Secrets, Saddles & Sisterhood: Petunia’s Story

As I began writing my Sydney-based historical mystery series, The Sisters of Barclay Square, I had a clear sense of where I was going. At least, I thought I did.

I knew I’d start with Poppy’s Dilemma, the story of the eldest Barclay twin whose world collapses after her father’s banking firm goes under in scandal. Then came Posey’s Peril, a legal mystery with political stakes and a strong-minded, reformist heroine.

But Petunia?
She was the sister I least expected to write about, and the one who surprised me most.

The Youngest Sister, the Hidden Depths

When I first envisioned Petunia Barclay, she was the cheerful, horse-mad youngest sibling. The one everyone else protected. The one no one expected much from—least of all herself.

Set in 1860s Sydney, Petunia’s Promise begins with that impression still intact. Her sisters, Poppy and Posey, each carry the burden of their father’s disgrace. Their mother, Arabella, struggles with a slow decline caused partly by age, part stress. Petunia, meanwhile, has stayed mostly in the background, escaping responsibility and expectations alike.

But as I began crafting her story, I quickly discovered something essential: Petunia is like an iceberg. The part everyone sees—sunny, spontaneous, nature-loving—is just the tip.

Underneath?
Depth. Loyalty. Pain. And a fierce sense of justice ready to ignite.

Horses, Secrets, and the Scandal That Changes Everything

Petunia’s closeness with her father, particularly their shared love for the bush and for horses, forms the emotional heartbeat of this story. She’s the only Barclay sister at home in the rough-and-tumble world of stables, trainers, and jockeys. She exchanges gossip with bookies and stable hands with a relaxed warmth that gains her admiration—not attention.

She rides astride in a Turkish skirt, manages herself with flair, and remains quietly underestimated by nearly everyone. That’s their mistake.

Because when a man dies under suspicious circumstances in a stable fire, and a cryptic letter from her father surfaces, Petunia steps into the role of sleuth in her own right, and proves herself just as clever, determined, and courageous as her sisters. She’s no longer watching from the sidelines.

A Victorian Racing Mystery with a Romantic Heart

As the mystery deepened, I realized that Petunia’s path into the central plot had to come through horses. That decision opened the door to one of the most fascinating aspects of Australian history: the colonial racing world of the 1860s.

Thoroughbred racing has always been closely linked between Australia and New Zealand, but I was astonished to learn just how early that bond formed. Kiwi horses competed in the Melbourne Cup’s earliest years.

Even more delightful was the discovery of Australia’s bush ballads, especially those linked to racing. Like many New Zealanders, I grew up with Banjo Paterson’s The Man From Snowy River, but it was pure serendipity that led me to the works of Adam Lindsay Gordon and Breaker Morant. Gordon’s Hippodromania, or Whiffs From the Pipe even references the Melbourne Cup directly!

For me, this poetry became a link between Petunia and her father—a shared love that gave Petunia’s Promise a kind of lyrical magic I hadn’t planned, but came to treasure.

From Family Shame to Fierce Resolve

Set against the backdrop of Victorian racing scandals, Petunia’s Promise is more than a whodunit. It’s the story of a young woman no one expected much from—until the moment came when only she could uncover the truth.

If you enjoy historical mysteries set in Australia, stories with women detectives, or richly atmospheric fiction grounded in 1860s Sydney, I hope you’ll love this final instalment in the trilogy.

Petunia’s Promise launches August 25

Special launch price: just $2.99 for a limited time
Read more or pre-order here
Haven’t started the series yet? Download Poppy’s Dilemma FREE