The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions - Kerry Greenwood

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Author: Kerry Greenwood

Series: Phryne Fisher, #22.
Genre: Detective Fiction, Short Story Anthology.
Rating: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of short stories featuring Phryne Fisher. There are a few decent stories here but none that blew my mind.

Let me begin with a disclaimer. I have never heard of this supposedly famous character prior to reading these stories. I don’t know anything about her, have never read her full-length cosy mysteries nor watched her NetFlix series. (I don’t know what rock I have been living under!) So this review is based on this book alone and not on any loyalty or fondness for this character. In other words, I might be disappointing some of you Phryne Fisher fans with my words. Apologies for that!

The collection begins with two very different types of author's notes: ‘Apologia’, which contains a little humorous note to the reader, and ‘On Phryne Fisher’, which details out the journey of this character, including how the idea for the book germinated. This latter section especially was a delight to read and set the right tone for the book, especially for ignoramuses such as me who knew nothing about the Phryne Fisher world. One line that stayed with me was:
“Historical novels walk a fine line. Too much detail and the reader is bored. Too little and it fails to convince. The ideal state for the reader is one where she trusts the writer to tell her everything she needs to know.”

The anthology contains 17 short stories, each having Phryne Fisher demonstrating her intellect as well as her apathy towards social restrictions and societal constructs. I can see why she is such a well-known character. Her standoffishness is on the façade and underneath that rough-and-tough exterior lies a caring woman with a strong sense of loyalty. I quite liked the character. The late 1920s era also comes out well in the collection, though I am sure it would be even better in the full-length novels.

The stories, however, are a different matter. Some of the stories are built up well enough but others are too short to leave a mark. Though they contain elements of cosy mysteries, not all of them develop as traditional mysteries do. In some cases, the drama and the build-up get greater priority than the resolution. I enjoyed those stories where we get to see Phryne put her skills to best use and where the ending was unexpected.

Some of my favourites in this collection were:
  • Hotel Splendide - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 - I would have loved this even more had the same plotline not been present in a recent book I read. This isn't plagiarised, as the author clarifies in the opening note about the story being based on an urban legend. But as I already knew what was to come, it spoilt my fun of discovery.
  • Marrying the Bookie's Daughter - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 – Would have been a lower rated story were it not for the ending. It was nice to see an unexpected resolution to the main dilemma.
  • Overheard on a Balcony - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 – This was the best “mystery” in the book. Once again, the ending was my favourite part.
  • Death Shall Be Dead - 🌟🌟🌟🌟- I cant help feeling that there’s a Sherlock Holmes book with a similar modus operandi, but don’t recollect the name. Anyway, this was still a good story to read. Plus half a star for having a lovable dog.
  • Carnival - 🌟🌟🌟🌟 – Loved the characters in this one. Highlights societal prejudices very well.
  • Come, Sable Night - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 – Contained two of my favourite things: music/choirs and unexpected endings.
Thus, 6 of the 17 stories reached/breached the 4 star mark. However, as you can see, only one story reached 4.5 and none went to 5 stars. I guess this is mainly because none of the tales caused me to go open-mouthed in surprise. It was more on the lines of, “I read, I liked, I forgot”. Nothing memorable. But the character of Phryne Fisher intrigued me enough and if I get my hands on a full-length novel, I might still give it a try.

3.3 stars based on the average of my ratings for all the stories.

Note for fans: This is not a completely new collection but a reissue of “A Question of Death: An Illustrated Phryne Fisher Treasury”. The non-story elements have been taken out, and there are a couple of new stories.

PS: I love the title and the cover!


My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions: The Ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher Story Collection”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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