Cocaine Blues

By: Kerry Greenwood

Narrated by: Stephanie Daniel

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Unforgettable characters and a fascinating 1920s setting.

It's the end of the roaring twenties, and the exuberant and Honourable Phryne Fisher is dancing and gaming with gay abandon. But she becomes bored with London and the endless round of parties. In search of excitement, she sets her sights on a spot of detective work in Melbourne, Australia. And so mystery and the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse, appear in her life. From then on it's all cocaine and communism until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street.

©2006 Kerry Greenwood (P)2006 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

“A delicious bon-bon of a book that will have readers eagerly looking forward to the sequel." ( The Weekend Australian)

"A scintillating start to the series." ( The Advertiser)

Phryne-tastic!!

Beautifully crafted world of characters that are somehow, each and every one, so very captivating and charming. Phryne is beyond fun to follow around. Lush descriptions, saucy situations and feminist flare. Stunning narration performance. I could not be more into this series!

love the Phryne stories<br />

The time period, the music. the characters, all perfect. .easy enjoyable story..loved it!
want more , will have to see what is available

Great story!

Great book. Took a little bit to get use to the language and accents, but very much enjoyed!

A fun listen

A quick easy listen with a little excitement .A nice feel of the era. It has an engaging heroine and secondary characters.

Delightful

Where does Cocaine Blues rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is a very pleasant escape!

What other book might you compare Cocaine Blues to and why?

This story reminded me a bit of the Vicky Bliss books by Elizabeth Peters.

What about Stephanie Daniel’s performance did you like?

The reader was excellent.

Any additional comments?

I took a chance on this book and chose it by the excellent reviews. I was so pleased. It is a pleasurable read with a strong and interesting female character.

Sort of “cozy” mystery set in Australia

I was turned on to this series from the “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” TV series. The books definitely have a similar flavor to them, but I did like the book better than the TV episode. The story was written in more of an English “cozy mystery” style despite its gritty Melbourne underworld context. Phryne Fisher is a bold, brash yet stylish wealthy young Australian aristocrat, with working class roots, who takes up amateur detective work. Naturally she outsmarts the local constabulary while making friends and alliances with a variety of folk along the way. The mystery itself is okay, though I don’t quite understand how Miss Fisher got so involved in the first place. The story was relatively short, and the pace kept things moving. All told, an enjoyable, light hearted cozy mystery.

TV show fan now listening to the book

I already had a vested interest in the characters from the TV show. if not, I think the pace of the story would have me stopping.
the narrator's speech takes getting used to. she is from another series ( invisible library) so I knew I would get over it soon
it's cute and entertaining.

Fabulous, Fun!

Even better than the TV series! Cocaine Blues takes you to a world of mystery, adventure and intrigue the the exploits of a daring detective and he unlikely band of allies. Highly recommend it from young adult through mature readers.

I adore TV Phryne. Book Phryne is still great.

I have been a devoted "super fan" of TV Phryne for a number of years after stumbling on the series and devouring it countless times. I spent a lot of money crowdfunding the movie which I saw in Palm Springs and which I'm getting ready to go to the other side of the planet to see again. I have always been very reluctant to read the books because the relationship between Phryne and Jack Robinson is significantly different, and I love it in the series and movie.
Since I am going to Australia in just over a month, I figured I should at least start becoming familiar with Book Phryne, so I decided audio books would be my best bet (that way I can "read" during my commute).
I have to admit, at first, Book Phryne seemed a little more aloof and less warm than TV Phryne, but as the story progressed I warmed to her. The story is similar, but much more engrossing than the first episode of the TV series.
The performance is first rate. Stephanie Daniel has excellent vocal range and managed to give each character a distinct sound. Her voice is not grating at all. I look forward to listening to more Phryne Fisher books.

Great mystery with wonderful historical detail

I love the TV series and unlike many, the series mirrors the books but the books are so much richer. Well-read with all the fun, irony, and accents just right. The unraveling of the mystery was very well-done and even was surprising until Miss Fisher revealed all. I really loved listening to this book and look forward to many more.