I do love a Phryne Fisher mystery. I've been reading them completely out of order plus i've watched the TV series as well so i feel right at home as soon as i open the pages of a new book. Each of the characters, even the fleeting ones are so well drawn with what could be a really interesting back story to them. The plot races along nicely with moments of mild peril which Phryne always manages to wriggle or fight her way out of. I also love the historical aspect of these books as it's a time and place i otherwise would not read about and hence not know about. I'm sure there's a lot of poetic licence taken in these books but it does feel like you're in 1920's Australia.

Phryne is running late while going to a play and she takes a short cut through the alley. She comes upon a group of three men who are beating on an old woman. The woman's companion is trying to defend her but there are too many there for one man. She helps them fend off the bad men. They are Chinese and thank her but will tell her nothing about what was going on. She finds herself intrigued by the man and she invites him for dinner thinking she'll inquire then about what happened...

Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.

Phryne does a little detecting on the side and when one of the actors collapses on the stage and later dies of poison, the manager asks her to look into it. She does. She learns lots of interesting things but she can't see how it adds up. When another actor gets ill from the same poison and another employee dies in an attempt to kill Phryne, she decides to get serious and find the murderer. Her new boyfriend helps her with that because he has knowledge of "magic" and can show her how the ghost is appearing.

The acting community has been in the business for years, and everyone had secrets. Weeding through them to get the answer she's looking for is hard. Especially since there is more than one killer in the group...

Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood is the seventh book in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Phyrne Fisher is attending a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore at His Majesty’s Theater. Along the way, Phryne and her aviator friend, Bunji Ross encounter some trouble and must rescue an elderly Chinese woman and her grandson, Lin Chung (good thing Phryne is handy with an axe). Phryne is enjoying the performance until Walter Copland, playing Sir Ruthven, collapses on the stage. The theater’s manager and an old friend of Phryne’s, Sir Bernard Tarrant requests Phryne’s assistance, but the performance must go on first. Robert Craven takes over the part of Sir Ruthven and, near the end of the play, it is obvious that something is wrong with the man. It turns out that both men were poisoned. The production has been plagued with problems and some believe there is a ghost in the theater. Sir Bernard hires Phryne to investigate. When Walter Copland does not last the night, Detective Inspector Jack Robinson is out to find his killer. Jack is glad to have Phryne involved with this case (he dislikes theaters). But the person responsible is not done tormenting the production. Can Phryne and Jack find the culprit before there is another fatality? And Phryne has not seen the last of the fetching Lin Chung.

Ruddy Gore is an entertaining novel. It is always delightful to revisit the vivacious Phryne Fisher. The story starts out a little slow while Phryne is enjoying Ruddigore, but the pace picks up after the performance. The book has an overabundance of characters. Readers are introduced to the cast of the play and the people who work behind the scenes at the theater. I do wish there had not been so many characters to weed through and that some of the core characters had been included in Ruddy Gore (Bert, Cec, Dot, Ruth, Jane, the Butlers). In addition, I missed Phryne’s over-the-top personality. She was more subdued in this novel. Lin Chung is a nice addition to the series, and I am sure we will see him again in the future. I give Ruddy Gore 3.5 out of 5 stars. I found the mysteries (there is a thirty-year-old one too) entertaining, but they can be solved (if you pay close attention). It was interesting to see the differences between the book and the show by the same name. Personally, I was more a fan of the show. It had more focus. If you are not a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, I do not recommend Ruddy Gore. Information about the play and characters are discussed in length. While reading Ruddy Gore, you need to remember that the book is set in 1928. People’s views towards Chinese were very different than they are today. If you are a fan of Miss Fisher and her antics, you will enjoy this seventh installment in the series. Those who have not read the earlier books in the series may not enjoy Ruddy Gore.

Ruddy Gore

by Kerry Greenwood

The inimitable Phryne Fisher and her friend Bunji find themselves in the middle of a very physical Chinese family dispute, which is only a subplot in this tale, as they are on their way to the theatre to enjoy a presentation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera Ruddigore. Following that initial conflict, they make their way to His Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, and the reader is presented with the one weak portion of the novel. In the guise of encouraging Bunji, a very minor character in the book, to stay and enjoy the opera, Phryne summarizes the plot of the opera for her. Greenwood is attempting to share background for her unfolding story which centers around an old and a new murder and mysterious occurrences at the “Maj.” Both the cast and the characters they play are important in Ruddy Gore’s storyline, but this portion of the book, really only part of a chapter, was more extensive than necessary.

With the background sufficiently established, the plot moves quickly as Phryne is initially mystified, and then gradually peels off the layers of this puzzle. As always with a Phryne Fisher novel, there are descriptions of her delightful ensembles and her romantic encounters. Dot, her companion, is called in to help with the investigation. Detective Inspector Jack Robinson views Miss Fisher as more likely to obtain information from the cast than he is, and so they cooperate and share information.

The Chinese connection through her love interest, Lin Chung, presents the thread of racial intolerance and prejudice from both sides. Lin and Phryne discuss the history of the Chinese in Australia and how the Chinese have adapted and coped. Phryne is the subject of discrimination herself from the Chinese and handles it well.

Phryne Fisher is undoubtedly rich as evidenced by her spending and lifestyle. She is not selfish, however, and her magnanimity occurs on a personal level. In this story she identifies a situation in which a stage boy with few options but much promise is being abused by his alcoholic father. Phryne doesn’t try to change the world, but she does change this boy’s world by providing him with opportunities. She doesn’t make him a charity case, suggesting that he repay her at a future date. She is also resourceful in engaging the cooperation of others in helping him.

Ruddy Gore is a wealth of incidental information about the theatre, actors, technical people, and management. All of these play a role in the mysteries which are resolved in the end, quite satisfactorily, leaving the reader anticipating further adventures starring Phryne Fisher.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.


Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Notes: #7 in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries but reads well as a standalone

Publication: April 4, 2017—Poisoned Pen Press

Memorable Lines:

“He will always get everything that he wants and never get the one thing which he really desires—that’s how it works with bounders,” observed Phryne.

No harm in him but as self-centred as a gyroscope.

“Have you ever heard of hiraeth?” he asked, his eyes staring sadly across endless seas. “No, what is that?” “A Welsh thing, hard to translate. ‘Yearning,’ perhaps. ‘Longing’ is more like it. All of us have it, however happy we are. The yearning for home, even if we shook the dust off our shoes in loathing and swore never to return to the cold damp streets and the cold narrow people and the flat beer and the chapels fulminating endlessly against sin.”

I’m happy this wasn’t the first Miss Fisher novel I read. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but in many ways it was less intriguing than the first I read.

The first half of the novel leans heavily on dialogue, there is very little action. It is enjoyable anyway because Greenwood peoples her theatre of many interesting, quirky, unique characters, but there are so many of them and some gets very little time in the story, that I ended up mixing them up. Not all of them, of course, but enough to get confused, especially in the end.
There are three mysteries in this novels, which I like, but again, they tend to become mixed together, which if it’s something I find good (because that’s how life works) it’s also something that I found confusing. I suppose the problem is I had a hard time identifying a main course of the story that would have guided me through it.

I missed the usual cast. This is a story that focuses very much on Phrynie. Some of the usual characters show up, but they remain on the fringes, even Jack Robinson, who, after all, is investigating the crime. As I said, there are plenty of other interesting characters, so I’m not complaining, I just missed the usual ‘friends’.

A night at the theatre is interrupted by a bizarre and mysterious on-stage death

Running late to the Hinkler gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets some thugs in a dark alley and handles them convincingly before they can ruin her silver dress. Phryne then finds that she has rescued a gorgeous Chinese, Lin Chung, and his grandmother, and is briefly mistaken for a deity.

Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre. But it's an unexpected evening as her night is again interrupted by a most bizarre death onstage.

What links can Phryne possibly find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St or the actors treading the boards of His Majesty's Theatre?

Drawn backstage and onstage, Phryne must solve an old murder and find a new murderer - and, of course, banish the theatre's ghost, who seems likely to kill again.

I enjoyed this edition to the Miss Phryne Fisher mysteries. This one is set within a theatre on the edge of China town, that has murder and ghosts!

As always well plotted, written, with plenty of twists and turns, to keep you turning the pages right till the end.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Published by Poisoned Pen Press and downloaded via NetGalley.

Available in Hardback, paperback, Audible download and audio CD.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I always LOVED Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries on PBS and never knew there were books!! So when I was offered this advance copy, I grabbed it - then forgot I had it! I finally ran across the title and decided it was time - and I am glad I did!!

Phryne Fisher is an independently wealthy woman in post WWI Australia who lives alone, with a female companion and a couple who serve as cook and butler. She has a penchant for finding and solving mysteries, especially murders. This is the 7th book in the series and I am very glad I had seen the TV series, because if not I would have been totally lost, as the characters are not explained.

The action begins when Phryne is on the way to a special theater presentation and stumbles upon some thugs beating up an old Chinese lady. Of course she gets involved in this fight. Then, when she gets to the theater, there is a murder and an attempted murder!! There are also sightings of a ghost, and things have been going missing...............

Whew!! She solves all the mysteries AND gets a new gentleman caller before the end.

I really could not get into this book. I just scanned through it

Ok I am reading this out of order and really don't care because they are just that good! If you love Phryne Fisher - and who doesn't - then any order is just fine. That said - this book is the introduction to the wonderful Mr. Lin and gives you great insight into the relationship he has with Phryne. This book is also just fine for mature teens or young adults and gives a great insight into being an independent woman at the time when it was not the norm. These books will be on my suggestion list when talking with High School Libraries.

“Dot, I have the strangest feeling that I’m caught up in a Gilbert and Sullivan plot.”

Beautiful, brilliant, svelte Phryne Fisher’s old pal, Sir Bernard Tarrant, begs her to investigate when an actor and his replacement are both poisoned during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore — ergo, the title. I enjoyed the novel, but the resolution of one of the murders was as implausible as something out of a G&S operetta; the other murder inquiry was much better. While I missed “red-raggers” Cec and Bert and Phryne’s adopted daughters Ruth and Jane, I was pleased to see Inspector “Call Me Jack — Everyone Else Does” Robinson and Phryne’s maid Dot Williams once again. In addition, I liked author Kerry Greenwood’s new characters from His Majesty’s Theatre; that, combined with the subplot of a decades-old murder were enough to propel a three-star novel to four.

This novel, the seventh in Greenwood’s divine series also marks, thanks to a third subplot, the introduction of enticing Chinese merchant Lin Chung. He’s the latest lover for the irrepressible Phryne, who has no use for monogamy nor convention. While fans will enjoy Ruddy Gore a bit more, readers new to the series can easily savor it as a stand-alone.

Not my favorite of the Phryne series (I was less interested in the operetta than in Phryne) but gosh I'm glad to see these available in the US! I discovered the Miss Fisher series thanks to PBS so I felt like I knew the character without having read all the books. I think you could easily enjoy this and the other even if you haven't either seen the show or read the books. It's a light, quick, entertaining read well worth a try. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm hoping for more soon.

This installment finds my favorite unflappable flapper off on a new adventure in the theater, and her faithful lady's maid Dot breathing a sigh of relief that Phryne is out of the danger of the circus, and not meddling in anything quite so scandalous as "The Movies".

Book seven returns us to Phryne at her finest, hot on the trail of a murderer, but always taking time for fine dining and finer gentleman company. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue of this Phryne adventure, and loved the introduction of some new characters I hope will be returning...

My favorite thing about Phryne is her spunk. She never just solves a mystery - there's always a grand plan to unveiling it, and making sure justice is served. I liked the double-pronged mystery featured in Ruddy Gore - I think a working knowledge of Gilbert & Sullivan could probably enrich one's enjoyment of the plot, but it's not necessary.

As always, a most enjoyable read. I'm slowly working my way through the whole series. I can guarantee that a Phryne Fisher mystery will be a bright spot any time I'm in need of a good book.

Action packed with lots of wit and a really good mystery right from the start. You like the action, the fast pace, the wit and all the interactions with all the characters you meet along the way. So if you get a chance to check out the series of books or the tv show, you’ll enjoy

Phryne Fisher is back again in another madcap mystery/adventure. Fun whodunit mixed with historical Australian history makes for a fun read.

It was fun to revisit the first meeting of Phryne and Lin Chung is this reprint of Greenwood’s “Ruddy Gore”, the seventh of the Phryne Fisher mysteries.

This was a hard book to quit reading. The style is excellent. The mystery is enthralling. The pace is good. The vocabulary is refreshingly broad.
But! Right at the beginning, there were sensual, to use the author’s term, overtones. They kept getting stronger and stronger. That combined with the mounting use of curse words and crude language finally convinced me that this isn’t a book I should be reading. I got halfway through it before I stopped. I wish I could have finished it, but I really don’t want to be surprised by anything more explicit than I’d already run across.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley and Poison Pen Press. No review was required. I wish it could have been a better one.

You get what you expect with Kerry Greenwood. Slight but entertaining. And when your mind conjures up Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher there's no cause for complaint!

Netflix keeps suggesting that I watch the TV series of these books and so I was pleased to be offered the opportunity to read a free E-Arc in exchange for a review from Netgalley.

So, I knew that this was a period piece and I do love a good mystery and I wasn't disappointed. The writing style is light and infectious (if occasionally a little muddled with Gilbert and Sullivan quotes - something I'm not very familiar with), and the characterisation of Miss Fisher is excellent. It didn't matter that this was book 7 and the first one I was reading.

I very much enjoyed the attention to detail of both being in a theatre and the 1930's in Australia, as well as the back story in London, and I might just listen to Netflix and give the TV series a view as well.

Would recommend to all those who like a good period piece who done it.

Book 7 in the Phryne Fisher series takes us to the theater, where Phryne finds herself investigating a murder that occurred onstage during a showing of Ruddy Gore.

This is also the point in the narrative where Lin Chung is introduced. He is a fascinating character and I love the scenes with Lin and Phryne.

I can't get enough of this series! I would highly recommend it!

I recently finished this series on Netflix so I was ecstatic to find that it was a book series as well! Highly recommend to any mystery fans!