Another enjoyable mystery. Love the period details and the main character ( )

Phryne Fisher is a likeable, charming and vibrant individual. She's kind and generous to those she meets, smart and logical when faced with problems or obstacles and adventurous in her dislike of boredom. She is brave and tenacious and brutal when faced with injustice.

A few deaths of distant relatives were all that stood between her life of poverty and her ascent into luxury at the age of 12 and she never takes her wealth and social standing for granted. The result of which is a kind and generous soul who is always willing to speak up for the victims, the downtrodden or the underdogs and one who relishes fine food, fine clothes and the myriad of pursuits open to her. Her open mindedness leads to an unique and vibrant cast pulled from all walks of life.

Being an Aussie and a proud Melbournian - the Melbourne setting was a highlight. Recognising the street names and places was fun. And Melbournians will understand the delight in recognising how strange our weather is to outsiders.

As far as the genre goes, I don't know if I'd really say it was crime or historical. I mean it is a historical period but it felt kind of modern. The crime was good but it was interspersed with character relationships. There was romance but none of it was meaningful or relevant. It was too lowbrow to be literary and too much reality to be chick lit. It's an odd mix that was an enjoyable read but likely not for everyone.

It's also fairly different from the tv show (and she's a lot younger in the books) but the main elements are present - like Phryne's love of clothes, her humour, confidence and loveable charming personality.

Character wise, I love them all! Phryne, Dot, Dr Elizabeth MacMillan, WPC Jones, Inspector Robinson, Bert and Cec, Mr and Mrs. Butler, Jane, Ruth, they were all fantastic and had me giggling throughout. And I adore the way women are portrayed in this series. I love that all the female characters are strong willed and fierce and able to look after themselves - even when it doesn't always seem like it. I also really like how the cops aren't written as useless or inept - but rather unable to significantly help without someone willing to speak up and testify.

The Green Mill Murder was a fast paced mystery with plenty of detecting, a bit of action, romance and a whole lot of murder. I enjoyed this one as I was reading it but looking back there were quite a few issues I managed to skip or ignore. I guessed the murderer pretty early on and the motives but there were a few curveballs thrown in. I liked the plot with the other two marathon dancers and how Phryne helped them out.

I didn't particularly like the ending. I know Phryne skirts the law but I would've thought there'd be a bit more loyalty to the police rather than the randoms she just met. I wanted the murderer locked in jail along with any help received. But everything was tied up neatly and there weren't any gaping holes in the narrative. Nice read, 3 stars. ( )

The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood is the 5th book in her Phryne Fisher mystery series. The book opens at the Green Mill Dancing establishment. Although there is a dance marathon going on, Phryne is just there for the evening. Accompanied by a rather lacklustre partner, Charles Freeman, who suddenly disappears when one of the marathon dancers falls dead to the floor.

It turns out that he has been stabbed in the heart by a very thin knife. Phryne is asked by Charles’ mother find and clear him of any charges, but also to track down his brother Victor, who has been living in the wilds after coming back from WW I scarred and shell-shocked. Phryne is kept busy with discovering who the murderer is as well as sorting out the two brothers. A big part of the story was about Phyrne’s solo flight from Melbourne to Australian Alps so while there wasn’t a great deal of mystery, this was an interesting and adventurous story.

Part of what makes these mysteries so enjoyable is how the author takes you to 1920s Melbourne with the descriptions of clothing, food, music and other culture. I fully recommend these mysteries for anyone who is looking for a light yet engaging read. ( )

The Green Mill Murder is book five in the Phryne Fisher series and you can read them as stand-alone's, although you probably will get a better insight into the characters by reading from the beginning. I have so far read all but one prior to this book, but I have also seen the TV-series. And, have you seen the TV-series will you definitely both have a familiar feeling reading these books, but also feel that so much is different. And, the one thing I miss most of all is the flirtatious relationship between Phryne and Detective Jack Robinson. In this book, at least he was present for a little while, although I would have loved for him to have had a larger part.

As for the murder case at the Green Mill was it pretty easy to figure out how the man was murdered and I had an inkling to whom the murderer was. But, I was still a bit surprised when it all came together at the end. I may have guessed the murder weapon and the murderer, but I did have the whole picture. But, the part that I found myself liking the best was the later part of the book when Phryne flies into the Australian Alps looking for a man who wandered off years ago, left his family and civilization and become a hermit. The milieu that was described made me yearn to travel to Australia.

As for the hermit, I did wonder how long it would take for Phryne to seduce him since well, she has a knack for that. Did she seduce him? Well, I guess you have to read the book since I'm not giving the answer away!

The Green Mill Murder was an easygoing cozy mystery book, and I felt it was perfect for the moment. Sometimes I need something light between heavier books. And this worked like a charm!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

1920s Melbourne and in the Green Mill dance hall the final stagings of a dance marathon are cut short by a killing. Also on the dance floor is Phryne Fisher with her dance partner Charles Freeman. When Charles disappears his mother employs Phryne to find him and prove him innocent.
An interesting enough mystery with some likable characters.
A NetGalley Book ( )