Book Review: Death at Victoria Dock

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Death at Victoria Dock     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kerry Greenwood
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical   Woman Main Character
Series: Phryne Fisher # 4
Poisoned Pen, Dec 2006, $24.95

In 1928 Australia, The Honourable Phyrne Fisher is driving her Hispano-Suiza vehicle when a shot shatters her windshield covering her with glass. Phyrne remains calm and rationale as she observes three men running from the scene. Almost immediately afterward, she observes a seventeen years old male shot; she holds him as he lays dying. He mentions a place in Latvia. Phyrne is determined the shooters will pay for her windshield, her bloody ruined clothing and for the murder of this teen.

Gathering information from associates, she realizes she is dealing with anarchists, who seek a means to finance a revolution back home in Latvia. They figure that Phyrne knows too much so they plan to abduct her. Instead they kidnap her associate Dot. Phyrne plans to rescue her pal, avoid their kidnapping efforts, and stop their plan before someone else will die in Melbourne, this time from machine gun fire.

DEATH AT A VICTORIA DOCK, the latest Phyrne Fisher novel, is a jewel of a historical mystery. Phyrne is her usual confident, obstinate and fearless self as she plans to take down the murderous anarchists. She believes in equal rights for women and minorities and is not afraid to pursue her desires, taking her pleasures with whom she wants. Readers will appreciate Kerry Greenwood’s emancipated female who solves mysteries in vividly described late 1920s Australia.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner