Talented crime writer Thomas Mogford has turned his attention to historical fiction, and we are very happy he did. This is a wonderful novel.
THE PLANT HUNTER is set in London in 1867. A handsome young man works in a Chelsea garden shop, hired because all the ladies want to chat to him. The store owner is delighted because he is good at convincing the ladies to buy the latest ‘in’ orchid or cycad. Chelsea was the centre of the exotic plant market. Wealthy people came from all over the Kingdom to buy exotics, paying top price for rare plants from faraway places.
The plant hunters were an adventurous lot, risking their lives to travel uncharted rivers and climb mountains inhabited by unfriendly natives. The handsome young man by chance encounters an old plant hunter who gives him a map showing the location of the most exotic and rare plant ever known. The map sends him on a journey to Singapore, and then into the interior of China.
There is politics of the Opium War, his travels with a beautiful young widow, their escape from bandits, the treacherous ship captain and action and more action. More subtly, and just as interesting, there is fascinating insight into the life of plants. Mogford slips in the botanical information so cleverly that you can’t help but be fascinated about the construction of the Wardian plant box, preserving seeds in honey and keeping plants alive in terrariums while transporting them thousands of kilometres across the seas. There are exquisite and detailed descriptions of river boats, Chinese temples, street life and more.
The novel follows the story of the evil plant seller in Chelsea who is determined to foil the young man’s search for the famous plant. This, and the unrequited love of the young widow keep the story flowing and the pages turning. Will the traveling companions ever consummate their love? Will the evil plant seller destroy them? Will the plant survive the long journey back to England? You’ll want to read this wonderful novel to find out!
Thomas Mogford is known for the popular Spike Sanguinetti series of crime novels. THE PLANT HUNTER is his first
The Plant Hunter is his first historical fiction.
Thomas Mogford ‘The Plant Hunter’
Published by Welback Fiction Ltd, UK, 2022
Distributed in Australia by Allen & Unwin
Hardback ISBN: 978 1 78739 936 5 $37
Paperback ISBN: 978 1 78739 937 2 $24
Kindle: $10