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Phryne Fisher #7
Ruddy Gore
Running late to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets some thugs in dark alley and handles them convincingly before they can ruin her silver dress. She then finds that she has rescued the handsome Lin Chung, and his grandmother, who briefly mistake her for a deity.
Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre where her night is again interrupted by a bizarre death onstage.
What links can Phryne find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St., or the actors treading the boards of His Majestys Theatre?
Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre where her night is again interrupted by a bizarre death onstage.
What links can Phryne find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St., or the actors treading the boards of His Majestys Theatre?
230 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
471 people are currently reading
2586 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Greenwood
86 books2,540 followersKerry Isabelle Greenwood was an Australian author and lawyer. She wrote many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher, which was adapted as the popular television series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. She wrote mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, children's stories, and plays. Greenwood earned the Australian women's crime fiction Davitt Award in 2002 for her young adult novel The Three-Pronged Dagger.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 500 reviews
June 8, 2025
Phryne Fisher returns in a tale that involves dastardly doings at a theatre that’s putting on a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. Oh, and there’s a ghoooooooost!
You’d probably get more out of this than I did if you’re more familiar with Ruddigore, as my knowledge of it starts and ends with its Wikipedia page and I’m sure Greenwood was drawing all sorts of parallels that went totally over my head.
I mainly enjoyed this one for the ghost story aspect and the anti-racism message, which is why I’m rounding up my actual rating of 3.5 stars.
You’d probably get more out of this than I did if you’re more familiar with Ruddigore, as my knowledge of it starts and ends with its Wikipedia page and I’m sure Greenwood was drawing all sorts of parallels that went totally over my head.
I mainly enjoyed this one for the ghost story aspect and the anti-racism message, which is why I’m rounding up my actual rating of 3.5 stars.
March 26, 2017
Dot, I have the strangest feeling that I’m caught up in a Gilbert and Sullivan plot.
Beautiful, brilliant, svelte Phryne Fisher’s old pal, Sir Bernard Tarrant, begs her to investigate when an actor and his replacement are both poisoned during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore — ergo, the title. I enjoyed the novel, but the resolution of one of the murders was as implausible as something out of a G&S operetta; the other murder inquiry was much better. While I missed “red-raggers” Cec and Bert and Phryne’s adopted daughters Ruth and Jane, I was pleased to see Inspector “Call Me Jack — Everyone Else Does” Robinson and Phryne’s maid Dot Williams once again. In addition, I liked author Kerry Greenwood’s new characters from His Majesty’s Theatre; that, combined with the subplot of a decades-old murder were enough to propel a three-star novel to four.
This novel, the seventh in Greenwood’s divine series also marks, thanks to a third subplot, the introduction of enticing Chinese merchant Lin Chung. He’s the latest lover for the irrepressible Phryne, who has no use for monogamy nor convention. While fans will enjoy Ruddy Gore a bit more, readers new to the series can easily savor it as a stand-alone.
December 16, 2015
I wasn’t as caught up in this one as with some of the others — at least, not the mystery, though I am enjoying Phryne’s latest lover, Lin Chung. But the whole supernatural aspect is just thin to me, and the plot relies on the reader to make the same mistake as the characters, or it becomes rather obvious. I found bits of it contradictory — Phryne notices certain characters, but then doesn’t factor them into her understanding of what’s going on for far too long. And there’s the melodrama with the hints that perhaps there is a real ghost…
Not my favourite so far, but still compulsively readable, of course.
Originally posted here.
Not my favourite so far, but still compulsively readable, of course.
Originally posted here.
July 19, 2024
Miss Phryne Fisher is rich (inherited unexpectedly), elegant, sexy, flies in high and low society and is a very clever detective, helping the always less clever police in 1920s Melbourne.
The Fisher books and TV series are so much fun that they barely qualify as crime, though there is always at least one that she solves brilliantly, accompanied by her faithful team.
In this one, Ruddy Gore, a production of the mad Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore is the setting for several murders and solving old mysteries. In this volume too, Phryne meets her Chinese Australian lover, the beautiful Lin Chung, who was edited out of the television series apparently because it was thought to be an inappropriate role model in a show watched, I suspect, by a wide range of age groups. Instead, she and detective Jack Robinson have a sparky TV relationship which never comes to anything on screen at least.
It’s fun, like all the Fisher series, but the plot is a bit shaky on its slender ankles.
The Fisher books and TV series are so much fun that they barely qualify as crime, though there is always at least one that she solves brilliantly, accompanied by her faithful team.
In this one, Ruddy Gore, a production of the mad Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore is the setting for several murders and solving old mysteries. In this volume too, Phryne meets her Chinese Australian lover, the beautiful Lin Chung, who was edited out of the television series apparently because it was thought to be an inappropriate role model in a show watched, I suspect, by a wide range of age groups. Instead, she and detective Jack Robinson have a sparky TV relationship which never comes to anything on screen at least.
It’s fun, like all the Fisher series, but the plot is a bit shaky on its slender ankles.
March 16, 2019
Very entertaining, as always.
May 26, 2017
Originally published at Reading Reality
In a week which started terrifically but where I eventually bounced off of more than half the books I planned to read, I found myself searching for a “comfort read” to finish the week. And as usual found myself sinking gratefully into the immersive world of Phryne Fisher, as created by Kerry Greenwood. And I have emerged, like Phryne from her luxurious bath, grateful for the respite.
The mystery in this book takes place during a seemingly ill-starred run of one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser known comic operas, Ruddigore. And the operetta’s plot of ghosts, curses, mistaken identities and long-lost heirs finds its parallels in the theater in which it is being performed. As Phryne herself comments late in the story, the mystery that she is unraveling makes her feel as if she herself is in the middle of a G and S operetta. Or one of Shakespeare’s comedies.
The story begins with Phryne rescuing an elderly Chinese lady and her grandson from a band of cutthroats, also Chinese, as Phryne is on her way to the theater. And for much of the story, that rescue seems disconnected from the events that follow, until just the right moment at the end.
Phryne, who seems to know everyone and always be on hand when trouble strikes, is in the audience for a performance of Ruddigore when two of the actors are struck down onstage, one right after the other, both playing the leading role.
Either this is one heck of a coincidence, or one of the other actors wants that part very, very badly. Or possibly both. Phryne, friendly with the manager of the theater as she is with a surprising number of people, is asked to investigate the events, whether they be accidental, deliberate or one of each. So Phryne finds herself at the center of a whirling cast of over-emotional, constantly emoting and continually superstitious actors and crew, as she finds herself not just investigating the attempted murders, but also every strange thing that has happened at the theater since the company began rehearsing Ruddigore. So not just death and potential death, but also ghostly visions, petty thefts, even pettier meddling, and the case of long-dead actress and her missing child.
Inspector Robinson wants Phryne involved in this case. His usual methods of interrogation simply don’t work with people who are professional dissemblers. When everyone is faking everything, it is difficult for an honest cop to determine who is faking just one particular thing out of all the fakery on display.
Phryne dives right in, attempting to separate the plot of the operetta from the real life imbroglio, while untwisting the separate schemes of a thief, a prankster, and a murderer.
This is the theater, and everyone Phryne meets is playing at least one part. Possibly more. The question is who is willing to kill to protect theirs.
Escape Rating B+: A good time was had by all, at least I believe among the readers. I certainly had a great time. But the plot in this tale is surprisingly convoluted.It is usually a truism in detective stories that where there is a series of crimes there is generally only one criminal – that the long arm of coincidence doesn’t stretch to multiple villains operating at the same time on the same patch.
That’s not true here, and all of the various bits of separate skulduggery result in a plethora of red herrings and a veritable army of possible motives. It is only as Phryne peels away the truly small-time peccadilloes that she is able to work her way into the heart of the mysteries. It doesn’t matter if the actress faked the theft of her own gloves, but who died, and how and especially why, matters a great deal.
The solution of this particular mystery is all on Phryne. While unlike in her previous outing, Blood and Circuses, Phryne manages to keep herself at home for this one, the world of the theater is one that she invades mostly alone, relying on herself almost completely to solve all the mysteries.
The one person who does help her is the mysterious Lin Chung, whom she meets at the very beginning. In spite of the possible societal repercussions, which could be many, Phryne not only enlists Lin’s help with the mystery but also embarks on a long-term liaison with the handsome (and extremely talented) merchant and former stage magician. Through Lin Chung’s descriptions and through the reception that each of them faces when seen to invade the other’s culture, there’s just a bit of a glimpse of what life was like for Chinese immigrants in 1920s Australia.
In the end, just as in the best Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, all of the various mysteries, including the ones that Phryne brings to light during the investigation, all get resolved with happy endings, no matter how unlikely, all around. For everyone except the murderers, who naturally receive their just desserts.
So a good time is had by all. Especially this reader. But as much as I enjoyed this one, the plot is more than a bit convoluted, and is is missing the input from Phryne’s usual cast of irregulars who add so much to her adventures. So this one feels like one for people who are already into the series and not a good place for someone new to the series to begin.
Reviewer’s Note: In the TV series, Phryne’s relationship with Lin Chung was downplayed in favor of exploring the incredible chemistry between the actors playing Phryne and Jack Robinson. It is going to be very interesting to see how future stories differ based on the impact of that change.
In a week which started terrifically but where I eventually bounced off of more than half the books I planned to read, I found myself searching for a “comfort read” to finish the week. And as usual found myself sinking gratefully into the immersive world of Phryne Fisher, as created by Kerry Greenwood. And I have emerged, like Phryne from her luxurious bath, grateful for the respite.
The mystery in this book takes place during a seemingly ill-starred run of one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser known comic operas, Ruddigore. And the operetta’s plot of ghosts, curses, mistaken identities and long-lost heirs finds its parallels in the theater in which it is being performed. As Phryne herself comments late in the story, the mystery that she is unraveling makes her feel as if she herself is in the middle of a G and S operetta. Or one of Shakespeare’s comedies.
The story begins with Phryne rescuing an elderly Chinese lady and her grandson from a band of cutthroats, also Chinese, as Phryne is on her way to the theater. And for much of the story, that rescue seems disconnected from the events that follow, until just the right moment at the end.
Phryne, who seems to know everyone and always be on hand when trouble strikes, is in the audience for a performance of Ruddigore when two of the actors are struck down onstage, one right after the other, both playing the leading role.
Either this is one heck of a coincidence, or one of the other actors wants that part very, very badly. Or possibly both. Phryne, friendly with the manager of the theater as she is with a surprising number of people, is asked to investigate the events, whether they be accidental, deliberate or one of each. So Phryne finds herself at the center of a whirling cast of over-emotional, constantly emoting and continually superstitious actors and crew, as she finds herself not just investigating the attempted murders, but also every strange thing that has happened at the theater since the company began rehearsing Ruddigore. So not just death and potential death, but also ghostly visions, petty thefts, even pettier meddling, and the case of long-dead actress and her missing child.
Inspector Robinson wants Phryne involved in this case. His usual methods of interrogation simply don’t work with people who are professional dissemblers. When everyone is faking everything, it is difficult for an honest cop to determine who is faking just one particular thing out of all the fakery on display.
Phryne dives right in, attempting to separate the plot of the operetta from the real life imbroglio, while untwisting the separate schemes of a thief, a prankster, and a murderer.
This is the theater, and everyone Phryne meets is playing at least one part. Possibly more. The question is who is willing to kill to protect theirs.
Escape Rating B+: A good time was had by all, at least I believe among the readers. I certainly had a great time. But the plot in this tale is surprisingly convoluted.It is usually a truism in detective stories that where there is a series of crimes there is generally only one criminal – that the long arm of coincidence doesn’t stretch to multiple villains operating at the same time on the same patch.
That’s not true here, and all of the various bits of separate skulduggery result in a plethora of red herrings and a veritable army of possible motives. It is only as Phryne peels away the truly small-time peccadilloes that she is able to work her way into the heart of the mysteries. It doesn’t matter if the actress faked the theft of her own gloves, but who died, and how and especially why, matters a great deal.
The solution of this particular mystery is all on Phryne. While unlike in her previous outing, Blood and Circuses, Phryne manages to keep herself at home for this one, the world of the theater is one that she invades mostly alone, relying on herself almost completely to solve all the mysteries.
The one person who does help her is the mysterious Lin Chung, whom she meets at the very beginning. In spite of the possible societal repercussions, which could be many, Phryne not only enlists Lin’s help with the mystery but also embarks on a long-term liaison with the handsome (and extremely talented) merchant and former stage magician. Through Lin Chung’s descriptions and through the reception that each of them faces when seen to invade the other’s culture, there’s just a bit of a glimpse of what life was like for Chinese immigrants in 1920s Australia.
In the end, just as in the best Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, all of the various mysteries, including the ones that Phryne brings to light during the investigation, all get resolved with happy endings, no matter how unlikely, all around. For everyone except the murderers, who naturally receive their just desserts.
So a good time is had by all. Especially this reader. But as much as I enjoyed this one, the plot is more than a bit convoluted, and is is missing the input from Phryne’s usual cast of irregulars who add so much to her adventures. So this one feels like one for people who are already into the series and not a good place for someone new to the series to begin.
Reviewer’s Note: In the TV series, Phryne’s relationship with Lin Chung was downplayed in favor of exploring the incredible chemistry between the actors playing Phryne and Jack Robinson. It is going to be very interesting to see how future stories differ based on the impact of that change.
May 10, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up
I'm not totally sure why this series almost works for me but doesn't quite--the others I've read have been 3 stars. I thought I'd like this a bit better because its primarily set in a theatre and there are plenty of references to Gilbert and Sullivan (Ruddy Gore comes from Ruddigore, a G&S musical that's being staged and its the cast who is involved.) My favourite character is Dot, probably due in part from the one episode of the programme I saw, but she's not in it as much as I'd prefer.
I'm not totally sure why this series almost works for me but doesn't quite--the others I've read have been 3 stars. I thought I'd like this a bit better because its primarily set in a theatre and there are plenty of references to Gilbert and Sullivan (Ruddy Gore comes from Ruddigore, a G&S musical that's being staged and its the cast who is involved.) My favourite character is Dot, probably due in part from the one episode of the programme I saw, but she's not in it as much as I'd prefer.
May 9, 2015
Is there a rule that all mystery authors from Britain and her former colonies have to have one story in a series that involves the theater or actors?
In this case, we have a poisoning during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan, capping a series of tricks and threats that had the cast already on the edge of a panic. Luckily, a detective friend of the manager happens to be in the audience.
In this case, we have a poisoning during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan, capping a series of tricks and threats that had the cast already on the edge of a panic. Luckily, a detective friend of the manager happens to be in the audience.
May 5, 2017
I might’ve enjoyed this a bit more the second time than I did the first time, though it’s by no means one of my favourites. It does introduce Lin Chung, but I don’t really enjoy Phryne’s attitude to female characters like Leila Esperance. It’s that slightly bemusing attitude that all actors are the same, and all musicians, even to the extent that all trombonists are a pain in the neck and inclined to murder (see: The Green Mill Murder), and following that attitude, the consequent assumption that all actresses are fluttery and silly and not very smart.
Still, the puzzle comes together well, and it is the book that introduces Lin Chung and all the connections his family will bring. There’s a nice social awareness to the way Lin and Phryne are treated in society, making it more than just wishful thinking — even if Phryne herself is over-the-top liberal. Or perhaps that’s not the term for Phryne, just… “permissive”, maybe.
Originally reviewed for breathesbooks.com.
Still, the puzzle comes together well, and it is the book that introduces Lin Chung and all the connections his family will bring. There’s a nice social awareness to the way Lin and Phryne are treated in society, making it more than just wishful thinking — even if Phryne herself is over-the-top liberal. Or perhaps that’s not the term for Phryne, just… “permissive”, maybe.
Originally reviewed for breathesbooks.com.
July 21, 2025
2023: I think that I have noted this in other books in this series, but this is the first appearance of Lin Chung, so I'd like to note that from the start Greenwood screws up Chinese names. They have three parts, it should be Lin Chung Something, and that third name is actually their first name! She does that with his bodyguard Li Pen, and just about every other Chinese character who appears in the series.
This is the second time recently that a Phryne book I've been reading coincidentally has similarities to another book I've been reading. This time it's another mystery involving a troop performing a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. Otherwise the plots are totally different, but it's still amuses me. This also is a very important book in the series because it introduces Phryne's lover Lin Chung, who will feature in most of the books to come.
This is the second time recently that a Phryne book I've been reading coincidentally has similarities to another book I've been reading. This time it's another mystery involving a troop performing a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. Otherwise the plots are totally different, but it's still amuses me. This also is a very important book in the series because it introduces Phryne's lover Lin Chung, who will feature in most of the books to come.
January 26, 2018
3.75 Savoy Stars
I do love a well produced Gilbert and Sullivan musical and this book managed to take you backstage and into the mysteries of the stage. An excellent reintroduction to Phryne Fisher books, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.
I do love a well produced Gilbert and Sullivan musical and this book managed to take you backstage and into the mysteries of the stage. An excellent reintroduction to Phryne Fisher books, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.
March 19, 2018
3.5 stars, but I rounded up, because it's miles better than the last one.
This is basically Phrynne Fisher doing what she does best - swanning in and bending the world to her will. And I generally enjoy mysteries set in the theater.
This is basically Phrynne Fisher doing what she does best - swanning in and bending the world to her will. And I generally enjoy mysteries set in the theater.
April 4, 2019
Five stars for a light, enjoyable and highly theatrical read which was just what I wanted to combat the stress of real life. Greenwood is on form, and this installment of Phyrne Fisher's saga is delicious, if you don't take anything seriously. Why should you? She certainly doesn't. Even her penchant for detection can be dropped at will--she's not being paid to do it, which would ruin it for her. She repeatedly compares herself to Phryne, the Hellenic courtesan--a woman who lived for pleasure and caprice. The courtesan finds her counterpart in this volume as the enigmatic Lin Chung takes his first bow.
Something is rotten in His Majesty's Theatre; ghostly appearances, mysterious thefts, and the poisoning of two leading men during a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. Accident, or attack? Who is doing all this, and why? The key to reading this tragicomic romp is to be found in Gilbert and Sullivan's own stage directions: stick to the script, play it deadpan, and let the audience find their own humour.
Yes, it's a parody of every mystery novel, story or TV film set in a theatre, you've ever seen, right down to the reveal. The only line missing is "I know you're all wondering why I've gathered you here..." No, it is not literature; it was never meant to be. That said, I don't usually chuckle while reading mystery novels, cosies or not, and I certainly did giggle occasionally while perusing this one. After my disappointment with Blood and Circuses, it was refreshing, like a well-made summer cocktail: light, cool on the tongue, with no cloying aftertaste.
ETA: If I have one complaint it is with the audiobook reader in the audio CD version. We are told that Lin Chung's accent is pure Eton and Cambridge, and yet the reader gives us nearly cod-Asian. Likewise, the characters described in the text as London Cockneys speak broad Australian, while those who grew up in Australia (such as Ruth and Jane in other books) speak very much British Recieved Pronunciation. Did the professional reader not take the trouble to read the book before she started, and make marginal notes? I would have done, and I'm just a person who enjoys reading aloud. Perhaps she should have read it all in her own (non-Australian) voice.
Something is rotten in His Majesty's Theatre; ghostly appearances, mysterious thefts, and the poisoning of two leading men during a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. Accident, or attack? Who is doing all this, and why? The key to reading this tragicomic romp is to be found in Gilbert and Sullivan's own stage directions: stick to the script, play it deadpan, and let the audience find their own humour.
Yes, it's a parody of every mystery novel, story or TV film set in a theatre, you've ever seen, right down to the reveal. The only line missing is "I know you're all wondering why I've gathered you here..." No, it is not literature; it was never meant to be. That said, I don't usually chuckle while reading mystery novels, cosies or not, and I certainly did giggle occasionally while perusing this one. After my disappointment with Blood and Circuses, it was refreshing, like a well-made summer cocktail: light, cool on the tongue, with no cloying aftertaste.
ETA: If I have one complaint it is with the audiobook reader in the audio CD version. We are told that Lin Chung's accent is pure Eton and Cambridge, and yet the reader gives us nearly cod-Asian. Likewise, the characters described in the text as London Cockneys speak broad Australian, while those who grew up in Australia (such as Ruth and Jane in other books) speak very much British Recieved Pronunciation. Did the professional reader not take the trouble to read the book before she started, and make marginal notes? I would have done, and I'm just a person who enjoys reading aloud. Perhaps she should have read it all in her own (non-Australian) voice.
January 9, 2008
OK, this is the third of these mysteries I've read in a row. Maybe I'm just over it, but this one seemed pretty weak. Also, I didn't realize it was about Gilbert and Sullivan. My mistake. I loathe Gilbert and Sullivan. It turns out I don't much care for even reading about G and S. It was one of those cases in which I was halfway through and made a conscious decision to read the rest of it, just to see how the murder was tied up. I think I'll give this author a rest.
December 12, 2020
Ruddy Gore (Phryne Fisher, #7) by Kerry Greenwood
Synopsis /
Running late to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets some thugs in dark alley and handles them convincingly before they can ruin her silver dress. She then finds that she has rescued the handsome Lin Chung, and his grandmother, who briefly mistake her for a deity. Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre where her night is again interrupted by a bizarre death onstage.
What links can Phryne find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St., or the actors treading the boards of His Majesty’s Theatre?
My Thoughts /
Ruddy Gore is book 7 in the Phryne Fisher series.
First thing I’m struggling with is - Why is it Ruddigore in the book but Ruddy Gore in the title?? And, while I’m on the subject of titles….what’s with the cover page! Really Phryne, for someone so glam this book cover is a little Meh. However, since you are sitting so firmly in my favourites list I’ll forgive this one-time faux pas.
I wasn’t as caught up in this Episode – maybe had something to do with live theatre?? Whenever I go I always fall asleep! I mean really here’s the scenario, you are sitting in comfy chairs, you are in a nice cool air-con environment and, they turn off all the lights – hello! of course I’m going to fall asleep. This one was a little snooze fest. The book’s namesake, Ruddigore, or The Witch’s Curse is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser known (comic) operas (is there such a thing??). The opera is a parody of the stock melodrama – the villain who carries off the maiden; the priggishly good-mannered poor-but-virtuous-heroine; the hero in disguise; and his faithful old retainer who dreams of former glory days; the snake-in-the-grass who claims to be following his heart; the wild, mad girl; ghosts coming to life to enforce a curse; and so on and so on. Can’t blame me for snoozing now can you!
Now, if y’all are still with me:-
In this Episode, (a) as Phryne is on her way to the theatre, she rescues an elderly Chinese Lady and her grandson from a bunch of (also Chinese) cutthroats; (b) [Phryne] investigates a series of incidents at the Theatre – are they accidental? are they deliberate? are they BOTH!; (c) we meet the mysterious Lin Chung (a local silk merchant) and, in spite of possible societal repercussions, Phryne not only enlists Lin’s help with solving the mysteries but, also embarks on a long-term liaison with the handsome merchant and former stage magician (which is not surprising given her diaphragm popping history in previous Episodes).
I’m up to page 82 of 234 and so far there has been no mention of my firm favourites:- Dot, Bert and Cec and Mr & Mrs B. It’s no wonder I’m falling asleep, so far you lot are all BORING!
Fast forward to the next morning - Well, I’m finished, and I’m sad to say that the ending wasn’t worth getting to.
Oh well. Can't love all of Miss Fisher's adventures. 🤷♀️
Favourite character in this Episode:-
Favourite for me in this one is #.
Book #7 Favourite Quotes:-
‘Well, this is a different world’, he said, shielding his tired eyes against the light. ‘All these people are used to being someone else. I’ve never had so many tears poured all over me, never – and a good three-quarters of ‘em were false. I can get a confession out of anyone in their right mind – but I don’t reckon actors have a right mind. You’ll have to keep me posted Miss Fisher.’
I wish we could get a police surgeon who didn't go crook at being a police surgeon.
‘But that girl, Phryne, that Rose Maybud – what a silly girl! So far she’s changed her mind three times. Yes, I don’t think that Gilbert really admired sweet English maidenhood all that much. All of his delicate little maidens are as tough as nails and as fickle as weathercocks…’
’When the foreman bares his steel’, he sang robustly and the chorus echoed,
Tarantara! Tarantara!’ with no enthusiasm and very little volume.
A sudden, earth-shattering crash deafened them. Dust billowed and the stage shook and rang like a drum. The curtain counterweight, which weighed a quarter of a tone, had broken its rope and fallen. Phryne, holding her ears, spun around. She saw through the blinding miasma of a hundred years’ dust the leaden ingot, the size of a bale of wool, which was sewn into a huge wooden frame with a canvas cover. She stumbled on a trailing line snaking across the floor and fell to her knees in a pool of blood. Shaking, coughing and sick to her stomach, she realised that there was someone underneath it.
Synopsis /
Running late to a gala performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, Phryne Fisher meets some thugs in dark alley and handles them convincingly before they can ruin her silver dress. She then finds that she has rescued the handsome Lin Chung, and his grandmother, who briefly mistake her for a deity. Denying divinity but accepting cognac, she later continues safely to the theatre where her night is again interrupted by a bizarre death onstage.
What links can Phryne find between the ridiculously entertaining plot of Ruddigore, the Chinese community of Little Bourke St., or the actors treading the boards of His Majesty’s Theatre?
My Thoughts /
Ruddy Gore is book 7 in the Phryne Fisher series.
First thing I’m struggling with is - Why is it Ruddigore in the book but Ruddy Gore in the title?? And, while I’m on the subject of titles….what’s with the cover page! Really Phryne, for someone so glam this book cover is a little Meh. However, since you are sitting so firmly in my favourites list I’ll forgive this one-time faux pas.
I wasn’t as caught up in this Episode – maybe had something to do with live theatre?? Whenever I go I always fall asleep! I mean really here’s the scenario, you are sitting in comfy chairs, you are in a nice cool air-con environment and, they turn off all the lights – hello! of course I’m going to fall asleep. This one was a little snooze fest. The book’s namesake, Ruddigore, or The Witch’s Curse is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s lesser known (comic) operas (is there such a thing??). The opera is a parody of the stock melodrama – the villain who carries off the maiden; the priggishly good-mannered poor-but-virtuous-heroine; the hero in disguise; and his faithful old retainer who dreams of former glory days; the snake-in-the-grass who claims to be following his heart; the wild, mad girl; ghosts coming to life to enforce a curse; and so on and so on. Can’t blame me for snoozing now can you!
Now, if y’all are still with me:-
In this Episode, (a) as Phryne is on her way to the theatre, she rescues an elderly Chinese Lady and her grandson from a bunch of (also Chinese) cutthroats; (b) [Phryne] investigates a series of incidents at the Theatre – are they accidental? are they deliberate? are they BOTH!; (c) we meet the mysterious Lin Chung (a local silk merchant) and, in spite of possible societal repercussions, Phryne not only enlists Lin’s help with solving the mysteries but, also embarks on a long-term liaison with the handsome merchant and former stage magician (which is not surprising given her diaphragm popping history in previous Episodes).
I’m up to page 82 of 234 and so far there has been no mention of my firm favourites:- Dot, Bert and Cec and Mr & Mrs B. It’s no wonder I’m falling asleep, so far you lot are all BORING!
Fast forward to the next morning - Well, I’m finished, and I’m sad to say that the ending wasn’t worth getting to.
Oh well. Can't love all of Miss Fisher's adventures. 🤷♀️
Favourite character in this Episode:-
Favourite for me in this one is #.
Book #7 Favourite Quotes:-
‘Well, this is a different world’, he said, shielding his tired eyes against the light. ‘All these people are used to being someone else. I’ve never had so many tears poured all over me, never – and a good three-quarters of ‘em were false. I can get a confession out of anyone in their right mind – but I don’t reckon actors have a right mind. You’ll have to keep me posted Miss Fisher.’
I wish we could get a police surgeon who didn't go crook at being a police surgeon.
‘But that girl, Phryne, that Rose Maybud – what a silly girl! So far she’s changed her mind three times. Yes, I don’t think that Gilbert really admired sweet English maidenhood all that much. All of his delicate little maidens are as tough as nails and as fickle as weathercocks…’
’When the foreman bares his steel’, he sang robustly and the chorus echoed,
Tarantara! Tarantara!’ with no enthusiasm and very little volume.
A sudden, earth-shattering crash deafened them. Dust billowed and the stage shook and rang like a drum. The curtain counterweight, which weighed a quarter of a tone, had broken its rope and fallen. Phryne, holding her ears, spun around. She saw through the blinding miasma of a hundred years’ dust the leaden ingot, the size of a bale of wool, which was sewn into a huge wooden frame with a canvas cover. She stumbled on a trailing line snaking across the floor and fell to her knees in a pool of blood. Shaking, coughing and sick to her stomach, she realised that there was someone underneath it.
December 5, 2007
RUDDY GORE (Licensed Inves-Phryne Fisher-Australia-1920s) - VG
Greenwood, Kerry – 7th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2005, US Hardcover – ISBN: 1590581180
First Sentence: The hatchet flicked past, end over end, and struck a wooden shutter with a hollow thud.
*** On the way to a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, private inquiry agent The Honorable Phryne Fisher helps to break up an attack on an elderly Chinese woman but meets her attractive grandson, Lin Chung. But it is at the theatre Phryne find her newest case as two actors are poisoned, a prompter is killed and cast members fear a ghost haunting the production.
*** When you take a character I love, set the story in the 1920s and add Gilbert and Sullivan, how can you go wrong. Greenwood didn’t. She has created one of my favorite characters; strong, smart, independent and with a definite sense of who she is and what is right, despite the attitudes of others. Her character rescues and adopts people along the way giving a sense of relationship to the story. Greenwood’s plotting is wonderfully done; I didn’t guess the killer even though I probably should have. This was a delightful traditional mystery with all the right elements to make for a very good read.
Greenwood, Kerry – 7th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2005, US Hardcover – ISBN: 1590581180
First Sentence: The hatchet flicked past, end over end, and struck a wooden shutter with a hollow thud.
*** On the way to a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, private inquiry agent The Honorable Phryne Fisher helps to break up an attack on an elderly Chinese woman but meets her attractive grandson, Lin Chung. But it is at the theatre Phryne find her newest case as two actors are poisoned, a prompter is killed and cast members fear a ghost haunting the production.
*** When you take a character I love, set the story in the 1920s and add Gilbert and Sullivan, how can you go wrong. Greenwood didn’t. She has created one of my favorite characters; strong, smart, independent and with a definite sense of who she is and what is right, despite the attitudes of others. Her character rescues and adopts people along the way giving a sense of relationship to the story. Greenwood’s plotting is wonderfully done; I didn’t guess the killer even though I probably should have. This was a delightful traditional mystery with all the right elements to make for a very good read.
April 11, 2010
Phryne Fisher goes to see Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan) and two actors are poisoned and a ghost is haunting the theatre. She investigates. This is my least favorite of the series so far. So little is seen of the supporting characters I love like Dot, The Butlers and Bert & Cec, though her "assistant" in this one is an interesting boy. And then it seems like we had yet another oligatory lover of the novel. I like Phryne's freedom and disregard for the conventions of the time, but it is seemingly too formulaic at this point.
February 25, 2017
The story starts off with a "Thunk", as a hatchet hits a door that Phryne and Bunji Ross are passing by, whereby Phryne finds that she's intervened in a fight between two Chinese families, and has rescued the matriarch and the heir of the Lin family.
Phyrne is a clever student of people and their motivations, which helps her to figure out who poisoned one of the Gilbert and Sullivan actors. We don't see much of her extended family in this, though she does bring in Dot to do a search for clues, knowing Dot sees possible hiding places that Phryne doesn't think about.
Phyrne is a clever student of people and their motivations, which helps her to figure out who poisoned one of the Gilbert and Sullivan actors. We don't see much of her extended family in this, though she does bring in Dot to do a search for clues, knowing Dot sees possible hiding places that Phryne doesn't think about.
December 25, 2015
Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood is the 7th book in the Miss Fisher mystery series. Phrynne Fisher is hired to investigate a series of malicious events and the appearance of a ghost during the current performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. Another terrific book in the series. We are also introduced to Lin Chung, Phrynne's latest lover and learn a bit about the difficulties the Chinese experience integrating into Australian culture. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to the next one.
July 3, 2016
Mostly skimmed this.
May 7, 2019
Overly convoluted and dragged.
January 16, 2021
Blood and Circuses didn't quite satisfy the hunger for rereading Phryne's adventures, since it's atypical in some ways. I joked on Litsy that I was rereading the series for the delicious dresses and beautiful food (with the adjectives that way round!) -- and there's certainly a good helping of that here, along with the first appearance of Phryne's Chinese lover, Lin Chung. I can't speak for how accurate or respectful his portrayal is; Greenwood is certainly sympathetic to the Chinese people living in Melbourne at the time, but there's a fair amount of exoticisation going on there (as there is with Phryne herself, of course, but still).
Never having really known a serious actor personally, I find the way Greenwood portrays them bewilderingly malicious at times. I mean, Sir Bernard isn't so bad, and Mollie Webb, but there's so much spite, vanity and callousness flying around... particularly in the person of the beautiful Leila Esperance.
In any case, it's a pretty fun one, and especially entertaining to see Greenwood portray a Welshman (even one who's such a cad).
Never having really known a serious actor personally, I find the way Greenwood portrays them bewilderingly malicious at times. I mean, Sir Bernard isn't so bad, and Mollie Webb, but there's so much spite, vanity and callousness flying around... particularly in the person of the beautiful Leila Esperance.
In any case, it's a pretty fun one, and especially entertaining to see Greenwood portray a Welshman (even one who's such a cad).
October 9, 2017
Ridiculous (partly due to heavy dose of Gilbert and Sullivan), but entertaining. The series is fun, fast-paced, frivolous and fluctuating, but I can't stop reading it.
May 28, 2018
The mystery in this book was very good, but I didn't like the setting as much as other books. It takes place in a theatre, and that was confusing at times because a lot of the discussion and descriptions were about the play being conducted in the theatre - beyond what was necessary for the plot of the book. However, the mystery was a mystery for me almost until the end.
September 6, 2018
During a production of Ruddigore by Gilbert and Sullivan, two people fall seriously ill. Call in Phryne Fisher! She'll get to the bottom of it. Well done, Phryne!
August 20, 2013
After the rather disappointing The Green Mill Murder, Phryne is back on form in Ruddy Gore, this time investigating a murder set in a theater during a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore. The cast of characters is amusing and diverse, but we're also introduced to someone who sounds as though he'll be sticking around for the next few books, a lovely Chinese man by the name of Lin Chung who becomes Phryne's lover and confidant. I don't think it's necessary for me to go into detail as far as the synopsis; after all, this is a Phryne Fisher mystery. Going in, you know there'll be a mystery in which nothing and no-one is what or who they seem, truths will be uncovered, secrets will be kept by the sphinx-like Phryne as she deems prudent, and Dot will fret. And, as always, there'll be a secondary mystery in addition to the main one which will allow Phryne to fully flex her investigative muscles.
The one thing I noticed (and I can't remember if I ran into this problem in the previous books) is a strange bit of formatting with regards to the dialogue. Several times someone's response would be in the same paragraph, sometimes even the same sentence, as the other person's dialogue, making it confusing as to who was speaking. There were times when I had to reread something a couple of times to differentiate who exactly was doing the talking. Yes, there are times when you can have two people speaking in the same paragraph, usually with some exposition in the middle, which is okay as it usually denotes an immediacy to the conversation. But when it's done repeatedly or, more importantly, when someone's response comes right after the first person's dialogue, and I'm talking about in the same sentence, it makes the exchange unnecessarily confusing and, well, rather sloppy.
Aside from that formatting issue, though, once again I enjoyed becoming immersed in the Australia of the 1920s. Because of my particular peculiarities, I especially enjoyed all the details involving Phryne's (and to a certain extent Dot's) costumes and shoes. I'm a girly-girl that way. Not to mention the descriptions of the meals made by Mrs. Butler or served in the restaurants frequented by Phyrne made my mouth water (and Greenwood mentions food often, meaning I'm constantly slobbering as I read her books) and long for a life where I could have the luxury of snacking on homemade dishes prepared by a skilled cook. Basically, to live like Phryne. And who wouldn't want to live like that?
The one thing I noticed (and I can't remember if I ran into this problem in the previous books) is a strange bit of formatting with regards to the dialogue. Several times someone's response would be in the same paragraph, sometimes even the same sentence, as the other person's dialogue, making it confusing as to who was speaking. There were times when I had to reread something a couple of times to differentiate who exactly was doing the talking. Yes, there are times when you can have two people speaking in the same paragraph, usually with some exposition in the middle, which is okay as it usually denotes an immediacy to the conversation. But when it's done repeatedly or, more importantly, when someone's response comes right after the first person's dialogue, and I'm talking about in the same sentence, it makes the exchange unnecessarily confusing and, well, rather sloppy.
Aside from that formatting issue, though, once again I enjoyed becoming immersed in the Australia of the 1920s. Because of my particular peculiarities, I especially enjoyed all the details involving Phryne's (and to a certain extent Dot's) costumes and shoes. I'm a girly-girl that way. Not to mention the descriptions of the meals made by Mrs. Butler or served in the restaurants frequented by Phyrne made my mouth water (and Greenwood mentions food often, meaning I'm constantly slobbering as I read her books) and long for a life where I could have the luxury of snacking on homemade dishes prepared by a skilled cook. Basically, to live like Phryne. And who wouldn't want to live like that?
July 18, 2020
Death and haunting during the run of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera "Ruddigore" and Australian Chinese settlers.
March 25, 2013
A solid Phryne Fisher. This one set in the theater world where Phryne untangles quite a bit of yarns to get to the truth. Good use of Gilbert and Sullivan both in the set up of the theater and the plot line.
This one opens a new chapter in Phryne's series, it introduces I believe new recurring characters, Lin Chung in particular and although the portrayal of Chinese people is a bit cringe worthy (reflects the times at least), it does set up something like an ideal universe (and let's be honest Phryne is living in a kinda ideal 1928 year with lots of glossing over things.
I liked it, I kinda figured out the mysteries since the plot line follows a G & S opera/play.
This is a good series so far and it hasn't lost any of its shiny appeal.
This one opens a new chapter in Phryne's series, it introduces I believe new recurring characters, Lin Chung in particular and although the portrayal of Chinese people is a bit cringe worthy (reflects the times at least), it does set up something like an ideal universe (and let's be honest Phryne is living in a kinda ideal 1928 year with lots of glossing over things.
I liked it, I kinda figured out the mysteries since the plot line follows a G & S opera/play.
This is a good series so far and it hasn't lost any of its shiny appeal.
July 8, 2015
currently reading but taking me at least 4 times longer to read than previous 6. too much description of the play being preformed in the story. if you don't love Gilbert and Sullivan then you really won't care about the plot of the play. even if you love them, you still might be annoyed by the detail given to the play because you want more about the actual story. I also prefer more range in sets. almost the entire story so far has taken place backstage at the theatre. this one just isn't as good as the previous ones. maybe it'll be worth it in the end
January 12, 2015
Just couldn't get into it. It seemed very static and didn't further the character development at all. It was like the author was out of ideas of what to do with everyone. I enjoyed the early entries of this series and loved the TV series based on the books, but I have decided to take a hiatus.
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