Reviews

The Secret Fate of Mary Watson by Eloise Oxer, Judy Johnson

mandi_m's review against another edition

A gripping novel filled with Australian history. Taking a real historical case from the 1870s Judy Johnson brings us the tale of Mary Watson as she imagines it could have been. There are spies, brothels, a vicious husband and a desolate island and these all add to a riveting story full of the spirit of lawless North Queensland.

taphophile's review

3.0

The inspiration for this book came from a historical document held in the State Library of Queensland and I expected it would be historically accurate. There was evidence of solid research but I had quibbles with some details (if you were born in England in the Nineteenth Century you certainly would NOT be able to get your birth certificate from the Registry Office in Brisbane) and with the language used. No woman of that period would say she would take something on advisement! I found these things distracted me from what was a very good if not particularly plausible, story.

A reasonable read.