What connects a botanical illustration of a butterfly with a missing baby and an enigma fifty years in the making? A twisty historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.
1868 Morpeth NSW Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family's country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie's new-born son goes missing and everything changes. 1922 Sydney NSW When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation - an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?
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Tea Cooper blends fact and fiction to deliver a story that is rich in intrigue and wonderfully immersive. The Burgeoning Bookshelf. The Butterfly Collector blends meticulous research with gorgeous prose to bring Australian history to life in a way that is captivating, vivid and absolutely new. Better Reading A twisty, complex mystery based on fact written over two timelines, the 1860s and the 1920s. The book is rich with historical fact and oozes the atmosphere of these times. Sandy's Book a Day The Butterfly Collector is USA TODAY bestselling author Tea Cooper at her best. Barnes and Noble Cooper melds fictional lives, scientific history, and social issues into a compassionate story. This will please fans of historicals with smart women protagonists. Publishers Weekly An enthralling, unforgettable story of heartbreak and hope, featuring equally compelling dual timelines, dynamic heroines, and a twisty mystery spanning generations. Tea Cooper's latest historical stunner is not to be missed. Amazon reviewer