Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Cocaine Blues" #1.1 (2012) (TV)

"Considering your last employers were a drug baroness and a rapist, surely he'd find me a modest improvement.", 5 April 2017

After several years away from home, Miss Phryne Fisher returns to Melbourne. Miss Fisher is invited to a luncheon at the home of John and Lydia Andrews. She arrives only to discover that Mr Andrews died in his bathroom earlier that morning. The police (and Miss Fisher) suspect it was murder and discover a sugar bowl laced with arsenic. Miss Fisher begins her investigation, much to the consternation of the police, and discovers a cocaine ring, a pregnant servant with a botched abortion, a suspicious Turkish bathhouse, and a man named Butcher George.

I've never read any of the Kerry Greenwood books and maybe that's a good thing. Going in, I had no preconceived notions of what to expect and what I imagined the characters to be. With that being said, overall, I enjoyed Cocaine Blues. Most of my enjoyment came from the characters – particularly Miss Fisher. I found Miss Fisher a different sort of sleuth than I'm accustomed to (you won't mistake her for Miss Marple). She's smart, witty, and fashionable with sensibilities that are way ahead of her time. Essie Davis, the actress behind Miss Fisher, is truly entertaining to watch. She plays her part with such ease. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the rest of the series. Costuming, locations, and sets are exquisite. The dialogue is snappy and clever. I particularly enjoyed the banter between Miss Fisher and Detective Jack Robinson. As for the episode itself, Cocaine Blues, it's not as good as I had hoped. The plot lets it down – the mystery just isn't there. It was way too easy to spot the killer. Hopefully, things will get better moving forward.

7/10