Name: The Girl in the Painting
ISBN: 9780785240334

Tea Cooper

Ranging from the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, the bucolic English countryside to the charm of Maitland Town, this compelling historical mystery in the company of an eccentric and original heroine is rich with atmosphere and detail.

The Girl in the Painting

For readers of the The True Story of Maddie Bright, The Woman in the Green Dress and The Birdman's Wife comes this atmospheric and richly detailed Australian historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author. Maitland 1913 Miss Elizabeth Quinn is something of an institution in Maitland Town. For longer than anyone could remember she and her brother, businessman Michael, have lived in the impressive two-storey stone house next to the church. When she is discovered cowering in the corner of the exhibition gallery at the Technical College the entire town knows something strange has come to pass. Was it the prehistoric remains or perhaps the taxidermy exhibition that had reduced the whale-boned encased pillar of society to a quivering mess? Or is there something odd about a striking painting on loan from the National Gallery? Mathematical savant Jane Piper is determined to find out. Deposited on the doorstep of the local orphanage as a baby, she owes her life and education to the Quinn's philanthropic ventures and Elizabeth has no one else to turn to. As the past and the present converge, Elizabeth's grip on reality loosens. Can Jane, with her logical brain and penchant for puzzles, unravel Elizabeth's story before it is too late? Ranging from the gritty reality of the Australian goldfields to the grand institutions of Sydney, the bucolic English countryside to the charm of Maitland Town, this compelling historical mystery in the company of an eccentric and original heroine is rich with atmosphere and detail. PRAISE FOR TEA COOPER 'Boasts strong female protagonists, an infectious fascination with the past, and the narrative skill to weave multiple timelines into a satisfying whole...smartly edited, cleanly written...easy to devour.' - Sydney Morning Herald on The Woman in the Green Dress 'Cooper is a welcome inclusion to the rising ranks of female-centred historical Australian novels.' - The Herald Sun on The Naturalist's Daughter

Anyaconda

This was a perfectly enjoyable read. Exactly what I expected. This is a dual time line mystery- historical fiction, taking place in Australia and England. It covers racism during this time, the gold Rush, immigration and workhouses.
I found I got annoyed at the author when she told us for the 20th time that Jane has an aptitude for numbers or put down Jane's weird thinking pattern around numbers. I just wanted to say: Yes, we got it! She loves numbers! Move on!
I also wanted to have the other characters fleshed out more and I'd have loved to read more about Elizabeth and Jing.
Another thing that had me puzzled was when the author described the murderer of the prince as "poor prisoner". He just gunned down a person in cold blood! He's not a poor prisoner... 
The writing style is often very subtle and you have to fill in the gaps for yourself. The ending was satisfying (good old me wanted a bit of romance). If you enjoy a mystery-historical family story, definitely pick up this book. No romance though.

I won this book as an ARC in a giveaway.

The Girl in the Painting

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