Ruddy Gore

Book number seven in the delightful Phryne Fisher series of cozy mysteries set in 1920s Melbourne, Australia.

Phryne is attending the latest performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore, when the star actor collapses on stage. Her friend, and theater producer asks her to investigate. Seems it was not a heart attack, but rather, poison. To further compound matters, a ghost is terrifying the other performers and staff, and the theater is in trouble.

I like Phryne as a character. She is her own woman and quite modern in her thinking. She’s independent, curious, observant and can take care of herself. She’s also beautiful and wealthy. And she quite enjoys time in the bedroom with a gentleman. Brava, Phryne!

On her way to the theatre for a night of Gilbert and Sullivan, Phryne Fisher manages to foil an attack on a Chinese woman and her son. But that is not the only mystery she will encounter at the theatre. The play, Ruddy Gore, has been plagued by the ghost of an actress who had died mysteriously after starring in the play several decades previously. But when two leading actors of this modern revival are poisoned causing the death of one, Phryne is asked to investigate. Problem is, it seems like almost everyone involved in the production has a motive and then one more death makes it clear that her interference isn’t welcomed.

Ruddy Gore by author Kerry Greenwood is the seventh in her Phryne Fisher series of cosy mysteries and it is as show more just as convoluted as any Gilbert and Sullivan play, something that even Phryne points out herself:

Dot, I have the strangest feeling that I’m caught up in a Gilbert and Sullivan plot

But like Gilbert and Sullivan, although the story demands a very hefty suspension of disbelief, that does not mean it isn’t great fun to read and most of what makes this series incredibly addicting is Phyrne herself. Private detective isn’t exactly a typical job for a woman in 1920s Melbourne Australia but then Phryne Fisher isn’t your typical 1920s woman. There’s no way normal early20th c. gender restraints are going to keep her down whether it’s regarding sex, marriage, or mystery. This is the perfect read for that time when you just want a nice enjoyable undemanding hour or two to destress from real life.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Dot, I have the strangest feeling that I’m caught up in a Gilbert and Sullivan plot.

Beautiful, brilliant, svelte Phryne Fisher’s old pal, Sir Bernard Tarrant, begs her to investigate when an actor and his replacement are both poisoned during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore — ergo, the title. I enjoyed the novel, but the resolution of one of the murders was as implausible as something out of a G&S operetta; the other murder inquiry was much better. While I missed “red-raggers” Cec and Bert and Phryne’s adopted daughters Ruth and Jane, I was pleased to see Inspector “Call Me Jack — Everyone Else Does” Robinson and Phryne’s maid Dot Williams once again. In addition, I liked author Kerry Greenwood’s show more new characters from His Majesty’s Theatre; that, combined with the subplot of a decades-old murder were enough to propel a three-star novel to four.

This novel, the seventh in Greenwood’s divine series also marks, thanks to a third subplot, the introduction of enticing Chinese merchant Lin Chung. He’s the latest lover for the irrepressible Phryne, who has no use for monogamy nor convention. While fans will enjoy Ruddy Gore a bit more, readers new to the series can easily savor it as a stand-alone. show less

One of the books on the 2016 Reading Challenge list was a 'book that’s guaranteed to bring you joy'. I'm always a bit skeptical about books that are labeled as such by reviewers, so I decided to see what serendipity would provide. In general, Kerry Greenwood's sleuth, Phryne Fisher, is amusing and the endings are positive so it was a good bet that I'd enjoy one of her mysteries.
Synopsis: On their way to a Gilbert and Sullivan musical, Phryne and her friend, Bunji, see an elderly Chinese woman being attacked. They rush to help her and find themselves enmeshed in a squabble caused by the conflict between duty and love. During the musical, Phryne notices that one of the actors is playing a fainting scene a little too well. The manager of show more the troupe calls on her detecting talents to find out who is poisoning his cast and to determine if there really is a ghost haunting the playhouse.
Review: Well written, and with a wicked sense of humor, this story transforms from straight detective fiction into a Gilbert and Sullivan style tale. The dialog is interesting, as are the characters. The treatment of minorities, particularly those successful in business, is one of the themes as is romantic relationships between ethnicity. The ending made me smile. show less

On their way to the theatre, Phryne and her friend Bunji interrupt a group of Chinese thugs beating up an old lady; they rescue the woman and Phryne is introduced to Lin Chung, the very handsome grandson of the victim. Once at the theatre, not one but two actors playing the same role are felled on-stage by poison, and Phryne’s old acquaintance Bernard who runs the theatre asks her to investigate. Soon, Phryne discovers a theatrical world full of stolen gloves, mysteriously torn-up telegrams and, oh, yes, a theatre ghost. Is history to blame, or is the theatre truly cursed? Phryne races to discover the truth before too many innocents die….The seventh Phryne Fisher book finds our heroine mostly ensconced either at the theatre or at show more home, with plenty of time to both suss out the bad guys and discover the pleasures of the handsome Lin Chung, with a few discourses on the ubiquity of racism in 1920s Australia thrown in for good measure. I’m reading these books at a rate of about one per evening (when I don’t pause to read something else, that is), so I’m trying to pace myself so that I don’t run out before Spring, lo these many months away yet! Recommended. show less

Miss Fisher, and Gilbert and Sullivan! What a great combination!

Phryne's night at the operetta gets complicated- both by a mysterious attempted abduction in which she intervenes before the show, and by the mysterious collapses of 2 of the leading men in G&S's "Ruddigore". She looks into the first out of curiosity- especially since it seems she's being watched as a result- and the theater producer asks her to look into the second, even before one of the victims dies.

Most of the series regulars have only brief moments in this one, but that's made up for by all the characters involved with the theater. As always, Greenwood does a superb job of bringing even very minor characters alive and making them distinct individuals. I am especially show more impressed with the way several of the actors were, in real life, at least as petty and venal as the characters they portrayed. (For all the pretty music and clever lyrics, Gilbert in particular had a very cynical view of human nature.) I especially liked some of the G&S trivia included... and I would love to see a production of "Ruddigore"!

While most of the book depicts the theater mysteries and complications, there's also a fascinating look at a Chinese community and some of the struggles they had after moving to Australia.

Very recommended for fans! And this one could probably be a place to start if you don't want to start from the beginning; it's not based as much on past events as several of the others. show less

"Ruddy Gore" by Kerry Greenwood is the seventh book in the Phryne Fisher mystery series. During what should have been a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, two cast members are poisoned. Phryne must delve deep into the theatre scene and Melbourne's China Town to find the solution to the mystery of the poisonous attacks and mysterious theatre ghosts. Good fun as always.