The Honorable Miss Phryne Fisher is a ‘lady detective’ who solves murders in Australia following World War I. She first appeared in Kerry Greenwood‘s book series which is now a television series on ABC Australia called Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.

Imagine Sherlock’s brains and James Bond’s charisma in the body of a woman.

Unlike others in her field, Miss Fisher brings a certain level of flair to her cases. She started off in life with no money until her family inherited both fortune and title. This allows her to both maneuver through a high society party and hang out with dock workers at the pub.

At the start of the series, she returns to Australia after attending school in England, driving an ambulance during the war, and a being a muse for painters in Paris. She has settled into her new home with a cast of characters that assist her in her cases and daily life whether they want to or not.

Miss Fisher (Essie Davis) has many charms and many friends. The books and the television show have many of the same characters with only a few differences.

Her right-hand woman is Dorothy ‘Dot’ Williams (Ashleigh Cummings), who doesn’t trust technology and is very Catholic. This is a bit of a concern since she likes the Protestant policeman, Hugh Collins (Hugo Johnstone-Burt). Hugh works with Detective Inspector Jack Robinson (Nathan Page) whom in the television series is more of a love interest than he is in the books. Add to the mix Bert and Cec (Travis McMahon and Anthony Sharpe) who drive a taxi and help with the seedier side of the town and Mr. Butler (Richard Bligh) who keeps her household.

The main differences between the book and the show involve Miss Fisher’s family. The show has a continuing story line about her sister’s death. Yet, her sister is very much alive in the books. While the books have more characters including a Mrs. Butler, the show adds her Aunt Prudence played by Miriam Margolyes.

While the books describe some amazing outfits, the television series brings them to life. The costume designer, Marion Boyce, designed 95% of the clothing herself to accommodate the character’s active lifestyle. There is an outfit for every situation from an evening gown to nothing at all.

While her style is what draws you in, her cases are worthy of Sherlock himself. With both the books and the shows, you are never yelling out who the killer is at the beginning. Everything unfolds in a way that is entertaining as well as interesting. The books provide far more detail, but the shows make the 1920s leap off the screen.

Miss Fisher is a well rounded character that is soft and strong, smart and wise, fun and funny. While her friends help her quite a bit, she can also take care of herself.

If you would like to watch her, there are three seasons available with a total of 34 episodes. They are on DVD and currently streaming on Netflix.