If Hercule Poirot had a fun sexy cousin from Australia, that would be Phryne Fisher. Miss Fisher (only remaining daughter from a rich Melbourne family) returns to her home in Australia after traveling the world. Cultured and oh-so-liberated, she becomes a "lady detective," solving crimes and brandishing a gold-plated revolver. I'm not normally one for historical fiction myself, but these stories (novels-turned-TV-series) that take place in 1920's Melbourne have me hooked. Like a mackerel! The storylines are completely engaging--dealing with people recovering from WW1 and experiencing culture-clash of every kind (Melbourne was very cosmopolitan) and embracing new technologies like radio and (gasp!) the telephone. And don't forget the place of women. Oh, yeah, and people murder each other, so there's always that.
But if all that isn't enough, the characters positively shine. Every single one is three-dimensional, compelling, and has great chemistry with the others involved in the story.
How to Commemorate:
- Speak in an Australian accent all day.
- Pose for a painting.
- Sleep with somebody. (Ok, we normally don't advise this (and please act responsibly), but seriously, Phryne sleeps with someone in almost every episode. Gymnast, musician, actor who played an Ancient Egyptian soldier... Girl Power!)
Works
Cited
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (tv series)
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (book series)
The books are harder to come by in stores, but you can always find some at your public library.
