Murder on the Ballarat Train

The third Phryne Fisher mystery is one of the standouts of the series, effortlessly matching a compelling plot with its irresistible heroine. Fisher and her faithful companion, Dot, narrowly escape death while riding on a train when Fisher awakens to find chloroform fumes have rendered the other passengers unconscious-before succumbing herself. When some order is restored, Fisher and Dot discover that an elderly woman who had been travelling with her daughter is missing. The police inquiry soon finds the woman's battered corpse, and Fisher is retained to solve the crime, doing so with her usual insight, pluck and style.