Books and stories have always held a special place in my heart. One of my earliest memories is a birthday present from my grandfather. An illustrated copy of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales. I couldn’t read, I could hardly balance the book on my lap, but it opened a world beyond my drab existence in post war London. A world of fantasy and dreams, a world I’ve escaped to many times over the years. The stories I write always have a basis in fact. They spring from a titbit overheard, a person I met, a place I visited or they fill an unrecorded gap in history. They tell of secrets and memories, of mysteries and passions. Come, step into my world—you are most welcome.
COMING SOON THE TANGLED WEB
Releasing October 28th The new 2025 twisty historical mystery of disguise, deception and blood from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Talented Mrs Greenway.
The sudden death of a beloved brother leads a young woman on a quest to find a missing boy and into a tangled web of mystery, blood and fear. When Viola' Oswald's beloved brother Sebastian dies of a hereditary blood disease, Viola suspects her stepfather, prestigious surgeon Elias Sinclair, has used Sebastian's illness to enhance his reputation. But Viola has no proof until she discovers a letter within the pages of Sebastian's favourite book-Lamb's Tales of Shakespeare. A letter that sends a determined Viola, on a journey to the country town of Maitland to find a homeless boy who suffered at her stepfather's hands and can provide the proof she needs. Once there, Viola finds help from an independent local seamstress and a clever lawyers' clerk, as well as a ragtag bunch of urchins. As the dark story unfolds it becomes clear that the missing boy's fate is intertwined with her own and that terrible cruelties are being committed by her stepfather in the name of medical advancement. Viola fears for her mother, the child she is about to birth and all the homeless boys caught up in a terrifying web of deceit and death. Will she find the evidence to bring her stepfather to justice in time to save them?
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Tea Cooper is a prolific author of historical fiction who has cemented herself as a master storyteller. Jane Tara, Better Reading An infectious fascination with the past.' Sydney Morning Herald Cooper’s confident prose and deep empathy for her characters will keep readers hooked as she unspools her intrigue-filled mystery. US Publishers Weekly Her writing is transcendent and she brings the times, characters, locations and world to life in such a visceral way.' Little but Fierce Book Diary The narrative skill to weave multiple timelines into a satisfying whole…smartly edited, cleanly written…easy to devour.’ Sydney Morning Herald Cooper is a welcome inclusion to the rising ranks of female-centred historical Australian novels.’ The Herald Sun