The Hobart Hotel by Mary-Lou Stephens

A new Tasmanian historical novel from bestselling Australian author Mary-Lou Stephens. Two women, two grand openings of the same hotel, more than thirty years apart.

December 1939. The Wrest Point Riviera opens its doors as the most talked-about hotel in Australia. Sabine Winters has just arrived in Hobart from the Continent, hoping for a safe port from the storm building across Europe and the chance to quietly add a few select pieces to her stolen jewellery collection. What she doesn't anticipate is being blackmailed into spying for the Allies, pulled from the safety of Tasmania, and dropped into the viper's nest of South America as Nazi power rises. Her instincts and charms will only carry her so far.

February 1973. The same hotel reopens as the Wrest Point Hotel Casino, the most glamorous and controversial venue in the country. Jenny Davies expects a night of dizzying decor and a flutter at the tables. What she doesn't expect is an invitation to become a Ladybird, one of the casino's croupiers. The choice to take it sets off a chain of events that could unravel her life completely. A mysterious letter and a key from a relative she's never heard of might hold the answer.

A dual-timeline novel of glamour, espionage, trust, betrayal, and the things women risk to survive on their own terms.

"This dual-time, glamorous story of intrigue, spies, trust, deceit, friendship, daring and luck, and so much more, will absolutely sweep you off your feet." Karen Brooks, bestselling Australian author