Belinda Donovan reviews historical romance thriller, 'The Butterfly Women', by Madeleine Cleary.
THE BUTTERFLY WOMEN is a gripping, beautifully written read. Set in 1860s Melbourne, the story follows Johanna, a young Irish woman who ends up in a brothel after being kicked out onto the streets. It sounds bleak, but Madeleine Cleary writes in a way that portrays these women as being full of strength and heart.
The setting is vividly described, so you can practically smell the muddy streets and hear the bustle of gold rush-era Melbourne. The plot kicks off when a serial killer (known as the Butcher of Melbourne) starts targeting women and Johanna teams up with a gutsy journalist named Harriett to figure out what’s going on.
What I loved most was how the book focused on women who usually get left out of history. Cleary did her research and it shows in the way she brings that world to life. It’s part mystery, part historical drama, and all about women surviving and fighting back in a brutal, unfair world.
It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but it’s rich and rewarding if you like character-driven stories with a dark edge. Definitely worth a read if you’re into historical fiction with gutsy female leads.
'The Butterfly Women', by Madeleine Cleary, is published by Simon and Schuster.
This book was reviewed by an IA Book Club member. If you would like to receive free high-quality books and have your review published on IA, subscribe to receive your complimentary IA Book Club membership.
Belinda Donovan has worked all over the world as an IT executive. She is the partner of founder David Donovan and, by far, Independent Australia's foremost benefactor.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
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