Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries "Murder in Montparnasse" #1.7 (2012) (TV)

"Not a lot of crime out there today?", 8 April 2017

When Bert's pal is purposefully run-down, Phryne agrees to take the case to help bring the murderer to justice. Before she can find the killer, however, another of Bert's friends is killed – the second friend is burned alive. Now, the killer is targeting Bert. But why? And who is this unknown assassin? 

As much as I've loved the series so far, I was bound to find an episode that didn't work as well for me. It's not as if Murder in Montparnase is horrible, it just doesn't live up to the high standards previously established in the series. Why? There a few issues I have with the episode, but chief among them is the mind- numbing coincidences we are supposed to swallow in order to make the plot work. During WWI, Phryne was in France. While there, she took a cruel painter as a lover. This painter was jealous of another painter and violently killed him. The police were never able to solve the case. Well, it just so happens that there were three witnesses to the murder. The three men were all Australian soldiers on their way home from the war. One of the soldiers was Bert. So now, years later, the French police re-open the case and decide to track down the possible witnesses. However, before Bert and Co are contacted, the killer heads to Australia from France, tracks down the tree men he ran into years earlier, and starts killing them. And, as we all know, Bert just happens to work for female detective, Phryne Fisher, the killer's former lover. I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it.

Meanwhile, the continuing story of Hugh and Dot hits a speed-bump in Murder in Montparnase. Dot's priest insists she stop seeing Hugh as he's a Protestant. Mr Butler successfully councils Dot on how to best handle the priest so her relationship with Hugh can continue to grow. I'm a sap for the Dot / Hugh storyline.

5/10