The Girl In The Painting
By (Author) Tea Cooper
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
HQ Fiction
7th October 2020
Australia
General
Fiction
Paperback
400
Width 129mm, Height 199mm, Spine 30mm
370g
For readers of 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 Quinns' 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 excels at creating strong and unique female characters set within interesting backdrops of Australian social history.' - Historical Novel Society on The Girl in the Painting
Tea Cooper is an established Australian author of contemporary and historical 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. She is the internationally bestselling author of several novels, including most recently The Naturalist's Daughter; the USA Today-bestselling The Woman in the Green Dress; The Girl in the Painting; The Cartographer's Secret, winner of the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award; and The Fossil Hunter. To find out more, visit Tea on her website. You can also follow Tea on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.