Death Before Wicket (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Book 10)

A trip to Sidney leads to several Mysteries.

I'm a Yank, born and bred in New England thank you very much, and because of that I don't know anything about cricket except that - like America's National Pastime - there's a bat and a ball involved. Any resemblance to baseball, however, is purely coincidental. In cricket the pitcher is called a bowler, for example, and there's apparently a rule that says if you hit the ball over the fence you're out. Seems downright unsporting, that.Despite this handicap of mine I thoroughly enjoyed "Death Before Wicket," which is something of a departure for Kerry Greenwood's occasionally wicked, and always entertaining, Australian private detective Phryne Fisher.This book centers around the theft of several items from a locked safe in a university bursar's office and the desire of two friends to save a third whose academic future is threatened because he has been accused of the burglary. Unlike most of Phryne's adventures, however, this one takes her to Sydney, a long train ride from her usual haunts in Melbourne and its suburbs, during the Test Matches pitting Australia's cricket team against the English national team. Once she and her companion Dot Williams arrive in that brawling city they discover that the mystery of the missing items isn't the only thing they'll have to deal with. For one thing, Dot's sister Joan has gone missing leaving her two children and disgruntled husband on their own. That, Dot assures Phryne, is completely out of character for Joan.For another, the student accused of the theft has apparently fallen under the spell of some ne'er-do-wells claiming to be magicians (and not the kind of magicians who do card tricks.) And, of course, there are some very lengthy discussions about cricket. I confess I enjoyed reading those discussions - full of interesting words and descriptions of the games - but I'm still at a loss when it comes to understanding the game."Death Before Wicket" contains some interesting twists and turns and some truly memorable characters including an aging prostitute with a secret, a professor with a desire to protect the lands of Australia's thoroughly disenfranchised Aborigines and a villain who has taken the unusual step of having his teeth filed into points.Whether you understand cricket or not, I think you'll enjoy this really interesting mystery and the inestimable Phryne Fisher.

** spoiler alert **Another fun addition to the Phryne Fisher series.Phryne and Dot are on their way to Sydney. Phryne to watch some cricket, Dot to keep her company and visit her sister. Two university students have requested Phryne investigate a burglary that a classmate of theirs had been accused of committing. After consideration Phryne takes the case (at least there is no murder this time). And once Dot finds one of her nieces tied to a table like a dog, the other playing in the gutter and her sister's drunk husband throwing out accusation and her sister missing, Dot requests that Phryne take on the missing person case.Phryne is without her usual support staff on these cases, but she manages to confront villains, discover lies, uncover half-truths, solve the cases and still see some cricket.

Overall, I will give each book in the Phryne Fisher series basically the same comments. A friend introduced me to the series by author Kerry Greenwood and I enjoyed them all. They are light and fairly fast reading tho the plot can get a bit slow in parts. The books themselves are "thin" so you feel as if you won't be spending hours getting halfway through the plot. The heroine, Ms. Fisher, is a funny, clever, and quick-witted character with a vocabulary to match (i.e., have you ever heard of "cami-knickers?" :o). The beginning chapters mention how she got to where she is (i.e., a wealthy and influential socialite who is also a self-proclaimed investigator), but it's quick and clean, unlike so many books where entire chapters are taken up reviewing the backstory to the book. Consequently, you don't have to read each book sequentially, though when changes happen, such as a marriage or death, the author spends time in character and plot development. If you feel that you must have this background, then read them in sequence, but as stated earlier, this isn't mandatory. In summary, this is an enjoyable series of books that won't take a lot of time or brain power with many characters and multiple plot twists - just a good, 'ol fashioned time reading!

This time, the Honorable Phryne Fisher visits Sydney, Australia, just as the Harbour Bridge is being constructed. When she arrives, however, her trusted companion, Dot, discovers that her married sister has gone missing. Moreover, while visiting the local university, Phryne learns that Dean's safe has been broken into and several priceless items taken. With two such puzzles laid on her doorstep, is it any wonder that our beloved flapper gets involved, holiday or no holiday?As usual, our adventuresome sleuth gets involved in some sexual escapades, but this time one strikes a discordant note due to its sheer tawdriness. The reader will know what I mean the minute it is read. Even for our free spirited Phryne, it is a bit much and will take the reader aback. Notwithstanding this, the reader will enjoy this cozy mystery. This is, indeed, a fun series of books if one is a fan of the cozy mystery genre.

Okkultismus, Amulette, Zauberei, Hypnose, geheime Keller bzw. Brunnen - wer das alles, und vor allem Sex in allen Lebenslagen, mag, der ist hier richtig.Phryne Fisher ermittelt diesmal in Sydney. Diebstähle, Giftanschläge, Okkultismus, Zauberei, Amulette, Hypnose, was nicht noch alles auf einem Haufen! Und Sex, das muss sein, auch dann, wenn Phryne sich in einen Brunnenschacht gestürzt sieht! Beim Lesen dachte ich, oh nein, an diesem unwahrscheinlichen und auch schrecklichen Ort, da drückt die Autorin auch noch eine Sex-Szene rein! Und prompt, es wird sich entkleidet und es geht zur Sache.Also nein, auch Sex in allen Lebenslagen ist nicht jeden Lesers Sache.

Phryne Fisher is asked to come to Sydney to help solve a crime, she agrees as she wants to go to the test cricket and Dot wants to visit her married sister. Phryne promises Dot that there will be no murders and she just manages that, there is an attampted murder, a theft of various artifacts from the University, a possible framing of a student, a missing person and a case of mezmerization, as well as her own abduction, however. England thrashes Australia at the cricket and Phryne sets out to solve everything else.

When I read the first remark I was a bit afraid about all the cricket wich I don't know anything about. But the cricket parts are not so many as I feared. The other parts concerning the university of Sydney and an old Isis cult were fun to read and Phryne gets to be brilliant again. Loved this one and paged through the cricket part. I'm looking forward to the next part in hope for a return of Lin.

"Death Before Wicket" by Kerry Greenwood takes us away from Phryne's usual Melbourne / St Kilda environs when she travels with Dot to Sydney where she becomes involved with the university fraternity. There is an amusing cricket theme and of course Phryne solves the mystery of who opened the safe.

Kerry Greenwood fan.Not as good as most of her others