Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions: The Ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher Story Collection by Kerry Greenwood
Publication Date: 17th May 2022
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery, Series, Short Stories
3.8 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining and fun
So this is one of those rare instances where I watched the shows before reading the book. Miss Fisher’s Mysteries was one of the two series I watched on Netflix. Needless to say, I loved the show. Essie Davis as Phryne and Nathan Page as ahem... Jack Robinson made my heart go aww with their onscreen chemistry…
Anyway... back to the book.
Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions is a collection of seventeen short stories or cases solved by Phryne. Most of them are short, cute, interesting, and entertaining. Some are dramatic and elaborate; it’s Phryne, after all!
The writing is easy to read and tinged with the kind of humor I love to read. Phryne being a no-nonsense investigator with loads of sass and smartness makes her a delightful personality. No ramblings or inner monologues.
The following are the cases I enjoyed. Most of them have a dominant human emotion as a theme, which becomes clear as the case is solved.
Hotel Splendide: The first story in the book, it introduces Phryne as she solves the case of a missing husband.
Marrying the Bookie’s Daughter: This one has a couple of layers and almost a parallel track. It shows the vulnerable side of Phyrne (though it doesn’t last long).
Puttin’ on the Ritz: This is a short case where simplicity wins over elaborate scheming. A fun piece too.
Overheard on a Balcony: This has a slightly more emotional quotient and some good drama. Phryne does what she does the best; make decisions based on people and the situation.
Death Shall be Dead: This one is a kind of brainy case with references to works from history and classic English Literature. Imagine my surprise to see Jack happily married and with kids. Gasp!
Carnival: This is an interesting case and full of drama by a rich brat. I wish this was slightly longer and more detailed.
The Camberwall Wonder: Yet another case that requires some brainy work, which Phryne solves with ease. This also shows how cultural appropriation was a thing even in the 1920s (and Australia). Sigh!
The Boxer: Mrs. Ragnell wants Phryne to find her missing granddaughter. But Phryne discovers there’s more to it. A bittersweet tale dealing with the dark side of society.
The Bells of St Paul’s: This story is more of the sweet kind than a criminal case. It’s rather cute, even if there is no big mystery as such. A happy ending to the collection of stories.
I have to mention that I loved reading the author’s note at the beginning of the book. She talks about how she created the character and the research that went into writing the books. My favorite part is when she said she wanted to create an assertive and confident female sleuth (very much unlike the anxious TSTL amateur sleuths we see in cozy mysteries).
To sum up, Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions is a light cozy mystery collection with Phryne Fisher solving one intriguing case after another. You’ll enjoy this if you are a fan of cozy mysteries and prefer a sensible heroine to handle the job.
Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley
*****
P.S: I did my best not to compare the book to the TV show (that would be unfair). But I did imagine the stories with the same characters, and that sure enriched my reading experience. Why not when the cast is so talented and good-looking? ;)
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