The Plant Hunter

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE FOR BEST PUBLISHED NOVEL 2022

A Telegraph Best Book for Summer 2022

'Highly recommended' MICK HERRON

'A great adventure. Dripping with atmosphere and exotic life' WILLIAM BOYD

'A riveting page-turner, rich with fascinating period detail' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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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 plant hunters daring adventurers sent into uncharted lands in search of untold wonders to grace England's finest gardens.

Harry Compton is as far from a plant hunter 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 transform both their lives forever.

“'Highly recommended'”

'It's a great Stevensonian adventure but with a 21st century spin. Harry and Clarissa work really well – wholly believable and sexily engaging. The detail and the textures throughout are exemplary: lightly worn but dripping with atmosphere and exotic life. Really brilliantly achieved' -- William Boyd
'The Plant Hunter 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
'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
'It's excellent. No other word for it. I found the period and technical detail absolutely fascinating, and the characterisation really convincing. A beautiful, charming book that stays in the mind long after you've closed it and put it away. I was delighted by it' -- John Simpson
'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
'It is a belter!' -- Jessie Childs, author of God's Traitors: Terror and Faith in Elizabethan England
'A terrific swash-and-buckle adventure. The detail is eye-opening, the story gripping and unusual. Bravo!' -- Elizabeth Buchan
Cleanly written ... and exquisite' Times Literary Supplement
'A good adventure story, a ripping yarn of a tale' Country Life

T.L. Mogford can trace his roots back to a line of famous horticulturalists his great-grandfather has an apple tree named after him. Before becoming an author he worked as a journalist for Time Out and as a translator for the European Parliament. The Plant Hunter is his first historical novel.

1867. When plant hunter Harry Compton receives a rare specimen and a map, he sets out to find fame and fortune. But where there is wealth there is corruption, and soon Harry is fleeing England, sailing up the Yangtze alongside a young widow - both in pursuit of the plant that could change their futures. 'A great adventure. Dripping with atmosphere and exotic life' - WILLIAM BOYD 'Highly recommended' - MICK HERRON 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 plant hunters - daring adventurers sent into uncharted lands in search of untold wonders to grace England's finest gardens. Harry Compton is as far from a plant hunter 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 transform both their lives forever.

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