Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl by Fiona Britton

Publisher's Synopsis

Sydney, 1930: In a well-heeled corner of Paddington, just a short distance from the razor gangs of Darlinghurst and Kings Cross, sits La Maison des Fleurs, an upscale brothel run by the indomitable Madame. The star of La Maison is Violet Kelly – beautiful, clever and determined to make something of herself in a world that has already taken so much.

When a former associate of Madame's emerges to claim a long-owed favour involving a kidnapped girl and an ancient curse, Violet is drawn into a risky game of cat and mouse that takes her from dangerous underworld dealings to raucous parties to untold stories about her own past, and, eventually, right into the heart of La Maison des Fleurs. But how much is she willing to risk to save her friends, her home and the life she's come to love? And will it be enough?