Queen of the Flowers (Phryne Fisher Mystery, #14)

by Kerry Greenwood

The fourteenth Phryne Fisher murder mystery

In 1928 St Kilda's streets hang with fairy lights. Magic shows, marionettes, tea dances, tango competitions, lifesaving demonstrations, lantern shows, and picnics on the beach are all part of the Flower Parade.

And who else should be chosen to be Queen of the Flowers but the gorgeous, charming and terribly fashionable Phryne Fisher? Phryne needs a new dress and a swimming costume but she also needs a lot of courage to confront her problems: a missing daughter, the return of an old lover, and a young woman found drowned at the beach at Elwood.

• ISBN10: 1741142466
• ISBN13: 9781741142464
• Publish Date: 1 June 2004
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 31 March 2021
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: Allen & Unwin
• Edition: Main
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

It's always fun to enjoy Kerry Greenwood and Hon. Phryne do what they do so very well. Queen of the Flowers, originally published in 2004, and now re-released by Poisoned Pen Press in a new edition, is the 14th book in the series.

The series is wonderfully full of a sense of place and fully realized characters. The descriptions are spot on. It's always a joy to read a new installment of Phryne and family's adventures. This book is perhaps slightly grittier and more realistic than previous books in the series. The subject matter is tawdry and sad (human trafficking and abuse, among other things). I liked very much that this book includes more back story for Phryne's daughter Ruth; I've always felt Ruth was more of a foil for Jane's more assertive/analytical personality, so it's nice to see and understand a little more of Ruth and her motivations.

Just a delightful read. Perhaps slightly darker than the average cozy mystery, but Ms. Greenwood can certainly write masterfully and entertainingly. Well worth a read.

Stats:
Title: Queen of the Flowers
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
256 pages, Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback and other formats
Original pub. date: 2004, re-released in new edition Nov. 7, 2017

Five stars, I 3 Phryne

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.