Golden Age of Detective Fiction

TW: CSA and R*pe are subjects and central themes in this book, and it may not be suitable for all readers.

The radiant festival Queen, Phryne Fisher, is surrounded by young flower maidens for the St. Kilda Flower Festival 1928. Amidst the bustling preparations, which include bazaars, dress fittings, and the inevitable disputes of young women on the brink of adulthood, Phryne navigates the complexities of her personal and professional life.

Phryne’s home life is also complicated by her young daughter Ruth’s desire to visit her tubercular mother in a sanitorium to learn more about her mysterious father.

Phryne’s life, already chaotic, is further disrupted when she is unexpectedly reunited with her former lover. Meanwhile, her steadfast Inspector Robinson finds his world upside down as his sister and her young children move in.

As if juggling her dramas wasn’t enough, Phryne faces a new mystery when a flower maiden, the enigmatic and unpredictable Rose Weston, vanishes after a late-night rendezvous on the beach. The air is thick with unanswered questions, and Phryne is determined to find the truth.

A family friend pays Phryne to find the girl, and her investigation unearths a disgusting family secret, an old financial secret, and terrible abuse showered upon Rose Weston.

With the unwavering support of her loyal friends Bert and Cec, her lover Lin Chung, and her network of underworld contacts, Phryne races against the clock. Her mission: to rescue Rose Weston and her own daughter Ruthie, both victims of men’s cruel whims. The stakes are high, and the tension is palpable as Phryne fights to protect those she cherishes most.

The Review

Queen of the Flowers, from the cover, seems like a light-hearted, jolly romp led by the unflappable Phryne Fisher, who is leading happy debauchery. However, this book is roiling with vice, kidnapping, and sexual abuse and exposes the cruelty of grown men towards young girls.

There are moments of fun and humor, but this book has several heavy themes and is a frank exploration of how powerful men use young girls as chattel and pawns. It’s a harrowing and poignant read at times and elicited my deep empathy. It made me unhappy with the fate of unwanted and unloved children and made me reflect on my role in keeping the many young people in my life safe.

The mystery of what happened to Rose Weston and how to best keep her safe when she is found galvanizes Phryne Fisher and makes her the winged Nemesis of lore. She’s her most callous, and this case forces her to use a wide range of old and new friends to support her efforts. She is almost driven to her breaking point when Ruth disappears after receiving bogus letters from her “father.”

I enjoyed how much of the story focused on Ruth. We watch her learn about the sad, ill-fated love affair between her parents, which is ruined by tuberculosis, a common and especially deadly disease.

I understood more about tuberculosis when reading this story many years ago. Still, in the intervening years, it has become something much in the fore of my mind due in significant part to the work of author John Green’s desire to educate others about the deadly and damaging effects of the disease. Despite having had a cure for the disease for many years, healthcare systems have made it difficult to get the treatment to the people who need it most.

In Queen of the Flowers, the reader is treated to letters between Ruthie’s mother and her friends about her budding romance, her lover’s diagnosis of tuberculosis, Ruthie’s adoption, and the slow, sad decline of her mother’s health.

Whew.

It just broke my heart reading about the decline of Ruthie’s mom’s health, which was portrayed very accurately and without romance.

Queen of the Flowers is a book with many important messages. Even Phryne, a champion of oppressed and mistreated girls and women everywhere, cannot help everyone by herself and is driven to rely on her support network. Without the help of many hands, the injustices Phryne uncovers would not be righted.

Everything comes out all right in the end. The wicked are punished, the wayward girls grow up, and somehow, all of the girls end up in a safe environment again without resorting to cheesy sentimentality.

May we all be Phryne Fishers in our communities.

Despite the dark themes, the writing style is pure Kerry Greenwood. Lucious, vibrant, and lively, with lots of focus on the blooming flowers and gardens, the cacophony of sounds and smells at the carnival, and, of course, much ado is made about the sumptuous food and clothes of Phryne Fisher. This leads to a rich sensory experience, which the folk music subplot enhances. Greenwood transports you to the wilds of Orkney and spends long, descriptive passages enveloping you in hauntingly beautiful fiddle folk music. I couldn’t hear it- but I could listen to it, and it made me long for a romantic past on the shores of a place I had never been to. There’s a real sense of romance in the Queen of the Flowers separate from the brute sexuality of the characters.

The pacing of Queen of the Flowers is brisk but not frenetic, which is quite a feat given the many story threads woven into the book. There are many wonderful character beats with Dot, Phryne’s maid, where she helps rescue a downtrodden slavey maid reminiscent of herself at the beginning of the series. Mr. Butler, a soothing balm, is written as his most officious, taking all domestic storms in his capable hands- even an elephant in the garden. Quick with a cooling libation, he keeps this tale from going off the tracks several times in this fast-paced book. I admire how well-balanced Queen of the Flowers is; this is Kerry Greenwood’s writing at its very best.

Phryne Fisher #1: Cocaine Blues

Phryne Fisher: #5: The Green Mill Murder

Phryne Fisher #16: Murder in the Dark

Kerry Greenwood Biography

Kerry Greenwood is an Australian author best known for her crime fiction, particularly the Phryne Fisher series. Born on June 17, 1954, in Footscray, Victoria, Australia, Greenwood has had a prolific career as a writer, spanning various genres including mystery, historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy.

She studied law and English at the University of Melbourne and later worked as a solicitor for Legal Aid. However, her passion for writing led her to pursue a full-time career in writing.

Greenwood gained widespread acclaim for her Phryne Fisher series, which follows the adventures of a glamorous and independent female detective in 1920s Melbourne. The series consists of over 20 novels and has been adapted into a successful television series called “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” which aired in Australia and internationally.

Apart from the Phryne Fisher series, Greenwood has written other novels, short stories, and plays. She has also contributed to various anthologies and magazines.

In addition to her writing, Greenwood is known for her activism and advocacy work, particularly in the areas of reproductive rights and social justice.

Overall, Kerry Greenwood has left a significant mark on Australian literature, particularly in the crime fiction genre, with her compelling characters, intricate plots, and vivid historical settings.