Murder on the Ballarat Train (1991)

On a trip to Ballarat, Phryne and Dot are nearly killed by a chloroform leak on the train. Evacuation of the train reveals an unaccompanied girl suffering from amnesia. She knows not her name nor why she is on a train. Phryne takes the abandoned girl home and sets about solving the two mysteries.

Like the other books in this series this one is full of wonderful atmosphere. The reader is brought into the world of Australia in the 1920s. Phryne is the New Woman, and her escapades are fast-paced and enjoyable. I always enjoy the books in this series and this one is no exception. ( )

Transferring the books on my spreadsheet to Goodreads

See, Phryne Fisher is not going to let some guy tell her what to do, unlike SOME PEOPLE. ( )

This was an amusing, although sometimes unsettling (in terms of subject matter), read, and I'm looking forward to moving on with the rest of the series. ( )

Murder on the Ballarat Train is part of the Phryne Fisher series - a suave, intelligent flapper/private investigator who solves crimes in 1920's Australia. Phryne is a no-nonsense, forward-thinking woman who isn't afraid to use a gun or her prowess to get to the bottom of a mystery.

In this book, Phryne is traveling in a first-class train car with her maid, Dot, when she awakens to the smell of chloroform. Someone had used chloroform to sedate the entire passenger car so he/she could murder one of the passengers, a grumpy old woman named Mrs.Williams. Eunice, the woman's daughter and fellow train passenger, hires Phryne to solve the case.

Meanwhile, a young girl appears at the train station with amnesia, and Phryne takes the girl, Jane, under her wing.When it is discovered that Jane was molested, Phryne undertakes another investigation to determine who hurt the young girl.

Like all good murder mysteries, the plots eventually tie together, and 175 pages later, Phryne catches the bad guys, gets the cute man and adopts two orphans. Murder on the Ballarat Train is a bit of a departure from my usual fare, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. I liked Phryne's style - sort of a racier version of Nancy Drew. If you need a good poolside read, consider checking out this page-turning mystery series. ( )