Book & Audio Review: Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood

Death at Victoria Dock
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Narrator: Stephanie Daniel
Series: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Book 4)
Publication: Poisoned Pen Press; Reprint edition (January 3, 2017); Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd (March 25, 2010)
Length: 177 p.; 5 hours and 27 minutes

Description: From the author of the bestselling Phryne Fisher Series comes Death at Victoria Dock, the next historical mystery featuring the wit and authenticity of Miss Fisher. When a terrible crime hits a little too close to home, Phryne will stop at nothing to seek out the truth.

Driving home late one night, Phryne Fisher is surprised when someone shoots out her windscreen. She alights to finds a pretty young man with an anarchist tattoo dying on the tarmac just outside the dock gates. Phryne does all she can to help, but soon realizes she holds death in her hands. He bleeds to death in her arms... and all over her silk shirt.

Enraged by the loss of the clothing, the damage to her car, and this senseless waste of human life, Phryne promises to find out who is responsible. These kinds of crimes simply don't happen in Victoria, Australia. But she doesn't yet know how deeply into the mire she'll have to go: bank robbery, tattoo parlours, pubs, spiritualist halls, and Anarchists. Then when someone kidnaps her cherished companion, Dot, Phryne will stop at nothing to retrieve her.

My Thoughts: The fourth Phryne Fisher mystery starts with a pretty young man dying in her arms. Phryne is determined to get justice for the young man. But to do so she will have to get involved with Anarchists who are planning a bank robbery.

Meanwhile, she is hired to find a young girl who had disappeared. The girl goes to the same school as Phryne's newly adopted daughters. As she searches for Alicia, she uncovers quite a number of unsavory secrets from her family.

This was another excellent entry in this series. 1928 is vividly realized and Phryne is an independent woman who sets her own course and lives by her own moral code. Phryne's maid Dot gets a nice part in this one when she is kidnapped and has to use her own ingenuity to prevent a future crime. 

Fun historical mystery engagingly read by Stephanie Daniel who does a great job with all the characters and with the pacing of the story.

Favorite Quote:

"You know how I feel about pretty boys -- there aren't enough of them in the world as it is -- we can't have people wantonly removing them. And I need new upholstery in the car. Someone is going to pay for that."

I bought this one January 3, 2021. You can buy your copy here.