The Castlemaine Murders : A Phryne Fisher Mystery (Phryne Fisher Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable and engaging
Review: The second Phryne Fisher mystery novel to be published in this country (the first was "Murder in Montparnasse), this was my first foray into the series, and what a fun read it was too! Especially the subplot dealing with Phryne's married Chinese lover, Lin Chung's attempts to solve an 80-odd year old mystery.

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is feeling a little stressed right now: her younger sister, Eliza, has just arrived in Australia, and seems hell-bent on deriding and dismissing the entire country and Phryne's lifestyle completely. In an attempt to derive a bit of fun under the circumstances, Phryne arranges an outing for her household (her two adopted daughters, Ruth and Jane; her companion-friend, Dot; her married Chinese lover, Lin Chung and her sister, Eliza) at Luna Park. But the pleasure of the day soon ends abruptly when a dummy at the Ghost Train ride turns out to be the mummified remains of a man who was shot. Who was the unfortunate man? How did he end up being mummified? And who murdered him? Phryne is determined to uncover all and to do right by the unfortunate man, in spite of the menacing messages she receives to leave well alone...

"The Castlemaine Murders" was a really fun read from start to finish. Set in the roaring 20s, Kerry Greenwood captures the feel and spirit of the age effortlessly. However, while the entire mystery subplot involving the mummy was intriguing, I have to admit that the subplot that focused on Lin Chung and the eighty year old family mystery involving missing gold and probable murder, captured my interest completely. The author's thumbnail sketch about the early Chinese settlers (who were mostly gold miners) was informative and intriguing, and made "The Castlemaine Murders" all the more enjoyable for me. Swiftly paced and completely engaging, "The Castlemaine Murders" was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and really deserves all the accolades it receives.