Review & Giveaway - The Millwood Mystery & Bridget's Locket and Other Mysteries

About the books

Bridget's Locket and Other Mysteries is a triptych, including one novella-length story and two short stories from Mary Helena Fortune, writing as Waif Wander, who is suggested to be the first female crime and mystery writer in the world. Bridget’s Locket tells the story of a migrant dressmaker’s search for justice when her travelling companion meets a terrible fate. Joined by two stories about falling in love with a fugitive from the law and murder and bigamy amid goldfields and through the streets of Melbourne, this volume promises a tour of 19th Century Australian crime.

The Millwood Mystery is a single spellbinding novel by Jeannie Lockett, author, journalist, teacher, and women’s advocate. Alongside Fortune, Lockett wrote phenomenal crime and mystery. The Millwood Mystery is a family tragedy. When Barbara Neill is found dead in her home, the only suspects are also her only relatives. It is the tale of a community’s suspicions and how they have the potential to destroy innocent lives.

I'm excited to share these two new Australian historical crime releases about to come out from Corella Press - a non-profit teaching initiative run predominately by students at the University of Queensland. They've found these 19th century Australian gems and published them for the first time in novel form, as they originally were released in small snippets of newspapers at the time.

Both Bridget's Locket and The Millwood Mystery retain their historical charm and read authentically as they were written all those years ago while still maintaining enough suspense to keep the pages turning. It's a great initiative to see these pieces of writing gain traction and be revived, and it was equally interesting to learn more about the authors' lives as well - which were almost as engrossing as the stories themselves!

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Open internationally, entries close 30 August 2019 (AEST).
1st Prize – A beautiful silhouette pendant (6 pendants available)
2nd Prize – Bridget’s Locket and Other Mysteries eBook
3rd Prize – The Millwood Mystery eBook

Physical books will be available for purchase from 30th August, on the Corella Press website: https://www.austlit.edu.au/corellapress

Watch out for my interview coming out tomorrow with Kathleen Jennings who illustrated the covers for these books!