Urn Burial

This cozy murder mystery (280 pages) was published in December of 2005 by Poisoned Pen Press. The book takes you to a manor house in 1920s Australia. Melissa read Urn Burial and loved it; it wouldn't be on our site if she didn't recommend it.

amazon
buy
bookshop.org
buy

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support independent bookstores and give back to the book community.

rule

Urn Burial

Phryne Fisher Mysteries

Kerry Greenwood

The Phryne Fisher mysteries — both in print and in the TV series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries — are a bracing combination of cozy-mystery tropes and brazen feminism set in 1928 Melbourne.

Phyrne is all about women’s rights and is firmly anti-discrimination, which makes her an equal-opportunity lover, an openness that leads to all kinds of romantic entanglements. Plus, she’s a glamour girl with a champagne glass in one hand and a lady-like revolver in the other.

In this installment, Phryne and her lover Lin Chung join a house party at an old friend’s estate, a Gothic mansion called Cave House. The house, an amalgamation of several architectural styles at odds with each other, is an eyesore: ‘Even the fog could not disguise the monstrous oddity of Cave House.’

Phryne, the infamous lady detective, is never truly on holiday. Soon, she’s investigating death threats against their host and dealing with a housemaid’s murder — as well as combatting the other guests’ prejudice against her Chinese paramour.

There are suspects aplenty: a military brute and his bullied wife, a sketchy novelist, two young flanneled fools, a wealthy society dame, a spinster, a Polish poet, and a full service staff, including houseman, mechanic, parlourmaid, cook, housekeeper, stableman, chambermaid, two gardeners, and, of course, a butler.

Phyrne’s search for answers takes her into the dungeons of the house and the nearby limestone Buchan caves — with some quality time for romance with the soigné Lin Chun along the way. As only Phryne can, she gets her culprit and her man.

It took determination to be really strange. That, or absinthe before breakfast every day.” — Kerry Greenwood

keep reading

These books — set between the two world wars — feature houses that could be a safe haven for the characters, if it weren't for all the tension, the close quarters, the haunted feelings, and oh, yeah... muuuurder.
An ideal traveling companion must have a sense of adventure, a mostly cheerful outlook, and be willing to lead with her chin when times are tough — which means all of these memorable heroines are excellent company.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got a Phryne Fisher fan convention, the best places for 2020 travel, fast food around the world, how to be a better reader, and much more.

sharing is caring!

Wanna help us spread the word? If you like this page, please share with your friends.

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter

Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
Sign up for our free Substack!
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.