Do Miss Fisher and Jack get together in the books

Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger were looking for a book to adapt into a television series. They chose Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries not only because the main character had such a wide appeal but also because the setting and time period were unique and compelling. What began as an Australian written and produced show has traveled worldwide. The show has been nominated for several awards for acting, writing, costuming, and music and has gone international.

The show is interesting to watch because of the mysteries and sometimes shocking details hidden in a character's past or backstory. Viewers of the show who have also read the books will be a step ahead. There are some things you'll understand better about the show if you're familiar with the books, and other details that will fly right over your head if you've never read them at all. Please note that the following contains spoilers for those who haven't finished the series nor read the books.

10 Is it Ms or Miss?

In the original books by Kerry Greenwood, the title is Miss, although historically Ms was also in use at the time. The title "Ms" is used in the series Ms. Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. This is a spinoff series that features Peregrine Fisher, Phryne's estranged niece, who inherits her fortune while living in the psychedelic Melbourne of the 1960s. There was a backlash against the use of "Miss" when Peregrine was in her heyday, which would explain our modern heroine rejecting the title and using Ms. instead. The spin-off has nothing to do with the books, other than the main character's family connection to Phryne Fisher.

9 The "TV Tie-In" Edition

The show doesn't recount the adventures of Miss Fisher in the exact same way as the books do. Some details are different while some stories have been altogether changed. You might have seen versions of the book with photos from the show on the cover as opposed to the watercolor illustrations by artist Beth Norling and got the impression that they were different, with one following the show and the other the books. The books with the illustrations are the standard edition while the ones with stills from the TV show are the "tie-in" editions, but the contents are the same.

8 Elementary, My Dear Dot

Fans who have read the books already know this little secret. Phryne keeps quiet about it in the show, never pointing it out overtly. Her home address is the same as the famous Sherlock Holmes, 221b. In the series, she's inherited the house and had no say regarding the number outside. It's an upscale home that suits her either way.

In the books, however, she makes a conscious choice to settle in a metropolitan suburb of Melbourne and chooses her house based on little more than the number, 221, and adds the "b" later on. She openly admits that she wanted the house because the address was the same as that famous resident of 221 Downing Street, Sherlock Holmes.

7 The Non-Drama of Jack and Phryne

In the show, Jack and Phryne never get together despite some tense, close moments. Their eternal dance might not make a lot of sense if you've only watched the show since in the TV series Jack is estranged from his wife and doesn't have any children. In the books, Jack is a dedicated family man who dotes on his wife and kids, which makes his reluctance to get involved with Miss Fisher more understandable. It's also more fitting with his character, that of a painfully honest law enforcement officer.

6 Her Name

Getting the names of major characters right is a lot easier when you're reading a book. It's easy to think that Miss Fisher's first name is something like Friday or Fanny until you read the credits or check out the summary on the IMDb. Her name makes sense if you read the books and you even get to find out where it came from. When her father attended her christening, he forgot the Greek name they had chosen, Psyche, and instead, he chose the name of a famous ancient Greek courtesan, Phryne. Ironically, that seems to suit her better.

5 The Peerage

Time to brush up on some more early 20th century English. This is another obscure part of Phryne's background that you'll understand better if you read the books.  In both the books and TV show, she's always introduced with the title Honorable, which denotes her aristocratic heritage. Viewers of the series catch the occasional glimpse of a humble childhood and can put together that she inherited her wealth and title at a later date.

The books explain how this all happened a lot better. All of the male heirs to a British peerage, with the exception of Phryne's father, were killed in World War 1 making him the sole heir to a fortune and title. The peerage system is a complex one, but to sum it up, it's an archaic legal system in which the nation's sovereign confers special rights and privileges on certain families. For example, in the TV show, her father has the title of Baron, but in the books, he's an Earl.

4 How It All Started

In the series, Phryne's idea to become a private detective happens by accident when she stumbles upon a murder case upon arriving home. In the books, it's a process that begins in England and takes years, finally leading her back to her native Australia. Phryne first demonstrates her prowess for deduction at the family's estate in the old country by finding a stolen necklace. Impressed by her skills, another guest at the party asks her to travel to Australia to see how his daughter is faring in her new marriage. Once she's back in Melbourne, she decides to stay.

3 Her Fortune

In the series, the viewer is expected to accept that Phryne's vast wealth comes from her inherited money alone. In the books, she has another source of income that's never explained. Phryne worked as a battlefield nurse in France during World War 1 as part of a women's ambulance unit, making her a bone-fide war veteran and therefore, entitled to a pension. It's implied that her fortune is so vast that it's more than she can ever spend, which is why she often works as a detective for free, and this further establishes her total financial independence.

2 The Aviatrix

When you watch the series, you never see Phryne learn how to shoot a gun or fly a plane. Viewers of the show will infer that it came from her experience in the war, but readers of the book know the rest of the equation. Phryne's upbringing in Australia also gave her some unique skills.

For example, she didn't just learn how to fly a plane for the war. Phryne met her friend Doctor Elizabeth MacMillan when the latter was looking for a pilot to take her to a remote island. There was a small community there that was in the grip of a flu epidemic and they needed medical attention. It's one of the skills that mark her out as typically Australian. Sometimes there's no way to reach the isolated outback or far-flung islands without a plane.

1 The Butlers

In the TV show, there's only one butler, the faithful and always punctual Tobias. You would think that Dot is the maid and cook, but she's really Phryne's personal retainer and assistant. Viewers of the series might wonder who does the major housekeeping work. This is explained in the books, in which the Butlers are a couple. Mrs. Butler is the cook and housekeeper, taking care of the majority of the cooking and cleaning work. Dot assists in this capacity, but needs time to see to Phryne's social calendar and daily outfits, so housekeeping isn't her main role.

NEXT: 15 British Murder Mysteries You Need To Watch