Do we like them?

Do we like Phryne Fisher?

A character from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes. She's brave, generous and always stylish, and she fights for people the world ignores. She's a bit reckless, but we'd back her.

Phryne Fisher grew up poor in Melbourne's backstreets. She came into a fortune, lived in Europe, and returned to Melbourne in the 1920s. She is a fashionable, independent woman who flies planes, drives fast and carries a pistol in her garter. She takes up private detective work because she is bored and curious.

She works alongside the reserved Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. She also gathers a loyal circle: her companion Dot, her wharfie friends Bert and Cec, her ward Jane, and her aunt Prudence. The cases range from society murders to crimes that expose the city's corruption.

She scores high because her recklessness is matched by real kindness and courage. She champions the underdog, treats everyone with respect whatever their class, and has a sharp wit. Her dark past gives her a stubborn sense of justice. She loses points only for rule-breaking and her habit of rushing into danger.