Tea Cooper’s iconically Australian historical novels are always interesting reads. This one was told in two timelines, in young journalist Verity Blinks POV in the 1920s, and in the POV of Theodora Breckenridge in the 1860s as she becomes invloved with Sid and Clarrie, Verity’s grandparents. The story explores a suspected single mothers’ foundation and the illegal practice of ‘selling’ babies to wealthy families. Well written and with twists and turns to keep me reading. Thankyou to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a Digital ARC.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed many books by Cooper and was excitedly looking forward to reading and reviewing The Butterfly Collector. However, I must admit to struggling to read this book.
The story itself is a dual timeline with one thread in the late 1860s and the other in the 1920s, that, as all dual timelines do, eventually meet.
However, there are so many characters and timelines within each thread, I found it increasingly difficult to follow the story.
The title itself is a misnomer, with butterfly collection being a minor part of the storyline from the 1860s and a tenuous link to the 1920s with a mysterious butterfly costume and mask being sent to the main protagonist in that timeline, along with an invitation to a prestigious ball.
From my perspective, the title, and the confusing plethora of characters, overwhelmed what could have, and should have, been a fabulous story exposing the practice of baby farming that was still occurring in western society in the early 20th century. Young unwed women who found themselves ‘in the family way’ were shuffled off to institutions until after the birth. These women rarely saw their babies after birth, with forced adoptions, or advice the baby had died at birth commonplace. Many of these babies were then purchased by the wealthy and passed off as their own child, with prospective parents able to specify requirements such as hair, eye and skin colouring.
The book does highlight some interesting facts, with reference in the early timeline to the Scott sisters, who, most unusually for that time, were making a name for themselves as nature illustrators. Additionally, it raises the question of where the first Admiral butterfly was observed in Australia.
It is clear from the Author’s comments at the end of the book how much research went into the writing of this tale, and for that Cooper is, as always, to be commended. It is just unfortunate that in many ways the story felt forced. The link between the two timelines was clear from very early in the book, and there was a degree of frustration waiting for the characters to catch up with what was already obvious to us.
Lovers of Cooper’s work may well like me feel disappointed with this work. However, I am a firm believer that every author is entitled to one book that doesn’t quite hit the mark. I would encourage anyone who didn’t enjoy this book and is not familiar with Cooper’s work to read some of her other books, which are fabulous.
As much as it breaks my heart not to recommend a Tea Cooper book, I cannot in all honesty give this book more than 2.5.

This was an interesting historical mystery/suspense story with well rounded characters. The story moved at a reasonable pace and was a good read.

The Butterfly Collector is a lovely, captivating historical fiction set in Sydney and the town of Morpeth near Maitland, across two timelines that merge as the story and mysteries unfold. 

Being familiar with an area enjoys my reading of a novel set in that place, so this book had me well covered. I enjoyed the stories in both timelines and how they ultimately came together, as well as all the main characters. 

This is a book about women, love, instincts, uncovering truths, family connections, discovery and achievement. I'll definitely be looking into more of this author's work.

A little bit history, a little bit romance, a little bit of suspense. What else could I ask for?

I have a passion for well written, Australian historical fiction and The Butterfly Collector certainly fits that category. From the start the story had me invested.

This is the first time I have read a Tea Cooper story and I have already bought another for my reading pile.

It is a delicious blend of fact and fiction, told in two timelines and two locations - Morpeth NSW 1868 and Sydney 1922 - but does not confuse the reader.

The story begins in 1922 when Verity Binks, a journalist, is sacked from her job at Sydney Arrow newspaper. It is a common situation post World War I to open positions for soldiers returned from active service. However, her editor is happy to publish, and pay for, any stories of interest she sends him.

When she receives an invitation to a masquerade ball along with a butterfly costume, she embarks on an investigation that has her in Morpeth where her father was born.

Verity’s father was a well-known journalist and Verity is keen to follow in his footsteps by writing an interesting article. When an anonymous parcel arrives containing an invitation to the Sydney Artists’ Masquerade Ball and a butterfly costume her curiosity is piqued.

At the ball, she is introduced to Mr Treadwell who asks her to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation which supports unmarried mothers and their babies.

Her research takes her back to Morpeth, her grandfather’s birthplace.

The visit results in linking with the other storyline of the book as she learns about her connections with the Breckenridge.

The second story line is set in Morpeth in 1868 where we meet Theodora and her three sisters Florence, Constance, and Viola. They are mourning the loss of their parents and brother when a steamer ship hit a reef and sank.

Florence has decided their period of morning was over and they should go to Sydney and put themselves back out into society and find husbands.

In addition to preferring to painting and enjoying her mother’s garden to socialising, the thought of travelling on a steamer like her parents did terrifies her.

While painting in the garden, she discovers a butterfly never seen in Australia before. She knew the famous nature illustrators, the Scott sisters and is keen to follow in their footsteps.

Her search to find them again leads her on an adventure.

Clarrie is a maid working for the reverend but when he discovers she is pregnant he fires her. She and the baby’s father, Sid, have not been able to marry but find a local midwife, Maud, prepared to deliver the baby and look after him for a fee when Clarrie finds work with Theodora.

Our next character is Redmond, Sid’s employer at the local newspaper. Redmond is keen to spend time with Theodora and asks Sid if Clarrie would be a chaperone on a butterfly search on a river island.

Theodora and Clarrie get on well and Theodora offers her a job.

As the story continues, we learn Clarrie and Sid are Verity’s grandparents.

I highly recommend The Butterfly Collector to fans of Australian historical fiction and readers who like to relax with a good story and learn at the same time.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a copy of The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper in exchange for an honest review.

My rating 5*

This one took me a couple of attempts to get in to, just a case of wrong book at the wrong time, once I did get my momentum with it I enjoyed what I read.

In a Nutshell: A historical mystery focusing on two disparate plot points: a woman with a fascination for butterflies, and a mystery concerning Treadwell Foundation and its alleged focus on “disgraced young women and their babies.” Having either of these would have been fine. But the two topics don’t mesh well, creating a disjointed effect. The title is misleading.

Story Synopsis:
1922, Sydney. Twenty-five-year-old aspiring journalist Verity Binks gets an anonymous parcel containing a gorgeous butterfly costume and an invite to a prestigious masquerade ball. There, she is approached by Mr. Treadwell to write a history of the Treadwell Foundation. While digging into its past, Verity discovers a shady mystery that seems to go back more than fifty years. Can a young journalist take down a wealthy and powerful man?
1868, Morpeth. Twenty-one-year-old Theodora is still in mourning after the death of her parents and her brother at sea. Though staying with her three sisters, she prefers being in solitude and working on her art. Her inspiration comes from her friends, the respected Scott sisters, who are making a name for themselves as nature illustrators. When she spots a butterfly that has never been seen before in Australia, she realises that she has the chance to make a name for herself in the scientific community. Hence she takes help from her friend Redmond and her maid Clarrie to locate the butterfly. Does Theodora get the credit for her discovery?
The story comes to us mostly from the third person perspectives of Verity, Theodora, and Clarrie.

Bookish Yays:
ꕤ The Australian setting and its use in the plot. While many of the place names were quite new to me, I still liked how the author described the locations, helping me to visualise them better.
ꕤ The details related to the butterfly – its unexpected presence in Australia, its habits, its description. It was awesome to read about a historical female character with an interest in lepidoptery. (I didn’t like the description of how butterflies were pinned in order to study them better. There is a repeated emphasis on how “they didn’t feel a thing”, which didn’t alleviate my discomfort. But this is more of a ME problem.)
ꕤ The details about the “baby farming” in historical Australia. It is an important topic, and highlighted well in this novel.
ꕤ While there are two unexpected romantic relationships in the novel, I appreciate how the author didn’t change focus to highlight the romance more. The attention stays on the main plot than on the sparks flying between the characters.
ꕤ The author’s note at the end, detailing the facts behind the fictional plot. I love it when historical fiction authors provide such elaborate notes about their writing choices rather than leaving readers to wonder what was real and what wasn’t.
ꕤ The above also highlights how well the author has researched the historical facts. The story has an undertone of authenticity when it comes to the factual elements.
ꕤ While I am not usually a fan of covers with “ladies with their back to the camera”, I find this one gorgeous, and apt for the butterfly collector angle of the plot, though not for the whole book.

Bookish Nays:
🐛 The title is wrong for this book. It led me to believe that the focus of the book would be on Theodora and her interest in “butterfly collection.” However, this is a relatively minor angle in the novel, and Theodora isn’t the sole main character at all. I don’t understand why the title had to focus on her; it sets absolutely wrong expectations from the story.
🐛 The link between the two timelines is quite clear almost from the start, much before the characters even discover the connection. We just have to wait for the characters to catch up to what we already know. In fact, most of the mystery isn’t a mystery to us. Better not to read this as a “historical mystery” but as a “historical drama.”
🐛 Having two historical timelines is also a little confusing in this case. Except for the characters, there isn’t much to distinguish the two timelines as both feel “historical” in the same way. Only the characters help you remember which timeline is going on.
🐛 That said, the story sometimes gets confusing, not just because of the number of characters, but because so many of them are related through blood or acquaintance. The connections across the characters is quite farfetched. Moreover, only the main characters are sketched decently. The rest are used only as and when the plot needs them to do something, so their development is somewhat hazy. One of the characters has an abrupt turnaround in behaviour TWICE!
🐛 The progress of the story is quite slow. In the first 30-40%, there is hardly anything happening. The GR blurb goes much beyond the halfway mark, and even I had to resort to writing more than the initial 10-15% in my synopsis because there’s nothing concrete in the plot at that stage. The first half is more like a backstory to Theodora’s life and Verity’s investigation, while the second half suddenly changes track and focusses more on the mystery.
🐛 The plot progress is a bit too convenient at times. There are abrupt developments to incorporate a twist. Clues come up exactly when the characters are looking for them. The motivation of the person gifting the butterfly costume was quite flimsy. I wouldn’t call all this ‘lazy writing’ because the research does indicate the hard work behind the story. But maybe the author is better at dramatic stories than mysteries.
🐛 The finale was a huge letdown. There is an extended info-dump in the penultimate chapter, filling in some of the blanks of the “mystery”. Then all of a sudden, there is an epilogue, seemingly springing out of nowhere. But even this elaborate detailing doesn’t clarify the missing gaps. There are many unanswered questions about crucial plot points, with the death of certain key characters leaving us with no explanation of their motivation except for some guesswork by those investigating the past.

All in all, this was partly a case of expectations going awry. I went into the book, prepared to get a historical story about a butterfly collector. I didn’t expect a mystery that wasn’t related to butterflies at all. Though the subject of the investigation was quite serious and also based in facts, perhaps it would have been better either to have the story focus on just the mystery aspect and ignoring the butterfly-related aspects (or maybe vice versa), OR to change the title and cover to something that better suited the mystery-related elements.
This is my first book by this renowned Aussie author, and I am not dissuaded against trying more of her works after this novel. Hoping for a better experience the next time around.
Recommended with reservations to light mystery or historical drama readers as a one-time read.

2.75 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia for the DRC, and Harper Muse for the ALC of “The Butterfly Collector”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

I have heard of this author before, of course, but I had never had an opportunity to read anything of hers until I read this book. To be honest, I can understand why she is so popular.

This epic story that covers two timelines that intertwine through a mystery is beautifully told. The story centres on two women (pre and post WWI), each facing different challenges in their separate timelines and yet connected in an intriguing way.

I liked the historical detail and the character development. I would have liked to have seen some more of the relationships detailed, particularly from Verity's perspective. But Theodora's story was the one that compelled me the most to keep reading.

A lovely book by a talented author who I will be reading more of in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this,

This is an Australian historical fiction, that is packed with details. While I found this read interesting, it wasn't my favourite read. While it is not my favourite read, it is beautifully written combining historical fiction with the present-day construal of events.

Despite this not being my favourite read, I am still interested in reading more of Tea Coopers books.

So much colour, so much air, so much feeling. The Butterfly Collector is the book to exhale to. You have to give it all. You have to immerse yourself in the story, in the images, in the imaginings.
Even though it is a dual time-line story, it does not jump, it flows.
This books will leave you with the urging to go outside and watch the world for smallest details.
Enjoy.

I loved this gorgeous visual book. I was especially taken by the charming characters and Tea Coopers amazing talent of blending two stories from two different time periods into such a cohesive story. I love it being based in Morpeth, a charming town where I have enjoyed many enjoyable hours and The Rocks in Sydney where I love nothing more than to explore it’s fascinating nooks and crannies. As always Tea Cooper has written a beautiful book that I couldn’t put down.

The Butterfly Collector – Tea Cooper



I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in order to provide an honest review.



Tea Cooper is an Australian author who writes historical mysteries. Once upon a time, Tea was a farmer and a teacher. Now she indulges in her passion for storytelling. Some of her other known works her “The Woman in the Green Dress” and “The Cartographer’s Secret”.



Its 1868, Clarrie is a young girl that helps by cooking and cleaning for the local pastor in little Morpeth. Clarrie is terribly in love with young Sid who works for the local newspaper. Clarrie and Sid are expecting their first child, yet they aren’t married and because of this the pastor throws young pregnant Clarrie out on her feet. But as luck would have it a kindly soul wasn’t far away. A lady by the name of Maud offered to care for Clarrie until her time came to have the child, but then she would need to find work to continue to pay Maud to care for wee Charlie so she could continue to work. And what do you know, young Clarrie with the help of Sid’s boss, was able to find work helping Theodora. Theodora, after the loss of her parents is bereft and devotes her time to finding butterflies and painting their likeness – discovering a butterfly that hasn’t been seen in Australia before. That’s when tragedy strikes, and something happens to young Charlie.



Sydney 1922 and young Verity Binks, trying to walk in her grandfather Sid’s footsteps, gets an opportunity to write a wonderful piece about the Treadwell Foundation and the wonderful work that they do by helping disgraced young women and their babies. Yet once Verity starts researching and looking into the foundation, she finds things aren't quite as they seem. She also manages to uncover some truth about the past of the Treadwell family and her very own, including the truth about what happened to Charlie all those years ago.



The Butterfly Collector doesn’t focus on a central character. Instead, the author begins by writing from the points of view from different characters and slowly weaves all their individual stories into one beautiful overall tapestry.

At first this approach was quite frustrating to me because I was left wondering how they were all relevant to each other and what was the point of continually switching from one story to the next especially as they all occurred in different time periods.

But soon it was quite clear how they were all connected together, and formed a wonderous, lovely story that was also heart breaking and unbelievably gut wrenching. This story though short, is truly a work of art. I really feel I need to read the rest of the author’s works and thus my TBR pile grows yet again!

The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline novel set in and around Sydney, Australia, in 1868 and 1922.

In the 1922 timeline, aspiring journalist Verity Binks has just lost her job at a Sydney newspaper so her job can be given to an unemployed returned serviceman. (A big hurrah to “traditional values” where it was acceptable – even required – to fire a single woman and a widowed mother with no other source of income, simply so their jobs could be given to men … Yes, I understand the men also needed jobs, but so did Verity.)

However, Verity’s editor does say she can still write for the newspaper, and he will pay for any stories he prints. That, combined with an unexpected invitation to the Sydney Artist’s Ball, pushes Verity into researching a story that takes her back to Morpeth, where her father was born.

The 1868 timeline starts in Morpeth, and follows botanical artist and butterfly collector Theodora Breckenridge, general maid Clarrie, and her beau Sid Binks. We quickly work out that Clarrie and Sid are Verity’s grandparents, but it takes longer to work out the link between Verity and Theodora.

Clarrie loses her job when her employer, the local vicar, finds out she’s expecting and not married (something he could have easily fixed if he’d agreed to Clarrie’s request to marry her and Sid, but why let common sense get in the way of bluster and hypocrisy?).

Sid does some research and find that Clarrie can stay with Maud, a local midwife, for her lying-in, and Maud will then look after the baby while Clarrie works. It sounds like a good arrangement, especially as Sid has heard ugly rumours about babies disappearing when placed with other women in the town.

The Butterfly Collector is a fascinating story with lots of links between present and past that get unraveled as the story progresses. It’s clever plotting, and well-written. I loved the way Tea Cooper has captured the character voices in both time periods.

The writing is unpretentious yet fresh, and the book was an engaging read. Recommended for fans of Australian historical fiction or books like Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate or The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma.

Thanks to HQ Fiction and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I always enjoy Tea Cooper’s books. The mystery element in this one had me scrambling to the end, and it was hard not to “cheat” and peek at the final pages to try to piece it all together! I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this fantastic Australian author.

Téa Cooper delivers again with The Butterfly Collector, a fabulous blend of history and fiction in a novel that kept me on my toes till the end. This dual timeline novel set partly in 1922 Sydney and partly in 1868 in the Hunter Valley Town Of Morpeth is a fascinating family history as well as an exposé of the baby farming trade that was rife at the time.
The story jumps effortlessly between timelines, keeping readers on their toes and guessing. The characters are real enough to step off the page and tell their own tales. The plot kept me on my toes and guessing through. This has been a wonderful read and is a story for my keeper shelf.

This is another intriguing piece of Australian historical fiction by Tea Cooper.
Told in parallel lines, on the the early 1920's featuring Verity Binks, a young aspiring journalist. The other being in the 1860's, featuring Theodora Breckenridge, a young woman who becomes involved with Verity's grandparents Sid and Clarrie.
The story circles on a mystery of a supposed foundation that supports single mothers, and also the illegal practice of 'selling' babies to affluent families.
The story has many fascinating twists and turns that are both happy and sad. Overall quite an interesting story and very well told.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book blurb…
What connects a botanical illustration of a butterfly with a missing baby and an enigma fifty years in the making? A twisty historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.
1868 Morpeth Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family's country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie's new-born son goes missing and everything changes.
1922 Sydney When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation - an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?

My thoughts…
I am a lover of Tea Cooper’s books and she’s done it again. Fantastic conceptualisation and characters to support her sublime storytelling style.

The way the author entwines elements of nature through her stories is what captivates me. The historical side of all of the author’s stories are very well researched and blended with fiction in a way that the reader becomes a part of the character’s journey.

Not much more to say other than to sing the praises of Tea Cooper.

The Butterfly Collector is a historical novel by Australian author, Tea Cooper. In 1922, Verity Binks loses her job as a stenographer at The Sydney Arrow, in favour of returned servicemen. Her boss does offer to consider her freelance articles for printing. On the same day, a costume, mask and ticket to the Sydney Artists’ Ball arrive from a mystery sender.

As the daughter of the late War Correspondent, Charles Binks, she is introduced to Mr Treadwell, whose mother began the Treadwell Foundation, for which he wants some positive publicity to attract funds. It sounds like a worthwhile organisation, providing support and care for unmarried mothers, but he seems reticent about his mother’s background, and Verity’s journalistic interest is piqued.

In Morpeth, in 1868, Clarrie loses her job as maid-of-all-work when Rev. Lodestar discovers she is pregnant. Her beau, Sid Binks has promised to take care of her, and finds a midwife who will allow Verity to leave the baby in her care and find work. Sid works at The Morpeth Want as a compositor, but lives in quarters with other “Want” men, quite unsuitable for a mother and baby. His boss, though, Redmond Kendall is an understanding man and he has an idea…

After a period of bereavement for their parents and brother, Theodora Breckenridge’s sisters are focussed on re-entering the social scene in Sydney. As a nature illustrator, she would much rather stay in Morpeth, helping ready the garden for winter and looking out for the amazing butterfly she’s spotted once only, apparently never before seen in Australia.

Verity research involves a trip to Morpeth, where she meets the current Want editor, Arlo Kendall, and from the archives and further investigation, she manages to uncover a shocking racket involving the adoption of illegitimate babies, something she’s determined to expose. And when she discovers a personal connection, it solidifies her resolve.

This dual timeline story is told by Clarrie, Theodora and Redmond in the mid-nineteenth Century, and by Verity and Arlo in the early twentieth Century. The depth of Cooper’s research is apparent on every page and her descriptive prose is very evocative: the sights, sounds and smells of both inner-city Sydney and the Australian bush are particularly well-rendered. There are some dramatic scenes and the element of mystery will keep the reader enthralled through to the final pages of this superb Australian historical fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia

A new Australian historical fiction book by Tea Cooper always gives reason to celebrate as her books guarantee great escapism. I have enjoyed all of Tea’s previous works as they have proven to be consistently engaging and masterfully crafted tales of mystery and intrigue. Much like Theodora’s paintings in the novel, Tea has beautifully captured time and place in this wonderful story.

‘She was different, she knew she was. She'd always known. Something was out there waiting for her and one day she would grasp it between her fingers and know her search had ended.’

In her latest offering, The Butterfly Collector, Tea writes a dual timeline narrative set in New South Wales 1868 and 1922. I appreciated the close proximity of the timelines with familial links as it enriched the story with aligned connections. Rich in research, Tea details two interesting events from this period in Australia. One is the fascinating story of initial sightings of the Monarch butterfly in Australia; the other, the much darker tale of what became of many babies from unwed mothers of the period. Another theme surrounded women’s independence, especially after WW1 and insights into such things as the advent of the bicycle providing more freedom - something I had never really considered before.

Congratulations Tea on once again proving your prose is up there with the best. From strong protagonists, to family drama and mystery, to the breathtaking vistas of the bush with the magnificent flight of the butterflies - I highly recommend the tale that is, The Butterfly Collector with its tale of strength and persistence.

‘… each individual butterfly hovered and danced above the sea of flowers, their first taste of nectar giving them strength for the moment they'd ensure their species survival.’









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.

The year is 1922 and journalist Verity Binks has lost her job to the men returning from the Great War.

A chance meeting and an unexpected invitation turn her impending unemployment into a freelance investigative search that unearths her own family history and exposes a 70 year criminal racket.

Woven through Verity's story are the tales of Theodora Breckenridge, naturalist painter who in 1864 discovers a colony of the Wanderer butterfly, and Clarrie Binks, maid to Theodora.

All three women's stories are interwoven, and as Verity digs further into the past, she finds the dark ties that bind them, and others together.

This was not the gentle pastoral novel I was expecting from the cover - rather it is a fast-paced page turner set in small town Morpeth in the 1860s and 1920s Sydney. The story was expertly layered, revealing more and more detail and intrigue as it progressed.

I did, however, feel the ending was a bit rushed, and I would have liked a more satisfying conclusion to both Stella's and the Treadwell storyline.

An excellent read, though. A must for fans of historical sleuthing.

~Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~