Thomas Nelson
Paperback, eBook, & AudioBook
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Synopsis
A cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a sinister woman in a green dress emerge in the aftermath of World War I.
After a whirlwind romance, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can’t wait for her new husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she heads to his beloved home
country of Australia in search of the relatives who deserve it more.
In spite of her reluctance, she soon finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future.
This romantic mystery from award-winning Australian novelist Tea Cooper will keep readers guessing until the astonishing conclusion.
My Thoughts
I read this novel at the start of 2019 not long after it was first released in Australia. At that time I wasn’t able to write a review, so when invited to take part in this blog tour for the novel’s release in the U.S., I jumped at the chance to promote another of Tea Cooper’s excellent novels.
My second read of this novel was just as good as the first. In fact, I think perhaps it was better, as I picked up on a few details that hadn’t registered with me before.
The story is set over two timelines: Sydney in the mid 1800s and 1919. At the centre of the story is the Curio Shop of Wonders and a woman in a green dress (Scheele's Green, no less). In 1853, the shop is a thriving business selling, among other things, native artifacts and taxidermied animals. Sixty six years later, the shop, now derelict and boarded up, is part of Fleur Richards' inheritance, as is the property at Mogo Creek.
It is at Mogo Creek, in 1853, that Captain Stefan von Richter meets Della Atterton, the taxidermist responsible for the mounts on display in the Curio Shop of Wonders. Stefan is in the area to view the native flora and fauna, and also to carry out a secret commission to collect a precious stone, an opal, on behalf of his mentor, Baron von Hugel. The latter, however, proves more problematic than Stefan anticipates.
Alarmed by Stefan's recounting of his visit to the shop and his meeting with Cordelia Atterton, her aunt, Della reveals that she is the owner of the shop and decides to accompany Stefan back to Sydney. When Della begins to question the direction the business has taken and the method by which indigenous artifacts have been acquired, her aunt disappears.
Meanwhile, in 1919, Fleur Richards arrives in Sydney determined to find her husband's relatives and return the inheritance. Her plans are thwarted by her husband’s solicitor being away on business and his office in turmoil as the result of a recent move. As her questions cannot be answered immediately, Fleur decides to find out more about her husband and his family on her own. Her visit to the property at Mogo Creek leaves her none the wiser. It is the boarded up shop that will eventually reveal the Richards' family secrets and leave Fleur bewildered and devastated.
As a reader of historical murder mysteries, the mention of Scheele's Green early on set my mind whirling and imagining all sorts of scenarios. Not because of the colour, but the significance of what it contains: arsenic. The use of arsenic in taxidermy made for interesting reading, as did the process itself. Taxidermy was an unusual trade for a woman in Victorian times and brought a unique aspect to the story, especially as Della is conflicted by how some of the animals she works on met their fate.
While I enjoyed the romance between Della and Stefan, it was the mystery that grabbed my attention and how skilfully and seamlessly the two timelines were brought together at the end, when Fleur finally uncovers the history of her husband's family and the opal, and what happened to the woman in the green dress.
This is the best Tea Cooper novel I've read to date and have no hesitation in recommending it. I can't wait to see where her next novel takes us.
Amazon Aus | Amazon US | Barnes and Noble | Booktopia | IndieBound | Kobo
About the Author
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, June 16
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Wednesday, June 17
Review at McCombs on Main
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Interview at The Caffeinated Bibliophile
Thursday, June 18
Review at Passages to the Past
Friday, June 19
Review at The Lit Bitch
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Saturday, June 20
Feature at What Is That Book About
Monday, June 22
Review at Captivated Pages
Review at Books and Backroads
Tuesday, June 23
Interview at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, June 24
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Friday, June 26
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Review at Books, Writings, and More
Saturday, June 27
Review at A Darn Good Read
Sunday, June 28
Review at Rejoice in Reading
Monday, June 29
Feature at I'm All About Books
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Tuesday, June 30
Interview at Jorie Loves A Story
Giveaway (US Only)
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 paperback copies of The Woman in the Green Dress! To enter, please use the Gleam form HERE
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
I totally agree - this book was fantastic! Thank you very much for hosting the tour & for your wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteAmy
HF Virtual Book Tours
Tea Cooper is a great writer! It's a pleasure to promote her books.
DeleteIt is interesting to see a dual time frame like this. Normally it would be contemporary and then looking back! Not historical and looking back even further.
ReplyDeleteThat was an unusual aspect of the novel, but one that worked very well.
Delete