Phryne Fisher Books in Order: Kerry Greenwood’s Complete Jazz Age Mystery Series, From Cocaine Blues to Murder in the Cathedral
Phryne Fisher is the kind of detective you do not forget: glamorous, fearless, impossibly well dressed, and always one step ahead of the villain. Set in Melbourne in the 1920s, Kerry Greenwood’s series blends cozy crime with sharp social history, taking on everything from corrupt police to dance marathons, circuses, ocean liners and country house murders.
If you know Phryne from the television series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, the books are a delightful deeper dive, and if you are new to her, this guide shows the complete reading order with a short description of every novel. It also explains where to start, who the main characters are, and how the books relate to the screen adaptations.
Phryne Fisher Books in Order of Publication
Here are all 23 Phryne Fisher novels in the order Kerry Greenwood wrote them. The first fifteen are set in 1928, so the early books move quickly through a single, vividly drawn year in Melbourne.
Cocaine Blues (1989)
Published in some editions as Miss Phryne Fisher Investigates, this is where it all begins. Newly rich Phryne arrives in Melbourne to look into a suspected poisoning and ends up uncovering a cocaine ring, corrupt officials and dark secrets behind high society.
Flying Too High (1990)
Phryne is hired to stop a hot-tempered pilot from harming his father, then must solve a murder and a kidnapping. This is the book where she settles in Melbourne and her household, her flying skills and her talent for reading people all come to the fore.
Murder on the Ballarat Train (1991)
A country train journey turns deadly when passengers are knocked out with chloroform and an older woman disappears. Phryne and Dot piece together a case of family greed and hidden cruelty.
Death at Victoria Dock (1992)
A young man dies in Phryne’s arms after gunfire shatters her windscreen near the docks. Her hunt for the killer leads through anarchist politics, bank robbers and a missing schoolgirl.
The Green Mill Murder (1993)
A competitor collapses during a dance marathon at the fashionable Green Mill, and Phryne’s squeamish partner vanishes. The trail runs from jazz clubs into remote country and the lingering trauma of war.
Blood and Circuses (1994)
Bored and restless, Phryne goes undercover at Farrell’s Circus, where sabotage, animal deaths and a murder threaten the show. Life under the big top stirs old memories for her.
Ruddy Gore (1995)
An actor dies on stage during a Gilbert and Sullivan performance, and a theatre ghost seems to haunt the cast. Phryne’s investigation leads backstage and into Chinatown, with Lin Chung at her side.
Urn Burial (1996)
On holiday at a Gothic mansion in Victoria’s high country, Phryne finds death threats, deadly traps and a maid strangled in a locked room. It is a classic country house mystery with an eccentric swagman and strange funeral urns.
Raisins and Almonds (1997)
A young man is found poisoned in a Jewish bookshop, and Phryne is drawn into the community’s politics and secrets. Clearing the shop owner’s niece means untangling clues hidden in songs, recipes and old grudges.
Death Before Wicket (1999)
Planning only cricket and parties in Sydney, Phryne instead searches for Dot’s missing sister and clears a scholarship student accused of stealing exam papers. Beneath the academic respectability lies a sinister cult.
Away with the Fairies (2001)
A famous illustrator of fairy stories dies after receiving threatening letters, and Phryne takes a job at a women’s magazine to investigate. Office rivalries and poisoned tea turn a whimsical case dangerous.
Murder in Montparnasse (2002)
Two of seven Australian soldiers who once witnessed a suspicious death in Paris are dead, and Bert and Cec fear they are next. Phryne revisits her own wartime memories of Montparnasse while trouble brews at home.
The Castlemaine Murders (2003)
A mummified, bullet-riddled corpse falls out of the Ghost Train at Luna Park. The trail leads to the goldfields town of Castlemaine, old clan rivalries and lost gold.
Queen of the Flowers (2004)
Phryne is crowned Queen of the Flowers at a seaside festival and charged with polishing a group of wayward debutantes. When one girl vanishes and another is found dead, the case touches her adopted daughter’s past.
Death by Water (2005)
Posing as a wealthy passenger on a luxury liner, Phryne is asked to catch a jewel thief. A suspicious death at sea turns the theft into murder.
Murder in the Dark (2006)
A decadent Christmas house party hosted by eccentric twins brings threatening notes, cruel pranks and a missing guest. It is an atmospheric mystery set in a labyrinthine country estate.
Murder on a Midsummer Night (2008)
Phryne investigates the apparent suicide of a young antiques dealer while hunting for the illegitimate heir to a fortune. Bohemian artists and spiritualist circles complicate both cases.
Dead Man’s Chest (2010)
A seaside holiday in Queenscliff is spoiled when Phryne finds her rented house without servants and with strange clues left behind. Rumours of rum runners and a film crew in town lead to a sun-soaked puzzle.
Unnatural Habits (2012)
A young reporter disappears while investigating missing girls from a reformatory, and Phryne follows the trail into harsh institutions and shipping lanes. The case exposes cruel hypocrisy about so-called fallen women.
Murder and Mendelssohn (2013)
A choir preparing Mendelssohn’s Elijah becomes a crime scene when its conductor is found dead. Phryne navigates feuding musicians and the leftovers of wartime espionage.
Death in Daylesford (2020)
Phryne, Dot and the girls escape to a spa town, only to find a retreat for shell-shocked soldiers and a string of drowned men. Rural secrets and the scars of war complicate the case.
Murder in Williamstown (2022)
A trip to the working waterfront suburb of Williamstown lands Phryne in the middle of dockside tensions and a suspicious death near the harbour. Everyone from labourers to shipowners seems to have something to hide.
Murder in the Cathedral (2025)
Invited to Bendigo to watch her old friend Lionel be made a Bishop, Phryne finds murder instead of ceremony. With local Constable Watson and Detective Inspector Mick Kelly, she uncovers church politics, scandal and blackmail. It was published after Kerry Greenwood’s death.
Meet the Cast of the Phryne Fisher Series
Most of the delight is in the company Phryne keeps. These are the people you will meet again and again.
- Phryne Fisher: an Australian-born aristocrat and private detective who pilots her own plane, drives a Hispano-Suiza and keeps a firm sense of justice. She lives in St Kilda, Melbourne.
- Dorothy “Dot” Williams: Phryne’s devout, loyal maid and companion, and one of the heart-warming constants of the series.
- Bert and Cec: two wharfies and taxi drivers with strong union politics who help with the dirty work.
- Mr and Mrs Butler: the butler and housekeeper of Phryne’s household.
- Lin Chung: a wealthy and charming man who becomes Phryne’s longest-running love interest.
- Detective Inspector Jack Robinson: the Melbourne police detective who often finds himself working alongside Phryne.
- Ruth and Jane: the two girls Phryne takes in and adopts.
Where to Start With the Phryne Fisher Series
- For the full experience: begin with Cocaine Blues. It introduces Phryne, her backstory and her first adventure.
- If you came from the TV show: start with Cocaine Blues anyway, or try The Green Mill Murder for a fun, jazzy mystery.
- If you like cozy country house mysteries: try Urn Burial or Murder in the Dark.
- If you love historical settings: pick Death at Victoria Dock or Murder in Williamstown.
- If you want the final story: finish with Murder in the Cathedral.
Phryne Fisher on Screen
Kerry Greenwood’s novels inspired the television series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, starring Essie Davis as Phryne, and the film Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (2020). A spin-off series, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, aired from 2019 to 2021. The screen versions use characters and settings from the books, but the novels have their own plots and a distinct, sharper tone.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Phryne Fisher Books
What is the first Phryne Fisher book?
The first book is Cocaine Blues, published in 1989. In some editions it is titled Miss Phryne Fisher Investigates.
How many Phryne Fisher books are there?
There are 23 Phryne Fisher novels, from Cocaine Blues in 1989 to Murder in the Cathedral in 2025.
Do I need to read the Phryne Fisher books in order?
Each mystery has its own self-contained plot, so you can start anywhere. Reading in order helps you follow the cast’s relationships and Phryne’s history.
What is the last Phryne Fisher book?
The last is Murder in the Cathedral, published in 2025 after Kerry Greenwood’s death on March 26, 2025.
Are the Phryne Fisher books the same as the TV show?
No. The television series is based on the characters and setting, but the plots are different, and the books are generally more detailed in their historical and social background.
Is Phryne Fisher a real person?
No. She is a fictional character created by Kerry Greenwood. The name comes from the Greek courtesan Phryne, a joke in the books about her father forgetting the name her parents had planned.
Where and when are the Phryne Fisher books set?
Most are set in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria in the late 1920s, with the first fifteen novels taking place in 1928.
Which Phryne Fisher book is best to start with?
Cocaine Blues is the traditional start, but Flying Too High or The Green Mill Murder are also good entry points.
Are the Phryne Fisher books suitable for cozy mystery fans?
Yes, though they are not as gentle as some cozies. They deal with real social problems of the 1920s, including poverty, violence and the effects of war, handled with warmth and humour.
What should I read after Phryne Fisher?
Readers often move on to Kerry Greenwood’s Corinna Chapman series, or to other historical mystery series such as those by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Carola Dunn.
About Kerry Greenwood
Kerry Greenwood was born on June 17, 1954, in Footscray, Victoria, and was admitted as a lawyer in 1982. She was the author of more than fifty novels, along with short stories and non-fiction, and she created some of the best-loved heroines in Australian crime fiction, including the glamorous Phryne Fisher and the baker-sleuth Corinna Chapman.
She died on March 26, 2025, at age 70. Her final Phryne Fisher novel, Murder in the Cathedral, was published later that year. A Guardian reviewer described Phryne as “a fierce advocate, a kind benefactor and a radically forward-thinker who blasts through social norms with ideals a century ahead of her time.”
My Take as a Reader
I love how the books treat Phryne’s glamour as armor, not decoration. If you are picking favourites to start, I would suggest Cocaine Blues, The Green Mill Murder and Urn Burial, and then let the series pull you along.
Final Note
Few series carry on as long, or as warmly, as Phryne Fisher. Whether you start with Cocaine Blues or jump straight to a setting that appeals, you will find a heroine who is brave, kind and endlessly stylish. Bookmark this page for the reading order, and come back whenever you want to know what to read next.
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