Dead Man's Chest: The Phryne Fisher Series (A Phryne Fisher Mystery)

Phryne Fisher needs a rest. It's summer. She packs up her family and moves to Queenscliff, a quiet watering place on the coast. Where she meets with
smugglers, pirate treasure and som very interesting surrealists, including a parrot called Pussykins. What is the mysterious madame Selavey hiding? Where
are the Johnsons, who were supposed to be in the holiday house?

Customer Reviews:

Phryne may be on vacation but mysteries are not

By L. J. Roberts - November 3, 2010

First Sentence: Dot opened her eyes.

The Honorable Phryne Fisher, private investigator, takes her family on vacation to a house she's been lent in Queenscliff, Australia. The owner had promised Phryne, her maid Dot, adopted daughters Ruth and Jane, and dog Molly, would be well looked after by Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. However, when they arrive, the Johnson's and their possessions are gone, the larder is completely empty and the back door wide open. The family settles in to make do while Phryne tries to find out what's happened to the Johnsons, and the girls are concerned about the phantom snipper who is cutting off girl's braids.

From the very first page, you glean an insight into several of the principal characters. From the first few pages, you can't help but love Phryne. My opinion has not changed; I really to want to be Phryne Fisher when I grow up.

Phryne was not born to money, so she knows hard times, but through twists of fate, is now titled,... read more

excellent historical mystery

By Harriet Klausner - December 4, 2010

It is time for a vacation and Queenscliff, a quiet seaside resort is the place where the Honorable Phryne Fisher, her housekeeper and companion Dot, and her adopted daughters (Ruth and Jane) go. It is a quaint coastal village, so no one would expect a murder there. Phryne sees trouble when three bullies assault a younger person.

She breaks up the fight and Tinker joins her household. The Johnsons who were supposed to be the household servants meeting them at the cottage never show up and ergo no cook. Fortunately Ruth wants to be a chef, but Phryne still wants to know where they are. The old biddy who lives across the street saw men get into a dark limo showing signs of duress. Phryne thinks there is mystery involving the vanishing and she intends to learn what it is to insure they are safe. Soon more people join her household as Phryne finds places for all these desperate misfits in order to keep them safe while she learns what happened to the Johnson's... read more

Very Weak Ending

By beekmank - October 30, 2012

I actually thought this was a pretty good book right up until I got to the "nothing to see here" ending. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. I was definitely expecting there to be more to the storyline involving Dr. Green and his wife, Mrs. McMcasters, and Lavinia. Something along the lines of a possible imposter and/or Dr. Green and Lavinia conspiring to kill off Mrs. McMasters so that Lavinia could have her money and Mrs. Green would be killed off so Dr. Green would have all his money and he and Lavinia could marry and have both his and her money. But the whole book could've been written without the addition of these characters at all and still have turned out the same. I also find it hard to believe the Johnsons would be so gullible (and accepting of the situation) to have ended up where they did and based on where they were "hiding" it was impossible for me to believe that they wouldn't have been discovered almost immediately of having gone missing considering it was a... read more