Karen
Whilst THE THRILL OF IT is a work of fiction, it is, as explained in the Author's Note, inspired and informed by the real-life brutal slayings of six older women on Sydney's North Shore by a man who came to be known as the Granny Killer (and god knows that's such a disrespectful moniker it's hard to know where to start). There is also a clear reference to the murder of the well-known Sydney identity, Florence Broadhurst. The author goes onto explain:
My hope is that THE THRILL OF IT can in some way restore agency and power to these older women, whose names - listed in the dedication of this novel - have been lost with time: women who were invisible and seemingly without a history, or a story as they aged. This, and the media's ongoing glorification and sensationalism of the lives and actions of perpetrators of violent crime, whilst so often ignoring the victims and their once rich and meaningful lives, speaks to the kind of society we have become.
An admirable aim and stance, making for a slightly unusual "crime" story read in that the focus is firstly on the granddaughter of Marlowe Kerr, grandmother, socialite, "identity", wallpaper designer and victim of an unsolved murder. Emmerson Kerr found her grandmother's dead body on the floor of her Paddington Studio, many years ago. The other focus is on a man, an English immigrant, pie salesman, a revolting controlling, horrible human being who kills, assaults and terrorises older women. Easy victim's the "blame" in his mind seems to be on his mother, his mother-in-law, his wife, everybody but the sick, twisted, nasty, revolting human being that he has allowed himself to be. You'll spend a bit of time in his head in chapters that take you through his actions and activities. It's not a great place to dwell. On the other hand, Emmerson is portrayed as a would be party girl, set up for life by her grandmother's legacy, who turns to investigation and the police force in an effort to identify her grandmother's killer, and give herself a purpose other than gadflying about town.
Flagged as a thriller (helped along by the title), this isn't really a thrilling read, it's about a sick man who kills for the thrill of it. Which makes it a confronting experience, even as it does come from a slightly different author perspective. Which you can see the author attempting to keep as the focus, although, frankly, the time spent in her killer's head is something that's hard to forget.
Definitely one for somebody who is looking for something from that different perspective, who doesn't mind time spent in the head of a disgusting human being, balanced against time spent with a young woman coming of age with an experience that has profoundly affected her hanging always there, in front of her, privilege and direction both gained through loss.
Originally posted at www.austcrimefiction.org.
Whilst THE THRILL OF IT is a work of fiction, it is, as explained in the Author's Note, inspired and informed by the real-life brutal slayings of six older women on Sydney's North Shore by a man who came to be known as the Granny Killer (and god knows that's such a disrespectful moniker it's hard to know where to start). There is also a clear reference to the murder of the well-known Sydney identity, Florence Broadhurst. The author goes onto explain:
My hope is that THE THRILL OF IT can in some way restore agency and power to these older women, whose names - listed in the dedication of this novel - have been lost with time: women who were invisible and seemingly without a history, or a story as they aged. This, and the media's ongoing glorification and sensationalism of the lives and actions of perpetrators of violent crime, whilst so often ignoring the victims and their once rich and meaningful lives, speaks to the kind of society we have become.
An admirable aim and stance, making for a slightly unusual "crime" story read in that the focus is firstly on the granddaughter of Marlowe Kerr, grandmother, socialite, "identity", wallpaper designer and victim of an unsolved murder. Emmerson Kerr found her grandmother's dead body on the floor of her Paddington Studio, many years ago. The other focus is on a man, an English immigrant, pie salesman, a revolting controlling, horrible human being who kills, assaults and terrorises older women. Easy victim's the "blame" in his mind seems to be on his mother, his mother-in-law, his wife, everybody but the sick, twisted, nasty, revolting human being that he has allowed himself to be. You'll spend a bit of time in his head in chapters that take you through his actions and activities. It's not a great place to dwell. On the other hand, Emmerson is portrayed as a would be party girl, set up for life by her grandmother's legacy, who turns to investigation and the police force in an effort to identify her grandmother's killer, and give herself a purpose other than gadflying about town.
Flagged as a thriller (helped along by the title), this isn't really a thrilling read, it's about a sick man who kills for the thrill of it. Which makes it a confronting experience, even as it does come from a slightly different author perspective. Which you can see the author attempting to keep as the focus, although, frankly, the time spent in her killer's head is something that's hard to forget.
Definitely one for somebody who is looking for something from that different perspective, who doesn't mind time spent in the head of a disgusting human being, balanced against time spent with a young woman coming of age with an experience that has profoundly affected her hanging always there, in front of her, privilege and direction both gained through loss.
Originally posted at www.austcrimefiction.org.