-
Cocaine Blues
- Narrated by: Stephanie Daniel
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $24.47
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Flying Too High
- A Phryne Fisher Mystery
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Stephanie Daniel
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Danger, excitement and love - this is how the glamorous Phryne Fisher is determined to live her life in her second enticing adventure. Walking the wings of a Tiger Moth plane in full flight ought to be enough excitement for most people, but not Phryne Fisher, amateur detective, woman of mystery, as delectable as the finest chocolate and as sharp as razor blades.
-
-
The performance makes this so much better in audio
- By Jenny on 02-26-14
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions
- The Ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher Collection
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Wendy Bos
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miss Phryne Fisher is up to her stunning green eyes in intriguing crime in each of these entertaining, fun and compulsively listenable stories. With the ever-loyal Dot, the ingenious Mr Butler and all of Phryne's friends and household, the action is as fast as Phryne's wit and logic.
-
-
a question of death
- By D. LeBlanc on 04-19-21
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
Murder in an English Village
- By: Jessica Ellicott
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
-
-
Must read Historical Mystery
- By Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe on 02-20-18
By: Jessica Ellicott
-
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen
- Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 1
- By: Laurie R. King
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This program includes a preface read by the author. In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees when a young woman literally stumbles into him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes - and match him wit for wit. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern 20th-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective.
-
-
A fabulous new take on Sherlock Holmes
- By Steph on 04-14-14
By: Laurie R. King
-
Tamam Shud: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Kirsty Gillmore
- Length: 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1948. After serving with the French Resistance during the Second World War, codenamed La Chatte Noire, Phryne Fisher escaped to Australia in search of sunshine, butter and peace. So she’s furious when tragedy intrudes upon her newfound tranquillity and she discovers a dead man on Somerton Beach - well-dressed, good-looking and with a secret smile on his lips. The police are baffled as to his identity and cause of death - not to mention the scrap of paper bearing the words TAMAM SHUD found upon him, and the coded message in the book from which it was torn.
-
-
Horrible narrator, not Phrynie in any sense.
- By Heidi Hey Hoe on 03-27-21
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
- Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Dianne Freeman
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York - for her first London season.
-
-
Exceptional blending
- By tzinnamon on 07-01-18
By: Dianne Freeman
-
Flying Too High
- A Phryne Fisher Mystery
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Stephanie Daniel
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Danger, excitement and love - this is how the glamorous Phryne Fisher is determined to live her life in her second enticing adventure. Walking the wings of a Tiger Moth plane in full flight ought to be enough excitement for most people, but not Phryne Fisher, amateur detective, woman of mystery, as delectable as the finest chocolate and as sharp as razor blades.
-
-
The performance makes this so much better in audio
- By Jenny on 02-26-14
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
The Lady with the Gun Asks the Questions
- The Ultimate Miss Phryne Fisher Collection
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Wendy Bos
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Miss Phryne Fisher is up to her stunning green eyes in intriguing crime in each of these entertaining, fun and compulsively listenable stories. With the ever-loyal Dot, the ingenious Mr Butler and all of Phryne's friends and household, the action is as fast as Phryne's wit and logic.
-
-
a question of death
- By D. LeBlanc on 04-19-21
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
Murder in an English Village
- By: Jessica Ellicott
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
-
-
Must read Historical Mystery
- By Victoria J. Mejia-Gewe on 02-20-18
By: Jessica Ellicott
-
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen
- Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, Book 1
- By: Laurie R. King
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This program includes a preface read by the author. In 1915, Sherlock Holmes is retired and quietly engaged in the study of honeybees when a young woman literally stumbles into him on the Sussex Downs. Fifteen years old, gawky, egotistical, and recently orphaned, the young Mary Russell displays an intellect to impress even Sherlock Holmes - and match him wit for wit. Under his reluctant tutelage, this very modern 20th-century woman proves a deft protégée and a fitting partner for the Victorian detective.
-
-
A fabulous new take on Sherlock Holmes
- By Steph on 04-14-14
By: Laurie R. King
-
Tamam Shud: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Kirsty Gillmore
- Length: 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1948. After serving with the French Resistance during the Second World War, codenamed La Chatte Noire, Phryne Fisher escaped to Australia in search of sunshine, butter and peace. So she’s furious when tragedy intrudes upon her newfound tranquillity and she discovers a dead man on Somerton Beach - well-dressed, good-looking and with a secret smile on his lips. The police are baffled as to his identity and cause of death - not to mention the scrap of paper bearing the words TAMAM SHUD found upon him, and the coded message in the book from which it was torn.
-
-
Horrible narrator, not Phrynie in any sense.
- By Heidi Hey Hoe on 03-27-21
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
- Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Dianne Freeman
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York - for her first London season.
-
-
Exceptional blending
- By tzinnamon on 07-01-18
By: Dianne Freeman
-
Single Malt Murder
- A Whisky Business Mystery
- By: Melinda Mullet
- Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Abi inherits her uncle's quaint and storied single malt distillery, she finds herself immersed in a competitive high-stakes business that elicits deep passions and prejudices. An award-winning photojournalist, Abi has no trouble capturing the perfect shot - but making the perfect shot is another matter. When she starts to receive disturbing, anonymous threats, it's clear that someone wants her out of the picture.
-
-
A Great Read with Excellent Characters
- By David on 01-22-18
By: Melinda Mullet
-
Earthly Delights
- Corinna Chapman Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Kerry Greenwood
- Narrated by: Louise Siversen
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Baking is an alchemical process for Corinna Chapman. At four am she starts work at Earthly Delights, her bakery in Calico Alley. But one morning Corinna receives a threatening note saying "The wages of sin is death" and finds a syringe in her cat's paw. A blue-faced junkie has collapsed in the dark alley and a mysterious man with beautiful eyes appears with a plan for Corinna and her bread. Then it is Goths, dead drug addicts, witchcraft, a homeless boy and a missing girl and it seems she will never get those muffins cooked in time.
-
-
Don't know why I waited so long.
- By S. Sarabasha on 09-13-13
By: Kerry Greenwood
-
An Accidental Death
- A DC Smith Investigation Series, Book 1
- By: Peter Grainger
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The story opens with the apparently accidental drowning of a sixth form student in the Norfolk countryside. As a matter of routine, or so it seems, the case passes across the desk of Detective Sergeant Smith, recently returned to work after an internal investigation into another case that has led to tensions between officers at Kings Lake police headquarters. As an ex-DCI, Smith could have retired by now, and it is clear that some of his superiors wish that he would do so.
-
-
Excellent British Mystery
- By Customer on 09-07-16
By: Peter Grainger
-
Murder in the Crypt
- A Redmond and Haze Mystery, Book 1
- By: Irina Shapiro
- Narrated by: Wendy Wolfson
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the body of a young man is found stuffed into the tomb of a medieval knight, Parish Constable Daniel Haze is tasked with investigating his first solo murder case. Suspicion instantly falls on the only stranger to arrive in the village of Birch Hill just before the crime took place, but the American captain proves to be an unexpected asset. A former soldier and a skilled surgeon, Jason Redmond is not only willing to assist Haze with the investigation but will risk his own safety to apprehend the killer.
-
-
Gross
- By Lorraine Harwood on 07-06-20
By: Irina Shapiro
-
The Body in the Library
- A Miss Marple Mystery
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Stephanie Cole
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library.She is wearing an evening dress and heavy makeup, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry? The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery... before tongues start to wag.
-
-
Another classic
- By Katie Middleton on 03-16-19
By: Agatha Christie
-
Some Danger Involved
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 1
- By: Will Thomas
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a position with "some danger involved", he chooses downtrodden Llewelyn, a gutsy young man with a murky past.
-
-
Clever writing!
- By Kathi on 01-13-17
By: Will Thomas
-
The Secrets of Wishtide
- By: Kate Saunders
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged 52, is the widow of an archdeacon who makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator. Her brother, Frederick Tyson, is a criminal barrister living in nearby Highgate with his wife and 10 children. Frederick finds the cases, and Laetitia solves them using her arch intelligence and her immaculate cover as an unsuspecting widow. When a case arises involving the son of the highly connected Sir James Calderstone, Laetitia sets off for Lincolnshire undercover as the family's new governess.
-
-
Historical intrigue-
- By Meema on 04-16-17
By: Kate Saunders
-
A Royal Pain
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which penniless aristocrat Lady Georgie is to entertain a Bavarian princess and conveniently place her in the playboy prince's path, in the hopes that he might finally marry.
But queens never take money into account. Georgie has very little, which is why she moonlights as a maid-in-disguise.
-
-
A Royal HOOT!
- By AudioAddict on 03-08-14
By: Rhys Bowen
-
A High-End Finish
- By: Kate Carlisle
- Narrated by: Angela Starling
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman - contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on.Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry's found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she's been hired to restore, the town's attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.
-
-
It was ok
- By Diana on 12-19-14
By: Kate Carlisle
-
Parker Pyne Investigates
- A Parker Pyne Collection
- By: Agatha Christie
- Narrated by: Hugh Fraser
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mrs. Packington felt alone, helpless, and utterly forlorn. But her life changed when she stumbled upon an advertisement in the Times that read: "Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne." Equally adept at putting together the fragments of a murder mystery or the pieces of a broken marriage, Mr. Parker Pyne is possibly the world's most unconventional private investigator. Armed with just his intuitive knowledge of human nature, he is an Englishman abroad, traveling the globe to solve and undo crime and misdemeanor.
-
-
Not a detective in sight
- By Ktkat1949 on 11-09-14
By: Agatha Christie
-
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
- By: Joanne Fluke
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her first foray into the sleuthing game, resourceful, red-headed Hannah Swensen must find the right ingredients to solve two perplexing murders. One chilly morning on her way to The Cookie Jar, Hannah discovers Ron, the dairy delivery man, shot dead in his truck. When she begins to investigate, she suspects the dairy owner. But when he, too, is murdered, Hannah must look further afield for the culprit.
-
-
Fun read
- By Thomas Straub on 12-12-12
By: Joanne Fluke
-
A Very English Murder
- A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery, Book 1
- By: Verity Bright
- Narrated by: Karen Cass
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1920. Eleanor Swift has spent the last few years travelling the world: taking tea in China, tasting alligators in Peru, escaping bandits in Persia and she has just arrived in England after a chaotic 45-day flight from South Africa. Chipstone is about the sleepiest town you could have the misfortune to meet. But then, from the edge of a quarry, through the driving rain, Eleanor is shocked to see a man shot and killed in the distance. Before she can climb down to the spot, the villain is gone and the body has vanished.
-
-
I wanted to like this so much.
- By BossyFatBabe on 06-23-20
By: Verity Bright
Publisher's Summary
Unforgettable characters and a fascinating 1920s setting.
It's the end of the roaring twenties, and the exuberant and Honourable Phryne Fisher is dancing and gaming with gay abandon. But she becomes bored with London and the endless round of parties. In search of excitement, she sets her sights on a spot of detective work in Melbourne, Australia. And so mystery and the beautiful Russian dancer, Sasha de Lisse, appear in her life. From then on it's all cocaine and communism until her adventure reaches its steamy end in the Turkish baths of Little Lonsdale Street.
Critic Reviews
Featured Article: Dream Big—Meet the All-Star Cast of The Sandman: Act II
Immerse yourself in the world of The Sandman right now with an unforgettable audio experience. The star power alone is worth the price of admission—the cumulative amount of awards that have been won by the cast over the course of their careers is simply staggering. The cast features some of the most talented and esteemed actors working today. So let's dive right into the who's who of The Sandman: Act II.
More from the same
What listeners say about Cocaine Blues
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. S. Cohen
- 05-27-14
I'm totally hooked!
I started listening to the Phryne Fisher mysteries after watching the television series on Netflix. I was disappointed to find out the series was cancelled.
So I decided to listen to the books.
I'm up to book 17 and expect to finish the series in a month or so.
The books are different from the TV shows, but not disappointing. The stories are complex and fun. Phryne is more sexual than the TV show and travels all around Australia.
The narrator, Stephanie Daniels, is one of the best I've ever listened to. She does so many variations of English dialects: cultured British, Australian, Cockney, Irish, Scottish, the insanely difficult Welsh, as well as a myriad of Russian, Polish, Austrian, German, French, and (gasp!) even Yiddish!
The books, especially Ms. Daniels, have done something I never would have expected—gotten me to forget losing the TV series.
I'm posting this in the first book because I can't be expected to keep writing the same review for all the books in the series.
(PS: I'm such a nut for the series that my phone ringtone is the first few bars of the TV show theme.)
63 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Barbara Kindle Customer
- 02-01-11
A series that just gets better
Cocaine Blues is the first book in the Phryne Fisher series, but one of the last to be published on audible. Which may be a good thing, because the series gets blazingly better as it progresses. The series is interesting because it addresses a wide range of people and ideas grinding against each other, but the best of whom cheerfully flow through Phryne's dining room, parlor, and (yes) sometimes her bedroom. I never appreciated, until I began this series the amazing social changes that took place in a very short time between the beginning of the 1900s to the end of the roaring twenties. F. Scott Fitzgerald's Bernice did more than just bob her hair.
Phryne Fisher is a young woman living on the edge of a world changing from the Victorian ideas of women as angels in the home, to the young women who drive ambulances in World War I and are thus allowed/forced to do and see things that even five years earlier would be unthinkable for most females. Phryne herself goes from a child in Australian poverty being called "hey you", to a young woman in England called the Hon. Miss Fisher. Her reasons for returning to Australia would make Agatha Christies proud. As the series goes along we find that she has a very good time in spite of any curves life throws her. The books are well researched as to historical accuracy, and I can't wait to see how Kerry Greenwood goes from the roaring twenties to a very angry thirties, and what Phryne will do next.
74 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ilana
- 08-03-12
Just the right amount of cheek and naughtiness
In the first book of Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries, we're introduced to our heroine, who might at first be mistaken for a wealthy English aristocrat, though we learn she was born in Australia where she lived in poverty with her parents until the passing of a rich relation in England. Phryne, all grown up and living in England, now has more money than she knows what to do with, and is wondering what she should do with her life, since marriage isn't an option she especially looks forward to. After she uncovers a jewel thief during a dinner party, a couple asks her to investigate their son-in-law, as they suspect he might be poisoning their daughter who lives in Melbourne. Phryne doesn't hesitate to leave boring London society behind and make her way to the colonies for a bit of adventure and excitement. She finds plenty there when she encounters a communist taxi driver, meets a gorgeous Russian male dancer and is on the trail of a cocaine ring that seems to be operating out of a Turkish bath house.
This series is firmly set in the roaring 1920s, but there's no mistaking that it was written in modern times. The doctor friend heading the women's hospital in Melbourne is a feminist who uses language to describe female troubles and anatomy that would have made a 20s female author blush. Phryne isn't afraid to use her feminine allure with an attitude that harks back to the flapper girls of old, who could have taught our modern femme fatales a lesson or two in the art of seduction. You can't help but like a girl with attitude who is also kind and caring, and takes such obvious delight in dressing to perfection for every occasion. This is pure chick lit and no mistake, all good fun and good times, with just the right amount of cheek and naughtiness.
57 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Henriette
- 06-22-12
I’m hooked and contagious
This series is not PG-13 since life isn’t either. It is written in Australian English and not translated. As with all series I find some of the books more appealing than others. The author is knowledgeable in many areas and incorporates research into the stories making the books more sumptuous reading. The story of how the main character at her christening is not named after a Nymph as initially intended but after a courtesan nicely sums up her character and the authors skills in shaping characters with substance and depth. The books are detective stories with several plots developing simultaneously with interesting and surprising details. Several of the characters and their lives are carried on through more than one book wherefore they ought to be read chronologically. Who would have thought that the English aristocracy, Russian revolution, French cocaine and Australian abortion laws could be so exciting and make you chuckle? This author can write.
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Colin Croft
- 03-18-13
Brilliant however you find it!
I was introduced to the Phryne Fisher series via the excellent ABC TV adaption. However, if you think that having seen the TV series spoils the books for you then think again! The plots of the books are quite different to that of the TV adaption and, whilst I could see the origins of the episodes in the books, I was completely enthralled by the books. In fact, it was quite fascinating to consider the differences and similarities while listening.
Without taking anything away from Kerry Greenwood's masterful writing, I can say without any hesitation that Stephanie Daniel's reading made the series come alive for me. Her style captures the character of Phryne perfectly and her versatile voice somehow manages to give every single character their own distinct recognisable voice.
I cannot recommend this series more highly. You will not regret your purchase!
33 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kristin
- 01-22-14
Narrator drives me crazy
What did you like best about Cocaine Blues? What did you like least?
I almost couldn't finish this book because the narrator made me crazy. I felt like I could hear her swallowing every other minute. Surely an audible book narrator can find a way to combat this problem. Perhaps the producers can edit that horrible sound out? It is so distracting!
Would you be willing to try another one of Stephanie Daniel’s performances?
No way.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 03-05-12
Miss Fisher begins
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
The inimitable Phryne Fisher is an absolute delight, and this book sets her in her time (the roaring twenties), city (the not so roaring Melbourne) and introduces us to her entourage. The plot is a bit clunky at times, but Kerry's series is enchanting and it is fun to see how it all began.
Would you recommend Cocaine Blues to your friends? Why or why not?
Absolutely.
Did Stephanie Daniel do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?
She did a very good job overall.
Did Cocaine Blues inspire you to do anything?
I have already listened to other books in the series, and I am delighted to say that a new TV series is being produced in Melbourne.
Any additional comments?
Get yourself immersed in Phyrne Fisher's world. She's a delight.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Sara
- 02-06-11
Good Story, Disappointing Reader
I should start by saying that I'm a big fan of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mysteries. Cocaine Blues is the first of these and I was looking forward to experiencing it as an audiobook. I have to say that it was a disappointing experience. Stephanie Daniel fails to relay the liveliness of either the story or of the main character. Some of the accents were slightly suspect, too. Why on earth would Lydia, daughter of the well-to-do Colonel, speak like a cockney? Her accent ought to have cut glass. Small details like this, combined with Daniel's failure to engage with the story, failed to engage this listener. A good story, spoiled in the telling.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Yvette
- 09-16-10
A Fun First!
More Phryne Fisher, please!!!!! This is the first of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series, and it is just packed with adventure, style, mystery & fun. Anyone familiar with the series will notice that the earlier books in the series are shorter (and this one was no exception), but they are all well worth the time taken to listen to them. And I think that this was definately worth the credit spent. There are still a few books in the series that are not on Audible, and some have not been produced yet by Bolinda, but there IS a brand new one in the series. So I'll say it again ... to both Audible & Bolinda ... More Phryne Fisher, please!!!!!
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nancy J
- 09-07-12
Light-Hearted, Amusing Fare
This is the beginning of Phryne Fisher's adventures. A wealthy flapper in 1920's England, who began life in poverty in Australia, Phryne decides to battle boredom and ennui by going back to Australia and becoming a private investigator. All very light, but with a kernel of serious concern, and portraying 20's Australia very well. The story is interesting, the writing is very good and often tongue-in-cheek, and Stephanie Daniel provides exactly the right narration -- the perfect inflection and tone of voice for a rich, well-educated, sophisticated woman of the world in the time period portrayed, with an expert delivery of ironic and humorous lines. The first Phryne Fisher book I read was one later in the series, and I enjoyed it so much that I am now working on listening to the entire series in order.
This is the sort of book which will be enjoyed by people who like Amelia Peobody books -- the same sort of independent heroine with an eccentric view of the world, all done with fun and humor. A great escapist experience.
29 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- HELEN
- 02-20-20
Pleasant but potentially costly surprise
I bought this in a sale because I enjoy the tv programme. Turns out I think I enjoyed this even more. Looks like I’ll be getting them all!!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- Alexis
- 12-24-12
A positively delightful find
This was a delightful find - kept my interest right to end. A most unusual set of characters which build up as the books develop. I would recommend this series to everyone.
Based in the 1920,s, the heroine is extremely unique having colleagues and acquaintenances from all walks of life and a varitious appetite for life, adventure and love.
Just wonderful!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 05-01-19
A good story but the performance was lacking...
The plot is amazing and a quick read. However the performance was lacking extremely. The narrator kept swallowing and the microphone caught it, you could tell when she stopped to have water and the audio cut in weird times only to come back moments later. Now I know that drinking water is important while doing a narration but this is the first time I can actually notice something like that in an audiobook.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jax
- 06-03-14
Very enjoyable
Any additional comments?
This is a beautifully narrated book and narration is one of the most important features in an audiobook. I've had perfectly good books which I've enjoyed reading completely ruined because the reader's voice/accent is jarring. Phyrne, the heroine, is very engaging and the story moves along at a good pace. All the other characters are well-rounded. Heartily recommended and I've just downloaded two more Phryne Fisher audiobooks.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ms Lixie
- 01-29-14
A little monotone but a good story
What did you like most about Cocaine Blues?
The Miss Fisher character was well developed.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Cocaine Blues?
Using sex to save the day.
Have you listened to any of Stephanie Daniel’s other performances? How does this one compare?
The narrator was the downside with this recording. I found her voices a bit hard to stomach and suspect this is a case of just not liking her voice. But if you listen to the sample and don't mind it you'll enjoy the story.
Any additional comments?
I came to these books the wrong way round - having watched the Miss Fisher TV series from Australia first. I couldn't help comparing the characters with those I'd seen on TV. The book comes off really well with lots of touches that would not have worked on tv but which you can do in a book without seeming silly. Well, not too silly.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- LA
- 06-09-22
Narration is awful
the narrator is very off putting and has put me off purchasing the other titles.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 03-09-22
Miss Fisher
Excellent story and performance. Weird pauses throughout though. I've ordered the first five books.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ngariad
- 11-02-20
Fabulous ...
Having watched the TV series I looked forward to listening to the original material. The books are different enough to give lots more entertainment.
I really enjoyed this book & look forward to listening to the rest.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 08-26-20
Really good
I got the audiobook after listening to and falling in love with the TV show.
some differences but that is always the case
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Geoffrey Suter
- 08-02-20
Phryne flies off the page
As a general Rule of Thumb always read the original book before watching the TV or Film adaptation. In this case that wasn't possible for me. I had already watched The Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries TV series - twice.
So when given the opportunity to get the first book on Audible for free, I thought why not give the original source material a try. Just a little case of double vision. This was worse than the Perry Mason schizophrenia – that was decades in the past, Miss Fisher only a couple of years. Obviously I will be comparing and contrasting the two mediums but one should always defer to literature.
The first difference is that we first meet Phryne in her country pile in England, where she solves a very amateurish heist and soon finds herself on her way to Australia to investigate on behalf of family acquaintances Soon she is onboard a steamer sailing towards Melbourne Australia. As she reflects on the circumstances of her journey we get a quick run down of how her family's circumstances dramatically changed. On her voyage she is accompanied by Doctor “Mac” who is moving to Australia to escape the stuffy, sexist British medical establishment.
Soon we are introduced to other characters both familiar and yet different Ces and Bert, are more or less the same in both media versions. Dot is significantly different in the book over her TV counterpart – I think for the better.
Phryne (she was supposed to be Christened Psyche but a “tired and emotional” father got his classical Greek characters mixed up t her Christening.) Which when it is explained why this is amusing to Miss Fisher also brings a smile to the reader. It also informs Phryne's deeper character traits.
Phryne's investigation leads along the way to acquiring a lady's maid (Dot), and a couple of taxi drivers, she and Mac along with Ces and Bert also track down a murderous rapist/abortionist. Inspector Robinson only makes a peripheral appearance in the first book.
Phryne is sexy, sassy, resourceful and canny. Her seemingly trivial investigation soon turns into something darker and deadly.
Have to say the book didn't disappoint, the TV series is still good (and in my mind Phryne in the book still looks like Essie Davis.) But the book is meatier, more logical and a delightful read.
Just a little aside, The Fisher books are set in the 20s/30s, the time of the Who-Dunnit's golden era. So one could postulate a shared universe. For example as the Fishers are minor aristocracy it is entirely possible that Phryne could know Lord Peter Wimsey. In fact they might have been “jolly good friends” until Miss Vane comes along. This was also the time of Poirot and Marple. Plus Roderic Alleyn. In America there was Perry Mason and Nero Wolfe.. If only I was clever enough to write that scenario.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dandylion
- 01-31-14
I'm addicted to Kerry Greenwood
[{ "answer" : "It's authenticity , it was a genuine time travel experience ,there are books that are researched with in an inch of it's life this is one of those ,I don't doubt that someone who lived in that era would swear she had recorded a memory .", "type" : "Overall", "question" : "What did you like most about Cocaine Blues?", "id" : 43, "typeString" : "overall" }, { "answer" : "Playing Bettie bow ,a Aussie classic also set in Melbourne.
", "type" : "Story", "question" : "What other book might you compare Cocaine Blues to, and why?", "id" : 2, "typeString" : "story" }, { "answer" : "I cant not rave about Stephanie Daniel enough ,she is perfect on every level there are a phone book of characters in this and she gives each and everyone a distinct voice and personality . ", "type" : "Performance", "question" : "What about Stephanie Daniel’s performance did you like?", "id" : 27, "typeString" : "performance" }, { "answer" : "The unflappable flapper ,is on the case,and she always gets her man.", "type" : "Genre", "question" : "If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?", "id" : 61, "typeString" : "genre" }, { "answer" : "Phryne Fisher is a unique and wonderful character ,all of them are wonderful they fell like a breath of fresh air ,this book is witty and fun .", "type" : "Misc", "question" : "Any additional comments?", "id" : -1, "typeString" : "misc" } ]
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 03-23-22
Narrator
Really enjoyed the book however the narrator grated. The book is set in Australia however the working class Australians sound cockney, which is particularly irritating.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amanda Gordon-Young
- 02-12-22
That Phryne Fisher!
A delightful book written by a wonderful woman!
I loved Bert and Cec and Phryne's wanton ways. An absobing and delightful look into Melbourne's history.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anne
- 03-28-21
loving it again!
Just finished it for the 3rd time and loved it more. There's always something new to get out of it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Iwbar
- 11-26-20
Great read
Thoroughly enjoyed the tv series and the same with the audiobook. I will get more in the audiobook series. Narration was great and the story was quite visual.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anne Sinclair
- 01-11-20
Great story
A great story and good performance. Only issue was long pauses especially from the middle onwards.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ce
- 07-17-18
snow in Melbourne
the narrator did an excellent job. i got immersed in melbourne high and low life
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- William Edward Hatto
- 08-24-17
Very entertaining
Spoken well in keeping with the TV series. Most enjoyable. looking forward to more of the series.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tina
- 05-11-17
Enjoyable.
Cleverly written story which is easy to listen to.
Good and clear narrative. I would recommend.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rodney Wetherell
- 03-24-17
Highly entertaining period story
Kerry Greenwood is a terrific story teller, and Stephanie Daniel is a brilliant reader. WORD