Book Review: The Shorthand Sleuth Series – Two Melbourne Mysteries Worth Reading
The Shorthand Sleuth – Transcribing Death and its follow-up, The Shorthand Sleuth 2 – Fakes and Frauds, by Carmel Taylor, are historical fiction crime novels set in 1950s Melbourne. Together they follow Phillis Philpot, a young shorthand court reporter whose gift for transcription keeps drawing her into cases the police have overlooked.
When we first reviewed Transcribing Death, Phillis was just getting started. Now, with a second book in the series, readers can follow her from the courts of Melbourne all the way to the Old Bailey in London.
Meet Phillis Philpot: Forensic Phonographer
Phillis works as a freelance shorthand reporter, largely in the courts, and has noticed something most people miss: shorthand notes are often put aside without ever being transcribed. That observation led her to start her own venture, “Phil Philpot Forensic Phonographer,” transcribing notes others have overlooked and, more often than not, finding they contain far more than anyone expected.
Her aunt, Beatrice, a professional shorthand writer, was Phillis’s inspiration growing up, and much of Phillis’s lifestyle and opportunities trace back to what she absorbed from Beatrice. When Beatrice died suddenly, she left Phillis enough to buy her own apartment in an art deco building in Carlton — the beginning of Phillis’s independent life in Melbourne.
Book One: The Shorthand Sleuth – Transcribing Death
Phillis, a shorthand court reporter for Victoria’s Supreme Court, believes untranscribed shorthand notes could contain crucial evidence.
Her investigations often begin with unexpected discoveries — a friend’s diary, a mysterious note in a shorthand class, or a chance find in a second-hand bookshop. Phillis’s intuition and insatiable curiosity soon earn her a reputation as “Phil Philpot, Forensic Phonographer.”
Contributor review
Seeing the Book Review for The Shorthand Sleuth- Transcribing Death, by Carmel Taylor on the Seniors In Melbourne Facebook Page I was immediately interested as I did shorthand at school and also practiced for about 3-4 years as a young office girl.
This engaging historical fiction crime novel set in the 1950s was easy for me empathise with as I was born in the 50s. I loved that many Melbourne locations mentioned are familiar to me. So many of the expectations and roles of women in the workforce etc were also familiar. But the most amazing thing was how the story centred around “shorthand”.
This is so intriguing and different from any other murder mysteries that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed this writer’s style and story.
– Terrie
Book Two: The Shorthand Sleuth 2 – Fakes and Frauds
In the second instalment, Phillis spots shorthand notes on a Russell Street detective’s desk — notes that had been dismissed as irrelevant to a suicide scene. As a trusted collaborator with a track record of solving cases, she’s given the chance to transcribe them, and what she uncovers turns out to be far more than anyone anticipated.
Phillis’s standing in Melbourne’s shorthand community, along with her ties to a professional women’s group, proves useful here too. When a shorthand note turns up in the pocket of an unconscious victim, Phillis pieces it together with material she finds tucked away in a second-hand filing cabinet, uncovering threads that run through local government corruption, a cold case and a tangled love affair.
The trail eventually leads well beyond Melbourne. Phillis’s grasp of historic shorthand makes her a key witness in a court case at the Old Bailey in London — a trip her Aunt Beatrice had once promised to take her on, before she passed away.
A Walking Tour Through Melbourne’s Shorthand History
Carmel’s interest in shorthand history extends well beyond the page. She’s developed the Shorthand History Tour of Melbourne, a free, self-guided walking tour that takes in the shorthand history woven through our CBD grid, including the link between women shorthand writers and the campaign for the Victorian women’s vote.
The tour is listed on walkingmaps.com.au and can be followed on a smartphone or tablet, complete with maps, photographs and history commentary — meaning it can be enjoyed from anywhere, including from home. Carmel has had messages from readers in the UK who’ve taken the tour as an armchair experience from their lounge rooms.
Melbourne’s Shorthand Legacy, Recognised Overseas
Carmel’s non-fiction book, With Pencils Poised – A History of Shorthand in Australia, was the spark for the Shorthand Sleuth series, and it continues to open doors. The book has recently been added to the collection of the Saxony University Library in Dresden, Germany — home, according to Carmel, to the world’s largest collection of stenographic items, with tens of thousands of artefacts across dozens of languages, some dating back to the 1600s. Carmel travelled to Germany to present the book in person to the library’s Director of Stenographic Services.
The Author’s Journey into Shorthand History
Carmel’s interest in shorthand arose when her aunt gifted her a 1915 edition shorthand book. She was hooked from that time on. After working as a stenographer, then personal assistant, Carmel accepted a teaching position which included teaching shorthand.
That 1915 book was the start of Carmel’s growing collection of antiquarian shorthand books, some dating back to the early 1700s.
During a visit to Buenos Aires, where she inspected the rare shorthand book collection in the Argentinian Congress Library, Carmel met the Director of Stenographers of the Congress of Argentina. That meeting was what led her to write With Pencils Poised.
“The Director asked if I could provide some history on shorthand in Australia to be used in the weekly radio program about shorthand, appropriately called ‘Drawn Words’. It is broadcast worldwide from the Congressional Library,” Carmel said.
Carmel agreed, thinking she’d simply look up what had been written and send on the information. She was surprised to find that no one had documented Australia’s rich shorthand history — so she set out to do it herself. The result was published by Australian Scholarly, and many segments have since been broadcast on Drawn Words.
Shorthand for Fun and Brain Health
As a volunteer with U3A Melbourne, Carmel tutors a Pitman shorthand revision class designed to keep the brain active while having fun. Participants work through puzzles, games and old postcards written in shorthand — a bit of real-life sleuthing that echoes Phillis Philpot’s own methods.
“Like all languages, shorthand is wonderful for good brain health. A pilot study in Germany showed that shorthand writers who wrote shorthand regularly retained or improved their memory during the course of the five-year study. We have shorthand writers attending U3A who haven’t written shorthand for decades. They’re amazed at how quickly it comes back to them,” Carmel said.
The course draws on shorthand stories, crossword puzzles, “What Am I’s” and card games with clues written in shorthand — no tests, no pressure.
“My motto is ‘we’re here for enjoyment, not for employment’, which pretty well sums it up. Sometimes we decipher old postcards written in shorthand — doing a little bit of sleuthing ourselves, just like Phillis Philpot.”
A Unique Slice of Melbourne History
Readers interested in Melbourne’s history, women’s independence or niche careers will find both books in the Shorthand Sleuth series worth picking up. Across two books, Phillis Philpot’s adventures show how a skill most of us have never learned can uncover what everyone else has missed — from Russell Street to the Old Bailey.
Where to Buy
The Shorthand Sleuth – Transcribing Death is available here on Amazon Australia.
The Shorthand Sleuth 2 – Fakes and Frauds is available on Amazon Australia.
With Pencils Poised…: A History of Shorthand in Australia is available here on Amazon Australia.
Sign up for Carmel’s shorthand course, or find other courses, at U3A Melbourne.
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