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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
A poisoning and some violence connected to the drug trade; nothing graphic
Language
Barely any
Mild period-appropriate language
Sexual Content
Some
Phryne is sexually liberated and takes lovers with ease; implied encounters
Substance Use
Some
Morphine addiction and trafficking are central plot elements; depicted seriously
Emotional Intensity
Barely any
Mild tension around the victim's situation; nothing severe
What this book is about
Phryne Fisher, stylish and fearless, arrives in 1920s Melbourne tasked with investigating a man suspected of slowly poisoning his wife. What she uncovers reaches far deeper — a morphine-trafficking operation ensnaring the city's most vulnerable. Smart, witty, and bracingly independent, this first Phryne Fisher adventure establishes a heroine who plays by no one's rules but her own.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Morphine addiction subplot
Sexual liberation of protagonist
Reader Verification
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