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A Woman in Full
Phryne Fischer, the Honorable Phryne Fisher, daughter of an English baron, endowed with considerable wealth, living as a socialite in London, moves to Melbourne. She was born in Australia when her family was poor … only later when her father suddenly, after some heirs died unexpectedly, became a baron and inherited a fortune, Phryne and her family started to enjoy the good life in England.
Living as a socialite is multifaceted, however, most of the time Phryne is bored. When a diamond necklace goes missing during a dinner event while a window pane shatters and the lights go out, Phryne uses her wits and combines whatever she notices to expose the perpetrator. A couple is impressed and ask Phryne if she likes to investigate her daughter’s life in Australia because they suspect that her son-in-law tries to murder her daughter by poisoning her. So Phryne sets out for Melbourne.
… and Phryne decides to stay in Melbourne and hires a chambermaid after having rescued her from abuse and subsequent joblessness and poverty. She also finds some taxi drivers with communist beliefs who are able and ready to do anything for Phryne as well as long as the payment is fine. Next step: she buys a villa coming with servants and takes up residence as a private investigator. She is almost thirty years old, not married or otherwise committed, has a weakness for young handsome men – and looks for an interesting life.
It’s 1928.
Melbourne is a thriving city, but poverty and crime are also thriving. The state of misery concerning especially children and young women is vast. Phryne notices the poorness of daily life around her and is always busy to help – Phryne isn’t closefisted and hates injustice. Her openness and affability paves the way for her and her investigation projects. Also she finds reliable assistants for her work and new friends.
Having set up her business Phryne starts a life of pleasure as well as intellectual challenges. Of course Phryne’s moral conduct isn’t what may be expected from a young lady, but in Australia … the European nobility’s walk of life is far beyond the horizon and apart from that obviously nobody seriously cares.
Phryne looks for missing daughters as well as for missing cats. Soon she is somehow involved in drugs trafficking, in illegal prostitution and trafficking in children … She meets people from all walks of life, if innocent, if criminal, if good-hearted, if evil. Also … there is always murder. Phryne is especially obsessed with murder cases.
Of course there is also the police busy to preserve law and order, solve any crimes and bring any evildoers to trial. However, their resources are limited. Phryne soon has earned a reputation of being a serious and successful investigator. So the police especially the homicide squad is happy if Phryne is around.
Phryne is feisty and has a sharp tongue especially when the role of women at that time is discussed. Talking with whoever always challenges Phryne concerning pointed and witty remarks … the novels live from this vivid conversations.
Sometimes I feel as if Phryne is born some decades too early – she would be a formidable woman in the 80s, 90s … So, however, she is more a cute female version of Lord Peter Wimsey.