Lovely historical layered mystery with two different timelines had me intrigued from the beginning! Loved the settings, and the character development.... but it was the mystery hidden within the mystery that really grabbed my attention and did not let go!!

Author Tea Cooper manages to snag this reader's attention from the beginning with the characters (some I liked, and some not so much...) in The Woman in the Green Dress. What connects these two mystery stories and how they are woven together between the two timelines is what really sold me on this book. The plot is definitely where Cooper excels, but I also felt like the characters were her second main strength. Well done, a true mystery with tantalizing hints of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing and author Tea Cooper for this temporary advance review copy for me to read and enjoy! As always, my opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of The Woman in the Green Dress from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Good book--a mystery within a mystery almost. The dual timeline was tricky to follow at first, but both storylines were interesting and worth the read. (This was a first for me, as I am not familiar with Australian history nor have I read much in the way of Australian historical fiction.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper is a historical mystery that alternates between 1853, Mogo Creek, New South Wales and 1919, Sydney and has all the makings of an excellent read - two strong female protagonists, a cursed opal, a mysterious curio shop, a lost inheritance, generations of family secrets and the mystery behind the woman in the green dress.

The pacing is just right, not brisk like thrillers, nor ponderous as literary fiction. The story moves with a constant, steady rate, asking a question here, uncovering a secret there, while deepening the general plot and keeping the intrigue intact.

This was my first book by the Australian author Tea Cooper and I am definitely going to be checking out more of her works. I was very impressed with how well researched this book was, and how a lot of facts and places mentioned in the story were real. I learned plenty about the plight of native Australians, their extreme struggles, and the cruelty of the first settlers. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and when a book transports me to a time and place I've never been before, like this one, it's an absolute treat.

The Woman in the Green Dress is an extensively researched, beautifully written story that adeptly combines facts and fiction and keeps its readers invested and interested from start to finish. Recommended if you enjoy dual timeline historical mysteries.

Englishwoman Fleur married an Australian soldier, Hugh Richards, shortly before the end of World War I. She’s notified he died in the final days, and she has an inheritance in Australia.
The story jumps back to 1853. Austrian Stefan von Richter arrived in Sydney looking for flora and fauna specimens. He witnessed a crime against the Aborigines, and met Della, a beautiful taxidermist.
Not until the end of the book is the connection between the two stories clear. The woman in the green dress, a convict who was transported to Australia and is Della’s aunt, is not a main character and not an admirable one at that. Interesting story, but a bit unsettling. Lots of emotional upheavals for Fleur, some understandable, some curious.

This book was a bit hard to follow in the beginning. After a few chapters it started clicking and I enjoyed the story. The ending was not what I expected, but good.

I wasn't exactly sure what I'd find in The Woman in the Green Dress, but I certainly didn't expect a split-time novel that had me equally invested in each story! (Why the promotional material for this edition doesn't mention both timelines is beyond me—the original Australian edition does.) I thought the book began a little slowly, and at first I didn't understand the connection between the two time periods. Soon, though, I realized where the story was going, and I couldn't fly through the pages quickly enough!

Mysteries abound in the novel, and their uncovering is such fun. I literally gasped multiple times when reading, and I loved how author Tea Cooper would use the later story line to reveal mysteries from the earlier timeline. There's not much romance involved, only hints in both timelines, but I thought that was fine; because of the later timeline, the reader finds out what happened to Della (protagonist of the first timeline), and I was happy to fill in the blanks about what may happen to Fleur in the future.

Prior to reading this novel, I had never heard of Tea Cooper, but I will certainly be looking for more of her novels now! 5 stars.

Note: A couple mild curse words appear in the novel. I mention this because this edition is being released by a traditionally Christian publisher (Thomas Nelson), and readers of Christian fiction might want to be aware.

Tea Cooper's The Woman in the Green Dress is a historical romance makes you want to visit the curio shop and explore the setting of Australia as she weaves her story of past and present and you won't want to miss her spectacular surprise conclusion. I was mesmerized with all the details throughout the book and couldn't wait to find out what happened with the woman in the green dress.

I was so excited to read this book. The title and plot were fascinating and sounded so good!
I started to read it, but unfortunately from the beginning the plot did not stick with me, did jot grab me as I wanted to, and I could not relate in any way to the idea of the story line.
I tried. I confined. I did finish the book on chapter 7. That was it for me. I am sorry.

I didn't connect with any of the characters in this book which means that I liked it but didn't love it. It is however, a very interesting look at Australia during two very different time periods That being said, I finished the book, but not enjoyably so. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 stars

The Woman in the Green Dress
Tea Cooper
Thomas Nelson, June 2020
ISBN 978-0-7852-3512-5
Trade Paperback

From the publisher—

A cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a sinister woman in a green dress emerge in the aftermath of World War I.

After a whirlwind romance, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can’t wait for her new husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she heads to his beloved home country of Australia in search of the relatives who deserve it more.

In spite of her reluctance, she soon finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future.

It seems as though I’ve been reading quite a few books in the past year or so that feature mutiple timelines, as does The Woman in the Green Dress, but there’s a difference with this one. Rather than a contemporary setting that flashes back to an earlier time, here we have an historical setting that takes us back to a still earlier time, a nice change from the norm. Added to that, for me, having the stories take place in Australia is a bonus because there’s so much about that country that I don’t know.

Fleur Richards sets out on the long journey to her husband’s home country because she doesn’t really believe he’s dead and she wants to see to it that his estate goes to his remaining family. Well-intentioned as she might be, the inheritance is hers, an old shop and a farm, and it’s the shop that garners her attention with its collection of oddities, including a number of taxidermied creatures. Fleur learns that another young woman, Della, had continued her father’s work back in the early 1850’s, showing a fine touch in preserving such beautiful, exotic specimens.

Fleur begins to unearth more about the unusual Della, including a long-lasting mystery and, with each turn of the page their stories and the mystery regarding a beautiful opal, I became more and more engaged with this appealing tale. Tea Cooper is a new author to me but I’ll be looking for more of her work.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, July 2020.

I wanted to read this book because it was set in Australia, It was set in two different time periods and the story was interesting. The descriptions of late 1800 and early 1900 Australia were great, I enjoyed the characters and the villains. If it hadn't been published by Thomas Nelson I would have had no idea it was Christian Fiction. This would be good for fans of Kate Morton. I received a copy from Thomas Nelson and NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Over all an interesting book. I had a hard time getting into at first and keeping characters straight. It might be because all the chapter breaks were a bit scrambled in my down load. But once I found the rhythm of the book and the authors writing I enjoyed learning a bit about Australian history. I will admit that I really had a hard time reading about taxidermy and some of the more gory details. But I will recommend for someone looking for a good historical read that is a bit outside the norm.

This is another book that wasn't for me. I will admit to being really confused every time the timeline and perspective swapped. I had no idea what was going on. I switched to the audiobook and it was worse. I also found it kind of boring and I just didn't really care about any of the characters. I ended up DNF'ing it.

There is mystery and intrigue throughout! In the midst of war, influenz, Fluer must find answers that the death of her husband along with his inheritance created. Along the journey she finds home!

"The Woman in the Green Dress" was thoroughly enjoyable and a great work of historical fiction. The story focuses on Australia in the 1850s and in 1919, following World War I. Ms. Cooper does a great job of evoking the Australia of the 1850s, with the air of newness and mystery and untapped opportunities for the European settlers and convicts, but also the prejudice against and disregard of the lives, rights and dignities of the native inhabitants. I appreciated that two of the central characters, Della and Stefan, cared about the wellbeing of the Darkinjung people, the native population in one of the areas central to the story.

It is 1853 and Della Atterton and her sister Charity are living on the family property at Mogo Creek. Della's parents owned a taxidermy shop in Sydney, as well as the property at Mogo Creek. After her parents' death, Della and her sister had moved to the Mogo Creek property, where Della, a skilled taxidermist, prepared specimens for the shop, which was managed by her aunt Cordelia, who had been shipped to Australia as a convict. Captain Stefan von Richter had come to Australia to transform the notebooks of his sponsor, Baron von Hugel's travels in Australia into a book, examine the native flora and fauna, and obtain what was believed to be the first opal found in Australia (at least the first opal found by a European settler). Stefan and Della's paths cross after he witnesses an unprovoked attack on a group of Darkinjung women and children and it transpires that the attackers were employed by Della's aunt Cordelia, causing Della to return to Sydney and discover that Cordelia has changed much about the taxidermy shop and may be involved in inappropriate activity.

Almost 70 years later, after World War I ends, Fleur Richards, a waitress in London, learns that her husband, Hugh Richards, an Australian soldier, is dead and has left her his inheritance. Theirs was a whirlwind romance, meeting in London, where Fleur lived, and quickly marrying, before Hugh was off to battle. In their short time together, Hugh had told Fleur about Australia, his home in Mogo Creek, and his dreams of building a life together there after the war. Not convinced that Hugh was dead, as she had not received his belongings and identification tag, and wanting to find some answers, as well as someone else to receive the mystery inheritance, which she did not believe she deserved, she heads to Sydney. However, obtaining the answers she wants is much harder than she expected, with the information she receives making her more and more confused, including about the man she married.

The two interconnected storylines flow well, with the information about how the events of the 1850s connect to Hugh Richards, and now Fleur, being revealed in a manner that retains the air of mystery until it is appropriate to reveal how everything and everyone ties together. The author saves some pretty good surprises for the final chapters. The characters are well developed and interesting. I especially liked Bert; the reasons why will be obvious to other readers. The author provides evocative descriptions of scenery and events. I would definitely recommend this book and I intend to look into the author's earlier works.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

When the Great War ends, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards expects to meet back up with her husband and travel home to Australia with him. She doesn’t expect news of his death, nor does she expect to be the heiress of his sizeable estate. Fleur doesn’t want the money. She just wants her husband. When she arrives at his family’s home, she begins to uncover a generational mystery.

I’m not always one for historical fiction, unless of course it’s queer, but I was compelled by this story. I was a bit thrown off a bit by the jumping back in forth in time periods, but once I got into the story’s rhythm, I was way more into it. I liked that the romance didn’t overwhelm the story or its mysteries, as I was far more focused on Fleur’s investigation.

It’s beautifully written and I think it’s a great choice for fans of period pieces who enjoy a bit of romance but not at the expense of rich characters, plot development, and a good mystery. It’s out now, so if you’re still looking for titles to tack onto your summer reading list, give this one a go.

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper is a rich historical fiction set in dual time and telling two intricately interwoven storylines - one set in 1853 Mogo Creek, New South Wales, Australia, and the other set in post-WWI Sydney.

This book features a great cast of characters, including Della Atterton, an orphaned taxidermist living at Mogo Creek, and Fleur Richards, a young English widow who has come to Sydney to deal with her dead husband's extensive estate, which she knew nothing about. There are romantic interests and villains, sidekicks and shadowy red herrings, all of whom make the story much more fun than just a run-of-the-mill read. The man characters are fully-formed and relatable - which should be a given in published books, but the supporting cast is equally engaging and fleshed out. Kudos to Tea Cooper for the effort.

The storyline itself is also a fun tangle - I won't spoil the ending, but will suggest readers pay attention to details because the author put them there for good reason! Which is something I love, and one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much.

The dual-time technique isn't everyone's up of tea, but the author performs the sleight of hand almost flawlessly, elegantly carrying the threads of the overarching story across time, and allowing the reader space to make the jump without too many bumps or bruises. Honestly, this isn't my favorite technique - tho it has become super trendy in historical fiction of late - but it made sense in this book and held things together nicely.

Overall, The Woman in the Green Dress was a truly satisfying read. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the settings and the nice ribbon at the end.

This review is based on an advance copy read.

Since The Woman in the Green Dress is a Thomas Nelson book I was hoping for a clear Christian message yet I am not finishing this one since I haven't seen evidence toward it being so. Sadly, I may come back to it ifI see reviews from friends who have enjoyed it.

I have to admit that when The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper was sent to me to review, I truly had no idea what to expect. Boy, did I get a reading experience! This novel went above and beyond anything I could have hoped for in a Historical Romantic Suspense novel. The story is truly unique — a young female taxidermist in the mid-1800s in Australia falls for an Austrian military captain who has been sent to Australia to uncover one mystery only to uncover another. Then there is a young WWI widow from London whose late husband’s inheritance sends her packing to Australia to uncover a mystery herself. The Woman in the Green Dress weaves two times periods and two loves stories that intersect into one suspenseful read that I HIGHLY recommend.

Fleur Richards, one of the main characters, is a very noble and humble young woman. The reader’s heart can’t help but break for Fleur as she journeys to Australia to figure out what happened to her husband and to uncover the mystery of his family’s inheritance. Fleur is a hard worker and a true go-getter. When information is not forthcoming about her husband and what he has left her, Fleur takes matters into her own hands and does what she needs to get to the bottom of things. I really appreciate this aspect of her character. She doesn’t sit around and wallow. Fleur acts! While I did love her character, there is one thing about her that drove me a little bonkers. She constantly tells people that she doesn’t deserve the inheritance left to her by her husband. She does it so many times I started to feel offended for her husband. I kept thinking, “What if he were somehow able to know that Fleur is going around telling everyone she doesn’t deserve or want the gift her husband gave her? Wouldn’t he feel so hurt?” I know that if I left something to a loved one and they kept trying to get rid of the gift I would feel heartbroken and very hurt. Then it made me think about Jesus. He’s constantly trying to give us humans His free gift of love and acceptance, yet many reject it. In Romans 6:23, we are told that, “the wages of sin is death, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (emphasis is mine).” None of us has to do anything or be anything in order to achieve this free gift from our Heavenly Bridegroom. All we have to do is accept it. For some of us, though, that’s a really hard thing to grasp. Like Fleur, we don’t feel like we deserve such an amazing and free gift. We feel like we have to be a better person or do something amazing first. But there really is nothing to do except accept. Does Fleur learn this beautiful lesson? You’ll have to read the novel to discover the answer to this question. I, however, definitely appreciated this reminder!

The Woman in the Green Dress is a superb read that will stick with me long after the final page has been turned. I enjoyed this highly engaging, unputdownable story. If you are a fan of well-written historical romances with a seriously excellent mystery weaved throughout, then The Woman in the Green Dress is the book for you!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from Thomas Nelson Publishers via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Woman in the Green Dress highlights both the beauties of Australia and the mistreatment of the native aboriginal people. The story shifts between Fleur Richards, a young widow in the aftermath of World War I who has inherited a curio shop and other property in Sydney, and Della Atterton, a taxidermist in 1853 whose work was once a central attraction in the curio shop. Della is incensed when she learns that her aunt is filling the curio shop with Aboriginal native items that have been stolen rather than bartered for trade. Her search to learn what her aunt is hiding and Fleur Richard's quest decades later to learn about the curio shop she has inherited merge to explain the mystery of The Woman in the Green Dress.