The woman in the green dress

Tea Cooper

eBook - 2020

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 o...f 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. "Readers of Kate Morton and Beatriz Williams will be dazzled. The Woman in the Green Dress spins readers into an evocative world of mystery and romance in this deeply researched book by Tea Cooper. There is a Dickensian flair to Cooper's carefully constructed world of lost inheritances and found treasures as two indomitable women stretched across centuries work to reconcile their pasts while reclaiming love, identity and belonging against two richly moving historical settings. As soon as you turn the last page you want to start again just to see how every last thread is sewn in anticipation of its thrilling conclusion. One of the most intelligent, visceral and vibrant historical reads I have had the privilege of visiting in an age." -Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration "Refreshing and unique, The Woman in the Green Dress sweeps you across the wild lands of Australia in a thrilling whirl of mystery, romance, and danger. This magical tale weaves together two storylines with a heart-pounding finish that is drop-dead gorgeous." -J'nell Ciesielski, author of The Socialite - Full-length historical story with both romance and mystery - Stand-alone novel - Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs

Saved in:
Subjects
Genres
Historical fiction
Mystery fiction
Published
[United States] : Thomas Nelson 2020.
Language
English
Corporate Author
hoopla digital
Main Author
Tea Cooper (author)
Corporate Author
hoopla digital (-)
Online Access
Instantly available on hoopla.
Cover image
Physical Description
1 online resource
Format
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
ISBN
9780785235163
Access
AVAILABLE FOR USE ONLY BY IOWA CITY AND RESIDENTS OF THE CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS OF JOHNSON COUNTY, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, HILLS, AND LONE TREE (IA).
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Australian author Cooper's historical novel about her homeland takes place during two different times, generating suspense. In London during WWI, Fleur Richards, a waitress, marries an Australian soldier named Hugh. At the end of the war, she learns that he has been killed and that he has left her land and a more mysterious inheritance, which includes a curio shop. Reluctant to accept this legacy, Fleur makes the long and daunting journey alone to Sydney, and on to Mogo Creek. Once there, she is amazed at what she discovers about Hugh and his family secrets. Cooper then brings readers back to 1853, when, after losing her parents, Della Atterton stays in Mogo Creek, using her taxidermy skills to supply the family's shop in Sydney. She's the heir, but she allows her Aunt Cordelia to run the business. Then one day, handsome Captain Stefan von Richter arrives after witnessing atrocities committed against the local Darkinjung people by Della's aunt's employees. Della must go to Sydney to pursue justice, which ends up being a dangerous quest. Cooper has fashioned a richly intriguing tale.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.