The Butterfly Women

It’s 1863, and Melbourne is transforming from a fledgling colony into a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its glittering new façade lies the real city—Little Lon, a notorious red-light district where brothels flourish and rich and poor alike come to revel through the night.

At the centre of it all is Papillon, the most glamorous brothel in Melbourne, home to women whose beauty and allure are legendary. For poor Irishwoman Johanna Callaghan, a position at Papillon could be her longed-for chance at success. Yet in an age when women’s lives are easily discarded, opportunity is shadowed by danger.

For journalist Harriett Gardiner, Papillon is strictly off-limits—a world scandalous and forbidden to respectable women. But when a murderer begins stalking the streets of Little Lon, Harriett’s search for the truth draws her into its heart.

As Johanna and Harriett’s lives entwine, secrets long buried in Melbourne’s underworld rise to the surface. The Butterfly Women is lush, dark and meticulously researched, weaving romance and mystery into an unforgettable tale of Australian history—and shining a light on the women too often erased from it.