Just Murdered
by Katherine Kovacic
Series: Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mystery #1
Series Rating:
Published by Poisoned Pen Press on January 31, 2023
Setting: Melbourne, Australia
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 368
Format: Audible Audiobook, Audio CD, ebook, Paperback
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It's 1960 and Peregrine Fisher, Phyrne's long-lost niece, is about to get the news of her life.
Phryne's gone missing in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Only her pearl handled gun and a note arrive back home. She's left instruction that say, that should not turn up in six months' time, a letter must be sent to next of kin.
Peregrine, summons in hand, arrives in Melbourne to Greenwood mansion where she will inherit her aunt's wealth. Phryne's seat in the Adventuresses' Club, on the other hand, must be earned. When two dead bodies turn up at the Astor bridal show, Peregrine gets her chance.
In pure Fisher fashion, she'll defy social expectation with outlandish style, discover a penchant for investigating, all while running circles around the police.
Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic is a masterly crafted mystery with the perfect amount of intrigue and deceit.
Will Peregrine figure out who killed Barbie Jones and get her Aunt’s seat with the Adventuresses?
Peregrine Fisher
Our investigator is Peregrine, a twenty-something lady with an eclectic background and job references. What she lacks in stability, she has in spades as life experience. I like her tenacity and snark, although she does know when to back off and allow the other person to step away, too. This may be good for her morality. Peregrine has moxie and talent. It seems that some come from her lifestyle, and it’s evident that some also come from her genes as she is a great deal like her Aunt Phyrne.
I was immediately drawn to Peregrine and her story. She is somewhat of a lost girl searching for her home. Imagine if she and her Aunt had met and joined forces. Melbourne would have been in such trouble. Where one is undeniably a force, the two together would have been unstoppable.
The Mystery
We have the death of a model staged on top of a wedding cake at a fashion show and later the death of an Adventuress. Many things are going on behind the scenes, some of which Peregrine must figure out from messages that her Aunt has left behind. Other things are pretty obvious once you see certain people in action. However, these murders don’t seem connected to the previously mentioned items. Our investigator has her work set out for her. I guessed who the culprit was based solely on the way the author portrayed the individual and the things that Peregrine noticed. Motive didn’t come until later when some other clues were presented.
Five Stars
I love this story. My rating for Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic is five stars. I enjoyed everything about the book and recommend it to all you historical mystery readers.
There is also a television series, which you can watch on Acorn TV, called Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries. Then is the original Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries with Peregine’s Aunt Phyrne, available in books by Kerry Greenwood, and it also has a television series available on Acorn TV. I will be checking those television shows out, as I love a time-period mystery. Well, and since Hallmark Movies and Mysteries aren’t making good mysteries anymore, we could all use a little sleuthing in our lives, outside of the fabulous books, that is.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Just Murdered by Katherine Kovacic.
Until the next time,
About Katherine Kovacic
Katherine Kovacic was a veterinarian but preferred training and having fun with dogs to taking their temperatures. She seized the chance to return to study and earned an MA, followed by a PhD in Art History. Katherine spends her spare time writing, dancing and teaching other people’s dogs to ride skateboards.
A research geek, Katherine is currently fired up by the history of human relationships with animals, particularly as they appear in art. Her first book, The Portrait of Molly Dean, was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award for best first fiction.
Katherine lives in suburban Melbourne.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Jenz 2023 ABC Soup RC
- Jenz 2023 Beachcombers Mystery RC
- Jenz 2023 Cloak and Dagger
- Jenz 2023 Goodreads RC
- Jenz 2023 Medical Examiner RC
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