Murder in the Cathedral: The New Miss Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood
This is the 23rd and final Phryne Fisher mystery, published a year after the author’s death. Phryne is a wealthy private detective in Melbourne, Australia, in the 1920s and early 1930s. Phryne is elegant, dashing, beautifully dressed, and practically fearless. She drives too fast and occasionally flies a plane, and seems to have friends and acquaintances all over Australia. Phryne and her assistant Dot travel to Bendigo where Phryne’s friend Lionel is to be installed as the Anglican Bishop in the cathedral. Lionel senses that all is not well in Bendigo, and wants Phryne to help in case of any trouble.
A murder does occur, in front of many witnesses, in the cathedral. Phryne, Dot, local Constable Watson and Inspector Mick Kelly search for clues in the death of a deacon with too many secrets. A nearby gold mine, long disused, may provide some answers. Phryne persuades Dot to buy a new gown for an upcoming special occasion, and interviews the deacon’s widow, a physician. A lively mix of church politics, wonderful meals, gorgeous gowns, and just enough sense of danger keeps the pages turning quickly. I listened to the audiobook, very nicely narrated by Wendy Bos. The print book will be published in the U.S. in November. Phryne will be missed. For more about the series, the website is here: http://phrynefisher.com/books.html. Phryne will also be familiar to viewers of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on PBS, starring Essie Davis.
Brenda
