Review: The Butterfly Women

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.

 

Review: The Starlets

Title:The Starlets

Author: Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne

Publisher: 12th November 2024 by Harper Muse

Pages: 384 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Real life is turning out to be stranger than a script for the silver screen.

Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen in Apex Pictures’ big-budget Troy epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancée-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is headlining instead.

The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers.

Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the arch rivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight.

My Thoughts

A story set in the 1950s involving glamorous movie stars would be enough to entice me. However, when you also include movie worthy baddies versus goodies pursuit throughout Europe - from Mediterranean islands, to Monaco, to the Alps - then all is set for a romping read. 

The Starlets is a fun, fast paced story in the style of an old Hollywood movie where two female leads go from enemies to friends in order to solve the mystery.  An old fashioned movie set with a good murder mystery thrown in is a sure fire winner in my view. The authors so cleverly achieved a balance between old Hollywood celebrity drama, to daring Mafia pursuits, to old fashioned comedy! They certainly captured the ‘feel’ from this era. It reads like a movie playing out in your mind's eye. 

This is more than a historical fiction story. It is a classic adventure story  of two women coming together as the drama unfolds. The Starlets is  glamour, action and suspense all rolled into one. If this is your vibe then get ready for a fun and entertaining read. 

‘Movies are the closest thing we have to magic. Every problem, complication, disaster solved in an hour and a half. Every hero deserving of love and redemption.’

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.

 

Review: The Frozen River

Title: The Frozen River

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: 1st November 2023 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 432 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who investigates a shocking murder that unhinges her small community.

Maine, 1789: When a man is found entombed in the frozen Kennebec River, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As the local midwife and healer, Martha is good at keeping secrets. Her diary is a record of every birth, death and debacle that unfolds in the town of Hallowell. In that diary she has also documented the details of an alleged rape that occurred by one of the town’s most esteemed gentlemen – the same man who has now been found dead in the ice. 

While certain townspeople are eager to put both matters to rest, Martha suspects that the two crimes are linked, and that there is more to both cases than meets the eye. Over the course of one long, hard winter, whispers and prejudices mount, and Martha’s diary lands at the centre of the scandal, threatening to tear both her family and her community apart.   

In her newest offering, Ariel Lawhon brings to life a brave and compassionate unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice on behalf of those no one else would protect. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense and tender story of a remarkable woman who had the courage to take a stand, and in the process wrote herself into history.

My Thoughts

‘The frozen river alters every facet of life for those who live along it, yet the judges take the inconvenience as a personal slight.’

I first came across Ariel with her book, Flight of Dreams (about the Hindenburg disaster) in 2016 - it was brilliant. Then in 2020 I read, Code Name Hélène (about Nancy Wake) - once again, brilliant. It is therefore needless to say, I was filled with anticipation about her latest even though I knew nothing of a midwife from 1789 in post revolution America. I do now - and boy! I will not soon forget it. 

‘I cry. Mostly for Rebecca and the tiny, unwanted beating heart deep within her womb. But also for myself. And our daughters. And for every other woman who lives, suffers, and dies by the mercurial whims of men.’

The Frozen River is, in a nutshell, outstanding historical fiction. It is based on fact stemming from the diary of one midwife born in 1735, one Martha Ballard. Martha wrote a daily diary - short facts recording births, deaths, the weather etc. Let us be clear, Ariel states herself that this is her version of “what could have happened in this woman’s life. It is not a biography, nor do I claim to be an historian. I’m simply a storyteller, and I have felt, for fifteen years, that Martha’s story is worth telling.”  Let me tell you … it is!

“Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality.”

Regaled here is one long, brutal winter in 1789 that marked a decidedly momentous time for the community of Hallowell. Yes, this is a tale of the everyday life of living in a small post-Revolution community with a definite focus on the plight of women. However, so so cleverly tied into this is a murder mystery of the highest calibre that will have you guessing to the very end. 

“I simply ask that Mr. Sewall record in the official court documents that there are contradicting views as to the cause of Mr. Burgess’s death. One that states accidental drowning.” I pause for effect. “And one that states murder.”

The detail and specifics that Ariel delivers to her readers is nothing short of spectacular. Be sure to take time to truly sink into Ariel’s, ‘Author Notes’ at the conclusion. Martha is such an extraordinary character and I have so much respect for her courage and the women she sought to care for and represent. I also reveled in the very special relationship she has with her husband, Ephraim. 

‘We are in the twilight years of a long love affair, and it has recently occurred to me that a day will come when one of us buries the other. But, I remind myself, that is the happy ending to a story like ours. It is a vow made and kept. Till death do us part. It is the only acceptable outcome to a long and happy marriage, and I am determined not to fear that day, whenever it arrives. I am equally determined to soak up all the days between.’

The Frozen River is a definite stand out book for me in 2023 and I highly recommend it to all as it ticks so many boxes. It is complex yet clear in regaling readers about a very special woman from history. If a tale rich in research of a time, place, people and intrigue. Sound inviting?  Do yourself a favour and read it. 

‘I cannot say why it is so important that I make this daily record. Perhaps because I have been doing so for years on end? Or maybe - if I am being honest - it is because these markings of ink and paper will one day be the only proof that I have existed in this world. That I lived and breathed. That I loved a man and the many children he gave me. It is not that I want to be remembered, per se. I have done nothing remarkable. Not by the standards of history, at least. But I am here.’

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.

Review: All She Wants

Title: All She Wants

Author: Kelli Hawkins

Publisher: 2nd March 2022 by HarperCollins Australia

Pages: 307 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Ask no questions. Tell no lies. The utterly compelling new novel from the bestselling author of Other People's Houses

Lindsay just wants to be a mother. And when she discovers her partner is leaving her for another woman, her dreams are left in tatters. He was her last chance at a family ... or was he?

Then she meets Jack, they fall hard for each other, and suddenly everything seems perfect. But why is his sister Natalie so strangely protective of him, yet eager to pass the responsibility to Lindsay? Who are these siblings, why did they really leave the UK, and what terrifying secrets lie in their past?

And does Lindsay really want to know?

My Thoughts

Having read Kelli’s previous debut book, Other People’s Houses, I was eager to see where she would go from there. I am happy to say that once more Kelli has delivered another great domestic thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

‘The moment stretched out as if weighted with its own importance.’

This is a story told mainly through two characters - Natalie, a Private Investigator and Lindsay who comes to her with suspicions that her partner is cheating on her. They keep in contact and, in fact, Natalie introduces her to her brother Jack. Lindsay and Jack get along with both seemingly wanting similar things in life. Yet, there just seems to be other factors at play here. Questions arise without answers. Are secrets being kept? Why did these siblings leave the UK? You will, of course, have your suspicions, with Kelli delivering a writing style full of plot twists and turns that you cannot help but see you rushing to find out exactly how things will end up.

‘Sounds perfect.’ They agreed on a time and Natalie rang off a delicious thrum of anticipation zipping through her veins.’

All She Wants is a wonderful domestic psychological thriller that I certainly recommend for lovers of this genre filled with suspense and drama.

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.