Gold is a fever. Will it lead her to love… or death? A suspenseful romance set on the turbulent goldfields of 1870s Australia.
‘There are people in this town with the gleam of gold in their eyes and cold steel in their hearts.’
1873. Eliza Penrose arrives in the mining town of Maiden’s Creek in search of her brother, a character from the The Postmistress, who had left Cornwall in search of gold. Instead, she finds tragedy. Determined to solve the mystery of her brother’s death, Eliza takes on the position of the schoolmistress in the town’s only school, and soon encounters Alec McLeod, a Scottish engineer with a tragic past.
As the mysteries around her deepen, Alec becomes her closest ally and they find themselves up against men whose lust for wealth is greater than the ties of blood.
Now alone in this new land, Eliza plans to make a new life for herself, but instead she finds a tragic mystery – and hints of betrayals by those closest to her.
Mining engineer, Alec McLeod left Scotland to escape the memory of his dead wife and child. Despite the best efforts of the eligible ladies of Maiden’s Creek, Alec is determined never to give his heart to anyone again.
As lies and deceit threaten Eliza’s life, Alec steps in – although he has problems of his own and risks his livelihood and those he holds dear to oppose the dangerous work practices at the Maiden’s Creek Mine.
When disaster draws the pieces of the puzzle together, Eliza and Alec must save each other – but is it too late?
Fans of Alison Stuart will be more than thrilled with her latest offering. We already know she writes great Australian historical novels – her last, The Postmistress was a firm favourite with our Better Reading community. This is a follow-up to that story, although a standalone read.
In my review for The Postmistress I said, “Promoted for readers of The Thorn Birds, The Naturalist’s Daughter and The Widow of Ballarat, the novel also reminded me of my favourite Australian historical romance, now a classic, The Exiles by Vivian Stuart. Perhaps it’s the same surname, but Alison Stuart’s marvellous novel has the same great pace and sense of place, with an unforgettable heroine and a slow-burning, beautiful romance.”
In this, her new novel, she captures all of this again, but then more. Meticulously researched, Alison imbues this tale with a sense of era and place. I was transported to late nineteenth century rural Victoria. Our heroine is beautifully conveyed both on the stunning cover and on the page. Eliza and Alec make a great combination, with excellent chemistry and well-rounded character arcs, leading to a satisfying ending, both in their romance, but also for Eliza personally.
Alison Stuart has struck gold with The Goldminer’s Sister. History, mystery and romance. She really has hit her stride as a fabulous storyteller and historical novelist.
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