A review by siria
Urn Burial: A Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood

4.0

This is an enjoyable, Australia-set take on a country house mystery. Phryne Fisher decides to visit a friend's estate in order to recover from her experiences in [b:Ruddy Gore|382842|Ruddy Gore (Phryne Fisher, #7)|Kerry Greenwood|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328757590s/382842.jpg|372613]—of course, this being the series that it is, she's not there very long before there's all sorts of mischief afoot with murdered housemaids and hidden secrets. I enjoyed all the OTT twists and turns, Dot (as per usual; what a great example of a female character who is competent and brave without being a Strong Female Character cliché), and Phryne being unashamedly polymorous. However, while I also really enjoy Lin being represented as a desirable, heroic figure, and do like that Greenwood subverts some expectations (Lin identifies as Chinese but was born in England and educated in Oxford), there's still some exoticisation going on here which makes me wince. Ditto the frequent comparisons made here to Phryne as a Manchu Princess—Phryne is a fantastic character in and of herself, and using a (nameless, non-white) female Other as a shorthand symbol of that awesome is just unnecessary. And, you know, a little racist. The one recurring irritation in what is otherwise a really fab series of books.