Set against the backdrop of a particularly divisive period in colonial New South Wales, Australia, this sensational story recounts the scandal that centered on the alluring convict Jane New and her role in the public vilification of Governor Ralph Darling and the elevation of William Charles Wentworth from journalist and public figure to the colony’s master political operator.
Carol Baxter is the prize-winning author of three popular histories with a criminal bent – 'An Irresistible Temptation', 'Breaking the Bank' and 'Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady' – all of which have been published to critical acclaim in her native Australia. Previously, she was General Editor of the Biographical Database of Australia and, before that, Project Officer of the Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record, in which roles she edited many records relating to convicts transported to Australia to serve out their sentences. These helped her to discover the subjects for her tales of true crime. She is a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists and an adjunct lecturer at the University of New England (NSW). A full-time writer and speaker, she lives in Sydney.