Away with the Fairies
Registered by 
GoryDetails
of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/11/2020
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
GoryDetails of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 5/11/2020 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
I've enjoyed the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries TV adaptation of many of the books, and found that the adaptation of Raisins and Almonds was very faithful to the book, so I wanted to read more in the series. I got this softcover from Toadstool Books; it was adapted to the screen in this 2012 TV episode. [While the TV episode is quite enjoyable, it's also very different from the book, with substitutions of motives and subplots.]
This one combines a more typical mystery - a fairies-and-flowers artist (who moonlights as the advice columnist for a local women's magazine) is found dead of cyanide poisoning in her very twee home - with a potentially horrifying one: Phryne's beloved Lin Chung is missing and it's feared he may be in the hands of pirates, and if the Lin family won't or can't come up with whatever ransom is demanded, he won't survive...
Some fun bits here as Phryne goes to work at the magazine by way of learning more about the characters behind the scenes, with some entertaining debates on the best way to dole out advice to some of the more seriously troubled writers. And, of course, some fashion tips, one of Phryne's specialties.
But the fate of Lin Chung looks darker when a grisly relic is sent to Phryne - and who are those people trying to shove her in front of cars?
While the balance of the "light" and "dark" mysteries sometimes feels a bit off, there are plenty of lively scenes, witty banter, and utter badassery to compensate.
I also appreciated the extensive bibliography at the end, which ranged from books about the I Ching to Chinese pirates to poison to "Fu Manchu" novels!
[There's a TV Tropes page on the books and TV series, with some entertaining tidbits.]
This one combines a more typical mystery - a fairies-and-flowers artist (who moonlights as the advice columnist for a local women's magazine) is found dead of cyanide poisoning in her very twee home - with a potentially horrifying one: Phryne's beloved Lin Chung is missing and it's feared he may be in the hands of pirates, and if the Lin family won't or can't come up with whatever ransom is demanded, he won't survive...
Some fun bits here as Phryne goes to work at the magazine by way of learning more about the characters behind the scenes, with some entertaining debates on the best way to dole out advice to some of the more seriously troubled writers. And, of course, some fashion tips, one of Phryne's specialties.
But the fate of Lin Chung looks darker when a grisly relic is sent to Phryne - and who are those people trying to shove her in front of cars?
While the balance of the "light" and "dark" mysteries sometimes feels a bit off, there are plenty of lively scenes, witty banter, and utter badassery to compensate.
I also appreciated the extensive bibliography at the end, which ranged from books about the I Ching to Chinese pirates to poison to "Fu Manchu" novels!
[There's a TV Tropes page on the books and TV series, with some entertaining tidbits.]
Journal Entry 2 by GoryDetails at LFL - Main St. #214 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, July 16, 2020
GoryDetails at LFL - Main St. #214 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, July 16, 2020
Released 3 yrs ago (7/16/2020 UTC) at LFL - Main St. #214 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.I plan to leave this book in the Little Free Library near the Church of the Good Shepherd; hope someone enjoys it!
[See other recent releases in NH here.]
*** Released for the 2020 Seeking Septads challenge. ***
*** Released for the 2020 Movie challenge. ***
