In the aftermath of her son Arthur's death, Aunt Prudence allows her psychiatrist to set up a sanatorium for "hysterical complaints" at her home. When one of the patients turns up dead in bed, Phryne investigates.
Tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: It's initially heavily implied that Prudence's psychiatrist is a con-man preying on her grief, or at least incompetent, but nope - he's actually very good at his job and very diligent in discharging his duties.
- Bury Your Disabled: Aunt Prudence’s developmentally disabled son, Arthur, is revealed to have died due to a congenital heart condition.
- Caught with Your Pants Down: The victim is found in bed, sans underwear, with a later reveal that she'd been prepping to use a vibrator that had been tampered with to electrocute her.
- Odd Friendship: Bert and Cec (especially Bert) and Aunt Prudence, largely due to how they were such good friends of Arthur's, to the point where Bert is even willing to keep secrets from Phryne for the sake of Prudence's peace of mind.
- Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: Discussed, as the whole idea behind "hysteria" as a medical complaint. (Short version: women who aren't being sexually satisfied tend to go a little nuts, for which the "treatment" is regular, clinically induced "hysterical paroxysm" - an orgasm.)
- The Shrink: Doctor Hayden Samuels is initially implied to be a snake-oil merchant taking advantage of Prudence, as he might have regarding many other wealthy female patients, though at the same time, it's repeatedly hinted that he is genuinely concerned about Prucence's mental health following her son's loss and he tries to get her to open up, even very seriously telling Phryne - who's interviewing him in connection to a murder and is already plainly suspicious of him - to get her aunt help "by whatever means you find acceptable." Before long, it's proven that whatever one might say about his use of homeopathic remedies (accepted in the time period), he's actually a rather good psychiatrist who is both concerned for and very protective of his patients.
