Too much cricket drags the narrative, IMHO. ( )

Phryne Fisher and her loyal maid, Dot are on their way to Sydney to watch the cricket, visit Dot's sister, Joan and dine with the Vice Chancellor of Sydney University but they're only there a day before things go wrong. Joan is missing and the university has been robbed of valuable academia, it's up to Phryne to solve the mystery - but at least it's not a murder.

This one was convoluted and contained way too much mysticism or supernatural elements. Phryne is apparently possessed by Isis at one point. I like crime. I like supernatural. I do not really like them together unless I know what I'm getting upfront. Unfortunately this series started out fine and has slowly started adding this and I hate it. Apart from that, I'm not really sure what was going on - the plot was a bit of a mess. There were two sketchy pretend Gypsies who were poisoning and hypnotising and seducing everyone. There were lecherous married university professors running hot and cold, women hating men, abusive husbands, desperate prostitutes, Aboriginal digs, Egyptian digs and terrible fathers who think that chaining a toddler up is kosher. It was too busy. Then there was the sex.

Phryne is a woman who knows what she wants and is unafraid to take what she wants. That's fine. That's great. I have no issues with that. But a public handjob was a bit unrealistic for the age surely and definitely crass. It's one thing to take men home - I'm pretty sure it's another to undertake public indecency. But fine whatever. She cleans him up with a hankie, puts it in her pocket and goes home. Has a terrible nightmare and decides it can't hurt to have her own amulet to protect her against mystical forces. Not loving the mystical element but fine. What I take issue with - she makes her amulet with the semen stained hankie and wears it around her neck. That is so fkn gross and I find it hard to believe a woman who is so fond of hedonistic pleasures would agree to wear old semen. Apart from the fact it's disgusting. It was such an unnecessary element. Like why?

Dot didn't feature enough and when she did she was rather judgey and unbelievably naive. Her thoughts that her sister was a slut or unworthy for taking up prostitution was extremely closed minded and horrible. Having sex for pleasure or for money doesn't make you a slut or disgusting or less of a person. It makes you someone who likes sex or someone who wants, likes or needs money. That's it. Dot's attitude undoubtedly fits with the period but considering she works for Phryne she should be more understanding, more accepting and more open minded. Joan did what she needed to look after her kids. How can anyone look down on that?

I did like Tillie though. Tillie is a total boss. I loved her manipulating Joan's husband and friends to make things better for Joan and the kids. And I liked the Sydney setting and the idea that the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built.

So a somewhat disappointing addition to the series, hopefully the next one is better. 2 stars. ( )

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Kerry Greenwood - Death Before Wicket: Dull. Without pizazz. Extra odd. #cursorybookreviews #cursoryreviews ( )

Entirely too many descriptions of cricket for my taste, and the whole black magic thing seemed a little overwrought and overdone. Every long series has a few books that just don't work for someone's tastes, and this was one of those for me. ( )

Phryne is invited to Sydney, to attend a dinner in honour of the Vice Chancellor. While there, two university students ask her to look into the theft of various objects that had been kept in a safe which was burgled; in the meantime, her companion Dot looks up her sister only to find her disappeared and her children neglected by their father. Before too long, Phryne finds herself hip-deep in mystic doings, Sydney’s Bohemian demi-monde, academic in-fighting and far, far too many cricket matches…. As always, I enjoyed this entry in the series, although the “supernatural” bits were a tad overdone and, well, there was far, far too much of the horrifically complicated yet ultimately boring game of cricket. So, recommended but not my favourite by a long shot! ( )