Saturday, January 29, 2011

MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet (review of Cocaine Blues)

Hosted by Kerri at Mysteries in Paradise
By Friday of each week you have to write a blog post about crime fiction related to the letter of the week.
Your post MUST be related to either the first letter of a book's title, the first letter of an author's first name, or the first letter of the author's surname.
So you see you have lots of choice.
You could write a review, or a bio of an author, so long as it fits the rules somehow.

This week's letter is C in the Crime Fiction Alphabet Meme. I am spotlighting the first book in the Phryne Fisher Mystery series, Cocaine Blues. For more posts in this meme this week, visit here.






Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood, 175 pages

 Book 1 of 18 in the series; Global Mystery Challenge

Phryne Fisher is a flapper, a dame, and broad and a lady. Set in the 1920s of Australia, she embodies the beginnings of the women's movement. She flies a plane, does what she likes, sleeps with whom she wants, and has a ton of money. She lives a life of luxury and I'm sure it was much easier for women of money to become independent. I've read a few later editions, but this is the first one, as Phyrne establishes her life in Melbourne after leaving boring England, and meets her supporting characters.

This is a fun series, which shouldn't be analysed too seriously for plot holes. Phyrne will figure everything out ahead of everyone, will know who is doing what, and step in and fight where she certainly doesn't belong and still run in the upper society circles wearing the best of clothes, which always look best on her. But it will be a fun ride even amidst serious topics. (this one includes back room abortionists, drug rings, women doctors, and communists)