59-643: The Honourable Phryne Fisher ( / ˈ f r aɪ n i / FRY -nee ), often called "Miss Fisher", is the main character in Australian author Kerry Greenwood 's series of Phryne Fisher detective novels. The character later appeared in a television series called Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries , and the film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears . Phryne is a wealthy aristocrat and private detective who lives in St Kilda, Melbourne . The first 15 novels are set in
118-431: A blow that killed him. The police were then lead off track because Amelia McNaughton, finding her father's body, assumed her brother had killed him and attempted to hide the evidence. The police agree to not lay charges against either the children or Amelia McNaughton, and Jillian Henderson ensures that neither Mrs. McNaughton nor Amelia are denied their inheritances. A subplot concerns the abduction of Candida Alice Maldon,
177-421: A business dispute. Phryne first disarms the son by demonstrating her excellent flying skills and then advises him to calmly resolve the dispute with his father. Despite this warning, the father is murdered soon after, and Phyrne, along with her friends, Cec and Bert, her maid, Dot and fellow pilot Bunji Ross, attempt to help Melbourne's Detective Inspector Jack Robinson solve the crime. In addition, Phryne looks into
236-732: A career is rooted, at least initially, in boredom with the activities of high society in England. Although she did previously engage in charitable works, Phryne noted that "the company of the Charitable Ladies was not good for her temper." In Flying Too High , Phryne Fisher decides to settle down in Melbourne, buying a house at 221B, The Esplanade, and moving in there with Dot Williams, her maid. She also engages Mr. and Mrs. Butler to act as her butler and housekeeper, respectively. Phryne confesses to her friend Bunji Ross that she bought
295-479: A case of kidnapping concerning the child of a flying instructor, all while moving into her new house at 221B, The Esplanade, in Melbourne. This book also introduces two recurring characters in the Miss Fisher books by Kerry Greenwood; Mr and Mrs. Butler, who act as Phryne Fisher's butler and housekeeper respectively. Having established herself as a private detective in Melbourne and solved a number of cases after
354-592: A cocaine ring in Cocaine Blues , and becomes friends with him thereafter. He respects her skills and intelligence, and the two frequently collaborate on criminal investigations. He is described in Murder on the Ballarat Train as being a "private man with a doting family, who grew grevilleas and rare native orchids in his yard." Woman Police Constable Jones works for Detective Inspector Jack Robinson and
413-457: A lady's handgun in her purse. She is frequently described as being possessed of great courage and fearlessness, and personally admits to having very few actual fears (one of them being head-lice, which she abhors). She rarely cries, noting in Cocaine Blues that the last time she had done so was over a book of poetry by Wilfred Owen , after being sickened by the deaths in World War I . Phryne
472-445: A man suspect of molesting children, Sidney Brayshaw. He also helps her trace the owners of the car used to kidnap Candida Maldon: a young couple, Mike and Ann. Ann's expensive habits had led them into debt and blackmail, leading Ann and a reluctant Mike to collaborate with Sid on the kidnapping. Along with the pilot Jack Leonard, Phryne launches a dangerous plot to retrieve Candida. A decoy package of newspapers disguised with some currency
531-416: A new taxi to replace their old one. Phryne's adopted daughters, Jane, age 13, and Ruth, no older than 15, possibly 14. One of Jack's police constables and Dot's beau. Phryne's butler and cook. Mr and Mrs. Butler initially planned to retire after working for a long period of time, but were persuaded out of retirement by Phryne Fisher's generous offer of employment as well as her request that they maintain
590-878: A niece named Peregrine, in a somewhat later time period, is being trailed on the UK Drama channel. The series has been well awarded: In 2015, Every Cloud Productions announced that they had partnered with Melbourne studio Tin Man Games to create a Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries game for mobile devices. Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze , a detective game in the visual novel style, was released in two parts for iOS and Android devices in 2017. Both parts were released together for Windows and Mac computers via Steam in 2018. The game received positive reviews, and won an Australian Game Developer Award (AGDA) in 2017. A stand-alone action-adventure feature film, Miss Fisher and
649-464: A night in a Turkish prison (for unknown reasons). Phryne Fisher's career as a detective is described in Cocaine Blues as having had its origins in an incident that took place at her family's estate in England . At an evening ball, a diamond necklace belonging to one of the guests disappeared, and Phryne was able, through observing the guests and the room, to quickly identify the person responsible for
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#1732797339739708-505: A plane despite dangerous weather conditions. She then assists Dr. Macmillan in attending to the unwell residents of the island, including slaughtering a Highland cow to make them broth. Jillian Henderson is a lawyer and a friend of Phryne Fisher's. She frequently represents clients referred to her by Phryne, and has inherited her practice from her father, who was partner in a firm called Henderson, Jones, and Mayhew. Phryne Fisher first meets Detective Inspector Jack Robinson while investigating
767-413: A practice that her father abhors. Phryne engages her friend and lawyer, Jillian Henderson, to represent Bill McNaughton. She visits Paolo Rugazzi's studio, where he mistakes her for one of his models. Phryne poses in the nude for Paolo, allowing him to complete a difficult and beautiful sculpture, and culminating in their going to bed together. She then discloses to Rugazzi who she is, and confirms that she
826-539: A red Hispano-Suiza , one of her prized possessions. She is fond of dancing and has learned to dance the tango from 'the most expensive gigolo on the Rue de Chat-qui-Peche' in Paris. She speaks French fluently, with a Parisian accent and peppered with 'indelicate apache idioms'. Phryne is described as being fond of the luxuries her position and wealth afford her, while always being conscious of her impoverished origins. She tells
885-457: A six-year-old child and the daughter of Henry Maldon, a flying instructor. Candida slips out of her house without her parents' knowledge to buy sweets at a shop down the road, but is abducted on her way home by strangers in a black car. Her stepmother Molly Maldon finds the abandoned packet of sweets while hunting for Candida and manages to retrace her steps, confirming that Candida may have been kidnapped. Henry Maldon had previously been confirmed as
944-527: A taciturn, quiet manner. Bert, on the other hand, is short, darker and older than Cec, as well as more voluble. Cec and Bert are both described as 'red-raggers' i.e. Communists. Cec, in particular, is a gifted navigator with a keen memory for the streets of Melbourne, and is also described as having a soft spot for any animal or person in trouble. Cec and Bert eventually join Phryne as investigative assistants. Phryne Fisher pays them enough money to enable them to buy
1003-470: A theft of jewelry belonging to a guest at a dinner party hosted by the Fishers, Phryne's father and mother engage in a vocal altercation, a situation that Phryne describes as 'normal'. On her arrival in Melbourne, she is initially embarrassed to discover that her father had left a number of unpaid debts of honour there, including one to the local MP, Mr. Sanderson. Phryne once describes herself as having 'not
1062-411: A wealthy Chinese man (whom she rescues in the city one evening). Lin is the only lover with whom she maintains a relationship for more than a few books and even goes so far as to make a deal with his autocratic and overbearing grandmother that after he is married, she (Phryne) be allowed to continue a relationship with him. Phryne is described in Cocaine Blues as having a 'short black cap of hair' which
1121-540: A woman attending to her at the Turkish Baths in Melbourne, and notes that she had visited several bars frequented by lesbian and bisexual women in the company of her friend and gigolo, Georges Santin, in Paris. Phryne notes that she "had little leaning towards homosexuality but she had liked the lesbian bars. They were free of the domination of men, creating their own society." Phryne's relationship with her family can occasionally be strained. In Cocaine Blues , after
1180-450: Is 'devoted' to lobster mayonnaise with cucumbers, in particular. Despite her numerous relationships and conduct that some parts of society might find shocking, Phryne describes herself as being immune to blackmail, showing no alarm, for instance, when Bobby Matthews, a thief she had once caught, threatens to tell all of Melbourne that she had once visited an expensive gigolo in Paris. Although Phryne has had several relationships with men, she
1239-510: Is a skilled and experienced pilot, and in Flying Too High , performs a number of dangerous and skillful flying maneuvers in a Gipsy Moth plane in response to a flying instructor's doubts about her skills. She has also flown Dr. Elizabeth Macmillan, her friend and a surgeon, through dangerous conditions to provide medical assistance to those who needed it. In addition to planes, Phryne is a skilled, if somewhat reckless driver, and drives
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#17327973397391298-441: Is alarmed by their loud fighting. Soon after, Mr. William McNaughton is found murdered on his tennis court, and Mrs. McNaughton arrives at Phryne's house asking for her help in investigating the murder. While she is unconscious, Phryne looks through her belongings and finds letters suggesting that Mrs. McNaughton may have been engaging in an affair. Amelia McNaughton, her daughter, comes to retrieve her, and reveals to Phryne that she
1357-504: Is an Australian author and lawyer. She has written many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher , which was adapted as the popular television series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries . She writes mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, children's stories, and plays. Greenwood earned the Australian women's crime fiction Davitt Award in 2002 for her young adult novel The Three-Pronged Dagger . Greenwood grew up in
1416-441: Is close to her family and her mother, in particular, whom she visits frequently. Cecil Yates, known as 'Cec', and Albert Johnson, known as 'Bert', together run and operate a taxi cab in Melbourne, Australia. Phryne Fisher first meets them when her ship docks at Melbourne, and they transport her luggage as well as Dr. Elizabeth Macmillan's to their respective hotels. Cec is described as being tall and blonde-haired, with brown eyes and
1475-509: Is described as being disinclined to settle down and marry. She is described in her books as using a diaphragm sold by Dr. Marie Stopes to avoid unwanted pregnancies. She is described as being heterosexual, and often politely rebuffs advances from women who are attracted to her. In Cocaine Blues , for instance, she is the subject of the attentions of both Sasha De Lisse and his twin sister Ellie, but tells Sasha that she would prefer him over her, in general. She also declines an unstated offer from
1534-405: Is described as being of around forty-five years of age, with a broad, strong physique, rough and calloused hands, and a weatherbeaten complexion. Her black hair, now turning white, is cut into a 'short Eton crop ' and she tends to dress in men's clothes for convenience. Phryne and Dr. Macmillan first meet when there is a 'flu epidemic at a remote island, and Phyrne steps in to fly Dr. Macmillan in on
1593-686: Is described as having sisters and a brother, it is not clear how many sisters she has, but her younger sister died of diphtheria. After completing school, Phryne ran away to France where she joined a French women's ambulance unit during the Great War, receiving a reward for bravery and a French war pension. She then worked as an artist's model in Montparnasse after the war. Following her time in France, Phryne travelled widely and has disclosed that she has, amongst other places, visited Florence and spent
1652-619: Is engaged in a romance with an Italian sculptor, Paolo Rugazzi, and that her father, the deceased William McNaughton, was abusive and violent and had assaulted Amelia as well as her mother on several occasions. Phryne purchases some of Amelia's sketches, commissions a painting from her, and locates Mr. William McNaughton's will, which allows an inheritance to his wife and daughter on the condition that they do not marry. Amelia also tells her that she intends to marry her lover Paolo Rugazzi despite being aware of his infidelities as she loves him regardless. Along with Detective-Inspector Benton, Phryne visits
1711-600: Is looking after Amelia. Rugazzi explains to Phryne that while other women, including Phryne, are attractive, Amelia is his muse and will be for life, and describes his intentions to marry her. Phryne also confirms that Rugazzi is independently wealthy. Meanwhile, Jillian Henderson manages to secure bail for Bill Henderson and Phryne agrees to help Bill McNaughton prove his innocence provided he treats his sister Amelia and her fiance Paolo Rugazzi, as well as their mother, with respect and kindness. Phryne involves her friends and sometime investigative assistants, Burt and Cec, to track down
1770-410: Is one of the few women in the police force. She frequently acts as a bait and decoy in investigations and has won a medal for Gallantry for baiting and capturing a suspect in a string of rapes. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a television costume drama series based on the novels, starring Essie Davis in the title role. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Every Cloud Productions produced
1829-416: Is the second novel by Kerry Greenwood that features the fictional detective Miss Phryne Fisher . Flying Too High , set in Melbourne, Australia in the 1920s, features fictional detective Phryne Fisher as she attempts to resolve a homicide case as well as solve the kidnapping of a small child. She is engaged by a woman who fears that her hot-tempered son, an aviation instructor, will kill his own father over
Phryne Fisher - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-412: Is used to bait the kidnappers, and Phryne straps herself to their car and leaves a trail of luminous paint behind. Bunji Ross and Henry Maldon use a light aircraft and a torchlight to trace Phryne's trail of luminous paint, bringing them to the kidnappers' den without attracting their attention. Phryne climbs off the back of the car and rescues Candida. She is aided by Mike, who was disgusted to discover Sid
1947-420: Is very straight, and cut to leave the nape of her neck and most of her forehead uncovered. She has grey-green eyes. In Flying Too High , she is described by an acquaintance as being 'small, thin, with black hair cut in what I am told is a bob, disconcerting grey-green eyes and porcelain skin. Looks like a Dutch doll." – a description that Phryne herself agrees with. Phryne can shoot and often carries, and uses,
2006-636: The First World War , the other male heirs to a British peerage were killed, and Phryne's father inherited the title. In the book Blood and Circuses , her father is described as an earl , but in the TV series her father is a baron . As his daughter, she was granted the style of " The Honourable Phryne Fisher" (which is the title for a daughter to a Baron or Viscount while as a daughter to an Earl she would instead be " Lady Phryne") and an enormous fortune. She has an aunt, Mrs. Prudence Stanley. Although she
2065-533: The Melbourne suburb of Footscray , where she still lives today. She attended Geelong Road State School (now Footscray Primary School), Maribyrnong College and the University of Melbourne , where she graduated with Bachelor of Arts (English) and Bachelor of Laws degrees in 1979. Whilst at university, Greenwood worked at a women's refuge. In 1982, Greenwood was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of
2124-616: The Supreme Court of Victoria , and worked full-time as a criminal defence lawyer for Victoria Legal Aid until becoming a professional writer. Since that time, she has remained a locum duty solicitor for Legal Aid, practising in the Sunshine Magistrates' Court. She began writing books at sixteen, but remained unpublished. In 1988 she entered one of her eight novels for the Vogel prize; although not successful, one of
2183-471: The Crypt of Tears will pick up the story from the end of the third series. It began production in October 2018. The film is budgeted at $ 8 million and will be directed by Tony Tilse . Since 2016, there had been speculation on the possibility that the television series would be made into a feature film. In May 2016, Essie Davis acknowledged interest in playing Miss Fisher in a film. "[We’re] just working out
2242-425: The Crypt of Tears . On 14 September 2017, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter in support of the film. On 15 December 2017, an additional ongoing crowdfunding campaign was begun through IndieGoGo in order to allow fans to continue supporting the effort. The original campaign reached its goal of $ 250,000 in less than 48 hours. Kerry Greenwood Kerry Isabelle Greenwood OAM (born 1954 )
2301-589: The Princess de Grasse in Cocaine Blues that "there is nothing like being really poor to make you relish being really wealthy." She often carries cash on her person, reasoning that she is unused enough to wealth to want the security of having readily available funds. She is generous with her money, and tips well. Phryne is frequently described as dressing in high fashion and her clothes are often described in great and elaborate detail. She occasionally dresses in trousers and men's shirts. Phryne also enjoys good food. She
2360-563: The board, and a vociferous opponent of Bill's plans to raise additional funds to fly over the North Pole. Phryne visits Bill McNaughton's flying school and dispels his initial doubts about her flying abilities by flying a series of tricky manoeuvres in his Gipsy Moth plane, culminating in a walk over the upper wings of the plane while Bill holds the plane steady in the air. Having impressed Bill, Phryne advises him to resolve matters with his father peacefully and avoid disturbing his mother, who
2419-465: The confidentiality of her work as a private detective. In Flying Too High , they are known by the names 'Ted' and 'Else' Dr. Elizabeth Macmillan is a Scottish surgeon who works at the Queen Victoria hospital for women in Melbourne, Australia. She is a friend of Phryne's. Dr. Macmillan and Phryne reunited during Phryne's voyage by ship from England to Australia in Cocaine Blues . Dr. Macmillan
Phryne Fisher - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-409: The events in Cocaine Blues , Phryne Fisher is engaged by Mrs. William McNaughton to investigate a family dispute. Mrs. McNaughton expresses concerns that her hot-tempered son, Bill, might attempt to kill her husband William McNaughton following an altercation with them about business. Bill McNaughton runs a moderately unsuccessful flying school, in which his father is a principal investor and chairman of
2537-490: The faintest spurt of maternity' and demonstrates a disinclination towards young children. Dorothy Williams, known as 'Dot' is Phryne's confidential companion and social secretary. Phryne meets Dot soon after her arrival in Melbourne, while taking a walk through the city. Dot, possessed of a knife, had been trying to find and kill her former employer's son, who had repeatedly harassed and molested her and had her fired when she resisted his advances. Phryne convinces Dot to hand over
2596-533: The house because it was numbered 221 and that she added 'B' in an obvious reference to the home of Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street . Through the course of the books, Phryne collects a personal maid, Dot; two adoptive daughters, Ruth and Jane (whom she rescued from slavery); a cat, Ember; a dog, Molly; and two loyal servants, the Butlers. She also has relationships with a string of lovers, most notably Lin Chung,
2655-399: The ideas of how to make it bigger and better and more fabulous than the TV show," she said. Later that year, it was revealed that plans were afoot to produce a trilogy of Phryne Fisher films. In April 2017, a photo was published on the official Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries Instagram account showing Essie Davis and Nathan Page holding advance copies of a film script titled Miss Fisher and
2714-811: The judges offered her a contract for two detective novels. In the 2020 Australia Day Honours Greenwood was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Greenwood lives with a "wizard", the mathematician and author David Greagg. The Broken Wheel, Whaleroad, Cave Rats and Feral are prequels to the Stormbringer trilogy. Characters in Stormbringer refer to events in those books, but are otherwise independent. "Jetsam" (1998) in Dreaming Down-Under (ed. Jack Dann , Janeen Webb ) The Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries television series
2773-423: The knife and gives her food to eat, and then secures Dot's revenge by using the knife to surreptitiously cut through her persecutor's braces (suspenders), thus disrobing and publicly embarrassing him. Phryne then offers Dot a job as her personal companion and secretary, which Dot accepts. Dot is described as being a very devout Catholic and is very neat with a particular talent for delicate mending and sewing work. She
2832-410: The scene of crime where she learns that Mr. McNaughton was killed by a heavy blow to the head on his tennis court, and that a rock was identified as the murder weapon, and also that there may have been two witnesses who might be able to testify that Bill McNaughton was elsewhere while his father was being murdered. Phryne also discovers that Amelia frequently hosts local children to play on their property,
2891-414: The series of thirteen one-hour episodes, the first series of which premiered on ABC1 on 24 February 2012. A second series of 13 episodes followed in 2013, telecast from 6 September to 22 December. A third series of 8 episodes has been released in 2015. The first episode aired on 8 May, and the season wrapped up with Episode 8 on 26 June. A new series called Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries featuring
2950-488: The theft as Bobby, a young cricket-playing aristocrat. Impressed by her skills, another guest at the party, a retired Colonel Harper and his wife, Mrs. Harper, engaged Phryne to travel to Australia, her country of birth, and find out if his daughter, Lydia Andrews, was being treated well by her husband, John Andrews. This set in motion the events described in the first of Kerry Greenwood's books on Phryne Fisher, Cocaine Blues . Phryne's motivation to take up private detection as
3009-527: The two witnesses. Acting on Phryne's instructions, Burt and Cec find the two witnesses, as well as the correct murder weapons. Phryne solves a small side-question of a kidnapping and then diverts herself by successfully seducing Dr. Fielding, a local doctor who had attended to Mrs. McNaughton. Phryne convinces Amelia McNaughton to have a small party and invite the local children that she occasionally her family, Paolo Rugazzi, Detective-Inspector Benton, Bert and Cec. There, she demonstrates that Mr. McNaughton's death
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#17327973397393068-490: The winner of the Irish Christmas Lottery. After receiving a ransom message from the kidnappers, Henry Maldon is persuaded by his friend and fellow flying instructor Jack Leonard to ask Phryne Fisher for help. Phryne promptly agrees to help. Phryne enlists the help of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in tracing fingerprints on the ransom note and it is discovered that one of the sets of finger-prints belong to
3127-532: The year 1928. With the assistance of her companion Dot, and Bert and Cec (who are wharfies , taxi drivers and "red raggers" [Australian slang of that period meaning communists ]), she solves all manner of crimes. As a crime fiction character, she has been called a "quintessentially Australian" construction. Phryne is no ordinary aristocrat, as she can fly a plane, drives her own car (a Hispano-Suiza ) and sometimes wears trousers. While displaying bohemian panache, she manages also to maintain style and class. Phryne
3186-571: Was a child-molester and that his wife's spending had led them into debt and blackmail, and changes his mind about the kidnapping. Phryne releases Mike and tricks Sid into keeping quiet about it. Recurring Characters Other Characters After the novel's initial publication in 1990 by Penguin Books, Australia, it was reprinted as follows: The novel was also translated into German in 1999, and French and Russian in 2006. Cocaine Blues , as well as other novels featuring Phryne Fisher, were adapted into
3245-407: Was accidentally named after Phryne , a famous Greek courtesan who lived in the 4th century BC. At her christening, her father forgot the classical name Psyche that her parents had intended for her. Phryne is described in the first of Kerry Greenwood 's books, Cocaine Blues , as being named after the courtesan Phryne , after her father forgot her chosen name of Psyche at the christening. Phryne
3304-425: Was caused by an accident that resulted from a game played by the local children. The children had been attempting to build a pyramid in imitation of the recently discovered pyramids of Luxor , and had attached a large stone to a rope hanging from a tree. Mr McNaughton, enraged by their presence on his property, went to rebuke them, resulting in their panicking and releasing the rope and stone, which swung and delivered
3363-589: Was filmed in and around Melbourne in 2011 and premiered on ABC1 on 24 February 2012. A second series was commissioned in August 2012 and filming began in February 2013 and aired starting 6 September 2013. A third series was commissioned in June 2014 and began airing on 8 May 2015. A film that continues the story started in the television series was released in 2022: Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears . The TV series
3422-576: Was not always rich, having been born into a poor family in Collingwood, Melbourne . Her childhood was one of poverty and she occasionally had to scavenge for food in the pig-bins in Victoria Market. She often ate rabbit and cabbage because there was no other food available. In Cocaine Blues , she tells her maidservant and secretary Dot that during her youth, she "starved like Billy-o " and that her sister died of diphtheria and starvation. In
3481-552: Was redone by HBO Asia in 2020 as Miss S , set in Shanghai in the 1930s instead of Melbourne in the 1920s. The show was filmed in Mandarin, Miss Phryne Fisher was renamed as Su Wenli, Inspector Robinson was renamed as Luo Qiuheng, and Dorothy 'Dot' Williams was renamed as Xiao Tao Zi. Flying Too High Flying Too High is a crime novel by Australian author Kerry Greenwood , and was published in 1990 by Penguin Books . It
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