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Book Review of Cocaine Blues (Phryne Fisher, Bk 1)

Cocaine Blues (Phryne Fisher, Bk 1)
Doughgirl avatar reviewed on + 138 more book reviews


The style of this book seemed very different to me and it was hard for me to get into at first. It was a little choppy, with abrupt transtitions. And it seems a little, um, emotionless. It didn't help that British, Australian and 20's slang is littered liberarly in the language (how's that for illiteration?). On the positive side, though, there were several very good mysteries in the storyline. And as a reader I almost felt like I was time travelling to the 20's. The slang probably helped with that feeling, but there is also frequent description of 20's clothing (designer, of course), furnishings and cars. I'm a fan of 20's design, so that was a big plus for me.

So, while it didn't totally pull me in, I did find this a very interesting read and will continue to read the series. It just won't always be near the top of my TBR pile.

If anyone here is considering checking out this series, please let me help you with some definitions of a few of the slang terms I encountered in the book:

Gasper = cigarette
Snaffled (the loot) = seize quickly
Cloche = a fitted, bell-shaped hat popular in the 20's
Toff = upper class with an air of superiority
Deener = a shilling
Tiddly = a little drunk