The Goldminer's Sister (Maiden's Creek #2) in Aussie Readers

Jul 05, 2020 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, historical-mystery, own-read, historical-fiction, net-galley, 2020-release, reviewing-by-request, aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, read-on-kindle

When Eliza Penrose finally arrived in the Victorian town of Maiden’s Creek after long, arduous travel from England, she was looking forward to seeing the brother she hadn’t seen in the five years since he’d left home. Now, with her mother passed, she’d come to join William so they could forge a future together as part owners of the Shenandoah gold mine near Maiden’s Creek. But when she learned how circumstances had changed, Eliza was shattered; a strong young woman, she was determined to find he ...more

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Jul 23, 2020 Helen rated it it was amazing

Alison Stuart is such a fabulous story teller, this time she has taken us back to 1873 to a town called Maiden’s Creek Victoria were gold is the be all and end all and there are some people who will do anything to make sure they have as much as they can. This is a follow on from The Postmistress and a fabulous one, one I could barely put down, a must read.

Eliza Penrose arrives from England to meet up with her brother William, they have planned to make a new life here running the Shenandoah gold Alison Stuart is such a fabulous story teller, this time she has taken us back to 1873 to a town called Maiden’s Creek Victoria were gold is the be all and end all and there are some people who will do anything to make sure they have as much as they can. This is a follow on from The Postmistress and a fabulous one, one I could barely put down, a must read.

Eliza Penrose arrives from England to meet up with her brother William, they have planned to make a new life here running the Shenandoah gold mine close to Maiden’s Creek where William used to run a mine for his uncle Charles Cowper, but sadly the news she arrives to has her changing all of her plans, she is forced to go and stay with her uncle but things don’t appear to be how they should and when she digs deeper there is a mystery that she needs to uncover and there seems to be a lot of betrayal going on and she is determined to get to the bottom of it all.

Alec McLeod is overseeing the Maiden’s Creek mine for Charles Cowper he is a good man who cares about the safety of the workers but when it appears that corners are being ant and his orders overturned he becomes suspicious, he was friends with William Penrose and has now met his sister Eliza a woman determined to get answers, they become friends and allies in the search for the truth and even though after losing one love in the past and is sure he will not love again he can feel his heart opening up to Eliza.

This is a fast paced story that has everything a reader would want, when danger threatens lives Alec and Eliza get closer to protect each other and getting to the truth is not easy, this story is filled with wonderful characters that add so much to the story and of course Alec a hero to die for and Eliza beautiful inside and outside, strong and determined. I loved this one from start to finish it is so well written I felt like I was in Maiden’s Creek. Thank you MS Stuart for another awesome story this is one that I highly recommend, don’t miss this one.
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Jul 10, 2020 Bree T rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, historical-fiction, australian, rural-lit, aww2020

I read and really enjoyed The Postmistress last year by Alison Stuart and this is a connected book, set in the same town and featuring characters that appeared in that previous book. In The Goldminer’s Sister, Eliza Penrose arrives deep into country Victoria where her brother William has been establishing a mine. In communication with Eliza, he has indicated that he believes it will turn the family’s unfortunate finances around and that she should come and join him when she can. However when she I read and really enjoyed The Postmistress last year by Alison Stuart and this is a connected book, set in the same town and featuring characters that appeared in that previous book. In The Goldminer’s Sister, Eliza Penrose arrives deep into country Victoria where her brother William has been establishing a mine. In communication with Eliza, he has indicated that he believes it will turn the family’s unfortunate finances around and that she should come and join him when she can. However when she arrives, Eliza is met with heartbreak – and mystery.

Despite her uncle’s attempts for her to remove herself to Melbourne as soon as possible, or maybe even Sydney, locations that he feels would be more fitting for a lady like her, Eliza is determined to stay in Maiden’s Creek and find out exactly what happened and the more she digs, the more mystery she finds. She meets Scotsman Alec McLeod, who manages her uncle’s mine and as the two of them become somewhat acquainted, he brings information to her that definitely suggests deception and the possibility of extreme danger. Eliza must be careful for it seems that there are people who will not care what the law says and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

I found this an intriguing story, deepening the circumstances surrounding the Shenandoah mine that began in The Postmistress. Eliza has travelled a long way to join her brother and she’s anticipating a warm and happy reunion. What she gets however, is nothing like that. Eliza makes up her mind to stay in Maiden’s Creek to puzzle out some things that concern her and it doesn’t take her long to become immersed in the local town, teaching at the small school, making friends (and enemies) of the locals and also, forming a friendship with Alec McLeod.

Alec has known loss. He’s known helplessness. And now he’s half a world away from the pain and heartbreak and with his brother Ian, is trying to make a new life, managing a mine. He’s a conscientious person, who values his workers and doesn’t approve of cost cutting over health and safety. When Eliza arrives, Alec knows he has something that belongs to her, despite his sort-of reluctance to give it up. He also knows that it might be dangerous and because of that, he wants to see her protected.

I loved the relationship that formed between Alec and Eliza. Their first meeting doesn’t lend either of them to favour the other but they do manage to put that aside and develop a mutual trust that leads them both to confide the suspicions they have in the other and Alec vows to help her in any way he can. It leads to both of them developing deeper feelings, although Alec is in a bit of denial in some ways. He’s still grieving his terrible loss and it takes him a while to accept that he might be in a place where he can choose happiness for himself.

The mystery in this isn’t unknown – it’s pretty obvious who is doing what and why, it’s being able to get the proof required, dodge the dangers and actually make it public that occupies a lot of the novel. The last third or so, is really fast paced but well done with so much happening, not just to Eliza as she tries to fight for her rights but also with the mine and Alec’s role within it. It’s really unputdownable and I was racing through it, willing everything to come out into the open so that everyone would know what was really happening and who was really responsible.

There are side stories here, characters that the author introduces as seemingly not that important but later on they prove vital for one reason or another or take up a much larger part of the narrative than was anticipated and it makes me wonder if there are future books planned that will also be set in this area. There seemed like several options for future books and I’d definitely be interested in returning.

For those who have read The Postmistress there’s several characters who reappear in this one as well as a fun cameo with Caleb and Adelaide at the end that gives a bit of an indication how they are going. Getting a glimpse of characters I’ve read about before is always one of my favourite things, so I really enjoyed that.

This is an intriguing story well told with characters that are easy to connect with and hope for.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Bronwyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian, romance-historical

I thoroughly enjoyed The Goldminer's Sister. Engaging characters, gripping story, and I love the way that the author's historical research gets the small details right and gives a realistic sense of everyday life on the goldfields in the 1870s. That's a talent that many authors of historical novels lack. ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Marg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aww-2020

In the 1850's gold was discovered in various places in Victoria. People left their homes to try their chances to find gold, to set themselves up for life on the basis of that one big find. And if that big find doesn't come today, then it will come tomorrow, or the day after, or when you move to a new mine. Even today, there are people who spend their lives either fossicking in the hope of finding a nugget, or doing large scale mechanical mining in the wilds of places like Alaska. Gold fever! And ...more

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Aug 22, 2020 Rhoda rated it really liked it

Thank you @harlequinaus and @romanceanz for sending me a copy of this book in my #ReadThroughCovid19 box of books!

In 1873, Eliza arrives from England to meet her brother in the Victorian gold mining town of Maiden’s Creek, however when she arrives there it is to find a tragic mystery.....however the circumstances seem normal to everyone but Eliza, who decides she needs to dig a little deeper....and is shocked by what she discovers.

The author explains at the end in the author’s notes that she ba ...more

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