill when a man falls dead at her feet. Enter Inspector Robinson and we are off on another Phryne Fisher murder mystery.

When Phryne’s date, Charles Freeman, disappears, she goes to meet with his mother, a nervous and high strung woman. Phryne discovers that the mother has lost track of her other son, Victor, as well. But there is more to Mrs. Freeman than appears.

On an aside, I found the history of jazz fascinating, and the descriptions of the war in Gallipoli and Marseilles were very powerful.

She meets some interesting women – and men – in this book. And she gets to fly her moth. She knows who the murderer is and delights in spelling it out for her audience.

Phryne never fails to amuse and delight me. These are gentle mysteries that are great for reading any time.

I want to send a big thank you to both Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

A fun, easy read. It's a fairly straightforward mystery, but Phryne Fisher is a sassy heroine, and fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries will enjoy seeing the source material for their favourite lady detective.

For my first Phryne Fisher experience, I jumped with both feet into book five in the series. Looking around I found myself one of the few dancers at the finish of a Jazz Age danceathon, with the other couples nearly falling down from fatigue and injury. As the band leader looked my way I flashed green eyes at him. Trying to keep a cool head, I glanced around the room. Wait - - the couple nearest has fallen, the man down.

The Green Mill Murder is a period mystery set in Jazz Age Australia. Phryne's enjoyment of her blessings of wealth, health and independence make up half the book, with the other half being a whodunnit and how mystery. I enjoyed the information about the origins of Jazz and Jazz in Australia, also found the stories of the poorer danceathon participants touching. As I am new to the series I was less interested in the interaction of series characters, but wonder if Phryne has a new love interest each book...

Phryne Fisher is my favorite flapper! Her outfits are shocking, her morality questionable, and her quick wit and intellect unstoppable. She lives a most unconventional lifestyle, and she owns it! The historical details in Greenwood's series are well-researched, and Phryne's extensive and oh-so-stylish wardrobe is described beautifully. The series is also unique in that it is set in Australia. There's a lot of flapper fiction out there, but Phryne certainly stands out above the crowd.
Greenwood also brings a delightful host of supporting characters in Bert, Cec, Dot, and Mr. and Mrs. Butler. When Phryne makes friends, it's for life. Her lovers come and go, but she's loyal to her friends to the end. I've really enjoyed seeing Phyrne's old friends from previous books pop up again.
I love Phrynes's adventures, and I truly think the series has just gotten better as it has progressed.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery, and I would recommend the series to anyone looking for a good read - regardless of whether you typically read historical fiction, you'll love Phryne.