Murder in Punch Lane

Melbourne in 1868 was very different from the Melbourne of today. Jane Sullivan has set her novel, Murder in Punch Lane, around the world of the theatre at that time. This is a work of historical fiction providing a vivid picture of life in Melbourne in the 1860s. Many of the characters lived in Melbourne during the period when the novel is set. 

When Lola Sanchez visits her friend, the actress Marie St Denis, Lola finds Marie unconscious in her room. She appears to have taken an overdose of drugs but when Marie dies, Lola is convinced that her friend was murdered. 

Lola decides to seek the help of journalist, Magnus Scott to discover who killed her friend. Their endeavours often take them into the sleazy sections of society at that time and Lola and Magnus find their livelihood and lives in danger.