Title: The Butterfly Women
Author: Madeleine Cleary
Publisher: 29th April 2025 by Simon & Schuster (Australia) | Affirm Press
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
Synopsis:
It's 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new façade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious red-light district of Little Lon, full of brothels where rich and poor alike can revel all night. The most glamorous among them is Papillon, home to the most alluring women in the city.
For poor Irishwoman Johanna Callaghan, a job at Papillon could be her ticket to success, but in a time when women's lives are cheap, it also brings great danger. Meanwhile, for respectable women like journalist Harriett Gardiner, Papillon is strictly off-limits, but when a murderer begins stalking the streets of Little Lon, she becomes determined to visit it and find the truth.
As both women are drawn into the hunt for the killer, a long-hidden side of old Melbourne is revealed. Lush, dark and meticulously researched, The Butterfly Women weaves romance and mystery into an unforgettable tale of Australian history, and the women so often erased from it.
My Thoughts
Madeleine's debut novel, The Butterfly Women is a sure-fire winner - I loved it. Melbourne in 1863 is growing exponentially thanks to the discovery of gold, however, all that glitters is not gold. This shiny new façade conceals the real Melbourne where the notorious red-light district of Little Lon is found. Brothels are attended by rich and poor alike and the most glamorous among them is Papillon, home to the most alluring women in the city. A murderer is stalking the streets of Little Lon, including the Butterfly women, and it must be stopped.
‘We may resemble pretty little butterflies, Captain, but we have been in more fights and know these streets better than your men.’
Reading about the Melbourne of this era was absolutely fascinating. Combine that with memorable women and a page turning murder mystery and I couldn’t put it down. The story is told through the voices of four women: Johanna an Irish ‘dressed’ woman, Catherine the brothel owner, Mary who police patrols the streets in her husband's uniform and Harriet a respected journalist. All these women’s lives interconnect as together they work towards trying to get by in a man’s world. It was so engrossing to read about my city from a time long past. A stunning debut filled with twists and turns told through a feminist lens.
‘For while John and many of the town’s men failed to find their fortunes on the goldfields, Catherine and the women they’d left behind found theirs in the boarding houses and brothels of this dusty town.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
