Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is an Australian mystery drama. It was first broadcast on The ABC on 24 February 2012. It is based on author Kerry Greenwood's historical mystery novels, and it was created by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger. The series revolves around the personal and professional life of Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis), a glamorous private detective in 1920s Melbourne. Three series have been broadcast, and a feature film titled Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears was released in February 2020.

Tropes used in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries include:

Animal Assassin: In "Game, Set and Murder", the Victim of the Week is murdered by having a venomous spider placed in their shoe.
Banana In the Tailpipe: In "Blood at the Wheel", Phryne sabotages Jack's car by stuffing her stocking into the exhaust pipe.
Bedsheet Ladder: In "Unnatural Habits" a bedsheet ladder is planted to make it look like the murdered girl had escaped from the confinement cell through the window. Phryne sees through it because the knots used would not have held the girl's weight.
Bling Bling Bang: Phryne Fisher's Weapon of Choice is a gold-plated .38 snub-nose revolver.
Bound and Gagged: Dot, Aunt Prudence and Mr Butler are gagged and tied to chairs by a killer who is waiting in ambush for Phryne in "Death at the Grand".
The Boxing Episode: In "Deadweight" Phyrne and Jane investigate two deaths involving a special police unit, rival street gangs, a traveling boxing troupe, fixed matches, Constable Collins' boxing protege, and a sprinkling of flour.
Broomstick Quarterstaff: In "Blood & Money", Phryne grabs a mop and uses it to fend off a man who attacks her with a bayonet.
Brother-Sister Incest: Covering this up provides a major part of the motivations for the murders in "Death & Hysteria".
Bullet Dancing: In "Murder Under the Mistletoe", the killer does this to Phryne; shooting at her feet in order to make her dance in keeping with his Twelve Days of Christmas theme.
Click. "Hello.": In "Unnatural Habits", Phryne is searching the ship and has just discovered the missing girls when she is interrupted by the click of an automatic being cocked behind her.
Closed Circle: "Murder Under the Mistletoe" takes place in an isolated chalet. A snowstorm leaves the chalet Snowed In, with roads too icy to drive on, and engines of all the vehicles frozen. Cut Phone Lines complete the isolation.
Cut Phone Lines: The killer does this to isolate the Snowed In chalet from the outside world in "Murder Under the Mistletoe".
Cut the Fuse: Phryne shoots a burning length of film that is being used as an improvised Powder Trail in "Framed for Murder". However, the burning film flips and lands on the piled celluloid, reigniting it.
Drowning Pit: In "Death Defying Feats", Phryne is performing the 'The Miraculous Mermaid": a version of Houdini's water trap escape. The killer sabotages the act leaving Phryne trapped in a glass tank filled with water.
Engineered Public Confession: In "Dead Air", Phryne confronts a murderer in a radio studio. She switches on the microphone so that the killer's confession is broadcast live.
Handbag of Hurt: Phryne uses her handbag to disarm and then knock down a killer in "Murder Under the Mistletoe".
Hand of Death: A gloved hand is shown drawing a knife and advancing on Osman Efendi in "Death Do Us Part". A spray of blood informs the viewer of his fate.
Hat Damage: Jack has his hat shot off his head in "Death on the Vine". So Phryne buys him a new one.
Hero Stole My Bike: In "The Blood of Juana the Mad", Jack and Phryne jump on a conveniently placed motorcycle (in a university quad) to chase a fleeing killer.
Instrument of Murder: In "The Green Mill Murder", the killer uses the mute in a cornet as a blowgun.
Jurisdiction Friction: In "Murder and the Maiden", tension between the police and the military complicates the investigation of a murder on an RAAF base.
Knife-Throwing Act: Phryne goes undercover as the target girl in a knife-throwing act in "Blood and Circuses".
Mugged for Disguise: When Eugene escapes from the hospital in "Death Do Us Part", he strangles the constable assigned to guard him and steals his uniform.
Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon:
- In "Framed for Murder", the killer swaps the prop knife being used in a movie for the real knife used for taking stills. When the director demonstrates to the actress how he wants her to stab the leading man, he stabs himself in the heart.
- In "Death-Defying Feats", the killer sabotages the prop guillotine being used in a magic act to turn it into a real one.
Off with His Head: In "Death Defying Feats", a magician's assistant is decapitated when the killer sabotages the prop guillotine being used in the act, turning it into a Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon.
Out with a Bang: In "Death & Hysteria", the Victim of the Week is electrocuted when the killer tampers with her vibrator.
Paparazzi: A gutter press photographer who is stalking a female tennis star plays a major role, and becomes a suspect for murder, in "Game, Set, and Murder". It is later revealed that he is being paid by her major rival to harass her and throw her off her game.
Phoney Call: In "Death on the Vine", Phryne makes a call to Jack and pretends to be talking to her mechanic so the people eavesdropping on her call won't know who she is really talking to.
Powder Trail: In "Framed for Murder", the murderer uses a long line of celluloid film like a powder trail to ignite a huge pile of unspooled film he is planning to use to burn his victim to death.
Rank Up: In "Game, Set and Murder", Hugh is promoted from constable to senior constable.
Sauna of Death: "Cocaine Blues": As in the book, Phryne Fisher and Sascha are locked in a Turkish bath to prevent them from revealing the truth of the drug enterprise being run through the building. She jams the steam machines in a bid for time, which causes an off-screen explosion once they're safely clear.
Sexy Shirt Switch: In "Murder and the Maiden", Phryne arrives at the scene of the disturbance at the base perimeter wearing Group Captain Compton's leather flight coat and apparently nothing else.
Shoot the Rope: In "Framed for Murder", Phryne shoots the rope holding a sandbag, causing it to drop and extinguish a fire.
Slipping a Mickey:
- Henry does this to Bert in "Death Do Us Part", drugging Bert's tea so he can escape from Phryne's house. To add insult to injury, he steals Bert's cab.
- This is implied to have been done to Beatrice Mason in "The Blood of Juana the Mad", but luckily there is no indication that she was assaulted.
Symbolic Blood: In "Murder and Mozzarella", the killer spills a pot of tomato sauce on the floor while murdering the victim.
Ten Little Murder Victims: In "Murder Under the Mistletoe", a [[Theme Serial Killer[[ starts picking off the guests and staff of a Snowed In chalet one by one.
Ten Paces and Turn: In "Death at the Grand", Phryne's father gets in a duel with the man he thinks has murdered his girlfriend/accomplice.
Theme Serial Killer: In "Murder Under the Mistletoe", the murderer uses 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as his theme.
Throw the Book At Them: In "Raisins and Almonds", Phryne confronts an intruder in a bookstore. The intruder tips over a bookshelf and dumps a pile of books on her.
Vehicular Sabotage: In "Blood at the Wheel", the wheel nuts on a female rally driver's car are loosened, causing the wheel to come off at high speed.
Vorpal Pillow: Used as a murder weapon in "Blood & Money". A piece of down found on the Victim of the Week becomes a vital clue.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Phryne Fisher is shown to be arachnophobic (a trait not shared by her literary version) in "Game, Set and Murder". Jack notes this is the first time he has seen a chink in her armour, and is later able to use this fear to his advantage.
William Telling: In "Death at the Grand", Phryne's father shoots the hat off the man he was fighting a Ten Paces and Turn duel against as a way of proving his point.