Books 1/24/06
I finished Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood, and in comparison to the book I posted about last, it is my kind of mystery. It’s complicated, there’s lots of potential suspects, everyone has a secret, and by the end, the end makes sense.
Phryne Fisher, the illustrious heroine, is invited to her friends’ home for a house party. As she and her entourage arrive, they hear a gunshot, and a woman scream, and then come across a terrified young woman running through the woods. She’s a maid from the home to which they’re headed, and once they get there, things just get more strange. Phryne’s friend is recieving threatening notes, and attempts are being made on his life. When the river overflows and blocks the house party from leaving, they’re all trapped on the estate with a killer. There’s blackmail, murder, and urns that keep showing up in the strangest places.
On top of the mystery part of it all, Greenwood manages again to fit in realistic references to 1920’s culture; for example, she doesn’t create an ideal world where everyone at the party welcomes Phryne’s Chinese companions without any qualms- the guests’ reactions are realistically discriminatory, and their ultimate turnaround is believable.
This is a fine addition to the series, and I can’t wait for the reprint of the next one.
Current total: 7
Just finished: Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood
Currently Reading: Warp by Lev Grossman