Ruddy gore: a Phryne Fisher mystery

St. Kilda, Australia, in the 1920s is a fascinating place, and none of its citizens better embody its freewheeling spirit than the debonair and delightful Phryne Fisher. This prequel, which tells the story of how Phryne first met her Chinese lover, Lin Chung, also features interesting tidbits about Gilbert and Sullivan. As the adventure begins, Phryne is off to see a special performance of Ruddigore, a lesser-known G&S operetta. Then the character playing Sir Ruthven collapses onstage, and his understudy falls ill soon after. As Phryne investigates, Greenwood recounts the story of Ruddigore through song lyrics and plot synopses--which will be a joy to G&S fans and interesting even to the uninitiated. The denouement is a bit convoluted, but as G&S might say, It really doesn't matter. The appeal of this story is the glimpse it provides into the 1920s theater world and the opportunity it affords to observe Phryne and Lin Chung's romance from its inception. --Jenny McLarin Copyright 2005 Booklist

Australian author Kerry Greenwood succeeds brilliantly at capturing the drama behind the scenes of a theatrical production in her 1920s-era whodunit, Ruddy Gore: A Phryne Fisher Mystery, in which her series heroine must solve not one but two murders that occur on stage during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. A bonus is the subplot detailing how Phryne met her longtime Chinese paramour, Lin Chung. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Chasing off a gang that's attacking a Chinese lady and her grandson is only the prelude to a most unusual evening at His Majesty's Theater in Melbourne. The Australian revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore comes complete with the unscripted poisoning of both the actor and understudy for the part of Robin Oaknapple/Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd. Private eye Phryne is immediately enlisted by her friend, company manager Sir Bernard Tarrant, to look into the many tricks being played on cast members. Most unsettling is the apparent manifestation of the ghost of Dorothea Curtis, who, 30 years after playing the role of Rose Maybud, is found dead in her dressing room. Phryne suspects that she too was murdered, but it's hard to tell because the thespians are often acting offstage. Among the many suspects are Gwilym Evans, a handsome, talented heartbreaker who wanted the part; Tom Deeping, ex-actor turned drunken doorkeeper; aging performers Selwyn Alexander and Charles Sheffield; that minx of a leading lady Leila Esperance; and just about every other member of the company. Phryne, an emancipated, sophisticated woman of 1928, works with Det. Insp. Jack Robinson to solve the case and also gains an exotic lover in Lin Chung, that Chinese lady's handsome grandson. No Gilbert and Sullivan operetta is more convoluted than this tale, though it's still worth reading for the theater lore. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

St. Kilda, Australia, in the 1920s is a fascinating place, and none of its citizens better embody its freewheeling spirit than the debonair and delightful Phryne Fisher. This prequel, which tells the story of how Phryne first met her Chinese lover, Lin Chung, also features interesting tidbits about Gilbert and Sullivan. As the adventure begins, Phryne is off to see a special performance of Ruddigore, a lesser-known G&S operetta. Then the character playing Sir Ruthven collapses onstage, and his understudy falls ill soon after. As Phryne investigates, Greenwood recounts the story of Ruddigore through song lyrics and plot synopses--which will be a joy to G&S fans and interesting even to the uninitiated. The denouement is a bit convoluted, but as G&S might say, "It really doesn't matter." The appeal of this story is the glimpse it provides into the 1920s theater world and the opportunity it affords to observe Phryne and Lin Chung's romance from its inception. ((Reviewed May 1, 2005)) Copyright 2005 Booklist Reviews.

Australian author Kerry Greenwood succeeds brilliantly at capturing the drama behind the scenes of a theatrical production in her 1920s-era whodunit, Ruddy Gore: A Phryne Fisher Mystery, in which her series heroine must solve not one but two murders that occur on stage during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. A bonus is the subplot detailing how Phryne met her longtime Chinese paramour, Lin Chung. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.