Dear Diary,

I have found myself quite the little treasure of a companion – cum – ladies maid – Dot.

When I arrived from England, putting as much distance between me and my delinquent father as I could, and of course to come home, I never envisioned what would happen next.

Darling Mac met me off the boat and we repaired to the Windsor where I had booked a suite – The Windsor, Janey and I could only dream of staying there long ago, so of course I was going to stay there. There was an invitation to luncheon with Lydia Andrews and her husband, and Aunt Prudence – ah well, some things must be born with fortitude.

What a kerfuffle there was; Lydia's husband, John, was dead ...

Diary this was my first murder, I met an Inspector with a lovely voice and a plan to make Melbourne safer, I wonder if he's married.

Anyway, what a tangled web, Lydia was a drug baron, her husband was a rapist and had got one of the housemaids in the family way, and it all let to an abortion ring, and the Inspector even took Dot in for questioning over John's murder!

There was a soiree, to raise money for the hospital, where I met a rather gorgeous dancer named Sasha – he was actually looking for the 'King of Snow' – he had lovely moves!

So, after Dot was taken in for questioning I had given her my address and told her if she needed a 'clever woman' she came round to me. A timid little thing, afraid of the telephone because her priest told her it would blow up the world – all that electricity running under the earth, but oh what a hand with the needle, she repaired my stockings so beautifully I couldn't see where I'd torn them! She organised my wardrobe and my suite – truly a find.

Bless her, she volunteered to help me catch the abortionist – Butcher George – and she was in terrible peril – but she said she should do it because the other housemaid was her friend and Alice had ended up in the Women's under Mac's care and the watchful eye of two communist cabbies who tried to charge me more than double to take me back to the Windsor. Of course I got the ride for what it should have cost and started to use them to take me round. Dot was everso brave and we managed to get her out in time, even if the cabbies' car failed to start.

I found Sasha trying to sell my earrings for cocaine (Mme Breda who was arranging the abortions was using drugs to pay for the ops, she was a friend of Lydia's) he got shot, only in the arm.

The upshot is we found out Lydia was running her drugs through a Turkish Bath-house so me and Sasha went there to break the ring. I left Dot in the suite and told her that if I didn't return by midnight she was to ring Detective Inspector Robinson at City South Police Station.

Lydia locked me and Sasha in a sauna and turned the heat up, Sasha couldn't cope and passed out, we both undress to help survive the heat and used towels to protect our modesty. I noticed the steam was coming from under the bench and found the valve. I took off Sasha's towel - well a girl should look respectable when she's rescued – and used it to protect my hands on the valve. The Inspector arrived and let us out, having been alerted by Dot, he didn't believe the cabbies, calls 'em my Red Raggers, I must admit I rather like him.

So here we are, I was in the lounge of the Windsor toasting our success on solving the crime – with a little help from the Victoria constabulary – when who should happen along but Detective Inspector Jack Robinson and his trusty sidekick, Constable Hugh Collins who, I am sure, is sweet on Dot. He had come to return my handbag – it didn't look good on him – I said he could join in the celebration of, as Mac put it handing him and Collins a glass of champagne, my newest venture – Robinson almost choked when I said I was going to be a Lady Detective.

So, here I am, back in Melbourne – The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher, Lady Detective – at your service.

I also bought the cabbies a new cab, after all I think I shall have them working for me – in between fares.

Next, a house.