Blooming with Books: The Woman in the Green Dress ~ Review

The Woman in the Green Dress
By Tea Copper

The Woman in the Green Dress is an excellent read. The book takes place in two time periods 1853 and 1919 with the majority of the story taking place in Australia.

Fleur Richards is a newly-wed widow who has inherited her late husband's properties in Australia. Fleur doesn't believe Hugh is dead as she never properly received notice. But once she arrives in Australia all is as confusing as it was when she first received word of her altered state while in London. Fleur is on a mission to make sure that Hugh's rightful kin get his holdings. But finding the truth of the matter and discovering who her husband truly was is no easy task. She will have to delve into the past to get to the truth.

Della Atterton has removed herself from Sydney following the death of her parents. She is carrying on the work her father entrusted to her. But when she receives unsettling news that points to someone misusing her father's business and threatening the local population she finds herself returning to Sydney.

Captain Stefan von Richter has made a name for himself in his service to the man who saved his life. He has a definite sense of right and wrong, which is aroused when he witnesses a display of excessive cruelty, though he is but a visitor to Australia he refuses to allow the evil he has seen continue. But the prejudices of those who have taken Australia and called it home are not easily swayed.

This book is a historical romantic mystery that offers a glimpse into the past of Australia, a past that subjugated those deemed less worthy as little better than animals (or in some cases less than). When people turn a blind eye to this behavior they lower themselves to perpetuate this continuance of hate and evil. This is an excellent but harsh read. Della and Stefan are people who are to be admired as they try to stop and right the wrong they see. And Fleur is a woman of determination who wants to do the right thing and learn more about her husband. If you like a story that will intrigue and capture your attention you have found it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

A cursed opal,

a gnarled family tree

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, remarkably preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of 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.

Purchase Links

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About Tea Cooper

Tea Cooper is an Australian author of historical and contemporary fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist, and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.