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Title: like a good champagne
Review: This is the first Phryne Fisher book I've read (though it is not, as the other reviewer said, the first Phryne Fisher book -- it's the twelfth), and I'm wondering where Phryne has been all my life. Were these books only recently published in the U.S.?She does tend to be a bit too perfect, but she carries it off with such elan, I can't fault her for it. The book is sparkling and witty, with an intriguing plot, colorful secondary characters, and plenty of humor. The detailed descriptions of fancy clothes and food are a little unusual in this genre, but the author (and Phryne) clearly enjoys them so much, I find myself enjoying them too. There is also a dark edge, as we see tiny glimpses of what "the prisoner" (the kidnapped girl whom Phryne is trying to rescue) is enduring, and as Phryne reluctantly recalls her postwar days in Paris and the man who broke her heart.As soon as I finish this one, I'm off to find the rest.
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