Miss Fisher’s
Murder Mystery Series
2013, 706 minutes (full season)
Setting: 1928 Melbourne
This series of 13 episodes was originally broadcast on ABC (Australian Broadcast Corporation) Television in 2011 and is based on the books by Kerry Greenwood.
Phryne (pronounced Fry-nee) Fisher is a woman of the world – with inherited wealth, she lives alone, chooses not to be married, has many lovers, can fly an airplane, and carries a pearl-handle pistol. The series opens with her returning home to Melbourne from 10 years in London and Paris after the Great War. It’s 1928 and she sets herself up in business as a “lady detective” working closely with a reluctant Inspector Jack Robinson and helped by her associates Dot, Bert and Cec as well as her ward Jane and butler Mr. Butler. Each episode gives a unique look into various aspects of life in Melbourne during the roaring ’20s – Chinatown, the traveling circus, a Turkish bathhouse, the Eastern Market, etc.
If you’ve read and loved the Greenwood novels (there are 19 in the series) you’ll want to see them brought to life on the screen. Using historic locations in Melbourne as a backdrop (along with some digital enhancements to take them back to the1920s) and with wonderful costuming, the episodes are colorful and enticing. If you like British murder mysteries like Midsomer Murders, you’ll want to check this one out. The stories are not as cozy – the lifestyle is more decadent and risqué – and you’ll have to get used to the Aussie accent, but Essie Davis as Phryne is wonderful.
Series two premiered in Australia on September 6, 2013 and will probably be available on DVD in 2014, giving us something to look forward to. For further information about the library, please go to our website at concordpubliclibrary.net.
