I was sorry to hear a few days ago that the Australian writer Kerry Greenwood (1954-2025) had died on 26 March, at the too-young age of 70. Her death was only publicly announced week ago, which is fair enough. Families have a right to grieve their loved person in private if they so desire. It appears she had been seriously ill for some years, but was still writing to the end. Once a writer …
Greenwood has appeared a few times on my blog, but more in passing – such as being the inaugural winner of the Davitt Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 – than as a featured author. This is because she mostly wrote in a genre I don’t tend to read, crime fiction. She is best known for her Phryne Fisher historical crime detective series, which was turned into a very successful television series, and a movie. I saw both the series and the film, which is how I consume most of my crime, rather than through reading.
She was, however, a prolific writer, as you can tell from her Wikipedia page. She wrote across many forms and genres including mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction, children’s stories, and plays. She won many awards for her books, including Australia’s various crime awards, and a few children’s book awards. She was, from what I’ve read, as colourful, brave and inventive as her heroine.
Allen & Unwin, Greenwood’s publisher since 1997, wrote on Facebook that:
Kerry was a gifted writer, a generous spirit, and a fierce advocate for creativity, joy and justice. She brought us the iconic Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman—two unforgettable heroines who continue to inspire readers around the world.
Since 1997, we’ve had the honour of publishing her work, with over 1.4 million copies sold globally. A new Phryne Fisher novel, Murder in the Cathedral, will be published later this year.
The Guardian’s obituary shares more from Allen & Unwin, including that she’d said she “had two burning ambitions in life: to be a legal aid solicitor and defend the poor and voiceless; and to be a famous author”. She certainly achieved the latter, and I understand that as a lawyer she did her best to achieve the former. Melbourne’s Her Place Museum shared this little video on Facebook, in which she talks about her decision to become a lawyer. The beautiful obituary on her website, by her partner, the “Duty Wombat” (aka David Greagg), tells more about her legal work.
But, I’ll end with some words from Sue Turnbull’s obituary in The Conversation. Many of her books, she writes
sit within what has often been characterised as the “cosy” genre: a subgenre of crime fiction to which Kerry’s crime fiction certainly belongs. Until recently, cosy crime has tended to be underrated, compared to the kind of “gritty” crime fiction that wins accolades.
This has obscured the achievement of crime fiction such as Kerry’s, in which historical and contemporary social issues are reflected back to us in ways that give us pause, even as they are presented in a form designed to entertain.
This is Kerry’s legacy: a wealth of entertainment with a heart. Her novels are provocations to care about social justice.
Many tributes are being planned, such as a screening of the outrageously flamboyant movie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, at Yarraville’s Sun Theatre, on 16 April.
Vale Kerry Greenwood.
Whispering Gums 
Back in the day, I remember her doing a book signing at Myer Melbourne where I worked part time as a bookseller, and she was delightful. It stuck in my memory because we had someone the week before who was bad mannered and treated the staff terribly. Her kindness was appreciated.
I’ve never read her books, but she has a loyal
following and I’m sure they’ll all be distressed that there’ll be no more Phryne Fisher to read!
You’re like me Kimbofo – as you can tell from
my post – except I haven’t had that lovely experience. Your description of her as “delightful”rings true to all I’ve been reading about her. She sounds like a warm and special human being.
…whereas I have read— that is, listened to most of them and enjoyed them greatly, even though I don’t look for crime of the “cosy” kind.
That’s great MR – we are allowed to be flexible in our preferences aren’t we. Why do you think you made an exception for these. That is, why did you enjoy them when you don’t prefer cosy.
I enjoyed her writing, ST !
My library have a display of Kerry Greenwood’s books, which is a lovely tribute.
I’ve read a couple of the Miss Fisher books set in locations I know, Melbourne and Daylesford.
That’s lovely to year Rose – about the display. Reading books set in known locations has a special enjoyment doesn’t it?
I’m with MR, as are many truck drivers, going by the popularity of Phryne Fisher audiobooks at the “truckers’ library”, Wubin. I’ve read all the ones I could find, and even some of her other, pastrycook series, which was mostly too saccharine to go on with.
And I’m with Sue Turnbull: “in which historical and contemporary social issues are reflected back to us in ways that give us pause”. Greenwood was both thoughtful and amusing about post-WWI history in a Melbourne/Victoria which she obviously knew well and loved.
Thanks Bill … I might try an audiobook version for a trip. I was looking the other day for something just right and didn’t think of this. Now there’ll probably be a rush on them. I’d be interested to see how Turnbull’s description plays out in the novels.
I liked her writing, but I wasn’t overly impressed by the first Fischer book she wrote. That said, I totally ADORED the TV series they made from the books, as well as the Modern version that takes place in the 60s.
Thanks Davida … I love that you got to see the series. I didn’t really take to the modern one so much. I think I only saw one episode. Not sure why.
Well, it wasn’t as good as the original series, but it was fun.
And sometimes that is good enough isn’t it?
I hadn’t heard this. Always sad when the world loses an author who people enjoy.
It sure is Pam … and while 70 is an ok life most of use are hoping for a decade or more than that aren’t we. So, it feels sad.
I read about half the Phryne Fisher series about a decade ago. They were a lot of fun and I was sad to read this news last week too.
Thanks Brona … I think we’ll try an audiobook version on a future road trip.
I was so terribly sad to hear of Kerry Greenwood passing. When I used to do far more blogging on an earlier blog I was actually fortunate enough to interview her. I couldn’t believe how approachable and generous she was. I loved her Phryne Fisher series so much, and when I saw an email address in the back of one of them I just emailed her, introduced myself and asked if I could interview her, never imagining that I would get a response. But she agreed straight away and generously answered all of my questions. I recall her saying that she always identified more with Corinna Chapman and that between Phryne and Corinna, Corinna was her favourite.
But I think that Phryne’s compulsion to support the downtrodden and fight for justice mirrored Kerry Greenwood’s own desire justice. I have also been a legal aid doing the same type of legal aid duty work that Kerry committed her legal career to and so I find I identify with that drive that Kerry Greenwood and Phryne Fisher share.
Vale Kerry Greenwood – Aidanvale
Thanks Becky … sorry that I didn’t see your post on her or I would have linked to it. Your description of your experience just confirms the sense I have got from reading about her.
Greenwood is a new to me author. I’m sorry to hear the news of her passing. I just checked the holdings at my local library and they have a couple of her books, so I requested one (Unnatural Habits).
Oh that’s lovely to hear Chris. I hope you enjoy it. I’ve looked it up and it looks interesting – and right up her social justice alley.
I think cosy mysteries get loads of love from readers, but I suppose the obit comment was directed more at the fact that they’re not critically acclaimed (unlike, say, Peter Temple’s, or the like, which have so much characterisation and psychological that they just can’t be cosy). Maybe it’s that old, old question: would you rather be loved or admired?
Or both! Thanks Marcie. I think it also perhaps suggests that her interest was also in the social justice message. I’m thinking of some “literary” writers who have written something more “commercial” – I hate using these terms – because they want more readers to hear and think about what they want to say?
Cosy crime is probably the most popular of all genres. Have you seen “Midsomer Murders” which was/is a cosy crime tv series that at its height was one of the most popular tv series shown in Europe? Actually a better category for it might be “cosy but a bit gory”! Of course the queen of this category is Agatha Christie herself- cosy but sometimes caustic!
Oh yes, Ian, Midsomer Murders was very popular in Australia. I hadn’t really thought of it as “cosy”‘because of the number of gory murders, as you point out. But I suppose it is in that the prime relationships are all cheery aren’t they. I didn’t much like the creepy gory side of it, but I liked Barnaby and co!
I had no idea she was also a lawyer. That reminds me of A.M. Blair, a self-published Sri Lankan-American writer and blogger who is a civil rights attorney, mother to three, and writer. I can always tell how her books are guided by her careful legal background, even when the stories themselves are not about law (though some are, such as one Austen retelling).
I also know Greenwood is famous globally because her Phryne Fisher books are at my local libraries. I never read a Fisher book, though I did read two of the Corinna Chapman books and reviewed them on my blog. I had loved the first one; the second seemed to repeat much of the first one, which made me sad.
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