Black Velvet and Vengeance

The page-turning third novel featuring intrepid heroine Tatty Crowe and the fascinating world of Sydney's Victorian funeral business, from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor.

Sometimes death is just the beginning ...

Late 1872. When twenty-five-year-old Sydney undertaker Tatiana Crowe travels to Auckland to embalm the body of Evan Hunter's father events go horribly wrong, leaving Tatty stricken.

Back at home, Tatty has some enormous decisions to make, but finds herself facing challenges both personal and professional. When bodies start to go missing, seemingly snatched from the funeral train en route to the cemetery, it looks like someone is targeting Tatty's business and everything she holds dear.

Who has a vendetta against Tatty, and why? With the aid of the family she has made for herself among the misfits of Sydney she must fend off extortion demands, an irate grieving mother, Darlinghurst Gaol tittle-tattlers and the threat of ruin.

Featuring a fiercely intrepid heroine, Black Velvet and Vengeance vividly and unforgettably shines a light on a fascinating period of Sydney's history - life, death and everything in between.

Praise for Deborah Challinor:

'Australia's answer to Philippa Gregory' Brisbane Times

'Expertly crafted novel, [Black Silk and Sympathy is] a captivating tale of resilience, reinvention and determination ... [with] a thrilling twist' Books+Publishing

About the Author

Deborah Challinor has a PhD in history and is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including the Children of War series, the Convict Girls series, the Smuggler's Wife series and the Restless Years series. She has also written one young adult novel and two non-fiction books. In 2018, Deborah was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature and historical research. She lives in New Zealand with her husband.