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The Planthunter
Thomas Mogford
1867. King's Road, Chelsea, is a sea of plant nurseries, catering to the Victorian obsession with rare and exotic flora. But each of the glossy emporiums is fuelled by the dangerous world of the planthunters – daring adventurers sent into uncharted lands in search of untold wonders to grace England's finest gardens.
Harry Compton is as far from a planthunter as one could imagine – a salesman plucked from the obscurity of the nursery growing fields to become 'the face that sold a thousand plants'.
But one small act of kindness sees him inherit a precious gift – a specimen of a fabled tree last heard of in The Travels of Marco Polo, and a map.
Seizing his chance for fame and fortune, Harry sets out to make his mark. But where there is wealth there is corruption, and soon Harry is fleeing England, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and sailing up the Yangtze alongside a young widow – both in pursuit of the plant that could change their futures.
Harry Compton is as far from a planthunter as one could imagine – a salesman plucked from the obscurity of the nursery growing fields to become 'the face that sold a thousand plants'.
But one small act of kindness sees him inherit a precious gift – a specimen of a fabled tree last heard of in The Travels of Marco Polo, and a map.
Seizing his chance for fame and fortune, Harry sets out to make his mark. But where there is wealth there is corruption, and soon Harry is fleeing England, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and sailing up the Yangtze alongside a young widow – both in pursuit of the plant that could change their futures.
GENRE
Historical; Thriller
UK PUBLICATION
February 2022
Historical; Thriller
UK PUBLICATION
February 2022
Praise
4* - The Telegraph
"Extraordinary ... a visual, verbal and sensuous feast of reading delights."
Lancashire Evening Post
"An engaging adventure ... inventive."
Sunday Times
"A gripping, inventive story that takes the reader on an Indiana Jones-style adventure."
Candis
"A terrific swash-and-buckle adventure of plant hunting in China in the 1860s. The detail is eye-opening and the story gripping and unusual. Bravo!"
Elizabeth Buchan
"A great adventure ... Dripping with atmosphere and exotic life."
William Boyd
"An old-fashioned adventure yarn with all the virtues of the genre, The Plant Hunter engages, informs and entertains, while taking the reader to distant, unexpected places. Highly recommended."
Mick Herron
"Carried along by the drama, the history, the travel, the romance, the love of a dog, let alone the plant-hunting I couldn’t put this down."
Sarah Raven
"The Planthunter is a feast for the senses and a must for every reader who enjoys great adventure writing. The exuberant life in these pages and the drama of the story along with Mogford's lively engaging writing make this a life-enhancing pleasure to read. Be swept away."
Imogen Robertson
"Extraordinary ... a visual, verbal and sensuous feast of reading delights."
Lancashire Evening Post
"An engaging adventure ... inventive."
Sunday Times
"A gripping, inventive story that takes the reader on an Indiana Jones-style adventure."
Candis
"A terrific swash-and-buckle adventure of plant hunting in China in the 1860s. The detail is eye-opening and the story gripping and unusual. Bravo!"
Elizabeth Buchan
"A great adventure ... Dripping with atmosphere and exotic life."
William Boyd
"An old-fashioned adventure yarn with all the virtues of the genre, The Plant Hunter engages, informs and entertains, while taking the reader to distant, unexpected places. Highly recommended."
Mick Herron
"Carried along by the drama, the history, the travel, the romance, the love of a dog, let alone the plant-hunting I couldn’t put this down."
Sarah Raven
"The Planthunter is a feast for the senses and a must for every reader who enjoys great adventure writing. The exuberant life in these pages and the drama of the story along with Mogford's lively engaging writing make this a life-enhancing pleasure to read. Be swept away."
Imogen Robertson
Rights Sales for THE PLANT HUNTER
UK & Commonwealth: Welbeck Publishing