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The Butterfly Man
Winner of the Davitt Award – Crime Fiction Novel of the Year 2006
In November 1974 a young English nanny named Sandra Rivett was murdered in London's West End. Her employer, Lord Lucan, was named as her attacker. It was widely assumed he had mistaken her for his wife. Lord Lucan disappeared the night Sandra Rivett died and has never been seen since.
Henry Kennedy lives on a mountain on the other side of the world. He is not who he says he is. Is he a murderer or a man who can never clear his name? And is he the only one with something to hide?
Set in Tasmania, Africa and London's Belgravia, The Butterfly Man is an absorbing novel about transformation and deception, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love.
In November 1974 a young English nanny named Sandra Rivett was murdered in London's West End. Her employer, Lord Lucan, was named as her attacker. It was widely assumed he had mistaken her for his wife. Lord Lucan disappeared the night Sandra Rivett died and has never been seen since.
Henry Kennedy lives on a mountain on the other side of the world. He is not who he says he is. Is he a murderer or a man who can never clear his name? And is he the only one with something to hide?
Set in Tasmania, Africa and London's Belgravia, The Butterfly Man is an absorbing novel about transformation and deception, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
33 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Heather Rose
7 books452 followersHeather Rose is the bestselling Australian author of eight novels. Heather writes for both adults and children. Her adult novels include Bruny, The Museum of Modern Love, The River Wife & The Butterfly Man.
The Museum of Modern Love won the 2017 Stella Prize, the Christina Stead Prize and the Margaret Scott Prize. It was shortlisted for the Australian Literary Society Medal and longlisted for the IMPAC Awards. It has been published internationally and translated into numerous languages. Both stage and screen rights have been acquired.
Bruny, published 2019, is a political thriller, family saga and a novel about the new world order. described as 'more a hand grenade than a book' What would you do to protect the place you love? And how far will the Australian government go to placate foreign interests?
Heather’s first novel White Heart was published in 1999. It was followed by The Butterfly Man in 2005 – a story based on the disappearance of British peer Lord Lucan in 1974. The Butterfly Man was longlisted for the IMPAC Awards, shortlisted for the Nita B Kibble Award and won the 2006 Davitt Award for the Crime Fiction Novel of the Year written by an Australian woman.
Heather writes the acclaimed Tuesday McGillycuddy series for children under the pen name Angelica Banks with award-winning author Danielle Wood. The series begins with Finding Serendipity with sequels A Week Without Tuesday and Blueberry Pancakes Forever. The novels have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards for best fantasy children's fiction and are published internationally.
Heather lives on the island of Tasmania.
The Museum of Modern Love won the 2017 Stella Prize, the Christina Stead Prize and the Margaret Scott Prize. It was shortlisted for the Australian Literary Society Medal and longlisted for the IMPAC Awards. It has been published internationally and translated into numerous languages. Both stage and screen rights have been acquired.
Bruny, published 2019, is a political thriller, family saga and a novel about the new world order. described as 'more a hand grenade than a book' What would you do to protect the place you love? And how far will the Australian government go to placate foreign interests?
Heather’s first novel White Heart was published in 1999. It was followed by The Butterfly Man in 2005 – a story based on the disappearance of British peer Lord Lucan in 1974. The Butterfly Man was longlisted for the IMPAC Awards, shortlisted for the Nita B Kibble Award and won the 2006 Davitt Award for the Crime Fiction Novel of the Year written by an Australian woman.
Heather writes the acclaimed Tuesday McGillycuddy series for children under the pen name Angelica Banks with award-winning author Danielle Wood. The series begins with Finding Serendipity with sequels A Week Without Tuesday and Blueberry Pancakes Forever. The novels have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards for best fantasy children's fiction and are published internationally.
Heather lives on the island of Tasmania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 17, 2021
”They’re still looking for me. They’ll never stop.”
What defines us as to who we are? Or more specifically as to who we think we are. The difference is there, subtle as it may be. It’s so much more than what’s written on a birth certificate, passport or other legal document.
Identity and its loss – whether intentional or not – are brought into play from the early chapters. Questions to ponder are if you can ever really escape from your past and your actions to start anew, no matter how long ago they occurred. Is a fresh start ever really that simple? And are you entitled to that option?
Henry Kennedy is a man in his early 60s, living a fairly contented life on the Apple Isle (Tassie). He enjoys the peace and solitude, the wide open spaces, the freedom, being near the mountains and the sea. It’s paradise. He built the home he lives in with his partner Lili (Lil). He has a few very close friends, which is more than enough. Henry works part-time with his mate Stan, and with another mate Jimmy, he’s building his “dream boat”, aptly named Venus.
But then Henry receives a medical diagnosis which he had been dreading. He looks back on the events which led him to Tasmania. He wonders how much, if any of his past, he should divulge to Lil, and his close friends Stan and Jimmy. The mysterious arrival of Lil’s daughter Suki with a child in tow (neither of whom Henry knew existed), means that life events unfold which takes the decision out of his hands.
”Yes, I was a liar. I stole from the past to make a life in the future.”
Flashbacks to London. Belgravia. The early 1970s. A young English nanny by the name of Sandra Rivett is brutally bludgeoned to death in her employer’s basement kitchen. Is it a case of mistaken identity? And is it possible that the children’s father, Lord Lucan who disappeared that night, has ended up on the other side of the world?
”I had worked hard to be the man I’d created. I had not become Henry Kennedy by the coercion of a wife, nor the desires of a parent. I had not become him to cure an addiction to alcohol or sex".
Henry is not the only character with secrets. Lil and Suki have also kept their cards close to their chest. They have a very odd and disjointed mother/daughter relationship. Charlie – Suki’s son – is a bright, albeit unusual young boy, who seems to have more than his fair share of thoughts to keep him company. Too many for such a young age.
”Then he asked, ‘What do your voices say?’
‘I don’t have any voices.’
‘That must be sad for you,’ he said.”
Charlie is such an incredible character. Wise beyond his years, as though his six year old body has already lived many lives.
As the story unfolds, we learn that Henry is not alone in having a great tragedy to bear. Stories within stories. Secrets within secrets, like a Babushka doll. As the chapters neared the end, I had a newfound perspective of Lord Lucan's case and character, as it turned what I knew of it on its head. What if?...
Faceless, The Beast Beneath My Skin, The Obvious Person, The Assassin... are chapter headings, breadcrumbs, that may give some clues as to the direction the story is taking. Or do they? Nothing is as it seems.
"I think usually crime is simple. Usually it's the most obvious person."
The book title The Butterfly Man undoubtedly has different meanings to different people. To me, it’s a very esoteric one, about rebirth and renewal. And perhaps even the hope of redemption, as the lifespan of a butterfly is brief.
”I was not guilty, nor was I innocent. People thought that I fled the law. But there are things far worse than the law.”
It's interesting that Heather Rose managed to make the character of Henry Kennedy quite empathetic. Which is in contrast to what John Bingham (aka Lord Lucan) was supposedly like in real life. It was hard not to think that Henry felt remorse for his past and events which occurred. She's taken a factual story and made it into great work of fiction, by putting a fresh angle on it.
Ms.Rose shows off the beauty of her beloved Tasmania through Henry's eyes. It's a nice touch. You can understand why he settled and built his home there.
I’m sure this will be a very lively (or as another Bookclub member said “robust”) discussion when we catchup next week, as there is so much going on in this book. It’s not simply an open and shut case of a crime that was committed, but the repercussions which are felt for years afterward. That most of us have something about ourselves that we’d prefer to keep hidden. We all have a story to tell and have shed several layers of skin along the way. It can be no other way once you've reached a certain point in your life.
This is the third of Heather Rose’s books which I’ve read. Previous ones being The Museum of Modern Love (for which she aptly won the 2017 Stella Prize, I was thrilled) & Bruny (another book set in Tasmania). Her writing style is one which just agrees with me. She always chooses topics and characters that are unique, and adds depths of layers to them.
” ‘Time to be making peace then.'
‘Peace?’
‘With yourself.’ “
This is part of our Bookclub’s travels around Oz. It’s been a good experience focussing on Aussie writers (our vicarious way of travelling while most of the eastern seaboard was in lockdown). Our journey will next take us to Sth Australia, to the Adelaide Hills.
There's an interesting doco on YouTube in which Lady Lucan discusses her marriage to Lord Lucan. Brilliantly unearthed by Jeff from Bookclub. Well worth a look into a different time and world. I have to say that it's as disturbing as it is fascinating, and incredibly, indelibly sad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zzzc...
*** Shout out to the wonderful, Talented Mr. Neale-ski (*waves*), who helped me find a Tassie based writer for Bookclub. I'd never have stumbled upon this myself. It was a magnificent pick. Loved. ***
”There's a whole chain of events that leads to a moment and you can't see the moment coming until all the dominoes are falling.”
What defines us as to who we are? Or more specifically as to who we think we are. The difference is there, subtle as it may be. It’s so much more than what’s written on a birth certificate, passport or other legal document.
Identity and its loss – whether intentional or not – are brought into play from the early chapters. Questions to ponder are if you can ever really escape from your past and your actions to start anew, no matter how long ago they occurred. Is a fresh start ever really that simple? And are you entitled to that option?
Henry Kennedy is a man in his early 60s, living a fairly contented life on the Apple Isle (Tassie). He enjoys the peace and solitude, the wide open spaces, the freedom, being near the mountains and the sea. It’s paradise. He built the home he lives in with his partner Lili (Lil). He has a few very close friends, which is more than enough. Henry works part-time with his mate Stan, and with another mate Jimmy, he’s building his “dream boat”, aptly named Venus.
But then Henry receives a medical diagnosis which he had been dreading. He looks back on the events which led him to Tasmania. He wonders how much, if any of his past, he should divulge to Lil, and his close friends Stan and Jimmy. The mysterious arrival of Lil’s daughter Suki with a child in tow (neither of whom Henry knew existed), means that life events unfold which takes the decision out of his hands.
”Yes, I was a liar. I stole from the past to make a life in the future.”
Flashbacks to London. Belgravia. The early 1970s. A young English nanny by the name of Sandra Rivett is brutally bludgeoned to death in her employer’s basement kitchen. Is it a case of mistaken identity? And is it possible that the children’s father, Lord Lucan who disappeared that night, has ended up on the other side of the world?
”I had worked hard to be the man I’d created. I had not become Henry Kennedy by the coercion of a wife, nor the desires of a parent. I had not become him to cure an addiction to alcohol or sex".
Henry is not the only character with secrets. Lil and Suki have also kept their cards close to their chest. They have a very odd and disjointed mother/daughter relationship. Charlie – Suki’s son – is a bright, albeit unusual young boy, who seems to have more than his fair share of thoughts to keep him company. Too many for such a young age.
”Then he asked, ‘What do your voices say?’
‘I don’t have any voices.’
‘That must be sad for you,’ he said.”
Charlie is such an incredible character. Wise beyond his years, as though his six year old body has already lived many lives.
As the story unfolds, we learn that Henry is not alone in having a great tragedy to bear. Stories within stories. Secrets within secrets, like a Babushka doll. As the chapters neared the end, I had a newfound perspective of Lord Lucan's case and character, as it turned what I knew of it on its head. What if?...
Faceless, The Beast Beneath My Skin, The Obvious Person, The Assassin... are chapter headings, breadcrumbs, that may give some clues as to the direction the story is taking. Or do they? Nothing is as it seems.
"I think usually crime is simple. Usually it's the most obvious person."
The book title The Butterfly Man undoubtedly has different meanings to different people. To me, it’s a very esoteric one, about rebirth and renewal. And perhaps even the hope of redemption, as the lifespan of a butterfly is brief.
”I was not guilty, nor was I innocent. People thought that I fled the law. But there are things far worse than the law.”
It's interesting that Heather Rose managed to make the character of Henry Kennedy quite empathetic. Which is in contrast to what John Bingham (aka Lord Lucan) was supposedly like in real life. It was hard not to think that Henry felt remorse for his past and events which occurred. She's taken a factual story and made it into great work of fiction, by putting a fresh angle on it.
Ms.Rose shows off the beauty of her beloved Tasmania through Henry's eyes. It's a nice touch. You can understand why he settled and built his home there.
I’m sure this will be a very lively (or as another Bookclub member said “robust”) discussion when we catchup next week, as there is so much going on in this book. It’s not simply an open and shut case of a crime that was committed, but the repercussions which are felt for years afterward. That most of us have something about ourselves that we’d prefer to keep hidden. We all have a story to tell and have shed several layers of skin along the way. It can be no other way once you've reached a certain point in your life.
This is the third of Heather Rose’s books which I’ve read. Previous ones being The Museum of Modern Love (for which she aptly won the 2017 Stella Prize, I was thrilled) & Bruny (another book set in Tasmania). Her writing style is one which just agrees with me. She always chooses topics and characters that are unique, and adds depths of layers to them.
” ‘Time to be making peace then.'
‘Peace?’
‘With yourself.’ “
This is part of our Bookclub’s travels around Oz. It’s been a good experience focussing on Aussie writers (our vicarious way of travelling while most of the eastern seaboard was in lockdown). Our journey will next take us to Sth Australia, to the Adelaide Hills.
There's an interesting doco on YouTube in which Lady Lucan discusses her marriage to Lord Lucan. Brilliantly unearthed by Jeff from Bookclub. Well worth a look into a different time and world. I have to say that it's as disturbing as it is fascinating, and incredibly, indelibly sad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zzzc...
*** Shout out to the wonderful, Talented Mr. Neale-ski (*waves*), who helped me find a Tassie based writer for Bookclub. I'd never have stumbled upon this myself. It was a magnificent pick. Loved. ***
”There's a whole chain of events that leads to a moment and you can't see the moment coming until all the dominoes are falling.”
June 26, 2024
Perhaps, as my gr-friend, Mark, says, I’m in a stingy phase. Rose writes in deceptively simple language that goes down easy. This was a quiet book about a dying man and the family he made for himself, and in the end it was quite beautiful. I solidly liked it throughout, but for a story about a former Earl wanted for murder in London who changed his life and identity in Australia, it’s a little uneventful. I did like the way the past unfolds, how the protagonist isn’t the only one with deep-seeded secrets, and how the fear of self-exposure due to a brain tumor added to the tension. I also found the characters likable and interesting. But I often felt there was too much description, and it took a while to get hooked, although it never felt like a chore to read, and I always enjoyed the language.
If you haven’t read this author yet, I highly recommend The Museum of Modern Love. If you become a fan, this is worth the read.
If you haven’t read this author yet, I highly recommend The Museum of Modern Love. If you become a fan, this is worth the read.
July 27, 2025
3 ⭐️s
Lord Lucan was convicted of murdering the nanny. He disappeared and went into hiding. Henry Kennedy lives on a mountain across the sea. Henry Kennedy is concealing his true self.
This was very slow paced but rather interesting and rather sad.
Oh, I had no idea that Lord Lucan was a real figure and related to Diana, Princess of Wales.
So, this is based on a true story of what might have happened to Lord Lucan the night he vanished in 1974.
5 stars for the narrator.
A bit of trivial information: The Butterfly Man was added to the Australian government’s Books Alive initiative 2007. Each year I collected the guide until it ended in 2013 and every now and then I’ll go through the guides and tick off the books I have read, the ones I had marked that sounded interesting. I did this the other day and the ones I had marked I checked to see if BorrowBox had it listed and lo and behold The Butterfly Man was there. Was a good surprise and a book I don’t need to go searching for now.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by: Bolinda audio
Read by Humphrey Bower
Duration: 9 hrs, 8 min. 1.25x Speed
Lord Lucan was convicted of murdering the nanny. He disappeared and went into hiding. Henry Kennedy lives on a mountain across the sea. Henry Kennedy is concealing his true self.
This was very slow paced but rather interesting and rather sad.
Oh, I had no idea that Lord Lucan was a real figure and related to Diana, Princess of Wales.
So, this is based on a true story of what might have happened to Lord Lucan the night he vanished in 1974.
5 stars for the narrator.
A bit of trivial information: The Butterfly Man was added to the Australian government’s Books Alive initiative 2007. Each year I collected the guide until it ended in 2013 and every now and then I’ll go through the guides and tick off the books I have read, the ones I had marked that sounded interesting. I did this the other day and the ones I had marked I checked to see if BorrowBox had it listed and lo and behold The Butterfly Man was there. Was a good surprise and a book I don’t need to go searching for now.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by: Bolinda audio
Read by Humphrey Bower
Duration: 9 hrs, 8 min. 1.25x Speed
September 12, 2014
I loved this book which I read as an audio narrated by Humphrey Bower a talented actor who truly brought this story to life. The story is a fictionalised account of the true-life Lord Lucan, suspected of the murder of his children's nanny and missing for the past 40 years. I was so persuaded about the reality of this account I proceeded to search on line to learn more of this murder case that captured the imagination of the the population in the 1970s and beyond.
The novel, set in Tasmania and narrated by the protangonist, now with a scottish background, is rich in detail encompassing the Vietnam war, life in South Africa, boat-bulding and terminal illness. Without wanting to give too much away, the ending brought a tear to the eye, and left me with the sense of how short life really is.
The novel, set in Tasmania and narrated by the protangonist, now with a scottish background, is rich in detail encompassing the Vietnam war, life in South Africa, boat-bulding and terminal illness. Without wanting to give too much away, the ending brought a tear to the eye, and left me with the sense of how short life really is.
January 8, 2010
This is a great book. It's about a man who was involved in a crime and was convicted of it, but he ran away and went into hiding. He changed everything about himself, moved clear across the world. Made a totally different life for himself and then 20+ years later finds out he has an inoperable brain tumor. It is written so well. I read it twice. The ending is superb. Especially if you have had a loved one who died of cancer. I have and so the ending I though was written very well. I will probably read this book once a year.
February 21, 2024
3.75 stars
This was a surprising delight of a read; the fictional story of the missing Lord Lucan after he goes on the run following the murder of the household nanny. The storytelling was inventive, evocative in atmosphere and place, and emotionally searching.
Rose explores a character that isn't always particularly likable but is interesting, entertaining and believable. The support characters are fleshy and realistic. The Tasmanian setting is rich and ethereal.
A very enjoyable read and one that I'm keeping hold of now as I may return to in the future.
This was a surprising delight of a read; the fictional story of the missing Lord Lucan after he goes on the run following the murder of the household nanny. The storytelling was inventive, evocative in atmosphere and place, and emotionally searching.
Rose explores a character that isn't always particularly likable but is interesting, entertaining and believable. The support characters are fleshy and realistic. The Tasmanian setting is rich and ethereal.
A very enjoyable read and one that I'm keeping hold of now as I may return to in the future.
June 8, 2021
This book is an exquisite dialogue of how our environment shapes us and our relationship with our histories.
The writing is lyrical. I don't know how Heather Rose maintains fluent poetic prose through so many pages of fiction, but she does. She writes like a spell. The story is expertly and succinctly told, from its characters to its mystery plotline to its setting. Don't expect high action crime thriller. Do expect to be absorbed, particularly in the Tasmanian landscape where the story is set. After reading, I had an urge to move to Mt Wellington.
The writing is lyrical. I don't know how Heather Rose maintains fluent poetic prose through so many pages of fiction, but she does. She writes like a spell. The story is expertly and succinctly told, from its characters to its mystery plotline to its setting. Don't expect high action crime thriller. Do expect to be absorbed, particularly in the Tasmanian landscape where the story is set. After reading, I had an urge to move to Mt Wellington.
June 16, 2014
This novel, amongst other things, is a take on the disappearance of Lord Lucan - such a scandalous sensation in 1974 & now so few people remember the events. It is also a tale of love, relationships & the effects of personal histories on relationships, especially on those that have experienced tramatic events in the past.
The tale is believable & the characters are strong, with excellent different voices. Lilly's tale of Vietnam is truly horrific, but most child survivors have similar scarifying tales. Tasmania shines through and I loved it all: the seasons and the local produce that I remember from my Tasmania experiences.
The apotheosis scene works well & we have been primed by the author a few chapters back, which I thought was cleverly done.
The tale is believable & the characters are strong, with excellent different voices. Lilly's tale of Vietnam is truly horrific, but most child survivors have similar scarifying tales. Tasmania shines through and I loved it all: the seasons and the local produce that I remember from my Tasmania experiences.
The apotheosis scene works well & we have been primed by the author a few chapters back, which I thought was cleverly done.
December 26, 2019
As is always the case with Heather Rose this book balanced intelligence with beautiful language. I can think of few writers as capable as HR to transport me so perfectly outside of myself and my own lived experiences and towards a place far more expansive. I always feel that by the end of one of Heather's novel I might be better armed to be a better person that I was before. As I sit here poised on the bring of a new year I wonder how can we change who we are.
March 11, 2020
A teasing and skilfully imagined exploration of Lucan’s possible afterlife in the shadow of the mountain (aka Hobart’s Mount Wellington). A luminous and moving shapeshifter of a novel. Spellbinding.
April 1, 2024
This book is really sweet and I would recommend
January 11, 2021
Sublime. A bittersweet portrayal of how we have many lives within our lifetime. Also about what we know of the ones we love, particularly when we meet each other midway throughout our lives. Is it necessary to know everything about our loved ones? My romantic and teenage heart screams, yes! My mature soul says quietly, that's impossible, Kimi. Sweet, but impossible and not necessary. We can only know ourselves and treat ourselves as we would a dear friend. I loved this book. Also set in Hobart which was a cherry on the top.
November 1, 2020
A beautifully familiar landscape for a heart-rending story that uncovers the beauty and tragedy in life, love, war, and death. The characters feel like people whom you know and their life choices and challenges are rewarding to read about. There is some graphic content that is sensitively portrayed and necessarily reveals the impact of tragedy on people's lives.
January 15, 2021
A compelling and beautifully written story about the possible life of Lord Lucan after being convicted of murdering the family nanny. The description of life living on Mount Wellington is vivid and simply gorgeous. This book firmly cemented my belief that Heather Rose is one of Australia’s finest writers.
December 6, 2022
This book is a gentle story, of love, of choices, of life and death, with a murder mystery at its core. I have read it twice now, eight years apart, and it moved me both times. I also live Tasmania, where the author is from and the story is largely set, so that made it all the more special. A beautiful book, well worth reading.
November 17, 2025
“It would be a mistake to think of friendship as a confessional. The past is not something erased by the telling.”
A literary whodunnit, sort of. The Butterfly Man poses the question: can we ever outrun our past? Rose has created a fictitious story around a real life protagonist (Englishman Lord Lucan) and woven in a cast of characters that all have their own traumatic pasts to contend with. Despite this, it’s not a depressing book, it’s more hopeful than that. Her writing is always a joy to read - the dialogue is especially good, as is the depiction of the Tasmanian setting.
A literary whodunnit, sort of. The Butterfly Man poses the question: can we ever outrun our past? Rose has created a fictitious story around a real life protagonist (Englishman Lord Lucan) and woven in a cast of characters that all have their own traumatic pasts to contend with. Despite this, it’s not a depressing book, it’s more hopeful than that. Her writing is always a joy to read - the dialogue is especially good, as is the depiction of the Tasmanian setting.
August 9, 2017
Thought it was going to be more about murder but still a pretty good bop nonetheless. It all came together really nicely in the last few chapters!
January 8, 2020
Oh this book was beautiful and surprisingly compelling (given the main character, a once-ruling class male, who narrates the book, was potentially a murderer of a female nanny - I didn’t expect to warm to him or to enjoy it the book.) But the writing is exquisite, the stories are sad and haunting and the relationships left me reflecting on what is important in life. I especially enjoyed the parts set on kunanyi (Mt Wellington).
November 9, 2020
Fantastic read. Beautifully crafted characters each written with a believable role in an imaginative and sensitive story. The weaving of fact and fiction is seamless. I am amazed how the author managed to make the main characters so relatable and sympathetic despite us knowing their stories. That is skill.
January 19, 2019
What a surprise this book was! Beautifully written characters. I especially loved the relationship between Henry and Charlie—so sweet! The narrator was perfect as well—going from Australian to Scottish accents effortlessly.
February 25, 2019
Just a great book. Hard to find - libraries don’t seem to stock it, which is a shame. We should all get to know Heather Rose. The plot here was intriguing and many-layered, she gives us an amazing sense of place, and her mastery of detail and timing is astonishing. Really stunning overall.
April 28, 2021
I read this after reading Bruny by Rose and it did not disappoint. An intriguing idea, supported by complex characters, and a meditation on circumstances that lead us to certain points in our life and how we live with the impact of our actions.
February 12, 2013
An interesting story set in Tasmania.
January 8, 2025
this was very sad
August 4, 2020
"I felt the locked door in my mind straining at the bolt."
Rather than a murder mystery, The Butterfly Man is an introspective novel that looks at whether we can really run away from our past, and what doing so brings to bear upon our future relationships. We weave a twisted web for ourselves through our lies and omissions. Henry Kennedy thinks he has more secrets than most, but his partner Lili has quite a few of her own. To Lili's credit, she eventually decides to share them, and through this process, improve her relationships. The flawed male protagonist on the other hand, chooses to wrestle with his demons and fast metastasizing brain tumors at the same time.
I picked up The Butterfly Man after enjoying author Heather Rose's Bruny, which is also set in Tasmania. I can't say I liked it as much, though Rose is a competent and engaging writer. I found the constant racism constructing Lili (his partner) as the exotic Asian other quite jarring:
* "Though we shared a bed, a bathroom, the building of a house, the stocking of the fridge, the choosing of window blinds, I could never get past seeing Lili in all this, first and foremost, as Asian. I expected all things about her to be because of that, or to follow on from that."
* "It wasn't just that she was much younger. It was cultural. I wanted to ask her things like, 'Did you wear one of those bamboo hats? Was your father with the Viet Cong?'"
* "Nor was her background obvious in how she lived. Perhaps I had expected Asian wall hangings and brass figurines. But there was none of that."
* "I imagined when I first breathed against her that she would smell of tropical heat and Lapsang Souchong tea, but instead she had the scent of some kind of English cologne".
I get that the novel is historical, about a rich and privileged English man, who after being involved in a 1974 crime that results in the murder of a young woman, flees. However, I have to wonder if repeating racist stereotypes ad nauseum helps or hinders the telling of this story.
Rather than a murder mystery, The Butterfly Man is an introspective novel that looks at whether we can really run away from our past, and what doing so brings to bear upon our future relationships. We weave a twisted web for ourselves through our lies and omissions. Henry Kennedy thinks he has more secrets than most, but his partner Lili has quite a few of her own. To Lili's credit, she eventually decides to share them, and through this process, improve her relationships. The flawed male protagonist on the other hand, chooses to wrestle with his demons and fast metastasizing brain tumors at the same time.
I picked up The Butterfly Man after enjoying author Heather Rose's Bruny, which is also set in Tasmania. I can't say I liked it as much, though Rose is a competent and engaging writer. I found the constant racism constructing Lili (his partner) as the exotic Asian other quite jarring:
* "Though we shared a bed, a bathroom, the building of a house, the stocking of the fridge, the choosing of window blinds, I could never get past seeing Lili in all this, first and foremost, as Asian. I expected all things about her to be because of that, or to follow on from that."
* "It wasn't just that she was much younger. It was cultural. I wanted to ask her things like, 'Did you wear one of those bamboo hats? Was your father with the Viet Cong?'"
* "Nor was her background obvious in how she lived. Perhaps I had expected Asian wall hangings and brass figurines. But there was none of that."
* "I imagined when I first breathed against her that she would smell of tropical heat and Lapsang Souchong tea, but instead she had the scent of some kind of English cologne".
I get that the novel is historical, about a rich and privileged English man, who after being involved in a 1974 crime that results in the murder of a young woman, flees. However, I have to wonder if repeating racist stereotypes ad nauseum helps or hinders the telling of this story.
November 16, 2024
Heather Rose’s The Butterfly Man weaves a tale of transformation and identity against the backdrop of kunanyi, the mountain that looks over Hobart, Tasmania. While the book is impressive in many ways, I had mixed feelings about some elements of the narrative and it is perhaps my least favourite novel by the wonderful Heather Rose.
Although some parts of the novel were set in Vietnam, England and Africa, much if the plot was set in the familiar landscape of Fern Tree and I enjoyed reading fiction set in my local haunts. However, I found some parts a bit far-fetched, particularly the idea that Henry could so easily shed his past and reinvent himself. This transformation felt difficult to accept, making it hard for me to connect with him as a character. It was interesting to read after that the book was indeed inspired by a missing Lord Lucan and Rose took the story from there.
Despite this, certain aspects stood out. I initially expected the theme around, Venus, the wooden boat Henry and Jimmy were repairing was clichéd, yet Rose surprised me where she went with this, moulding the idea into a highly magical and moving end.
The inclusion of the character Jimmy, a person of indigenous background, added a powerful link to the land’s deeper history. Additionally, young Charlie’s presence provided a grounding contrast, helping to keep the characters real.
Overall, while The Butterfly Man challenges the reader’s suspension of disbelief, there are some truly beautiful passages of writing.
Although some parts of the novel were set in Vietnam, England and Africa, much if the plot was set in the familiar landscape of Fern Tree and I enjoyed reading fiction set in my local haunts. However, I found some parts a bit far-fetched, particularly the idea that Henry could so easily shed his past and reinvent himself. This transformation felt difficult to accept, making it hard for me to connect with him as a character. It was interesting to read after that the book was indeed inspired by a missing Lord Lucan and Rose took the story from there.
Despite this, certain aspects stood out. I initially expected the theme around, Venus, the wooden boat Henry and Jimmy were repairing was clichéd, yet Rose surprised me where she went with this, moulding the idea into a highly magical and moving end.
The inclusion of the character Jimmy, a person of indigenous background, added a powerful link to the land’s deeper history. Additionally, young Charlie’s presence provided a grounding contrast, helping to keep the characters real.
Overall, while The Butterfly Man challenges the reader’s suspension of disbelief, there are some truly beautiful passages of writing.
April 28, 2025
This is a story about death. About deception. About love. And about family. All set primarily against the backdrop of Hobart, Tasmania.
Henry Kennedy is dying. Cancer. But Henry Kennedy doesn’t exist. His real identity is Lord Lucan, accused of killing his children’s nanny, he fled London and arrived in Tasmania by way of Africa.
It’s here that he hides. Hides his identity from his business partner, from his few friends, from his partner Lili, and when they make a surprise arrival from Lili’s daughter Suki and her son Charlie.
This story is incredibly poetic in how we see Henry adapt to the new residents in his house, how he tries to shield Lili from his slow demise. How he eventually accepts the help from those close to him. And how he tries to balance his identity as Henry to the part of him he left behind in Africa.
Seeing Henry grow closer to Charlie while Suki is in rehab, how he accepts Charlie for his quirks and his energy as a 5 year old, how it reminds him of his children he left behind when he fled, was incredibly moving.
The way this book hit me in the last few chapters had the words swimming on the pages, it was that sad and so emotionally written that you’d have to have a heart of stone to not be moved.
One thing that is still never answered, and I assume is up to the reader to decide, is did Lord Lucan kill the nanny, or was he set up? You decide.
Henry Kennedy is dying. Cancer. But Henry Kennedy doesn’t exist. His real identity is Lord Lucan, accused of killing his children’s nanny, he fled London and arrived in Tasmania by way of Africa.
It’s here that he hides. Hides his identity from his business partner, from his few friends, from his partner Lili, and when they make a surprise arrival from Lili’s daughter Suki and her son Charlie.
This story is incredibly poetic in how we see Henry adapt to the new residents in his house, how he tries to shield Lili from his slow demise. How he eventually accepts the help from those close to him. And how he tries to balance his identity as Henry to the part of him he left behind in Africa.
Seeing Henry grow closer to Charlie while Suki is in rehab, how he accepts Charlie for his quirks and his energy as a 5 year old, how it reminds him of his children he left behind when he fled, was incredibly moving.
The way this book hit me in the last few chapters had the words swimming on the pages, it was that sad and so emotionally written that you’d have to have a heart of stone to not be moved.
One thing that is still never answered, and I assume is up to the reader to decide, is did Lord Lucan kill the nanny, or was he set up? You decide.
November 29, 2025
The Butterfly Man was a recommendation from my Dad (who shares my obsession with Australian authors with a penchant for strong characterisation and sense of place). It did not disappoint!
The Butterfly is a quiet, contemplative book about a man in the last few months of his life. Henry Kennedy - or is it Lord Lucan, alleged murderer of his childrens' nanny - has been keeping a secret for 2 decades and the brain tumour that's killing him risks exposing his true identity to his loved ones.
Things i loved about this book:
- all the characters were likable, fragile and human.
- with an economy of words, author Heather Rose creates a wonderful sense of place, and I must say it's a place I'd love to visit!
- the real prospect of discovery creates an eerie sense of tension from the very start
- I was really intrigued by the idea of an unreliable narrator i.e. was Henry Kennedy really Lord Lucan in exile, or was the whole story the product of his tumour?
Definitely recommend!!!
The Butterfly is a quiet, contemplative book about a man in the last few months of his life. Henry Kennedy - or is it Lord Lucan, alleged murderer of his childrens' nanny - has been keeping a secret for 2 decades and the brain tumour that's killing him risks exposing his true identity to his loved ones.
Things i loved about this book:
- all the characters were likable, fragile and human.
- with an economy of words, author Heather Rose creates a wonderful sense of place, and I must say it's a place I'd love to visit!
- the real prospect of discovery creates an eerie sense of tension from the very start
- I was really intrigued by the idea of an unreliable narrator i.e. was Henry Kennedy really Lord Lucan in exile, or was the whole story the product of his tumour?
Definitely recommend!!!
January 17, 2022
4.5 stars
AN interesting fictional take on what happened to Lord Lucan following to murder of Sandra Rivett. Rather sympathetic, and not providing one definitive answer to the author's opinion on the events of that evening but taking the audience through a fictional idea of how Lucan was able to disappear and his life thereafter. The other characters in the narrative are well developed and thought out. I really enjoyed my time with this book.
T/W - SA, rape, overdose, murder, self harm, attempted suicide
Ratings:
Enjoyment: 4.5 stars
Writing style: 5 stars
Narrator: 5 stars
AN interesting fictional take on what happened to Lord Lucan following to murder of Sandra Rivett. Rather sympathetic, and not providing one definitive answer to the author's opinion on the events of that evening but taking the audience through a fictional idea of how Lucan was able to disappear and his life thereafter. The other characters in the narrative are well developed and thought out. I really enjoyed my time with this book.
T/W - SA, rape, overdose, murder, self harm, attempted suicide
Ratings:
Enjoyment: 4.5 stars
Writing style: 5 stars
Narrator: 5 stars
July 21, 2023
This story was an imagining of what happened after Lord Lucan fled the murder of his children's nanny. It was about people reconciling with the past - Henry and his past as Lord Lucan, Lili and her past in Vietnam, Jimmy and the past loss of country. Having just read Heather Rose's memoir there are many things here that are familiar - the fantastical elements, the setting of course, and even a mention of an advertising executive as Charlies' father. Probably many other things that I would have missed, being always one to read too quickly the first time.
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