Murder and Mendelssohn: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
The unsinkable flapper, Miss Phryne Fisher, returns in her twentieth Australian adventure. Detective Inspector Jack Robinson once again relies on Phryne’s sophisticated sensibilities to shed some light on a case. This time it’s the murder of conductor Hugh Tregennis, who had been preparing for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah in Melbourne. No one in the choir seems sorry for his loss. Did one of them shove a score down his throat? Phryne is also occupied with John Wilson, a wartime lover whose affections are usually reserved for men. He is in Melbourne accompanying Rupert ­Sheffield, a famed code-breaker who is on the lecture circuit. The pompous mathematician discounts Phryne’s women’s intuition until her deductions help save his life and force him to admit his feelings for his traveling companion. Being somewhat ahead of her time in terms of sexual freedom, Phryne displays an easy acceptance of Wilson’s homosexuality and an understanding of the need for caution in a society that still criminalized the behavior. A must-read for series fans and a charming introduction for those who haven’t yet made Miss Fisher’s acquaintance. --Karen Keefe--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.