er intended suicide and to acquire the heroin and Rohypnol used to end Mr Cinque's life. Garner's coverage of the impact of the murder and subsequent trials on the Cinque and Singh family is both precise and factual but delivered with an empathetic and compassionate hand. Garner was clearly deeply affected by the murder and the trial and this is reflected in her writing. A measured, human and very relatable examination of an awful event. ( )

Helen Garner tells the account of the trials of Anu Singh and Madhavi Rao for their involvement in the death of Joe Cinque. But it is more than just a true crime narrative. It is also the exploration of how a writer grapples with how to tell the story, and also her personal response to the issues of mental health and criminality, whether justice is possible, and how the victims of crime are inadequately supported by the legal system in Australia.

Such an interesting book about a terrifying event. Imagine a country where someone could openly plan your murder, commit the crime, and then be given the bare minimum sentence due to being judged as having "diminished responsibility" due to her mental illness. And then while in jail, they are able to complete their law degree and a masters degree in criminology, presumably at the expense of the tax payer. That is exactly what happened in Australia, and not very long ago.

Garner takes an interesting point of view in this book, and does not shy away from involving herself in the story, something some people have criticised. I liked that approach because it meant the book was not just a straight reportage style story, it lent a whole human element to a very sad event. Regardless of how you feel about the protagonists in the story, Garner has done a terrific job of getting the facts down on paper in a readable and compassionate way. ( )

Profoundly troubling but compelling tale, and clearly Garner is a very good writer. But I couldn't get past the author's need to consistently insert herself into the story. This should be a book about Joe Cinque and his family, but it's really about Helen Garner and her reaction to the case. ( )

This is the story behind the story of the murder of a young man, Joe Cinque, by his girlfriend, Anu
Singh, in Canberra, Australia. It took me a little while to figure out whether Garner was coming from a particular angle or not. Surprisingly, it seems, she is not. While she clearly deeply sympathises with Joe Cinque's family, the book is a reflection of one woman's attempt to understand what really happened. The more I read of this book, the more I became absorbed in it. Not only with Garner's quest to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but also with her own honest reflections about her reactions to the accused, the family members, the lawyers, and even the trial judge. As she does so, she highlights that law and truth are very different concepts, and how peripheral the victim is in the criminal justice system. I'm glad Joe Cinque's family pressured Garner into writing the book. I wonder what they thought of it. ( )