It was 1889 in Maitland, New South Wales, when eighteen year old Constance Montague woke to find her grandmother, Nell, missing. After searching all the places she knew to look, and the police showed no interest, Connie discovered Nell had been seen at the railway station. It was then Connie decided to head to Sydney by train, over the new Hawkesbury Bridge, which had been opened the day before. She first headed to Government House, and was told Old Government House in Parramatta was now a boarding house - she might find her grandmother there.

Nell was stunned to see Connie at the door, and quickly introduced her as her companion - which bemused Connie immensely. There was mystery afoot, and Connie was determined to learn what Nell held secret. It stretched back to the long ago past and a yellow, silk dress - Connie immediately knew there was much to learn about her grandmother that hadn't been told. As Connie befriended a couple of the younger ladies, and a lovely, feisty older woman; steered clear of the older gents; and kept a wary eye on the housekeeper, she knew her life had changed...

The Golden Thread is another spectacular historical novel, set in Australia, by Aussie author Tea Cooper and I loved it! I've loved everything I've read by this author, and this one is up there with her best. With well-written and likeable characters - in particular, Connie & Nell; Taylor & Maisie; Miss Pettigrew & Jonas - plus well painted word pictures of an area I know well (though not from back in the 1800s!) I devoured The Golden Thread and recommend it highly to anyone who loves an historical novel.

With thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Enterprises AU for my digital ARC to read and review.

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia, and author Tea Cooper, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for October 30, 2024.

Keeping secrets and saving a family legacy.

Tea Cooper. One of my all-time favourite authors to read and a juggernaut in the Australian historical fiction genre. Cooper's ability to weave a compelling fictional narrative around highly interesting, yet somewhat obscure aspects of Australian historical events is outstanding. In The Golden Thread, Ms Cooper has again skilfully united both accurate historical facts with a fictional story element; which, when combined come together to form the basis of truth for this stunning story.

The story itself spans almost 50 years, with the prologue set in 1846, then, forty-three years later, when the main story thread is played out.

Maitland 1889 Eighteen-year-old Miss Constance (Connie) Montague lives with her mother and grandmother. The Montague family home, originally built by Connie’s grandfather, is nestled near the banks of the Hunter River in country Maitland. Connie has led a routine, and somewhat sheltered/privileged existence up to this point; having been brought up by her grandmother, Eleanor (Nell). Her father, Fred Montague died in a tragic accident a long time ago and her mother, Faith, seems more interested in her social activities at the racetrack, and has showed little to no interest in Connie’s upbringing.

Breakfast at the Montagues was usually a family affair, but on this particular morning, the eldest Montague, Nell, was no-where to be found. Connie, thinking it odd that her grandmother would miss breakfast went to search her room, only to discover that she was no-where to be found. Even more concerning was the fact that none of the staff knew where she was either. It seemed her grandmother had just vanished without telling a soul. Worried for her grandmother’s safety and, more than a little curious as to why she would leave the house without telling her where she was going, Connie heads into the main part of town to see if she can find her missing grandmother. Her search ended with the local stationmaster, who informed Connie that the elder Mrs Montague had boarded the train headed for Sydney which had left early that morning.

Following a lead, Connie heads to Old Government House in Parramatta, where she discovers that Old Government House is now used as a boarding house and, to her astonishment, Connie finds her grandmother holding court with the other residents. But as Connie quickly learns, finding her grandmother is only the tip of the ice-berg. Nell has been keeping well-guarded secrets; secrets about her past, her family’s legacy and shockingly, the circumstances surrounding the death of her father, Fred. Not to mention: blackmail, hidden gold, horse racing and race fixing, AND…the most beautiful English yellow silk damask dress.

If you think it sounds like I’m fangirling a little bit, well, you’d be right. If you haven’t read any of Tea Cooper’s novels, you are missing out. The writing is rich in detail and descriptions are beautifully rendered and visually appealing. The storyline has been thoroughly researched and is well structured with captivating fleshed out characters that you will quickly fall in love with.

Also by Tea Cooper:
The Naturalist's Daughter
The Fossil Hunter
The Butterfly Collector
The Woman in the Green Dress

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Harlequin Australia for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is one twisty intriguing historical mystery by Tea Cooper set in the 1890s! I enjoyed the drama, the variety of characters (both good and bad) and the extended suspense. There are lots of surprises and complicated threads to the story. One message that surfaces is the cost of keeping secrets. Nell’s worries heighten as she tries to amend a predicament left behind from her son’s legacy.

The novel opens with an enticing prologue set in 1846. It is an atmospheric night full of mystery, haunting shadows and moonlight glimmering across Sydney Harbour. The activities of the day— the colony’s politics of Government House— are on pause. Armed with a leather pouch of gold, a candlestick, silver needle and silk embroidery thread, a woman creeps into ‘the cloying darkness of the eaves above the servants’ quarters, the air heavy with the heat of the day and the scent of forgotten memories.’ This is one seriously powerful image to open the novel with and it snatched my breath and attention from the start. It continues on a delightful journey to the past with historical figures of significance such as William Bligh. Inside a chest, are a ‘treasure trove of forgotten clothes each with their own story, their own memories, silken whispers of the past…’ Pure poetic beauty. Here we get the first glimpse of the yellow silk dress… and we soon learn of its purpose and connection to lost gold. This intro is beautifully written and sets us up for the big mystery to follow.

Forty-three years later, we are in Maitland, Hunter Valley, NSW introduced to Connie, a likeable young woman who longs for some unique adventures. We see the sharp contrast in Faith her mother, a less than endearing woman whose life revolves around horses and the racetrack. Faith’s lack of interest in her daughter’s life is one of many things that keeps us feeling negative toward this woman. And as the plot unfurls, we learn even more about her.

But Connie gets her adventure—just not the one she might expect. Although she plans an ordinary day for herself, it turns out quite different. Soon she discovers that her grandmother Nell is missing and Connie is determined to find her. So she begins her own journey that takes her into a world she definitely knew nothing about. The rest of what follows is both exciting and alarming for danger, mystery and treachery are lurking around the corners. We are plunged into Nell’s past of well-guarded secrets. But time does not stand still. Lives and plots are exposed after many unsettling events.

Ms Cooper’s descriptions are always beautifully rendered and it is easy to get a sense of where you are in both location and history. Her research skills are exceptional and her ability to weave history through fiction is well demonstrated in The Golden Thread. I always learn something new when reading her stories—particularly about Australia’s past. I am not a native to this country so reading Australian novels gives me a chance to learn about various events and people through memorable imaginative fiction like The Golden Thread.

This story covers family relationships, women’s roles of the time and moral dilemmas. The characters face a number of challenges including blackmail, a missing grandmother, hidden gold, theft, a potential ghost or prowler at the Old Government House. If that is not enough to keep you transfixed, there is the practice of horse race fixing: an activity that has provided a scandal or two over the centuries. In The Scarlet Thread, the ‘Sport of Kings’ contains this illegal activity. A jockey is influenced and the phenomenon of switching horses occurs. Who knows about this and what is the motive behind it? We soon learn but there are some surprises!

I definitely recommend The Scarlet Thread and yes, there is a stunning dress in this story as noted in my comments of the prologue. But that is only one piece of this complex puzzle. You will have to read it to uncover the mystery! When all the threads of the story are woven together, and all characters and the parts they have played are realised, there’s a real sigh of relief when the truth is made known. There are some great lessons learned and the ending is perfect. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thanks to HQ Fiction and Netgalley for a review copy.

‘Some would think her foolish, but her word was her bond …’

A prologue set in Sydney, New South Wales, in October 1846 provides a tantalising clue for a mystery which opens in Maitland in 1889.
Eighteen-year-old Constance (Connie) Montague lives with her mother Faith and grandmother Nell in a home at Horseshoe Bend, Maitland. Connie’s life is largely governed by set routine, so when her grandmother Nell disappears on the first of May 1889, Connie is worried. Faith, focussed on her horse-racing interests, is less concerned. Once Connie exhausts places in Maitland where her grandmother might be, she investigates further. Connie travels to Sydney, and then follows a lead to Old Government House in Parramatta. Old Government House is now a boarding house and Nell is in residence. But when Nell introduces Connie to the other guests, and the housekeeper, she introduces her as a companion, not as her granddaughter. Finding out why is part of the mystery.

Gradually Connie realises that her grandmother has secrets. Nell is desperately seeking something, and her search involves the attic of Old Government House, and a beautiful silk dress which is stored there. There is danger as well as several secrets to be uncovered, some of which threaten both Nell and Connie.

Ms Cooper has woven an engrossing mystery story around some historical facts (explained in her Historical Note).

I enjoy Ms Cooper’s fiction, and this novel is no exception. The nineteenth century setting is well described, with an interesting cast of characters
and issues.

If you enjoy historical fiction with an element of mystery set in colonial New South Wales, I can recommend this novel.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Constance Montague wakes up on Wednesday 1st of May 1889, in her grandmother Nell’s house in Maitland, New South Wales and she has no idea it’s not going to be a typical day. When her punctual grandmother Nell doesn’t appear for breakfast, after a few hours Connie discovers no one has seen her and she’s vanished from her Horseshoe Bend home.

A concerned Connie does her own detective work and questions Nell's staff and acquaintances of her movements and she discovers she might have travelled to Sydney. Connie wonders why her grandmother would sneak out early in the morning, not tell a soul and it makes no sense?

Connie uncovers her grandmother has been keeping secrets about her past and Connie’s father, if found out the families reputation will be in tatters and Connie’s future and she has to help her gran find what she's looking for and without being discovered and it won’t be easy in a busy boarding house and run by Mrs. Alexander.

I received a copy of The Golden Thread from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Once again Tea Cooper uses real historical facts and has skilfully incorporated them in her narrative to weave a fascinating Australian based mystery full of twists and turns and many I didn’t see coming.

Ms. Cooper’s books always bring to my attention little known objects and places that were important in Australia decades ago and in this case the English yellow silk damask dress, and the Old Government House building in Parramatta. The story-line is well written and structured to keep the reader’s attention, with an emphasis on long kept secrets and family ties, schemes and lost gold, a possible thief and prowler, race fixing and blackmail.

Bound together like the golden and silken threads of the antique gown, Nell and Connie’s lives are interlaced in a complicated and complex tale that will captivate you from start to finish. I highly recommend The Golden Thread and Ms. Cooper’s previous book The Talented Mrs Greenway and both are must reads.

“I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin Australia and Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”

This is another beautifully woven tale by Tea Cooper; one that masterfully blends history, mystery, and love together, set against a backdrop of Maitland's early racing industry, along with race fixing and blackmail.

One of the other striking elements is the symbolism of the yellow dress, a beacon of resilience and hope that literally threads through the narrative for which secrets of a former life are strongly guarded by Nell, a formidable woman who strives to uphold the family name but through dealings of her deceased son's partnership looks to unravel all her efforts.

The way Cooper ties this dress to pivotal moments in the story adds an extra layer of depth and meaning. This is a novel that not only entertains but also educates, offering a window into a fascinating aspect of Australian history that many may not be familiar with. Cooper has a unique talent for bringing history to life, and The Golden Thread is a glowing testament to her storytelling prowess. I loved this book and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking read.