Cover Image: The Cartographer's Secret

The Cartographer's Secret

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Honestly, I thought this was such a brilliant read and I am kicking myself for not getting to it sooner!

The split time/perspective was used to brilliant effect, giving the reader just enough more information in the 1911 timeline to be able to tell when Lettie was on the right track, but also not so much that we weren’t invested in how the mystery would be resolved. There were a bunch of times throughout the novel that I actually gasped out loud and stopped reading to explain to my husband what was happening.

I thought the blend of fact and fiction was absolutely impeccable – Cooper does such an incredible job of taking a real life mystery and giving it a satisfying ending, without actually imposing a made up ending on the real life event. Perhaps that doesn’t make sense, but I don’t want to give any spoilers haha.

The characters were fabulous and strong and felt fleshed out to me. I loved Lettie and Olivia in particular, and Evie of course too. Lettie mother was less likable, but still a character that I enjoyed reading about.

Of course there is a romantic relationship that develops over the course of the story, and I really enjoyed that too- it felt sweet and natural, and the characters both maintained their own motivations and stories at the same time as their friendship grew off to the side a little.

I think readers familiar with the Hunter might enjoy this one in particular – it’s always fun to read a book set in a place you know – but even without knowing the region very well myself, I did feel like I got a good sense of the setting and really felt like I slipped right into it every time I picked it up. I definitely recommend this for fellow fans of Aussie historical fiction

Was this review helpful?

I always enjoy Aussie author Tea Cooper’s books. Strong female characters in an Australian historical setting.  Every story has a puzzle and lots of twists and turns to keep you thinking and trying to solve the mystery.

The Cartographers secret is set in the Hunter Valley. Running over two timelines, we meet the leading ladies, all linked as extended family members.

1880 Evie lives at Yellow Rock. Her father is obsessed with the famous explorer Ludwig Leichardt. She is working on a map and collating her father’s notes, when she vanishes without a trace.

1911 Letitia Rawlings arrives at the Yellow Rock estate to advise her Great Aunt Olivia of her brothers death and how this would affect the families line of  inheritance.  Letitia finds that things at Yellow Rock are not exactly as her mother Miriam has portrayed them. And when she finds a map in her grandfather’s study, she wonders if she can solve the mystery of Evie’s disappearance.

Aunty Olivia has spent her life on the family property....keeping many secrets but totally unaware of what happened to Evie 30 years ago. The ensemble cast are a mixture of rough drovers and locals set amongst the Australian bushland....a rugged and rough area.

The Cartographer’s Secret is a true escape into the beautifully described landscape delving into an intriguing family mystery. As always Tea keeps you engaged right to the end. Although set back in the 1880s and early 1900s, the language is modern and really this story could sit in many eras.

Was this review helpful?

Book blurb...
A young woman's quest to heal a family rift entangles her in one of Australia's greatest historical puzzles when an intricately illustrated map offers a clue to the fate of a long-lost girl. A mesmerising historical mystery set in the Hunter Valley from bestselling author Tea Cooper for readers of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton.
1880 The Hunter Valley
Evie Ludgrove loves to map the landscape around her home - hardly surprising since she grew up in the shadow of her father's obsession with the great Australian explorer Dr Ludwig Leichhardt. So when an advertisement appears in The Bulletin magazine offering a one thousand pound reward for proof of where Leichhardt met his fate, Evie is determined to figure it out - after all, there are clues in her father's papers and in the archives of The Royal Geographical Society. But when Evie sets out to prove her theory she vanishes without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that taints everyone's lives for 30 years.
1911
When Letitia Rawlings arrives at the family estate in her Model T Ford, her purpose is to inform her Great Aunt Olivia of a bereavement. But Letitia is also escaping her own problems - her brother's sudden death, her mother's scheming and her own dissatisfaction with the life planned out for her. So when Letitia discovers a beautifully illustrated map that might hold a clue to the fate of her missing aunt, Evie Ludgrove, her curiosity is aroused and she sets out to discover the truth of Evie's disappearance.
But all is not as it seems at Yellow Rock estate and as events unfold, Letitia begins to realise that solving the mystery of her family's past could offer as much peril as redemption.

My thoughts…

I am never disappointed with a Tea Cooper novel. One of the joys is trying to guess the historical premise she chooses for each book.

The title pretty much tells you what this story is about and I love the concept, and every character—all of whom are essential to pulling this plot together.

The concept of mapping, and the detail Tea manages to get across to readers was clever and with the right balance of fact and fiction.

I enjoy a dual timeframe structure as long as both time periods are well balanced and The Cartograhper’s Secret flowed so easily. Evie’s journey is a fascinating one and I would have loved to see what actually happened to her, but I still appreciated the way the story unfolded through Letitia and her search for the truth.

I love strong female characters and I love dogs (so thank you for Oxley) and thank you for Nathaniel, who played a special role in the story.

I look forward to the next journey, Tea.

Was this review helpful?

Tea Cooper writes historical fiction that weaves her timelines together seamlessly and always adds a little mystery to keep you guessing.
I loved her characters, and the life she breathed into her settings.
Her work goes from strength to strength and I look forward to seeing what she releases next.

Was this review helpful?

Once again Tea Cooper has taken me on a historical journey to solve a mystery and uncover family secrets that have pulled a family apart, set in The Hunter Valley in 1880 and 1911 we get to know Evie Ludgrove and then Letitia Rawlings, as Letitia sets out on an adventure to search for answers from the past, beautifully written an enthralling story that brings the past to life.

Evie loves living at Yellow Rock, she loves her father and drawing and mapping the area, her father has always been obsessed with the famous explorer DR Ludwig Leichardt and she loves helping where ever she can. Evie is missing her father as he is in Sydney with her sister Miriam, she is working on a map and collating her father’s notes as requested when she finds an advertisement in The Bulletin offering one thousand pound reward for information on Leichardt and Evie is so very determined that she can do this, Evie sets off keeping secrets and not telling her Aunt Olivia about her quest and vanished without a trace.

Lettie lives in Sydney with her parents and her brother, Thorne when a tragedy happens Lettie leaves Sydney and heads to Yellow Rock in the Model T Ford that belonged to her brother, she needs some time to work her life out and come to terms with what has happened she is also there to let Great Aunt Olivia what has happened, but when she gets there she discovers that there is a lot that her mother has never told her. Olivia welcomes her with open arms and is soon telling her about Evie, Lettie is now determined to uncover what happened to Evie thirty years ago with the help of a beautiful map that she has discovered, and now the adventure begins.

This story had me savouring every word wanting to get to end and find out what had happened but not wanting it to end, what a fabulous story words woven together with fact and fiction, characters who are so real and alive on the pages, I almost felt like I was driving along in the motor with Lettie and climbing Yellow Rock and drawing with Evie. There are so many characters in this story to love, Olivia is honest and true to herself whereas Miriam her niece has lived in a totally different world. I loved Evie and Lettie they both showed strength in different ways, Evie Vulnerable and wanting to prove to her father what she could do and Lettie finally found herself in this one, there is a lovely romance and it is an awesome story one that I highly recommend, you won’t want to put this one down so clear some reading time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Harlequin Au for my digital ARC to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

A new Australian historical fiction book by Tea Cooper always gives reason to celebrate. So many of her previous works are both engaging and masterfully crafted tales of mystery and intrigue that allow her readers to journey alongside strong heroines and enticing tales. In her latest, The Cartographer’s Secret, Tea once again provides the perfect blend of fact and fiction in this riveting historical mystery.
‘The past twelve months have taught me that we must take what we can when it is offered,
pay no heed to convention and expectation. We must grab happiness in both hands and embrace it.’

A dual time narrative (on this occasion) not separated by that many years. This is the story of a mysterious disappearance. Filled with engaging characters who have hidden secrets, there is much heartache and tragedy. In 1880 Evie is so sweet and so very talented - I love that the publishers included her map for us to pour over. It is exquisite. In 1911 we have Letitia (Lettie) and she is such a woman of her time, driving cars and searching for her purpose. In her attempts to solve the family mystery, does she dig a little too far and cause nothing but further upset and disruption?

‘... in that moment Lettie understood, understood that both she and Olivia carried the same pain. A pain that would never go away, should never go away. Because love and loss hurt. She couldn’t give up now, she owed it to Olivia, to help her at least find closure.’

In both timelines the angst, guilt and sense of loss is palpable. Tea invites you into what, for many, is a hard existence on the land and she opens that proverbial window to life on the land at the turn of the 20th century. This brings me onto the setting - The Hunter Valley region. Stunningly portrayed. Both the detail and research provided by Tea leaps off the page - what joy to read passages with such depth of feeling about the Australian outback. From the harsh reality of fire to beautiful blazing sunsets, Tea makes you feel as if you are there.

What an outstanding array of Aussie authors we are currently blest with! Congratulations Tea on once again proving your prose is up there with the best. From strong protagonists, to family drama and mystery, to taking in the breathtaking vistas of the bush - I can highly recommend the tale that is, The Cartographer’s Secret.

‘Evie tilted her face to the sun and threw out her arms to embrace the view that encompassed her world: from the ancient rocks beneath her bare feet to the distant horizon where the pale pink clouds marked the division between reality and mystery. All she needed and all she had ever wanted. This was her place, where she belonged.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Was this review helpful?

The Cartographer’s secret is the tale of two families, the Ludgroves and the Maynards, a thirty-year-old family feud, an obsession with explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, a missing girl, a map and a family inheritance.

Sydney 1911
After the untimely death of her beloved older brother Thorne Ludgrove Rawlings, Letitia (Lettie) Rawlings is entrusted by her mother Miriam Rawlings (nee Ludgrove) to visit Great Aunt Olivia Maynard, sister of Miriam’s mother. Thorne was heir to both the Ludgrove and Maynard properties, which would pass to him on the death of Olivia, with Thorne now gone, Miriam wishes to ensure that the properties would pass to Lettie. Miriam warns Lettie that Olivia can be very loose with the truth and that the trip will be fraught with difficulties. Lettie however is pleased to go, she was aware that Thorne had been planning to visit Olivia to attempt to resolve whatever had caused the family feud, and she was happy to take over that role, the matter of the inheritance, well that would be resolved along the way.

However, when she meets Olivia, she finds a very different person to the one painted by her mother and as time goes on she begins to wonder where the truth actually lies.

Yellow Rock 1880
Alice Ludgrove, wife of William Ludgrove, sister of Olivia Maynard labours in childbirth, desperate to provide her husband with a son and heir. The previous two male children she has birthed lay beneath the earth, neither surviving, yet her two daughters, Miriam and Evie are strong and healthy. This will be her last pregnancy, neither she nor the male child she carries will survive her labour.

Only a few weeks later William announces that a suitor in Sydney has made an offer for Miriam’s hand and he and Miriam are leaving for Sydney to finalise wedding plans. Before he goes however, he asks Evie to come to his office.

Evie has inherited two things from her father, his love of surveying, apparent in the detailed map she has drawn of the area in which she lives, complete with tiny drawings representing events occurring in the area, and his fascination with the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. It was on an exploration with Leichhardt that her father had the accident that caused permanent damage to his leg, an injury for which Olivia holds Leichhardt solely responsible. But Leichhardt has vanished, disappeared into thin air. William has decided that while he is in Sydney, he would like Evie to collate his notes because he wishes to publish a history of Leichhardt. He would also like her to continue her map, tracing the route he and Leichhardt took and to assist he provides Evie with a beautiful leather saddlebag filled with pencils and paintbrushes.

While William is away Evie becomes aware of a significant reward for finding some missing items that would help to explain what has happened to Leichhardt. Information she finds in her father’s notes lead her to believe that she can find the items, and so, after telling Olivia that she is going to a nearby town, Evie heads off on her journey. And disappears.

Yellow Rock 1911
Will Lettie be able to solve the mystery of what happened to Evie, the aunt she never knew?
Will Miriam and Olivia be able to resolve their long-lasting feud?
How will the issue of the inheritance be resolved?

Set in the beautiful Hunter Valley in NSW, Cooper takes us on a fascinating journey through the Ludgrove, Maynard and Rawlings lives in Australia during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s in this historical fiction based around the German scientist and naturalist, Ludwig Leichhardt. who went missing in the Australian desert in the mid 1800’s.

Another fabulous read from Tea Cooper.

Was this review helpful?

Oh, this book has my heart. Tea Cooper has written such a beautiful story. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for giving me the opportunity to read it.

The story Evie was such a great building block to the mystery and Lettie was so believable.

In order to escape the expectations placed on well-bred woman, and the ghosts of Sydney, Lettie agrees to carry a message to an aunt in the bush. An aunt, who, for the most part, has been absent from her life due to a family rift. A mystery surrounds the fracturing of the family and, without known it, Lettie will be drawn to the people, places and things that her mother wishes only to forget. A mother who has created her own idea of events and is unwilling to relinquish that creation. But is Lettie the person to heal old wounds?

The story is told partly in dual timelines (Evie and Lettie) and is done well, with the story of Lettie being dominant. Evie is written so well that you feel the angst of a young girl and her need to succeed and solve the mystery of Leichhardt’s (the explorer) journey to save her family, their name and wealth.

The landscape is described so clearly I felt like I was there and could smell the surrounds and hear the wildlife. This is another thing about Australian stories I enjoy, the feeling you have been to the place when it is described.

The characters are complex and fell like people I know. Although, I do wish I knew a Nathaniel in real life (*insert a dreamy sigh*). The family rift is a believable one and are an example of how time does not in fact heal old wounds.

As an aside, this book had me wanting to read more about Leichhardt’s travel and is what drew me in to the Evie storyline.

This is an excellent Australian historical fiction with mystery, subtle romance and family drama.

Was this review helpful?

Set in Australia, mostly in 1911 with flashbacks to 1880. Lettie Rawlings is getting over the death of her older brother Thorne, when an opportunity to travel to Yellow Rock in the Hunter Valley of NSW.to visit her Great Aunt Olivia. Lettie’s mother wants Lettie to inform Olivia of Thorne’s death and introduce herself in the hope of inheriting the family properties that would have went to Thorne.
Lettie spends time at her Great Aunts property and gradually learns about her family history and passions of her Grandfather and the disappearance of her mother’s sister Evie.
Lettie pieces together Evie’s notes, maps and paperwork in her grandfather’s study.
I loved the way the characters interacted and how the family secrets were revealed.
I particularly liked the way Lettie was able to sift through the contents of her Grandfather’s study and discover information about early Australian explorer’s.
This was about family relationships, rural life, exploration and secrets.

Was this review helpful?

*3-3.5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of past meets present when Lettie goes to see her Aunt Olivia and begins to learn much more about her family. Things she hadn't been told by her mother previously. She discovers that Evie had gone missing, and begins the search for the truth, to see if she can find out what really happened.

I found myself intrigued about the story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other book I've read buy this author, The Girl in the Painting. I liked both Lettie and Olivia, and I didn't mind Nathaniel and Denman, but thats about it. The story was interesting to unravel, but at the same time I was a bit disappointed by the end result. There were a few things that surprised me, that I wasn't expecting, but overall I wasn't wowed by it.

I enjoyed the book once I got into it, it just wasn't a fave.

Was this review helpful?

It was 1880 and eighteen-year-old Evie Ludgrove missed her father desperately. He’d taken her sister Miriam to Sydney to marry but had told Evie he would only be away a couple of months. He tasked her with formulating his notes and letters on the missing Ludwig Leichhardt, something William had been obsessed with for a long time. His thought was to write a book about the explorer but there was more to discover before that could happen. Evie would continue with the mapping in his absence.

When Letitia’s brother Thorne was killed in a dreadful accident, Lettie needed to get away from Sydney and her mother Miriam. She used her brother’s motor, the Model T Ford he’d named Lizzie, and drove to the Hunter Valley, to Yellow Rock where the family property was, where her mother had been born. She only knew what her mother had told her, so she expected her Great Aunt Olivia to be a dreadful old woman, frail and losing her mind. Olivia was far from that and delighted to see Lettie. Before too long Lettie was drawn into the disappearance of her Aunt Evie, thirty years prior. She was asked by Olivia to search the study – a room Olivia hadn’t ventured into after Evie disappeared – to see if she could find answers…

The Cartographer’s Secret is another outstanding work of fact blended with fiction (see the Historical Notes at the end) by Aussie author Tea Cooper, and I loved it. Racing through the pages, wanting to see where the story was going; I loved the character of Lettie, also Evie’s character. The novel was set in two timeframes – 1880 and 1911 – for the first half of the book and getting to know Evie was special. She was a lonely young woman, desperate for her father’s love and attention, determined to find the answers her father sought. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

‘The time has come to collate my notes and make them available to the world.’

Set in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, this novel involves two timelines, two women, some intriguing family mysteries, and a map.

In 1880, Evie Ludgrove went missing from her home at the Yellow Rock estate without a trace. Her father had
been obsessed with Dr Ludwig Leichhardt, and when The Bulletin magazine offered a £1,000 reward for proof of where he met his fate, Evie was determined to work it out. She had her father’s papers to draw on, as well as information in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society. Evie set off on her secret mission but was never seen again.

In 1911, Letitia Rawlings arrives at the Yellow Rock estate to advise her Great Aunt Olivia of a family bereavement. Letitia, driving her Model T Ford may appear to be independent, but she has some problems of her own. Her brother has died suddenly, and she is not happy with her mother’s plans. But Letitia finds that things at Yellow Rock are not exactly as her mother has portrayed them. And when she finds a map in her grandfather’s study, she wonders if she can solve the mystery of Evie’s disappearance.

I really enjoyed this novel, with its interesting female characters (especially Great Aunt Olivia) and its mysteries. There is a touch of romance as well.

If you enjoy Australian historical fiction with strong female characters, with family mysteries to puzzle and with a hint of romance, I can recommend ‘The Cartographer’s Secret’.

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

Was this review helpful?

Once again Tea Copper takes us on a trip through outback Australia in the Hunter Valley, this time in 1880 and 1911, to uncover secrets that have been unknown for years.

Drawing on the true mystery of Dr Ludwig Leichhardt's disappearance whilst exploring from the East Coast to the West Coast, we meet Evie in 1880 whose father's obsession with the explorer takes her on a mission to try to discover what happened to Leichhardt.

In 1911, we meet Letitia, who after the loss of her brother is drawn to meet her Great Aunt Olivia who still lives on the family estate waiting for Evie to return. Letitia is tasked with sorting out her Grandfather's study and trying to discover what happened to Evie.

I loved how headstrong and independent these women were, determined they could do things as well as any man. There is a supernatural feel to the connection that Letitia feels for Evie, and I enjoyed that connection. Olivia was a great character and I felt she was a wonderful role model for Letitia to have finally met, especially as Letitia's mother is not the sort of role model an independent woman like Letitia would have needed. I really liked Nathaniel who is intrigued by Letitia and I liked the attraction between these two a lot. 

I found cartography and the way that Evie illustrated the maps to be really interesting and would love to see these kinds of maps for myself. I can only imagine the difficulties involved in mapping this vast country of our back then and am not surprised that many people went missing, never to be discovered again.

This was an entertaining read with plenty of mysteries and a touch of romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

wow... loved this book... the interweaving of the journeys of Lettie and Evie although generations in between, the similarities of the characters are so believable... the mastery of the way the author led the reader on an insightful and sometimes "can't put it down" intrigue of events, through family dramas and secrets. Is still all too familiar in the heritage of families even today. from colonial times to present-day... Life in the country is truly, uniquely Australian...I would highly recommend this book as one to add to a home library ... or worth indulging in a great read. Become immersed in the story of Evie and Lettie, you won't be disappointed.

Was this review helpful?

I don't typically read a lot of Australian historical fiction since it's typically not set in my time periods of interest, but I love stories about explorers and maps so the premise of this story stood out to me. This book isn't entirely about explorers (though it is about maps), but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Firstly, Cooper creates a great sense of place: I could picture being out in the Hunter Valley, soaking in the sun and feeling the hot summer breezes. There are lots of little details about the towns and natural landmarks in the region that I found fascinating as well, and prevented this from just being another story about the nebulous Australian bush. I also loved the characters - I particularly connected with Lettie, who had such a great sense of independence and knew who she was, even when people gave her a reason to doubt herself. (As a side note, I love how all the women in this story don't necessarily fit the historical mould, but that this isn't the only thing we know or learn about them. All the women are allowed to experience the full spectrum of human emotion without ever being labelled as (un)feminine.)

If I had any quibbles it's probably that the pacing was slightly off and some of the scenes of life on the property could have been pared back a little (they were great, but there was a lot of scenes Evie and Lettie eating lunch and drinking lemonade). At one point, I thought we were near the climax, only to check and see that I still had over a third of the book left to read. But overall, I really enjoyed this book - I'm not sure it's really converted me fully to the Aust. history genre but as a starting point I'll definitely try and pick up more of Tea Cooper's work.

Was this review helpful?

I always enjoy Aussie author Tea Cooper’s books. An intriguing story of a long lost young woman and a historical puzzle.

The Cartographer’s Secret is set in The Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia in 1880

Evie Ludgrove loved to take her sketchbook and paints up to Yellow Rock where she would map the landscape around her home. Throughout her childhood she’d suffered from the occasional spell which nobody could explain, she'd be fine one moment then encounter one of her spells and lose a fragment of time.

Evie's father had an obsession with a great explorer know as Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt and Evie appears to be following in her father's footsteps. When an advertisement in the Bulletin offers a reward of proof where the explorer met his fate Evie is determined to find out but during this adventure she vanishes without a trace.

1911 -Sent by her scheming mother, Letitia Rawlings visits her family estate to inform her Great Aunt Olivia that the heir to the estate, Letitia's brother has suddenly died. She finds herself staying at the estate longer than planned and upon discovering an intricate and beautifully illustrated map she seeks to figure out the clues to the mystery of Evie’s disappearance some 30 years earlier.

I enjoyed this wonderful journey into time and it’s elements of mystery.


I wish to thank NetGalley & Harlequin Australia for providing an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first Tea Cooper book and I will be reading more. Loved the writing style, a bit of mystery, a bit of romance. Wonderful historical fiction

Was this review helpful?

DNF at 31%

This is more a case of it is me not the book, as I have liked the previous Tea Cooper books I have read.

I found it to be dragging, and although things were starting to pick up, I found myself not eager to pick up and read again.

Sorry Tea.

Was this review helpful?

I was so lucky to be given a copy of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself thinking about the characters when I put it down.
Lettie could have been any young girl from any era , lost and without purpose but she finds her way in the end.
This is a wonderful book if you love historical novels with a little mystery and romance .

Was this review helpful?

What a time for Australian female writers and for Australian Historical fiction!! Have previously read Tea Cooper and enjoyed her strong female characters. Evie and Lettie are no exception!

Was this review helpful?