Murder in Punch Lane: Gothic crime in the laneways of 19th century Melbourne
Jul 2024 · Echo
Ebook
356
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
Melbourne, 1868. When dazzling theatre star Marie St Denis dies in the arms of her best friend, fellow actress Lola Sanchez, everyone believes it was suicide by laudanum overdose. Everyone except Lola. On the brink of stardom herself, she risks everything by embarking on a quest to find Marie's killer.
When journalist Magnus Scott, writing as 'the Walking Gentleman', publishes a compassionate obituary about her friend, Lola decides to seek his help. A fraught attraction develops between these two amateur detectives from opposite sides of society, and their volatile relationship soon begins to compromise their investigation.
Lola keeps a secret from Magnus. She traverses the corrupt underbelly of the brash young metropolis just as he does, but disguised as a boy, entering dangerous, forbidden spaces where the lives of the rich and privileged intersect with the city's underclass and outsiders: bohemians, theatre folk, prostitutes, down-and-outs and opium addicts.
Neither are prepared for the truths they will uncover about the powers that rule Melbourne - or the consequences for their own lives. And now they must race to find the murderer before the city destroys them both.
When journalist Magnus Scott, writing as 'the Walking Gentleman', publishes a compassionate obituary about her friend, Lola decides to seek his help. A fraught attraction develops between these two amateur detectives from opposite sides of society, and their volatile relationship soon begins to compromise their investigation.
Lola keeps a secret from Magnus. She traverses the corrupt underbelly of the brash young metropolis just as he does, but disguised as a boy, entering dangerous, forbidden spaces where the lives of the rich and privileged intersect with the city's underclass and outsiders: bohemians, theatre folk, prostitutes, down-and-outs and opium addicts.
Neither are prepared for the truths they will uncover about the powers that rule Melbourne - or the consequences for their own lives. And now they must race to find the murderer before the city destroys them both.
About the author
Jane Sullivan is an author and literary journalist who loves books and has always written about them.
She was born in England to Australian parents, came to live in Melbourne in 1979 and worked at The Age as a reporter, feature writer and editor of various sections, including the books pages. She won the inaugural Australian Human Rights award for journalism.
At present she contributes to The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, writing features and a Saturday column, 'Turning Pages', about books and writing.
She has also written for Griffith Review, Meanjin and Australian Book Review and has reviewed books for ABC Radio National's Books and Arts program.
Murder in Punch Lane is Jane's fourth book. She has previously published two novels - The White Star (Penguin Australia, 2000) and Little People (Scribe, 2011) - and the nonfiction work Storytime (Ventura Press, 2019).
She was born in England to Australian parents, came to live in Melbourne in 1979 and worked at The Age as a reporter, feature writer and editor of various sections, including the books pages. She won the inaugural Australian Human Rights award for journalism.
At present she contributes to The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, writing features and a Saturday column, 'Turning Pages', about books and writing.
She has also written for Griffith Review, Meanjin and Australian Book Review and has reviewed books for ABC Radio National's Books and Arts program.
Murder in Punch Lane is Jane's fourth book. She has previously published two novels - The White Star (Penguin Australia, 2000) and Little People (Scribe, 2011) - and the nonfiction work Storytime (Ventura Press, 2019).
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
