The Green Mill Murder: A Phryne Fisher Mystery

In her relaxed style Phryne solves the case. She is not afraid to fly into the mountains in her Gypsy Moth,taking her diaphram with her just in case. As usual she uncovers the dark secrets of her adverseries and comes home to help Jack nail the villian. Another enjoyable, well constructed 'who done it' by Kerry Greenwood.

I found this book highly entertaining. I love the character of Phryne Fisher and the history of the times portrayed in all of Kerry Greenwood's books in this series. As a read, I found it difficult to put down.

I've just discovered Phryne Fisher and have devoured 8 of the 20 books in the series in the past week and a half. Greenwood does a great job through research and verbal flair to create credible historical and cultural contexts for the Fisher mysteries. I'm a little worried about Phryne's tendency to groom and take advantage of pretty young men -- oh, god, there she goes hopping into bed again -- but her style, verve, and basic decency otherwise are interesting to watch.

Other reviewers have talked about a missing ending (including who did the main murder) in their paper copies. The Kindle edition is the complete text, with murder solution.
The whole series is charming and fun to read. This one probably has more emotional depth than most of them.

By now, the main characters are well established. Phryne (Fry-knee) is a bit of a slut or a liberated woman, depending on point of view. A bit stereotypical - one set of behavior for the rich and another for the masses. That said, the plots are always enjoyable. These make great summer or travel reads.

Other reviewers have talked about a missing ending (including who did the main murder) in their paper copies. The Kindle edition is the complete text, with murder solution.
The whole series is charming and fun to read. This one probably has more emotional depth than most of them.

By now, the main characters are well established. Phryne (Fry-knee) is a bit of a slut or a liberated woman, depending on point of view. A bit stereotypical - one set of behavior for the rich and another for the masses. That said, the plots are always enjoyable. These make great summer or travel reads.

The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood is the fifth book in The Phryne Fisher Mystery series. Phryne Fisher is out dancing the Green Mill with Charles Freeman. A forty-eight-hour dancing marathon is winding down with just two couples left on the floor. Phryne is enjoying the music of Tintagel Stone and the Jazz Makers (they are without their singer, Nerine, though). Phryne is dancing with Charles to “Bye Bye Blackbird” when a man collapses on the floor behind her. The man did not fall down from exhaustion. He appears to have been stabbed in the chest. The police are called and soon Detective Jack Robinson arrives on the scene. He is, of course, not surprised to see Phryne on hand. Phryne hangs out with the band while waiting her turn to be questioned (and manages to ask some probing questions of her own). Charles who was quite squeamish at the sight of a body, bolted off towards the gent’s room. When it is finally time for Phryne to leave the dance club, Charles has failed to return. Charles has disappeared which does not bode well especially for Phryne who will have to explain to Charles’ overanxious mother. Charles fails to return home to his mother by the next morning, and Phryne is hired to locate him. After some investigation, Phryne discovers that the older Freeman son, Victor is not dead. Mrs. Freeman now wishes Phryne to locate both of her sons. Phryne will take to the skies in her Gypsy Moth Rigel to get the answers Mrs. Freeman seeks. Join Phryne on her latest adventure in The Green Mill Murder.

The Green Mill Murder is well-written, has a wonderful (and engaging) main character, and a beautiful setting. I appreciate and enjoy the other characters as well (Mr. Butler, Dot, Bert, Cec and especially Jack). I loved the complex mysteries and the unique method of murder (the writer came up with a good one this time). There was more than one case for Phryne to solve in this novel. She ends up having to find an errant husband and help the dance competition winners get their prize. I give The Green Mill Murder 4.25 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The Green Mill Murder has blackmail, murder, a romantic liaison, two missing people (well, technically one is hiding), a jazz band, and a high-flying adventure. The readers are also provided descriptions of Phryne’s gorgeous clothes and the scenery she views from her airplane. I loved the addition of the fun-loving wombat who loves potatoes (thankfully). I look forward to reading the next book in The Phryne Fisher Murder Mysteries.

I am delighted to belatedly discover that Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries were novels before they were films. Usually I find that in such cases the book is better than the movie. This is true in The Green Mill Murder which is the fifth in the series by this prolific, award winning Australian author. I should add, however, that I have very much enjoyed the films and having seen them added to my ability to visualize the setting and beautiful dresses and accessories that the heroine, Phryne Fisher, wears.

Phryne Fisher is quite a character. She is rich, but down to earth. She shares her wealth and offers personal help to those in need. Her morals are outrageous (in the 1920’s); and although she is clearly a lady, she never lets her gender limit her actions.

The Green Mill Murder has a basic mystery: a man is killed by unknown means in a dance hall during the waning hours of a dance marathon in plain sight. Phryne is there and so is able to help the detective Jack with his investigation. In the process, several more mysteries arise, which include issues of a missing husband, blackmail, and inheritance.

I so enjoyed this mystery starring a witty private investigator who can conceal a flask or a small gun as needed in a sexy outfit one day and fly a Gipsy Moth the next. The Australian English (e.g. collywobbles) and the 1920’s laws and customs add to the interest.

Phryne’s independence is exhilarating, and I look forward to more of her adventures. Greenwood says she will keep writing Miss Fisher mysteries as long as readers want more. Currently there are twenty mysteries in this series, thirteen of which have been made into movies for television.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Poisoned Pen Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Phryne is attending a dance marathon at a jazz club with 'a tedious but socially acceptable escort', Charles Freeman. Tintagel Stone the band leader leader and banjo player has a delectable pair of blue eyes. The last two marathon couples are exhausted but still dancing. One stumbles and falls--never to rise again. Phryne is flung headlong into murder, blackmail, missing persons, and a brief liaison--or two, although lamenting from time to time her anarchist lover met in Death at Victoria Dock.
The story ranges from St Kilda to the Australian Alps. Flying with Phyrne in her Tiger Moth through that area, up through Mansfield and on to Mount Howitt plains were highlights of the story. Having walked some of this area I was instantly transported back there, to the sights, smells and sounds. Thank you Kerry Greenwood! As Phyrne reflects when walking to a hut, 'this cold wilderness was utterly unfamiliar, but it did not feel hostile, just indifferent to her fate. If she fell off this path and was broken into a hundred pieces nothing up here would be one whit interested.'
Here are places where some find solace and others inspiration. The descriptions of this part of the world and the people, priceless! As Phyne says, 'they did not talk much and therefore liked to give every word its proper weight. She reflected that a writer might find this touching. Words were seldom given the respect they deserved.' (I loved this last sentiment)
The war references--Gallipoli and Pozières, and the effect of these battles on the veterans as always are stark reminders of the costs paid.
Enjoyable as always.

A NetGalley ARC

Phryne is out dancing at one of her favorite night spots, but the evening was not going particularly well. She was on a job, supervising a particularly annoying young man at the request of his overly possessive mother. Suddenly one of the dancers stumbled to the ground, dead. Unfortunately it was not Phryne's charge who instead of lying quietly on the floor was acting liking a ninny over the event. Phryne once again found herself involved in police affairs as she attempted to sort the various messes the death had caused, including the disappearance of her annoying charge. Oddly enough the answers to some of her questions lay miles away in the Snowy mountains which gave Phryne the chance to take her beloved Gypsy Moth plane out for an adventure.

This is the fifth in the series of comic mysteries set in Australia during the Jazz Age featuring Phyrne Fisher. There is a strong overall story arc to this series so it would be best to read the series in order if at all possible. Those who are fans of the series on PBS need to be aware that the television series deviates markedly from the novels. Both series are good, and fans of one will probably enjoy the other despite the differences but do not jump into the middle of the book series because you have seen the television shows.

5 stars

Phryne is enjoying a night of dancing at the Green Mill when a man falls dead at her feet. Enter Inspector Robinson and we are off on another Phryne Fisher murder mystery.

When Phryne’s date, Charles Freeman, disappears, she goes to meet with his mother, a nervous and high strung woman. Phryne discovers that the mother has lost track of her other son, Victor, as well. But there is more to Mrs. Freeman than appears.

On an aside, I found the history of jazz fascinating, and the descriptions of the war in Gallipoli and Marseilles were very powerful.

She meets some interesting women – and men – in this book. And she gets to fly her moth. She knows who the murderer is and delights in spelling it out for her audience.

Phryne never fails to amuse and delight me. These are gentle mysteries that are great for reading any time.

I want to send a big thank you to both Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

Phryne faces death again... when a man collapses at a speak-easy in Melbourne, and she realizes she was almost in the way of the murder missile. Once again, Kerry Greenwood brings us to the Roaring Twenties in Australia, in all the colorful, tragic, harsh and in-egalitarian reality. One of the reasons I read Kerry with such pleasure is all the details of the realities of Australia.
I live far far away, and I love history, culture, and anthropology. Murder mysteries are my favorite form of fantasy. Nobody, not even a private eye sees so much death. But, I can suspend my disbelief so easily for such a great character as Phryne. Is she realistic? Actually, yes, she is, and we've written her and her sisters out of history. I hate that. Thanks, Kerry for bringing her back.
Thanks for showing the harsh, depressing, horrid underside of the ripped and torn economy and the fight for fair wages. I love Bert and Cec, Dot and Inspector Jack.
Even in her most luxurious enjoyment of her wealth, Phryne never forgets her origins. She can't fix everything and every one, but she makes a good stab at what she can do.

I love Phryne Fisher books for a light, entertaining read. The Green Mill wasn't my favorite of the five or six I've read so far, but it kept me reading and I'm glad I did. After all, who can resist a pistol-packing, flamboyant flapper who flies over the Australian Alps. The contrast between the "bush" and Phryne's natural habitat in the city, amid jazz clubs and her lavish life, was particularly interesting. Greenwood lets readers glimpse Phryne out of her element and feeling unusually vulnerable, definitely not her usual state.

And then there's the wombat hero. It's worth reading for "Wom" alone.

The Green Mill Murder: Phryne Fisher #5 (Phryne Fisher Mysteries) by Kerry Greenwood is an entertaining mystery. It kept my attention from start to finish. I gave it four stars. I will look for more Phyrne Fisher books to read since I enjoyed the character.

"Pallid faces, over-rouged or under-coloured, blinked in the glare. Nothing looks worse, thought Phryne, than a brightly lit hall that should be dim."

I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase: The Green Mill Murder: Phryne Fisher #5 (Phryne Fisher Mysteries)

Phryne Fisher is having an evening out with Charles Freeman at the Green Mill when a man taking part in a dance marathon is killed in front of her. Phryne soon finds herself involved in the case as she is employed by Charles’ mother to find the murderer. Charles her favourite son is also the police’s favoured suspect for the murder.

This is an exciting story with some positively hair raising flying adventures for Phryne herself as she tries to find a missing person. But there is humour along the way with a single-minded pet wombat. This mystery mainly involves Phryne with only brief appearances by her household and her two adopted daughters.

I enjoyed this fifth episode in the series and it definitely bears re-reading as this is the second time I have read it and it is every bit as the first time round. If you want an adventure story with plenty of mystery then try this – it can be read as a standalone novel or as part of a series.

There is a dance marathon taking place at the Green Mill - a nightclub. Phryne Fisher is visiting the club with her rather unsatisfactory swain, Charles Freeman when one of the contestants falls down dead. Charles decamps leaving Phryne to eye up the rather delectable banjo player and to try and work out how it was done.

Charles Freeman's doting mother engages Phryne to try and clear his name because the police suspect him of the murder. Charles's elder brother took off into the bush some years before, suffering from the after effects of shell shock and Mrs Freeman asks Phryne to try and track him down.

I really enjoyed this book with its exciting flight and days in the bush. One of the most endearing characters is a wombat kept as a pet. This is a thoughtful and amusing book with some thought provoking things to say about suffocating families and city or country living. The murder almost takes second place to Phryne's appetite for adventure but I found it a very satisfying and enjoyable read. This enjoyable and well written story started with Cocaine Blues (Phryne Fisher Mysteries (Paperback))

The Green Mill Murder is the 5th of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series. Phryne is having a delightful time in her sparkling lobelia-coloured georgette dress at the hottest dancehall in town, The Green Mill, when the evening is shattered as a male dance-marathon finalist is stabbed to death on the dance floor. Shortly afterwards, her dance partner, Charles Freeman, disappears. Phryne is engaged by Charles's mother to find him. In this episode, Phryne encounters some interesting jazz musicians, a dreadful , devious mother, a very talented blues singer, a hermit and some men who are described as "unlikely to marry", that is to say, homosexual (gay, in those days, just meant happy). Phryne's best quote is "Words are seldom given the respect they deserve" As always, Dot, Mr and Mrs Butler, Bert and Cec play their dependable supporting roles. As well, Phryne flies her Gipsy Moth over the Australian Alps in a daring search for a young man, makes sure the dancers get their prize and solves the murder with time to spare. While Phryne makes a few dubious judgement calls at the end, overall, devoted readers will not be disappointed.

Kerry Greenwood has done it again. In the Honorable Phryne Fisher's fifth outing in The Green Mill Murder, one of the contestants in a dance marathon collapses after having been stabbed in the heart and Phryne literally trips over him. Phryne's escort for the evening, Charles Freeman, an effete, selfish Momma's boy, is initially accused of the murder. Freeman's overbearing mother hires Phryne to clear her son.

Phryne solves the mystery of this death at the Green Mill, Melbourne's finest dance club, along with taking care of two other problems that emerge in The Green Mill Murder with her usual élan and perspicacity -- but only after a perilous plane trip, a search for a hermit believed long dead, and a trip deep into Snowy River country. The ending isn't just unexpected; it comes as quite a jolt.

The book is so excellent I devoured it in less than 24 hours. You won't regret another outing with the fabulous Phryne.

Kerry Greenwood’s Phyrne Fisher books are a delight! I enjoy strong independent characters and these books deliver. I am also learning more about Australia and in particular Melbourne as the history she weaves in the books is very interesting.

in my copy, which i ordered from australia since it wasn't available here at the time, the main mystery was definitely solved. (i am editing my review to include this information: a chapter and a half is missing from this edition, which i bought to replace my worn australian paperback. i just re-read the novel yesterday and compared it to the paperback. i'm appalled.)

so, assuming you can get a complete copy, i would recommend this and every other phryne to anyone interested in mysteries (except the writer of the synopsis who thinks, goodness knows how, that the mysteries are light), or in australian history 9and if you aren't interested in australian history, you will be after one of these books), or just wonderful writing. the series is consistently high quality, with even the less than perfect far superior to most of what is currently being published. phyrne is refresingly adult, decisive, independent, and competent. the plots hark back to the great mysteries of the 20s and 30s. there is humor, suspense and interesting characters.

who could ask for anything more?

Phryne Fisher attends the last day of a dance marathon with her friend Charles. When another dancer is murdered, Charles disappears. In order to protect the family estate, Charles' mother hires Phryne to find Charles' brother, who went to the Outback after WWI. In the meantime, the blues singer at the club where the murder occurred, asks Phryne to find her missing husband.

Phryne is such a wonderful character; smart, confident, self-possessed and very fashionable, and surrounded by diverse and interesting supporting characters. These are traditional mysteries; not cozy but not dark, and they always touch on series issues. Ms. Greenwood has clearly done extensive research about the time and I always learn something when I read these books. Poisoned Pen is releasing the series in hardcover with the delightful illustrated covers. Unfortunately, they started in the middle of the series, so it's not easy to find the early book. But if you can find them, I do recommend them. This is a very good book and a wonderful series.

The Honorable Phryne Fisher accompanies Charles Freeman to Green Mill, a dance hall that was very popular in Australia in the 1920's. She promised his mother that she would look after her son when one of the participants in a dance hall is knifed to death. He was behind Phryne who didn't see the actual stabbing but when her escort sees the bloody body, he gets sick and runs into the men's room. By the time the police arrive on the scene, Charles has disappeared.

His mother, a cruel and hateful virago, asks Phryne, who moonlights as a private detective, to find him. She discovers Charles is gay and possesses pictures that could get him killed since at that time and place sodomy was against the law. When she finally finds Charles she hands him over to the police even though she doesn't think he is the killer. She also has to make a trip to the outback to find Victor, the brother who Charles believes is dead because his mother told him so. Mrs. Freeman wishes Victor was dead so she would inherit the house and money as her late husband left her with nothing. Phryne finds a confrontation between the two brothers is inevitable.

THE GREEN MILL MURDER is so much more than a murder mystery, it is a journey into the heart of a family, a trip into the new musical world of jazz and it is the story of a woman who lives her life her way regardless what society thinks. 1920s Australia comes to glorious life in Kerry Greenwood's capable hands, but though the mystery is superb, the locale vivid, and the era descriptive, readers will continue reading this series because the heroine is such a fascinating character.

Harriet Klausner

This mystery is more than that. It gives the life back in Australia after WWI . Phryne is a modern woman and a detective, a little too modern for the people of that time. You will be so glad that when you are done with this book and say " I'm so glad there is another one to read !!

the previous reviewer hit all the high spots. i'm submitting a review to let potential phyrne lovers know that there are more fans of this series.

greenwood writes wonderfully--there's humor, suspense, excitement in all the books, and wonderfully twisty, tricky plots. and good grammar, which is delightful to me and getting to be non-existent in american writing. there's a definite flavor of the golden age of mystery writing, too, suitable for the 1928 setting.

ms. greenwood is obviously an adult, perceptive, well-read, wordly, and experienced person (as one would hope from a pro bono attorney, which she is). this adds depth to her writing. her books can be read and re-read--the mystery is only part of the attraction.

Enjoyed the story though have noticed that the TV shows are always slightly different. This book reads out pretty quickly. Frankly, I think Ms. Greenwood's book was a better story than the TV version.