The Butterfly Women
OUT NOW!
Melbourne, 1863:
Two young women from Melbourne's starkly different worlds are drawn into the hunt for a killer. Lush, dark and meticulously researched, The Butterfly Women weaves romance and mystery into an unforgettable tale of Australian history - and the women so often erased from it.
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About madeleine
Madeleine Cleary is a writer who lives at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges on Wurundjeri country in outer Melbourne. Her debut novel of historical fiction, The Butterfly Women, was published in May 2025 with Affirm Press and was chosen as Dymocks Fiction Book of the Month. It is inspired by Madeleine’s recently discovered connection to the thieves and prostitutes of the early colony of Melbourne, and it was this research that was the novel’s genesis.
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Madeleine is a co-host of The Book Deal Podcast with fellow podcaster, Tina Strachan, a podcast that helps to inspire and motivate aspiring writers.
Madeleine has appeared on panels at Sorrento Writers Festival and Willy Lit Fest, and on ABC Melbourne Radio and 3CR. Her most recent novel, In Her Own Words, was shortlisted in 2024 for The Australian Fiction Prize. Her writing has featured in The Australian Weekend Magazine, Stringybark Stories, the E.M Fletcher Writing Award, and the Ethel Webb Bundell Literary Short Story Competition. Madeleine holds a Master of Arts (International Relations) degree from the University of Melbourne.
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While she has established a wonderful career in the Australian Public Service, including stints working in Canberra and China, writing was always her (secret) passion. A former bookseller, Madeleine enjoys being part of the wider reading and writing community in Australia.
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Author Bio (short): Madeleine Cleary’s debut novel, The Butterfly Women (2025, Affirm Press), was chosen as Dymocks Fiction Book of the Month and was inspired by her family history. Her writing has been shortlisted for The Australian Fiction Prize and featured in The Australian Weekend Magazine. Madeleine is the co-host of The Book Deal Podcast, a popular podcast where she interviews writers about their pathway to publication. Before she became a published author, Madeleine was a bookseller and served as an Australian diplomat in China. Madeleine is from Melbourne/Narrm and lives at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges.
Reviews
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'Impeccably researched and beautifully told, The Butterfly Women is a daring novel that gives voice to the silenced women of early Melbourne - women who were maligned, judged and buried under layers of mainstream history. Weaving a marvellous, and oft dark tale, that doesn't hesitate to expose class and cultural differences, as well as trenchant sexism, misogyny and racism, Madeleine Cleary breaks down an imposing door and, invoking the ghosts and monsters of other places and times, beckons the reader to follow her into Australia's hidden past. Go with her - you won't regret it.'
– Karen Brooks
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'Madeleine Cleary threads fictional mystery and romance into a grim but fascinating chapter of Australia's hardscrabble past, bringing to richly detailed life the women so often overlooked by history.'
– The Canberra Times
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'Absorbingly written and impeccably researched.'
– The Australian
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'Think Pride & Prejudice where Lizzie is a sex-worker and Darcy an upper-class magistrate, with Jack the Ripper lurking in the shadows.'
– The Herald Sun/The Daily Telegraph
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'The Butterfly Women is a love letter to the rich history of Melbourne. You can see it bleed through in every page.'
– ArtsHub
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'Cleary’s approach to writing about Papillon and about prostitution is refreshingly balanced.'
– The AU Review
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'This page turning work of historical fiction illuminates stories that were ignored — essential reading for anyone interested in Australia’s complex social history.'
– WellBeing Magazine
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'I had to keep reading until the very last page!'
– Better Reading
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'A gripping page-turner … authors like Cleary are bringing archival recovery into the mainstream.'
– Honi Soit
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'Rich and vivid, sepia-toned and lush, The Butterfly Women is a stunning exploration of women history tries to forget. Victorian-era Melbourne shimmers in all its grimy glory under Cleary's deft pen as she weaves a murderous tale against the backdrop of the delightfully debaucherous Little Lon. These characters will pick up their skirts and nestle into your heart with every turn of the page. An extravagant romp through cobblestone streets, The Butterfly Women gives voice to those who were never listened to but who have always spoken.'
– Alli Parker
'An elegantly written exposé of a forgotten female chapter of Australian history. Although we're searching for a killer, it's Melbourne's forgotten heroines who leap off the page to command the reader's attention.'
– Kyra Geddes
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'Stunningly good, a thoroughly enjoyable blend of Melbourne's history.'
– Barbara Minchinton
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Madeleine cleary
and
Tina strachan
A podcast where debut and seasoned authors share tips and advice on how to get that elusive book deal.
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