Raisins and Almonds (Phryne Fisher #9)
by Kerry Greenwood

Hardcover, 207 pages
Published September 1st 2007 by Poisoned Pen Press (first published 1997)


Goodreads synopsis:
Phryne Fisher loves dancing, especially with gorgeous young Simon Abrahams. But Phrynes contentment at the Jewish Young Peoples Society Dance is cut short when Simons father asks her to investigate the strange death of a devout young student in Miss Sylvia Lees bookshop located in the Eastern Market.

***

3 Stars

I have seen a number of Phryne Fisher mysteries on television but I wasn’t as impressed with the book as I was with ty series.

The mystery was interesting and very Agatha Christie-like. That part I thought was wonderful. The plot itself was good. But I had a hard time getting through the dense writing style of the author.

All the characters seem well crafted. The author has created a great world here. And I really wanted to love it, but it fell short for me. The writing was a 2 star and the plotting and story was 4 star. So I compromised by giving it a 3 star rating.

I will check out some later works of the author to see if they appeal to me more.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I adore Miss Fisher and her mysteries. Kerry Greenwood's writing is simple and yet exciting. I love the plot and the characters were so lively on the page. Definitely makes me want to try the rest of the series.

I so loved this book, the stunning descriptions gives a real sense of the time and area, fast paced and full of fun. An excellent read.

I listened to this particular Phryne Fisher book and I can recommend it!
I do love a bit of Phryne Fisher, the books and the TV show and now the audio-books, she can do no wrong in my eyes. When you sink into another of her tales you know exactly what you’re going to get, there will be some kind of murder, high jinks will ensue and then Miss Fisher will solve the case! If you’re after high literary works this is not the one for you, but if you want something cosy with a little bit of mild peril then welcome to this series of books.
This time Miss Fisher is looking into the murder of a young Jewish gentleman who happened to drop dead in a bookshop of all places. Miss Fisher manages to fit this mystery into her already busy life involving her two adopted daughters, her beautiful black cat, household staff, oh and a new puppy! She also takes on a lot of learning in this particular book as she knows little about the Jewish community plus she needs a crash course in alchemy. Oh and she also has a short lived love affair (aren’t they all) with a gorgeous Jewish boy.
As if you couldn’t tell, I loved this book just as much as all the others I’ve read. I haven’t read them in order but I have watched all the TV shows so I’m not sure if that helped me a little when I went into this book after having only read one other in the series.
I love the way the author write such emotional scenes and then turns everything on its head with one smart and hilarious line from Miss Fisher. I like to think I would enjoy being in her company but I think she would just be too quick and intelligent for me, best she stays in the books so I can enjoy her at my own pace.

Raisins and Almonds

by Kerry Greenwood

Raisins and Almonds is a typical Phryne Fisher mystery, but somewhat more cerebral. Evidence of that is found in the inclusion of a bibliography reflective of the author’s research and a glossary of Yiddish words. This mystery is strongly tied into the Jewish community that settled in Australia, the politics of Zionism, and a sub-sect focused on alchemy. Phryne has to do a lot of research in addition to her usual methods of sleuthing in order to find the murderer of a young Jewish scholar and free an innocent bookseller from prison.

Greenwood excels in this book in three ways. She uses the supporting characters to good advantage in solving the mystery as she sends her adopted daughters, her assistant Dot, and friends Bert and Cec out on different missions which play to their strengths. Phryne and Jack agree on the bookseller’s innocence enabling them to cooperate in their separate missions to solve the mystery. The ending of Raisins and Almonds is a fun surprise which wraps up the mystery and the title quite satisfactorily.

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: 5/5

Category: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Notes: #9 of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Publication: June 6, 2017—Poisoned Pen Press

Memorable Lines:

Phryne smiled guilelessly into the policeman’s face. He winced. Miss Fisher was at her most dangerous when she was smiling guilelessly. It was a sign that someone, somewhere, was about to be shaken down until their teeth rattled and the Detective Inspector was uneasily aware that he was the closest available target.

Bert was nervous because he didn’t know what to look for in this big bustling market. Neither did Cec, but his Scandinavian ancestors had bequeathed him some Viking fatalism. If they were meant to find out, they’d find out.

Kadimah was as ordinary as a church hall, and as extraordinary as a landing of Well’s Martians. It was as sane as porridge and as lunatic as singing mice.

Nice way to solve the case! Awesome reading, light and fast and entertaining.

I always love a good Kerry Greenwood novel. I admire her ability to come up with such creative mysteries. And, of course, for being the creator of the inimitable Phryne Fisher! Another great read!

A few months ago, I was perusing my Netflix queue and happened to find a show called Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. It looked fun, so I decided to give it a try. It became my favorite show to watch after the kids went to bed or when I tried to write a blog post during naptime.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries follows Phryne Fisher, who has come into a fortune later in life. She lives in Australia in the 1920s. Phryne is fabulous and she knows it. She ignores social convention by flaunting her lovers and even enjoying (!) her trysts. She drives her own car and is known to carry a gun (just in case). Our dear protagonist is hungry for knowledge and never content to leave a question unanswered. When local detective Jack Robinson finds her poking around his crime scene, he is initially irritated but soon discovers that Phryne is both charming and very good at solving mysteries. The two end up working together and the tension between the uninhibited Phryne and the very proper Jack is delightful.

There is also a fantastic roster of supporting characters including Phryne's butler (aptly named Mr. Butler); her ladies' maid/assistant Dot; Hugh, who works with Jack at the police station; and Burt and Cec, who help Phryne gather information. In the television show, these characters get enough screen time that you are almost in love with them as you are with Phryne herself.

After I finished watching the show, I stumbled upon the book series and decided to see what was source material and what was unique to the television show. The books were published before the television show was created, but they were recently re-released with tie-in covers. I read Raisins and Almonds and Murder in the Dark, which are #9 and #16 in the series.

I remember watching Raisins and Almonds on tv. Phryne is pulled into the dark corners of Jewish politics after a man is murdered in a bookstore and the owner is wrongly arrested. I don't remember watching Murder in the Dark, but it's certainly possible that the story was changed significantly or I've just forgotten one episode! In that story, Phryne is invited to a huge party at an estate. The host is threatened and people start to go missing.

Both books gave me a good sense of Phryne herself, but I missed spending time with the secondary characters. They were almost entirely absent in one book and appeared periodically in the other. It also seemed to me that being forced to condense a story to just one episode made it tighter, as opposed to a sprawling 250 pages where you can devote pages to Phryne thinking or spend a page describing the lunch they are eating.

I will always be a big Phryne Fisher fan in whatever format I can find her. For someone new to the fabulous Phryne, the show or the books are a wonderful place to start. But I have to confess I think I will find myself re-watching the television show more often than I will be picking up another book.

Thanks to netgalley for providing me a copy of this book for review. I have heard great things about this series, but this one left me a bit disappointed. It seemed to be a bit light on the mystery and plot development and a bit heavy on all the pages of information on Judaism and Kabbalah. Overall a disappointment, but I will try another one in the series and see if I like it better.

Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood is the ninth book in Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Phryne Fisher is enjoying the Foxtrot Competition run by the Jewish Young People’s Society with Simon Abrahams. While the judges are debating on who won the competition (best couple versus best Jewish couple), Phryne is asked to meet with Simon’s father, Benjamin Abrahams. Benjamin wishes to hire Phryne to help Miss Sylvia Lee, owner of Lee’s Books. Miss Lee has been accused of murdering Simon Michaels, a frequent customer, in her shop. Phryne goes over the crime scene and is certain Miss Lee is innocent of the crime. Phryne dives into a new world with this investigation. She must enter the Jewish community to find out more about the victim and tangle with a difficult Rabbi when she needs a Hebrew translation. Phryne is soon knee deep in Yiddish, Zionism, the Jewish cultural, alchemy, and so much more. Phryne with the help of Bert, Cec, the Butlers, Dot and Jack will prove Miss Lee’s innocence and capture the killer.

Raisins and Almonds lets readers join Phryne Fisher on another adventure. I enjoyed the descriptions of Phryne’s gorgeous frocks (I would love her wardrobe). Most of the story was easy to read, but some parts were more difficult. The sections on alchemy, Zionism, chemistry and the Jewish religion were tedious (they will put a person to sleep). Ms. Greenwood needs to find a way to incorporate the information into the story in a more engaging manner (instead it feels like I am in a lecture hall with a professor who talks in a monotone voice). I do commend the author on her excellent research. The book does have good, snappy dialogue. I give Raisins and Almonds 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was easily solved early in the book. Two tiny little bits of information provide the killers identity. The method of murder was not difficult to figure out. It was no surprise when the solution was revealed. I liked how Phryne’s home life is developing. A puppy joins the family thanks to Phryne’s wards. In Raisins and Almonds, I enjoyed the cozy elements more than the mystery (which everyone knows is not the norm for me).

I first met Miss Fisher through the television series, and it was love at first sight. I was delighted when I saw that the series was based on a book series. And that there are already so many in the series waiting to be read.

I started with Raisins and Almonds because I had seen the episode based on that book, and I wanted to see how close the written story was to the show. I discovered that, in this episode at least, there were some notable differences in the story. Phryne is the same glorious powerhouse of awesome in the books as she is on screen, so no worries there. The mystery was more difficult to solve in the book than it was on the show. Certain plot elements were dropped from the book [ the Russian spy, the attack and near burning to death of the lady, and the meeting with Simon's Mother (hide spoiler)] and some were added [ the romance between Miss Lee and the deceased, the poison flowers (hide spoiler)].

I loved this book. I felt the rare feeling of finding a new author, and seeing that she has already written so many books, just waiting for me to devour. I love Phyne and Dot. The television series is great; the books are incredible.

10s all around!

This is another nice mystery adventure of Miss Fisher, the unflappable flapper. It involves the Jewish community of Australia and I really enjoying learning about it. There is a lot of insight into that culture, the Jewish culture and history at large, but also the very specific incarnation of it that was forged in Australia. This was the time when this community was fighting to have a new homeland in Palestine and it was kind of strange, but very interesting to see how this was perceived, especially inside the Jewish community, since there were many different stances toward it.

The mystery was a bit less interesting, I’m afraid. I’m particularly disappointed that I guessed the murder before it was revealed. But the movement of the story was nice. I really enjoyed finding all the usual cast again, which admittedly is one of the nicest part of this series. Every time, it’s like going back to a familiar and dear place.

This was a good one.

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.

This ninth Phryne Fisher mystery is set in the Jewish community of Melbourne. It begins when a young scholar, Simon Michaels, dies in a book shop. He is quickly found to have died of strychnine poisoning, and a bottle of strychnine has disappeared from the shop. Miss Lee, the shop owner, is immediately arrested, but Phryne has been retained by Mr. Abrahams, Miss Lee’s landlord, to find the real killer.

Phryne soon figures out that the death my have something to do with a formula developed by Yossi Liebermann, a gifted chemist, who has been studying alchemy and the Kabala. Apparently, this formula has gone missing, and Phryne has it, but it is in code. No one except Yossi knows what it is for.

In the meantime, unpleasant events are happening. Someone ties up a woman in her house, and there is a break-in at Phryne’s.

It was difficult for me to tell whether the perpetrator was hard to guess, because I saw this first as an episode of the “Miss Fisher Mysteries,” and they stuck fairly closely to the book (unlike with Murder in the Dark). On the other hand, the guilty party barely appears in the novel, which is a form of cheating, and as in Murder in the Dark, there is more than one guilty party.

Also, as I mentioned before, I’m not really fond of descriptions of sex mixed with this genre. In this novel, Phryne cavorts with the young Simon Abrahams. Jack Robinson is more of a presence than in the previous book I read, but his bad grammar tells us that he is not going to be a romantic interest, as he is in the television series.

I discovered Phryne via the television series and I've really enjoyed reading the books. Love the period setting- especially since it's in Australia-I always learn a bit. As always, the plot for this isn't too twisty, there's lots of humor, and Phyrne is just the most intrepid amateur out there! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You can read this in no time and if you haven't read any of the others, you'll be just fine. These novels are a delight.

1928 Melbourne and a Jewish scholar is killed in a bookshop rented by Miss Sylvia Lee. The community leader Benjamin Abrahams, father of Miss Fisher's latest partner, asks her to investigate.
This mystery in this series really didn't catch my imagination, nor did I get interested in the characters.

Phryne Fisher breaks the PI mold a little. She's a woman with class and a title who entertains herself by taking cases as a private investigator. These cases pit her against detective Jack Robinson and that relationship is perfect.

The mysteries are fun to read and always include characters that I enjoy reading about. It's a perfect, light summer mystery set in Australia with all the bits anyone could ask for.

Phyrne Fisher is no stranger to political conspiracies. She's gone up against Anarchists, and has friends in various political circles. This book finds Phryne out of her depth but up to the challenge sorting out a murder in the Jewish community.
Ever the chameleon, with a little research and some first hand experience, Phryne is able to mingle with Jewish society and learn the intricacies of the various factions within the community. Personally, I had some trouble keeping up with the politics. And then throw alchemy into the mix, and I was slightly more confused. I never really got a good picture of what the group thought they were actually accomplishing with their alchemical studies. Without spoiling anything, I realize what the formula was for in the end, but I got the impression from the discussions of alchemy and the text quotes at the beginnings of the chapters that they thought something more mystical was going on, but I was never really sure. Ultimately, it didn't end up detracting from the main idea in any way.
The unraveling of the mystery was, as always, first rate. And, the last few chapters were certainly page-turners. My goal remains to read the entire series.

Enjoyed this book as I enjoy all Kerry Greenwood's books. Picturing TV's Phryne Fisher as I read always helps too.

Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood is book number nine in the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries series. This is one of my very favorite series to read and also watch on TV. Having said that if you enjoy reading books with a strong female character then this book is for you. Miss Phryne Fisher is a confident and modern woman who enjoys life to its fullest. She is a lady detective who is unconventional to say the least.....
A young Jewish man dies under mysterious circumstances while visiting a local bookstore. The police determine that the owner, a woman named Miss Sylvia Lee is the perpetrator and arrest her. Miss Fisher is hired to attempt to prove her innocence. She enlists the assistance of her companion, Dot along with Bert and Cec. While Miss Fisher's lover, Lin is away she is smitten with a young man of Jewish faith which aids her in understanding more about the Jewish faith and customs. As Phryne and her "lot" continue to investigate Police Detective Jack Robinson even begin to question their previous assumption as to Miss Lee's guilt. As the book moves along the reader is entertained with the antics of Miss Fisher and her adventures. She is a woman who thoroughly enjoys pushing the boundaries! The lavish costumes Miss Fisher wear conceal the gun she carries and she does know how to use.This book contains details about the Jewish faith and customs which give the reader a better understanding of the barriers that Jews face.. Miss Lee's fate lies in the hands of Phryne and her group of friends to prove her innocence or can she before time runs out?
I enjoy reading books in this series because of the returning main characters they bring back in each one. The lavish descriptions of Phryne's clothes and the adventures in which Miss Fisher gets herself into. Also, the other side of Miss Fisher is glimpsed on occasion such as her two adopted daughters and her loyalty to her friends. I
I gave this book five stars and enjoyed reading the further adventures of Miss Fisher and her lot attempt to solve this crime. While this book can be read as a stand alone, I encourage you to read the previous books to give the reader more insight into the characters and Miss Fisher. I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.