Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries are one of my favorite television shows to watch. I have probably rewatched the show more times than I care to admit. I love all the characters and stories so much. I can recite the episodes from memory. However, I am not the only fan out there in the world. I have watched the fan base grow and grow as this show has reached the global audiences around the world thanks to streaming services like Netflix. However, many fans do not know that this beloved series started as a book series by Kerry Greenwood.

I never thought I would have the opportunity to read one of the books in this series until I found Queen of the Flowers in my local library.  Miss Fisher must unwrap the mysterious disappearance of one of her flower maidens that she was in charge of while her daughter Ruth goes missing as well. This book is full of mystery and intrigue. The pages are filled with twist and turns. The unexpected and expected. Whatever is to come of the Honorable Miss Fisher and her household of misfits? Well, the only way to find out would be to read this tale wouldn’t it?

If you aren’t familiar with the show, you may not realized that the book lines up with one of the show’s episodes fluidly and allows us to analyze which is better: the book or the show?

Character

I always start of comparing stories by analyzing the characters. Good character creation and development can make or break a story when it comes to engaging the audience. It helps you discover who you root for when it comes to the epic battles. It helps you look beyond the written words to see the imagery of the story live within the barriers of your mind as if you are watching a movie. The show and book did not disappoint. The book has a wider range of characters than the show. However, the show has better character development than the book overall. So my winner in the character category is the show.

Plot

The plot of both the show and book doesn’t leave loose ends that the readers need to grasp at in order to solve. The answer to each mystery are laid before the audience in so that they can follow the logic behind the final solutions. I also adore that each episodes and book ends in a happily ever after since in the real world we don’t get enough. The plot is full of twists and turns. There is suspense, and mystery. There is action and laughter. It has everything you could want or look for. Therefore, I couldn’t pick a winner in this category since it was too close to tell the differences between them.

Setting

The setting helps prop up the when, where, who and how. I believe that the setting is usually something that show or movies will always out due the books in. However, I believe the book did better than the show. It gave details that help paint the picture of the neighborhood set in 1920’s. It described how the household interacted with the environment around them and I can almost imagine the scenes in my head like they are in the movie.

Entertaining

I truly thinks this is the most important category. If it is not entertaining then why should I spend my time investing in it. I truly thought both the book and the show were very entertaining. I rewatched the show and hunted down the book series. I admire Miss Fisher’s wit, Dot’s sweet nature, and the humorous nature of the entire motley crew. However, I have to vote the show as the winner in the category. It won by a small margin. I just felt more invested in the show and got hooked quicker. The show just sunk it’s teeth in before the book. It’s hook is deep and it was hard for me to forget my first time being introduce to the series.

So….

You truly can’t go wrong with the show or the book. If you want to learn more about this show then check out my post over the show here or watch it on Netflix/Prime Video or hunt down the book series on Amazon. Or you can due both! See which one you prefer and let me know!