Raisins and Almonds

A Phryne Fisher Mystery

By: Kerry Greenwood

Narrated by: Stephanie Daniel

In investigating the poisoning of a young man in a bookshop at the Eastern Market, and the wrongful arrest of one Miss Sylvia Lee, Phryne Fisher is plunged into a world of Jewish politics, alchemy, poison, and chicken soup.

Stopping only for a brief but intensely erotic dalliance with the beautiful Simon Abrahams, Phryne picks her way through the mystery with help from the old faithfuls: Bert, Cec, Dot, and Detective Inspector "Call Me Jack" Robinson. But ultimately it is her stealth and wit that solve the crime - and all for the price of a song....

Solve another case with Phryne Fisher.©2007 Kerry Greenwood (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing

Raisins and almonds

Would you consider the audio edition of Raisins and Almonds to be better than the print version?

I have not read a print version but I think the performance is a big part of my enjoymentment

Would you recommend Raisins and Almonds to your friends? Why or why not?

I wouldn't recommend it because there was too much description of the sexual aspect of the story.

What does Stephanie Daniel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice and inflections bring a personality to the charaacters that would be missing in print.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Wonderful!

I love this author and narrator combo. Excellent accents! The humour in this one is tops!

raisins and almonds

good mystery; great narrator but not sure if I will do another by this author

Another fun and original series entry

This is a fine addition to this very well done mystery series. Big twist is Phryne’s integration into the post-WW I Jewish community. Use of Yiddish (with dictionary at the end) is an amusing variation in this highly creative and fun series. Stephanie Daniel again does a masterful job in bringing Phryne to life.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Raisins and Almonds

I found Raisins and Almonds a particularly cozy book to listen to. I like the subject of the book.

Good

Another mysterious death in a bookshop puts Phryne on the case. With her usual penchant for breaking down the clues she comes through

One of the best in the series

This book deserves the 4.5 average - I gave it a 5 because it was just what I needed for long drive.

Phryne continues to ignore propriety and convention to solve a mystery of a bookkeeper falsely charged with poisoning a customer. Greenwood captures the spirit of the late 1920s and that is half the fun of the story. Phryne's motley household is increased by one in this book - an abused puppy named Molly. I expect we will see more of Molly in books to come.

The story moves along at a quick pace. We learn about Jewish immigration to Australia and the mystic writings of some alchemists. I enjoyed Ms. Daniel's characters. The story ends a little abruptly and I was not completely satisfied with the denouement, but overall the book was great fun.

A quick comment on the sexual content mentioned by another reviewer. This book has no more sex than others in the series - but Phryne is not afraid to take a man she likes to bed. There are two encounters in this book - each about 5 minutes long. The descriptions are direct - just like Phryne herself. They could be skipped without losing the thread of the story. The tone of the entire series is very open about sexual situations - not vulgar but they are addressed and if that makes you uncomfortable there are lots of other good books out there.

Another Miss Fisher

Enjoyable read in the Phrynie Fisher series. Really getting a kick out of the characters and Phrynie's sleuthing. Looking forward to the next book.

Thorougly enjoyable!

I've been thoroughly enjoying the Phryne Fisher stories. The history of 1928 Australia is very interesting. Having Jewish grandparents, I particularly enjoyed this this book. And Stephanie Daniel did GREAT Jewish accents, nu?

Terrific story, great reading!

Would you listen to Raisins and Almonds again? Why?

Absolutely! There was so much interesting detail about Judaic culture in early 20th century Australia. The first time I listened for the story, the second listening would be to pay attention to culture and characters.

What other book might you compare Raisins and Almonds to and why?

Most of the Phryne Fisher stories are fundamentally the same: Phryne learns as much as possible about a culture, group of people or individual and uses that knowledge and the good will she has earned by treating everyone decently to solve the puzzle. But each book is different and interesting for the culture it explores.

Have you listened to any of Stephanie Daniel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I think Stephanie Daniel reads all the Phryne Fisher books and she does a superb job! Each voice is distinct and you learn a lot about the character simply from the voice. She does female and male, upper class and lower all equally well.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending was sweet. I can't explain why without giving away some of the mystery, but Phryne uses her sensitivity to culture and people, and her attention to detail to finally solve the mystery. This shows Phryne's respect for all people and all cultures.

Any additional comments?

I love the whole Phryne Fisher series, and will it will be sad when I've listened to them all.