"In October 1997 a clever young law student at ANU made a bizarre plan to murder her devoted boyfriend after a dinner party at their house. Some of the dinner guests – most of them university students – had heard rumours of the plan. Nobody warned Joe Cinque..."

Helen Garner is a Journalist who followed the bizarre case of Joe Cinque who was killed by his then girlfriend by a lethal overdose of drugs after a dinner party where participants were told that she had planned to kill herself and take him with her. As it transpired, she injected him but not herself. Charged with his death, Garner takes the story up towards the end of Anu Singh's (Joe's girlfriend) trial. Singh appears to show no remorse and it is difficult to feel anything for her from this portrayal. As the case, and the story, progress Garner becomes more involved with the Cinque family who are devastated by their loss and only require some justice for their son. The way they handled the trial and the media attention surrounding the case is inspiring. As Garner points out, the media circus surrounding such trials can often eclipse the reality of the victim and the victim's family. Before this event, they were good people leading normal lives.

I think it is important to remember this and it is a testament to the Cinque family and Helen Garner's book that Joe's memory is kept alive.

Received at a meetup at a cafe in Milton, Sunday afternoon. Very excited to get it; I have been wanting to read it since it was published. Thanks akaBP!

This was a great, thought-provoking read. I think I was immediately drawn in by the descriptions of Canberra: I grew up and went to uni there, and Garner really captured the feel of the place. Her descriptions of Garema Place really took me back to being there- not visually but feeling as if I were actually there. I also had friends who lived in the same area and sort of accomodation as where the death took place, and, even though I left in the early nineties, I can still imagine the kind of surroundings.
I guess that Canberra itself is an important character (as is the author) in this book. I can't imagine such a bizarre set of events happening in another location, and I can see why Canberra has had such a bad drug problem. (But I will always be happy that I grew up there!)
Also captivating was the discussion about the identity of the victim. I think it was excellent that Garner kept reminding the reader that although other characters had struggles within the story, the victim, Joe Cinque, has been lost forever and that is the ultimate tragedy. The other element to the writing that I found important as I read it, was Garner's inclusion of her own thoughts and reflections on her own past. I do believe that everyone has motive to act (or write) in a certain way, and I think it sometimes be deceitful if a story such as this is written as plain fact.. something which is obviously impossible to achieve. So it was refreshing to have the author's perspective clearly acknowledged and explained.
I will be interested to find out what other readers think of this book.

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at the weekend meetup

Thanks for holding for me elisabethlily :-) Caught at meetup on Sun.
Have read a little bit of Helen Garner's non fiction but not a lot, her reputation precedes her. Am looking forward to this one.