Raisins and Almonds: A Phryne Fisher Mystery

Kerry Greenwood
Poisoned Pen Press (2007)
ISBN 9781590581681
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (7/07)


Phryne Fisher’s lover, Lin Chung, had been forced to travel to Shanghai to purchase silk.  Handsome, Jewish Simon Abraham made a nice distraction for a while.  Phryne and Simon entered a dance contest and would have won if Phryne had been Jewish.  When a Jewish student was poisoned in “Lee’s Books New and Secondhand,” Simon’s father Benjamin Abraham asked Phryne Fisher to investigate.  Benjamin owns the building housing the bookstore.  Miss Sylvia Lee ran a quiet and neat establishment.  When the body was removed, Miss Lee swept and cleaned, bringing suspicion upon herself.  Phryne agrees to look into the matter for ten quid a day.  She warns Benjamin that she will tell him only the truth.  It may be that a “Jew murdered a Jew.”  The investigation takes Phryne deep into the Jewish community, politics, and culture.  Favorite characters return to assist Phryne with the investigation -- Bert, Cec, Dot and Detective Inspector Robinson.

Fans of Phryne Fisher will be elated that’s she’s back again in “Raisins and Almonds,” by Kerry Greenwood. The setting is 1920s Australia.  The Jewish people are in exile; passions run strong in the Roaring 20s.  Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher is a strong, likeable character.  She is a witty and clever hero.  The cover of “Raisins and Almonds” is wonderfully done, capturing the attention of the reader at first glance.  The plot draws the reader in.  I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next.  The supporting characters add to the charisma of story.  My favorite is Dot, Phryne’s maid.  I highly recommend “Raisins and Almonds” by Kerry Greenwood to fans of strong female characters and mysteries.

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