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An Isolated Incident
When 25-year-old Bella Michaels is brutally murdered in the small town of Strathdee, the community is stunned and a media storm descends.
Unwillingly thrust into the eye of that storm is Bella's beloved older sister, Chris, a barmaid at the local pub, whose apparent easygoing nature conceals hard-won wisdom and the kind of street-smarts only experience can bring.
As Chris is plunged into despair and searches for answers, reasons, explanation - anything - that could make even the smallest sense of Bella's death, her ex-husband, friends and neighbours do their best to support her. But as the days tick by with no arrest, Chris's suspicion of those around her grows.
Unwillingly thrust into the eye of that storm is Bella's beloved older sister, Chris, a barmaid at the local pub, whose apparent easygoing nature conceals hard-won wisdom and the kind of street-smarts only experience can bring.
As Chris is plunged into despair and searches for answers, reasons, explanation - anything - that could make even the smallest sense of Bella's death, her ex-husband, friends and neighbours do their best to support her. But as the days tick by with no arrest, Chris's suspicion of those around her grows.
343 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
August 16, 2018
"An Isolated Incident" is the fifth novel by Emily Maguire and is a literary work of art that turns the crime fiction genre literally on its head.
Written with such emotion and excellent and descriptive prose this story focuses on the devastating aftermath of a viciously murdered young woman, 25 year old Bella Michaels, in Strathdee - a small town in Australia.
Primarily told through the first person voice of Bella's sister, Chris and the third person narrative of a city journalist reporting on the murder, this story depicts a stunned community and the people left behind following a brutal murder of a sweet and innocent young girl.
The author has wanted the majority of the story to convey a social undercurrent of misogyny and how women are treated and the way men think about women.
Murdered Bella is completely different to her older and more streetwise sister Chris and the female reporter May. Their desperation for a man to bed was quite needy, although their quest for them were very different they both could barely function without a man to fall back on. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and feeling the different emotions of the two women - upset, anger, frustration, desperation and also the misogynistic attitudes of the men who are acquainted with them, at times it really was quite infuriating as the author portrayed these so realistically.
Although a very slow but well thought out and executed book, that I do believe you need to be in the mood for to fully enjoy, this is an exceptional piece of character driven, emotional and humane drama that had me thinking about it long after I'd finished reading. Due to the unusual nature of the story and it not being a crime mystery per se it may not be to everyone's liking (if they are looking for a dedicated crime thriller) but I do recommend it and can totally understand why it has been shortlisted for an award.
I'd happily read more books by this Australian author and wish her well with this beautifully written "An Isolated Incident".
4 stars
Written with such emotion and excellent and descriptive prose this story focuses on the devastating aftermath of a viciously murdered young woman, 25 year old Bella Michaels, in Strathdee - a small town in Australia.
Primarily told through the first person voice of Bella's sister, Chris and the third person narrative of a city journalist reporting on the murder, this story depicts a stunned community and the people left behind following a brutal murder of a sweet and innocent young girl.
The author has wanted the majority of the story to convey a social undercurrent of misogyny and how women are treated and the way men think about women.
Murdered Bella is completely different to her older and more streetwise sister Chris and the female reporter May. Their desperation for a man to bed was quite needy, although their quest for them were very different they both could barely function without a man to fall back on. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and feeling the different emotions of the two women - upset, anger, frustration, desperation and also the misogynistic attitudes of the men who are acquainted with them, at times it really was quite infuriating as the author portrayed these so realistically.
Although a very slow but well thought out and executed book, that I do believe you need to be in the mood for to fully enjoy, this is an exceptional piece of character driven, emotional and humane drama that had me thinking about it long after I'd finished reading. Due to the unusual nature of the story and it not being a crime mystery per se it may not be to everyone's liking (if they are looking for a dedicated crime thriller) but I do recommend it and can totally understand why it has been shortlisted for an award.
I'd happily read more books by this Australian author and wish her well with this beautifully written "An Isolated Incident".
4 stars
July 3, 2021
2.5★
“On the day after they found Bella’s body, Vicky sat in my kitchen and told me that when she was sixteen, her nineteen-year-old brother had been stabbed to death after intervening in a street fight down in Melbourne.”
I’ve read that this is a psychological thriller about violence against women. I purposely chose this quotation as an example of violence, but not necessarily against women. I think it's more about grief and loss and loneliness.
The two main characters (not counting poor Bella) are women: Bella’s much older sister, Chris, and a city journalist covering the story, May.
We are told by every single person that Bella was a pretty, adored, angelic, perfect aged-care worker. Who would want to rape and kill her and leave her body by the woods?
Chris is a free-loving, free-living barmaid with an ex-husband (Nate, who has been violent in the past) and with whom she’s still in love. Chris invites the bar patrons she fancies home for a good time, and when one leaves her some money, is she horrified? Nope. In fact, she continues to bring fellas home and accept their money.
She has scruples, though. She doesn’t solicit... exactly. She just makes a point of bending low and showing off her ample cleavage in front of the men she fancies. It’s her display, if you like, and they obviously do like. The other men don’t get a look-in (literally or figuratively), and she now has a list of repeat customers... excuse me... regular visitors.
The only people who really seem to mind her lifestyle are the guys she’s turned down. (She has standards, as well as scruples, it seems.)
Bella, of course, wasn’t privy to all of this and lived her nice clean life in her own home in the small Australian town they grew up in, Strathdee. It seems to me, people are always quick to apologise for their hometowns.[This is especially true of teenagers, who are convinced anywhere else is better, more up-to-date, more sophisticated, more interesting than wherever they happen to be while they’re in their teens. But I digress.” ]
“At school we had an expression: Strathdee-good. It meant that something was tops by Strathdee standards but not much chop compared to anything you’d get outside of here.”
When Bella’s murder makes the news, online journalist May takes herself to Strathdee to try to get some inside info and local colour. She’s not very impressed with the town and she’s also pining for her lover back in Sydney. He’s married and his wife is pregnant with their fourth child and has just found out about May. So May has to lie low. Miserable, but low.
Chris is desperately miserable, wailingly so, and immediately calls her ex, Nate, who is always at her beck and call. Mind you, Nate also has a new partner, pregnant with their first child.
And later in the book, when the police are searching high and low for clues, there is a suggestion that Bella may also have had some connection with a – wait for it – married man whose dying wife is in the nursing home where she works.
Chris’s and May’s voices were so much the same – their love of sex and men and their desperate need for a warm body in their beds – that I couldn’t have told them apart, except that Chris’s chapters are first-person and May’s are third-person.
May wails herself to snotty sleep over her married lover the same as Chris wails about Nate no longer being hers. Of course, Chris’s pain about Bella is unmatched by anyone else’s. She is truly distraught and even hallucinating.
“The loss of her is already too much and then there’s the other thing – the end of being loved in the way only my sister could love me. What I feel for her survives and that hurts like battery acid every minute, but worse is that what she felt for me died with her. I will never be loved like that again.”
I have not described the police work, which wasn’t much chop (even for Strathdee), and I’ve completely skipped the ghost story elements and the luring of the men into beds. Except for the occasional jumping at shadows and worries about going out at night, it wasn’t a thriller, and certainly not a psychological one.
I actually saw this as more a demonstration of how the women, Chris and May, were using their bodies to attract male attention, rather than the men taking advantage of their “feminine weakness”. Nate was the only character I liked, actually, trying to be all things to all people.
I finished it only to see the loose ends tied up but was sorely disappointed by the “ending”. It wasn’t the book I was looking forward to after seeing it up for a couple of awards, but I guess I’m the one out of step here. Ah well. Won’t be the last time, I’m sure!
“On the day after they found Bella’s body, Vicky sat in my kitchen and told me that when she was sixteen, her nineteen-year-old brother had been stabbed to death after intervening in a street fight down in Melbourne.”
I’ve read that this is a psychological thriller about violence against women. I purposely chose this quotation as an example of violence, but not necessarily against women. I think it's more about grief and loss and loneliness.
The two main characters (not counting poor Bella) are women: Bella’s much older sister, Chris, and a city journalist covering the story, May.
We are told by every single person that Bella was a pretty, adored, angelic, perfect aged-care worker. Who would want to rape and kill her and leave her body by the woods?
Chris is a free-loving, free-living barmaid with an ex-husband (Nate, who has been violent in the past) and with whom she’s still in love. Chris invites the bar patrons she fancies home for a good time, and when one leaves her some money, is she horrified? Nope. In fact, she continues to bring fellas home and accept their money.
She has scruples, though. She doesn’t solicit... exactly. She just makes a point of bending low and showing off her ample cleavage in front of the men she fancies. It’s her display, if you like, and they obviously do like. The other men don’t get a look-in (literally or figuratively), and she now has a list of repeat customers... excuse me... regular visitors.
The only people who really seem to mind her lifestyle are the guys she’s turned down. (She has standards, as well as scruples, it seems.)
Bella, of course, wasn’t privy to all of this and lived her nice clean life in her own home in the small Australian town they grew up in, Strathdee. It seems to me, people are always quick to apologise for their hometowns.[This is especially true of teenagers, who are convinced anywhere else is better, more up-to-date, more sophisticated, more interesting than wherever they happen to be while they’re in their teens. But I digress.” ]
“At school we had an expression: Strathdee-good. It meant that something was tops by Strathdee standards but not much chop compared to anything you’d get outside of here.”
When Bella’s murder makes the news, online journalist May takes herself to Strathdee to try to get some inside info and local colour. She’s not very impressed with the town and she’s also pining for her lover back in Sydney. He’s married and his wife is pregnant with their fourth child and has just found out about May. So May has to lie low. Miserable, but low.
Chris is desperately miserable, wailingly so, and immediately calls her ex, Nate, who is always at her beck and call. Mind you, Nate also has a new partner, pregnant with their first child.
And later in the book, when the police are searching high and low for clues, there is a suggestion that Bella may also have had some connection with a – wait for it – married man whose dying wife is in the nursing home where she works.
Chris’s and May’s voices were so much the same – their love of sex and men and their desperate need for a warm body in their beds – that I couldn’t have told them apart, except that Chris’s chapters are first-person and May’s are third-person.
May wails herself to snotty sleep over her married lover the same as Chris wails about Nate no longer being hers. Of course, Chris’s pain about Bella is unmatched by anyone else’s. She is truly distraught and even hallucinating.
“The loss of her is already too much and then there’s the other thing – the end of being loved in the way only my sister could love me. What I feel for her survives and that hurts like battery acid every minute, but worse is that what she felt for me died with her. I will never be loved like that again.”
I have not described the police work, which wasn’t much chop (even for Strathdee), and I’ve completely skipped the ghost story elements and the luring of the men into beds. Except for the occasional jumping at shadows and worries about going out at night, it wasn’t a thriller, and certainly not a psychological one.
I actually saw this as more a demonstration of how the women, Chris and May, were using their bodies to attract male attention, rather than the men taking advantage of their “feminine weakness”. Nate was the only character I liked, actually, trying to be all things to all people.
I finished it only to see the loose ends tied up but was sorely disappointed by the “ending”. It wasn’t the book I was looking forward to after seeing it up for a couple of awards, but I guess I’m the one out of step here. Ah well. Won’t be the last time, I’m sure!
June 2, 2016
Blunt, tough, raw...the male gaze held up to the mirror.
My View:
Shoot this one straight to the top of my list of “Best Reads of the Year”. Brilliant, masterfully written.
Raw, tough, agonizingly truthful… the male gaze is reflected in a mirror back to us. These reflections are a constant in our (women’s) everyday life, look around you will recognise it too! Misogyny, discrimination, entitlement, double values, violence or threats of violence, intimidation, judgments - the worthy/unworthy, beautiful/other… Women’s everyday experiences, decisions, choices are under scrutiny of the male gaze – women are judged on whether they wear makeup or not, clothes can be fashionable/slutty, friendliness mistaken for availability as a sexual toy, she discounts you – she is a tease, she is self-assured – she is a “ball breaker”… how can a woman win? How does a woman tell the good guys from the bad when they all wear the same disguise?
I think it is the “entitlement” that bothers me the most in this book (and in life). A woman walks down a street alone– she is cat called, whistled at, judged, sexualised. There is a lot of social media chatter about the unsolicited attention men thrust on women at the moment, which if she ignores quickly turns to insults and rage. (If I had more time I would write you an essay on these type of behaviours) There is a great example of this in the novel. The ugliness and ordinariness of entitlement goes like this; (May is jogging, alone, in suburbia);
‘Hey what you running for, sweet girl?’
May’s pace didn’t alter, her head remained high, her gaze trained at six feet ahead. She was used to running in the inner city, where dick heads calling from cars were background noise.
‘Aww, just a question. Why you running? Sweet arse like that, don’t wanna go running it away.’
She kept moving, taking the next left, focussing her mind on retracing her route, determining whether to loop back at the next corner or go another few blocks. She realises only two or three cars had passed since she’d left the main road, tried to picture the town map, figure out a more direct route back to her hotel.
A car turned from the opposite corner, came towards her, headlights on high beam, then no headlights at all. May’s vision flickered and swam. She noticed how dark it was, how few houses there were on this street…
‘Come on girl. Stop for a second. Just a second.’
The car was right behind her, engine revving, keeping pace.” (p. 49)
Sounds all too familiar to me.
Domestic violence is another behaviour is succinctly showcased in this novel – I love you, love you, love you… until you hurt me…or those around me…I love you but not the violence… “he’s a good bloke” ( is he?)… until he isn’t. “He is a good bloke” (really?)…until he is provoked. Where is the responsibility? Vision is blinded when it comes to violence against women…he is a good bloke…he couldn’t possibly…
I think this is a book that will polarise. Those who tune out the politics will read a work of crime fiction, an intriguing and moving narrative of crime fiction. Those who absorb the depth of this writing will read a crime narrative set in a world of male entitlement, gender inequality, violence…a feminist’s tale.
Absolutely loved it!
My View:
Shoot this one straight to the top of my list of “Best Reads of the Year”. Brilliant, masterfully written.
Raw, tough, agonizingly truthful… the male gaze is reflected in a mirror back to us. These reflections are a constant in our (women’s) everyday life, look around you will recognise it too! Misogyny, discrimination, entitlement, double values, violence or threats of violence, intimidation, judgments - the worthy/unworthy, beautiful/other… Women’s everyday experiences, decisions, choices are under scrutiny of the male gaze – women are judged on whether they wear makeup or not, clothes can be fashionable/slutty, friendliness mistaken for availability as a sexual toy, she discounts you – she is a tease, she is self-assured – she is a “ball breaker”… how can a woman win? How does a woman tell the good guys from the bad when they all wear the same disguise?
I think it is the “entitlement” that bothers me the most in this book (and in life). A woman walks down a street alone– she is cat called, whistled at, judged, sexualised. There is a lot of social media chatter about the unsolicited attention men thrust on women at the moment, which if she ignores quickly turns to insults and rage. (If I had more time I would write you an essay on these type of behaviours) There is a great example of this in the novel. The ugliness and ordinariness of entitlement goes like this; (May is jogging, alone, in suburbia);
‘Hey what you running for, sweet girl?’
May’s pace didn’t alter, her head remained high, her gaze trained at six feet ahead. She was used to running in the inner city, where dick heads calling from cars were background noise.
‘Aww, just a question. Why you running? Sweet arse like that, don’t wanna go running it away.’
She kept moving, taking the next left, focussing her mind on retracing her route, determining whether to loop back at the next corner or go another few blocks. She realises only two or three cars had passed since she’d left the main road, tried to picture the town map, figure out a more direct route back to her hotel.
A car turned from the opposite corner, came towards her, headlights on high beam, then no headlights at all. May’s vision flickered and swam. She noticed how dark it was, how few houses there were on this street…
‘Come on girl. Stop for a second. Just a second.’
The car was right behind her, engine revving, keeping pace.” (p. 49)
Sounds all too familiar to me.
Domestic violence is another behaviour is succinctly showcased in this novel – I love you, love you, love you… until you hurt me…or those around me…I love you but not the violence… “he’s a good bloke” ( is he?)… until he isn’t. “He is a good bloke” (really?)…until he is provoked. Where is the responsibility? Vision is blinded when it comes to violence against women…he is a good bloke…he couldn’t possibly…
I think this is a book that will polarise. Those who tune out the politics will read a work of crime fiction, an intriguing and moving narrative of crime fiction. Those who absorb the depth of this writing will read a crime narrative set in a world of male entitlement, gender inequality, violence…a feminist’s tale.
Absolutely loved it!
August 1, 2021
Emily Maguire is a young Australian author who I am happy to finally have committed to reading. I have borrowed her books from the shelves at the library which I work, but like many, have returned given the 500 plus on my shelves at home. I had just wonLove Objectsbut put that down as my son’s English teacher recommended a Tim Winton book which she asked the boys to read during the school holiday. So… that one remains unread. It’s great. I digress. But will get to asap.
This novel is quite serious in its telling of engendered violence toward women. It is rife and almost expected in this small Australian town.
Chris is a worn-out divorced barmaid who has just lost her baby sister Bella in a shocking and violent manner. The violence for them, started in childhood after a string of men their mother goes through. Chris seems to be happy enough with the way her life has ended up, she is divorced but has a great relationship with her ex. He is a rock and helps her in no way anyone else could during the dark days following the murder. Both heavy drinkers, and as the story progresses, we learn violence is a part of their story.
She has a lifestyle that isn’t readily accepted, and this way of living forms the questioning by the detectives. Chris accepts payment for sex, would Bella possibly have some of these same qualities as her sister? It is obvious the males in the force are hinting at this.
The journalist arriving from the city delves into the case, she too, forms a quick relationship with a local who also enters the theme of easy casual sex. This local explains to her about the almost accepted violence, giving her readily available and numerous examples such as the girl at the bakery. Does she appear to be ok one day, she must be alright for now, or if she has a shiner and not so open, the locals know she’s been hit by her husband. Common knowledge in a small town.
A thought-provoking look at the choices women make, the judgements society will make on these choices, and the horrific violence that is almost an accepted occurrence in this harsh town. A very well written and very thought-provoking novel from a talented young prolific writer. Now, I really must get back toLove Objects!
This novel is quite serious in its telling of engendered violence toward women. It is rife and almost expected in this small Australian town.
Chris is a worn-out divorced barmaid who has just lost her baby sister Bella in a shocking and violent manner. The violence for them, started in childhood after a string of men their mother goes through. Chris seems to be happy enough with the way her life has ended up, she is divorced but has a great relationship with her ex. He is a rock and helps her in no way anyone else could during the dark days following the murder. Both heavy drinkers, and as the story progresses, we learn violence is a part of their story.
She has a lifestyle that isn’t readily accepted, and this way of living forms the questioning by the detectives. Chris accepts payment for sex, would Bella possibly have some of these same qualities as her sister? It is obvious the males in the force are hinting at this.
The journalist arriving from the city delves into the case, she too, forms a quick relationship with a local who also enters the theme of easy casual sex. This local explains to her about the almost accepted violence, giving her readily available and numerous examples such as the girl at the bakery. Does she appear to be ok one day, she must be alright for now, or if she has a shiner and not so open, the locals know she’s been hit by her husband. Common knowledge in a small town.
A thought-provoking look at the choices women make, the judgements society will make on these choices, and the horrific violence that is almost an accepted occurrence in this harsh town. A very well written and very thought-provoking novel from a talented young prolific writer. Now, I really must get back toLove Objects!
Read
November 15, 2018DNF - 20% - no rating
I really try to give books my best effort but lately it seems as if my patience has run out. If I am not getting any satisfaction from reading a book then what's the point of reading it? I have loads of ARC's to read and only so much time to do it.
I should also mention I am a mood reader and I was in no mood for this book.
This book was so misogynistic that I wanted throw my kindle at the wall. I know that was what the author was going for but it became infuriating. Not to mention my issues with the two lead women both of whom can't live without a man. Say what? I was hoping to read about strong, independent, take no shit kind of ladies which were not how Chris and May were portrayed at all. In fairness, I did quit early so maybe they grew, evolved, and found some inner strength before the novel ends but I seriously doubt it.
I went into this expecting a murder mystery set in Australia but that is not at all what this book really is.
Thank you to NetGalley & Trafalgar Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really try to give books my best effort but lately it seems as if my patience has run out. If I am not getting any satisfaction from reading a book then what's the point of reading it? I have loads of ARC's to read and only so much time to do it.
I should also mention I am a mood reader and I was in no mood for this book.
This book was so misogynistic that I wanted throw my kindle at the wall. I know that was what the author was going for but it became infuriating. Not to mention my issues with the two lead women both of whom can't live without a man. Say what? I was hoping to read about strong, independent, take no shit kind of ladies which were not how Chris and May were portrayed at all. In fairness, I did quit early so maybe they grew, evolved, and found some inner strength before the novel ends but I seriously doubt it.
I went into this expecting a murder mystery set in Australia but that is not at all what this book really is.
Thank you to NetGalley & Trafalgar Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 19, 2017
'An Isolated Incident' opens with the murder and mutilation of Bella Michaels, a well liked, pretty young nurse in the small NSW town of Strathdee. Everyone is shocked at the nature of the crime, including her older sister Chris. Chris is a very different woman to her sister, a popular barmaid, divorced but still friendly with her ex, with no regular boyfriend but occasionally taking home an occasional friendly truckie from the pub. A young female journalist, May Norman who arrives in town to report on the story for her newspaper becomes intrigued by Chris and Bella's story, becoming a central character herself. May has just been dumped by her married boyfriend and is drawn towards Chris's pain.
The novel is not so much about the hunt for a murderer as an exploration of women's lives and the way they are treated by men and by each other. In fact, the identity of the murderer is almost an afterthought added as an epilogue to conclude the book. Instead, the author explores what it is to be a woman in today's society, the way women's bodies are seen by others and used to define them. Bella, pretty and small breasted was seen as sweet and innocent, someone to be be protected whereas Chris, a buxom blond and a barmaid was expected to be up for one night stands. Using the vehicle of Bella's mutilation, the author not only explores mysogyny in relationships and the workplace but also domestic abuse and violence and the way that is treated in a small town. 3.5★
The novel is not so much about the hunt for a murderer as an exploration of women's lives and the way they are treated by men and by each other. In fact, the identity of the murderer is almost an afterthought added as an epilogue to conclude the book. Instead, the author explores what it is to be a woman in today's society, the way women's bodies are seen by others and used to define them. Bella, pretty and small breasted was seen as sweet and innocent, someone to be be protected whereas Chris, a buxom blond and a barmaid was expected to be up for one night stands. Using the vehicle of Bella's mutilation, the author not only explores mysogyny in relationships and the workplace but also domestic abuse and violence and the way that is treated in a small town. 3.5★
April 13, 2016
Last year, I watchedMaster of None.In one episode, Aziz Ansari sought to explore the feminine experience, and instead produced a caricature - the woman living in fear, contrasted with the man living free and easy. It was gross. Without nuance.
What I liked so much about An Isolated Incident is that it did the opposite. Being a woman in the world is bullshit for all kinds of reasons, and this book explores a whole lot of them without labouring any of them. Against the backdrop of violence against women, Maguire speaks to being a woman in a workplace, emotional and physical assault within relationships, objectification, being taken seriously as a professional, the representation of women in the media, and so on. While the murder at the heart of the story provides a level of suspense and intrigue, it was really Maguire's subtle insight into what it means to be a woman that compelled me to read.
(And compel me it did; I haven't read a whole book in one day in years, until this!)
The character of Chris is one of the best-drawn in recent memory. She is tough and robust, but afraid and doubtful. She understands much more than she lets on, but never comes down heavy-handed. Her relationship with her ex is at once touching and terrifying. And in playing her against the journalist, May, Maguire is able to further explore issues of class, ethnicity, culture divides and remoteness.
A seriously top-notch comment on gender inequality, and a beautiful read to boot.
What I liked so much about An Isolated Incident is that it did the opposite. Being a woman in the world is bullshit for all kinds of reasons, and this book explores a whole lot of them without labouring any of them. Against the backdrop of violence against women, Maguire speaks to being a woman in a workplace, emotional and physical assault within relationships, objectification, being taken seriously as a professional, the representation of women in the media, and so on. While the murder at the heart of the story provides a level of suspense and intrigue, it was really Maguire's subtle insight into what it means to be a woman that compelled me to read.
(And compel me it did; I haven't read a whole book in one day in years, until this!)
The character of Chris is one of the best-drawn in recent memory. She is tough and robust, but afraid and doubtful. She understands much more than she lets on, but never comes down heavy-handed. Her relationship with her ex is at once touching and terrifying. And in playing her against the journalist, May, Maguire is able to further explore issues of class, ethnicity, culture divides and remoteness.
A seriously top-notch comment on gender inequality, and a beautiful read to boot.
April 28, 2016
This is a book about violence towards women, societal misogyny and the public/media's limited and temporary interest in victims of violence, especially if they're young and pretty. Important subject matter and we certainly need more fiction exploring these stories but disappointing writing and execution here, deserved more nuance. The writing was painfully pedestrian, the main characters were badly drawn and the book was a poor attempt at a thriller dressed up to seem like literary fiction. Such a crude exploration of these issues. The writing made me cringe a few times. There were some moments of clarity where the rage was powerful but not enough to redeem.
June 25, 2016
An Isolated Incident offers the reader a thorough examination of the impact of a horrific violent crime against a young Australian woman, rather than an investigation into the crime itself.
When Bella Michaels, a pretty and much loved community member of the small NSW town of Strathdee is found brutally murdered, it not only shatters a whole town but the lives of those she left behind, namely her older sister Chris. As Chris struggles to come to terms with her sister’s death, a second voice appears in this story, May Norman, a young reporter from the city, sent to cover the story. An Isolated Incident alternates between these two young women’s voices and their personal experiences in the direct fallout from Bella’s death.
An Isolated Incident is a compelling piece of psychological fiction novel that is defined by high quality writing. I have never read any previous works by Emily Maguire, but her prose struck a chord with me and I will be sure to explore more of her work in the future. Maguire explores a myriad of controversial issues in this novel, namely violence at against women, the male perception of women and society’s treatment of female victims of crime. Maguire pulled this off well, weaving into these themes a psychological narrative based on the murder of a young woman. What emerges from reading this novel is a deeply raw and confronting piece of literature. I do feel it is a story that needs to be told and Maguire does this well through the vehicle of Bella Michael’s murder. Maguire crafts her novel succinctly, contrasting the experiences of the victim’s sister with the young reporter. Maguire shows two very different sides to a crime but manages to sync them together finely. I did feel more empathy for the character of Chris, Bella’s sister, rather than May. Chris was a realistically drawn character, Maguire manages to get into the innermost thoughts, feelings and fears of this character extremely well. I also found the touch of the supernatural an interesting theme which added further appeal to this page turner. The ending in this novel may frustrate some readers as it doesn’t offer complete closure. I looked at the conclusion of the book as a commentary on any crime – does locking away an offender truly bring closure to the loved ones of victims of a crime?
Harrowing, thought provoking and brilliantly written, An Isolated Incident offers the reader a very personal insight into the aftermath of a terrible crime against a young woman. I urge all readers to consider selecting this confronting but absorbing psychological thriller.
When Bella Michaels, a pretty and much loved community member of the small NSW town of Strathdee is found brutally murdered, it not only shatters a whole town but the lives of those she left behind, namely her older sister Chris. As Chris struggles to come to terms with her sister’s death, a second voice appears in this story, May Norman, a young reporter from the city, sent to cover the story. An Isolated Incident alternates between these two young women’s voices and their personal experiences in the direct fallout from Bella’s death.
An Isolated Incident is a compelling piece of psychological fiction novel that is defined by high quality writing. I have never read any previous works by Emily Maguire, but her prose struck a chord with me and I will be sure to explore more of her work in the future. Maguire explores a myriad of controversial issues in this novel, namely violence at against women, the male perception of women and society’s treatment of female victims of crime. Maguire pulled this off well, weaving into these themes a psychological narrative based on the murder of a young woman. What emerges from reading this novel is a deeply raw and confronting piece of literature. I do feel it is a story that needs to be told and Maguire does this well through the vehicle of Bella Michael’s murder. Maguire crafts her novel succinctly, contrasting the experiences of the victim’s sister with the young reporter. Maguire shows two very different sides to a crime but manages to sync them together finely. I did feel more empathy for the character of Chris, Bella’s sister, rather than May. Chris was a realistically drawn character, Maguire manages to get into the innermost thoughts, feelings and fears of this character extremely well. I also found the touch of the supernatural an interesting theme which added further appeal to this page turner. The ending in this novel may frustrate some readers as it doesn’t offer complete closure. I looked at the conclusion of the book as a commentary on any crime – does locking away an offender truly bring closure to the loved ones of victims of a crime?
Harrowing, thought provoking and brilliantly written, An Isolated Incident offers the reader a very personal insight into the aftermath of a terrible crime against a young woman. I urge all readers to consider selecting this confronting but absorbing psychological thriller.
August 14, 2018
An Isolated Incident is a different kind of crime novel which focuses not on the whodunit or the investigation but on the aftermath of such an event. In this case the Sister of the victim and the young reporter sent in to cover the case are under the spotlight and it is a hugely immersive character study, a truly human story that creeps up under your skin.
It is beautifully told, a realistic, literary prose that takes us through the month following a horrific murder, as family, friend’s and community struggle to come to terms with loss of many kinds.
Chris is a hugely sympathetic character- far from perfect but slowly spiralling down as days go by, you feel every inch of her emotional trauma. May, whose career may well end up being made on the back of another’s suffering struggles with it all and with herself most of all.
An Isolated Incident is a beautiful, brutal, utterly riveting psychological drama, one that takes an edgy and insightful look at crime from the underneath of it all, it is darkly complex and completely compelling throughout.
Recommended.
It is beautifully told, a realistic, literary prose that takes us through the month following a horrific murder, as family, friend’s and community struggle to come to terms with loss of many kinds.
Chris is a hugely sympathetic character- far from perfect but slowly spiralling down as days go by, you feel every inch of her emotional trauma. May, whose career may well end up being made on the back of another’s suffering struggles with it all and with herself most of all.
An Isolated Incident is a beautiful, brutal, utterly riveting psychological drama, one that takes an edgy and insightful look at crime from the underneath of it all, it is darkly complex and completely compelling throughout.
Recommended.
July 11, 2017
I'm in the minority here, I think. I didn't really like this book all that much, such a disappointing portrayal of *all* the female characters - either moping about waiting for men, having affairs with married men, prostituting themselves, or simply unable to function properly without a bloke around. Ugh. The more I think about this book the less I like it.
February 7, 2017
Country NSW and a young woman is brutally murdered. Her sister is a local barmaid who, while still emotionally involved with her ex, has her own ideas about how to conduct herself in relation to love and sex. Another young woman, a journalist, arrives on the scene to report the sensational crime. She has her own problems, personally and careerwise.
"Who did it?" is one of the last questions An Isolated Incident explores. More pressing is the question, how do women really think and behave? And what, if anything, has that to do with the epidemic of violence towards them that is gripping Australia?
A tough, confronting read.
"Who did it?" is one of the last questions An Isolated Incident explores. More pressing is the question, how do women really think and behave? And what, if anything, has that to do with the epidemic of violence towards them that is gripping Australia?
A tough, confronting read.
April 12, 2016
This is a fantastic book - well plotted, brilliantly characterised and deeply political, it covers the aftermath of a brutal murder in a small Australian town from the perspectives of the victim's sister and a journalist in town to report on the crime.
Chris, the sister, is a brilliant character - one of the most memorable in recent Australian literature - and its her side of the story that was the strongest. May, the journalist, is a useful plot device, but I felt less connected to her as a real person (her romantic struggles didn't ring particularly true to me either). There's an edge of anger to this book - anger at the ongoing epidemic of violence against women and anger at the complacency of Australian society in its responses to it - it felt like a companion piece toThe Natural Way of Thingsin some ways and is likely to be just as successful.
Chris, the sister, is a brilliant character - one of the most memorable in recent Australian literature - and its her side of the story that was the strongest. May, the journalist, is a useful plot device, but I felt less connected to her as a real person (her romantic struggles didn't ring particularly true to me either). There's an edge of anger to this book - anger at the ongoing epidemic of violence against women and anger at the complacency of Australian society in its responses to it - it felt like a companion piece toThe Natural Way of Thingsin some ways and is likely to be just as successful.
January 9, 2020
Not what I was expecting. Probably 3 and a half stars. Wasnt that impressed with the language, although I suppose it may have been in keeping with one theme followed in the story.
A very tough book to read. Lots of unpleasant and confronting themes to grapple with.
Overall was a good read but not recommended for all.
A very tough book to read. Lots of unpleasant and confronting themes to grapple with.
Overall was a good read but not recommended for all.
November 24, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
An Isolated Incident.
Silly me for thinking since this was shortlisted for a literary award, I thought I would be getting a suspenseful story with meaningful characters.
Instead, I was buried beneath one-dimensional hateful characters, the egregious amount of sexual violence, sexism, disgusting epithets against women and the lack of strong characters, both male and female.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Chris is a middle-aged bartender slogging her way through life in a small town in Australia.
When her younger sister, Bella, is brutally murdered, Chris has to find a way to continue living, if only for her sister's sake.
At the same time, struggling journalist May, is trying to get back in the game and forget about her married ex-boyfriend. Like Chris, she also hasterribletaste in men and is someone you would want to know, either.
Wow, Chris is a piece of work. I'm not slut-shaming her, she can be theSamanthaof Australia for all I care, sow her oats and find a bit of respite in a warm body any day, all the power to her.
What I don't care for is forcing your husband to drink despite the fact he is an alcoholic and has been sober for six years.
Sure, he succumbed in the end but what person, man or woman, would treat a partner with an addiction in such a shameless and despicable manner?
There is a whole lot ofadulteringgoing on in town.
Chris and her ex still hook up, her father was a womanizer, May's ex is married and anadulterer,and May is giving herself an eating disorder because of her conflicted feelings for him.Sigh.
There is atitanicload of misogyny and hate against women in the book that almost overwhelmed me which could have led to an empowering message for readers but instead got weighed down by its own sexist hate and vitriol.
What was the point of all this hate speech and sex talk against women?
To further reiterate that this was a small town? That's the vibe I was getting.
The story contains absolutely no suspense at all; it is more of a character study of Chris and how she copes with the loss of her sister, the only person she loved and had a close bond with.
As she mourns, she is convinced Bella's ghost haunts her and is tormented by the fact that she was not there for her sister when she died, her mental anguish understandable.
There are countless recaps of the investigation in the form of articles Maya writes that read as filler while at the same time she interviews the locals to get a flavor of the setting and atmosphere of the town.
When the bad guy is finally revealed,no one anyone knows,the case is resolved, though everyone's lives have been changed.
Except for mine. I didn't like the story, the people and definitely not all the hate.
There's enough hate in the world, especially now. Let's not add to it.
Silly me for thinking since this was shortlisted for a literary award, I thought I would be getting a suspenseful story with meaningful characters.
Instead, I was buried beneath one-dimensional hateful characters, the egregious amount of sexual violence, sexism, disgusting epithets against women and the lack of strong characters, both male and female.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Chris is a middle-aged bartender slogging her way through life in a small town in Australia.
When her younger sister, Bella, is brutally murdered, Chris has to find a way to continue living, if only for her sister's sake.
At the same time, struggling journalist May, is trying to get back in the game and forget about her married ex-boyfriend. Like Chris, she also hasterribletaste in men and is someone you would want to know, either.
Wow, Chris is a piece of work. I'm not slut-shaming her, she can be theSamanthaof Australia for all I care, sow her oats and find a bit of respite in a warm body any day, all the power to her.
What I don't care for is forcing your husband to drink despite the fact he is an alcoholic and has been sober for six years.
Sure, he succumbed in the end but what person, man or woman, would treat a partner with an addiction in such a shameless and despicable manner?
There is a whole lot ofadulteringgoing on in town.
Chris and her ex still hook up, her father was a womanizer, May's ex is married and anadulterer,and May is giving herself an eating disorder because of her conflicted feelings for him.Sigh.
There is atitanicload of misogyny and hate against women in the book that almost overwhelmed me which could have led to an empowering message for readers but instead got weighed down by its own sexist hate and vitriol.
What was the point of all this hate speech and sex talk against women?
To further reiterate that this was a small town? That's the vibe I was getting.
The story contains absolutely no suspense at all; it is more of a character study of Chris and how she copes with the loss of her sister, the only person she loved and had a close bond with.
As she mourns, she is convinced Bella's ghost haunts her and is tormented by the fact that she was not there for her sister when she died, her mental anguish understandable.
There are countless recaps of the investigation in the form of articles Maya writes that read as filler while at the same time she interviews the locals to get a flavor of the setting and atmosphere of the town.
When the bad guy is finally revealed,no one anyone knows,the case is resolved, though everyone's lives have been changed.
Except for mine. I didn't like the story, the people and definitely not all the hate.
There's enough hate in the world, especially now. Let's not add to it.
March 19, 2017
Emily Maguire's novel An Isolated Incident (Picador books 2016) is currently short-listed for the The Stella Prize, and comes on the back of a number of fiction and non-fiction works written by this author on the subject of domestic violence, mysogyny and attitudes towards women. The narrative is a taut psychological thriller, with a vicious crime, several suspects, and a possibly unreliable narrator. 25-year-old Bella Michaels disappears on her way home from her work at an aged care facility. When her brutalised body is discovered days later, the inhabitants of the small town of Strathdee come under the microscope, particularly her sister, Chris, who narrates the story in first person (in combination with the reports of May Norman, a journalist in town to gather the facts). As the police investigate the horrific crime, and Chris tries desperately to uncover the truth, everyone is under scrutiny. This story is interesting on a number of levels. Firstly, the narrative itself is page-turning, the plot full of twists and turns. Secrets are revealed and alliances laid bare. Secondly, the book is an eye-opening exploration of the media's obsession with pretty dead girls, and with how the facts surrounding the victim's life can be twisted or manipulated according to the crime. Bella seems at first to be 'an angel', pure and good, and her death is treated with disgust and anger. But her sister Chris presents a different archetype - coarse and rough, she has had a hard life, and her actions and choices - particularly around sex - leave her receiving little or no sympathy from those involved in the investigation. And this is where the novel becomes really interesting - the examination of how a woman's character and behaviour determine the treatment she receives not only from law enforcement, but from local townspeople, and even her neighbours and famiIy. I didn't find Chris to be an especially likeable character, and indeed, in the book she finds others treating her with a certain disgust, or keeping her at arm's length, because of her lifestyle choices. She is tough, rough, street-smart and 'easy'. People don't trust her. Often, she doesn't trust herself. The gritty language and vivid depictions of her almost animal desires directly correlate with her unsympathetic treatment.
This is also a book about grief, about the pain of losing someone, and about the myth of 'closure'. The scenes involving Chris doubting her sanity as she senses the presence of her dead sister were surprising to me - I didn't expect them in this story at all - but while they were unusual, I think they added to the complex miasma of grief surrounding Chris, with her mental state unbalanced as she struggles to find a way to live without her sister. The slight supernatural tinge is a little unnerving, but perhaps it is supposed to be, just as it would be in real life.
The conclusion, when it comes, is almost an anticlimax - but then, this story is not about WHO did it or finding the identity of the murderer, it is rather about the WHY, and it certainly opens up a lot of discussion points about domestic violence, victim shaming, those who prey on vulnerable women, and those who make money reporting on these crimes. The characters in the book are multi-dimensional, and nothing is black and white. Some have terrible, deal-breaking flaws, and yet are capable of the most intense love and tenderness. Some are upright and proud, and yet when you scratch the surface, you uncover a disturbing dichotemy. This story explores the notion of inherent stranger danger, and examines the idea that most danger lies much closer to home. And it investigates with a critical eye the role of the media in such crimes. Like Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things, it is a dose of reality, an ugly depiction of how women are perceived, and how they are treated.
This is also a book about grief, about the pain of losing someone, and about the myth of 'closure'. The scenes involving Chris doubting her sanity as she senses the presence of her dead sister were surprising to me - I didn't expect them in this story at all - but while they were unusual, I think they added to the complex miasma of grief surrounding Chris, with her mental state unbalanced as she struggles to find a way to live without her sister. The slight supernatural tinge is a little unnerving, but perhaps it is supposed to be, just as it would be in real life.
The conclusion, when it comes, is almost an anticlimax - but then, this story is not about WHO did it or finding the identity of the murderer, it is rather about the WHY, and it certainly opens up a lot of discussion points about domestic violence, victim shaming, those who prey on vulnerable women, and those who make money reporting on these crimes. The characters in the book are multi-dimensional, and nothing is black and white. Some have terrible, deal-breaking flaws, and yet are capable of the most intense love and tenderness. Some are upright and proud, and yet when you scratch the surface, you uncover a disturbing dichotemy. This story explores the notion of inherent stranger danger, and examines the idea that most danger lies much closer to home. And it investigates with a critical eye the role of the media in such crimes. Like Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things, it is a dose of reality, an ugly depiction of how women are perceived, and how they are treated.
October 27, 2018
Bella Michaels was last seen leaving from her job on a Friday evening. Her friends and family are concerned when they can't get in touch with her over the weekend. They contact the police, but since she is twenty-five years old, they assume she's taken off for the weekend with friends. Her family and close friends think; differently, her sister Chris refers to her as the "the world's youngest grandma" she's very responsible and would never do anything to worry her family.
Her brutalized body is discovered the following Monday on the side of the road leading out of town. Strathdee is a small town in Australia, that's pretty safe, so this murder rocks the community. Everyone seems to know everyone, and they all loved Bella, she was a special young lady that was beautiful, yet extremely kind.
Her older sister, Chris is utterly unhinged after she has to make the identification of the body and speak with police. Chris is several years older than Bella and works in a local pub, and after her divorce, it's common knowledge that she's taken up with several truckers who have stopped off at the pub while driving through town for a night of fun after work.
Chris is an attractive woman for her age, but she's all heart. Her ex-husband Mack comes down to help her deal with the death of her sister, Bella. The last thing Chris wants is to deal with all the media; not to mention some of the detectives' innuendo of her free spirit lifestyle compared to Bella's they are as different as night and day.
This case is going nowhere; the media has lost interest and left, Chris is trying to deal with this as best she can. At first, she goes back to work until she starts suspecting everyone around her as the monster who killed her sister. Chris finds herself immobilized by this fear that eventually takes over her life.
This is an excellent psychological thriller, Ms. Maguire pulls you in from the beginning and holds your attention to the very end. At times it's like the protagonist, Chris is speaking to you the reader directly which made it even more interesting. The way she weaves Chris's grief and torment it keeps the reader wondering what is fact and fiction. It really does begin to play on your mind.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion, the opinions I expressed above are my own.
Her brutalized body is discovered the following Monday on the side of the road leading out of town. Strathdee is a small town in Australia, that's pretty safe, so this murder rocks the community. Everyone seems to know everyone, and they all loved Bella, she was a special young lady that was beautiful, yet extremely kind.
Her older sister, Chris is utterly unhinged after she has to make the identification of the body and speak with police. Chris is several years older than Bella and works in a local pub, and after her divorce, it's common knowledge that she's taken up with several truckers who have stopped off at the pub while driving through town for a night of fun after work.
Chris is an attractive woman for her age, but she's all heart. Her ex-husband Mack comes down to help her deal with the death of her sister, Bella. The last thing Chris wants is to deal with all the media; not to mention some of the detectives' innuendo of her free spirit lifestyle compared to Bella's they are as different as night and day.
This case is going nowhere; the media has lost interest and left, Chris is trying to deal with this as best she can. At first, she goes back to work until she starts suspecting everyone around her as the monster who killed her sister. Chris finds herself immobilized by this fear that eventually takes over her life.
This is an excellent psychological thriller, Ms. Maguire pulls you in from the beginning and holds your attention to the very end. At times it's like the protagonist, Chris is speaking to you the reader directly which made it even more interesting. The way she weaves Chris's grief and torment it keeps the reader wondering what is fact and fiction. It really does begin to play on your mind.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion, the opinions I expressed above are my own.
April 17, 2017
An Isolated Incidentby Emily Maguire is one of those novels that refuses to be boxed into a simple category. It dances a fine line between crime thriller and literary fiction. Its focus is not on finding out who committed a horrendous murder in a small town but on the outfall on the victim’s family and local community. It’s this level of social commentary — think Norwegian crime queen Karin Fossum — that lends the novel a literary quality.
To read the rest of my review, please visitmy blog.
To read the rest of my review, please visitmy blog.
October 12, 2016
I bought Emily Maguire’s An Isolated Incident when I read about it in the Readings Monthly catalogue and thought, this sounds like a novel tackling an important issue. And it does. #DuckingForCover IMO it tackles the topic of violence against women in a more sophisticated and credible way than the much-lauded The Natural Way of Things.
The title An Isolated Incident is ironic: yes, the murder of Chris Michaels’ sister Bella is unusual in the small town of Strathdee, but murder and violence against women is an almost everyday occurrence, keeping the police busy in a town of only 3000 people. But the realisation that this is the case is slow to take shape in the reader’s mind because – like Chris who relates most of the story to a listener whose identity is not revealed until the end – the reader is preoccupied by the horror of Bella’s death. We not ‘see’ the body as Chris does – there are no graphic depictions of violence – but we know enough to know that she suffered terribly and that the wounds inflicted are what make the police confident that the killer is not someone from Strathdee. That is because they – like everyone else in Strathdee – know the men who are violent to their women, and they know the kind of violence they routinely inflict. When another woman is murdered in the town, the police know exactly who has done it and they wrap up the case almost overnight, a phenomenon we see so often in perfunctory media reports that it is commonplace. Bella’s murder is different. ‘This was done by someone who really hates women’, they say in Strathdee, oblivious to the reality that the culture of this emblematic town makes them all complicit in everyday violence. It doesn’t occur to them that the other woman was murdered by a man-hating woman, because, you know, he was sorry afterwards.
To read the rest of my review please visithttps://anzlitlovers.com/2016/10/12/a...
The title An Isolated Incident is ironic: yes, the murder of Chris Michaels’ sister Bella is unusual in the small town of Strathdee, but murder and violence against women is an almost everyday occurrence, keeping the police busy in a town of only 3000 people. But the realisation that this is the case is slow to take shape in the reader’s mind because – like Chris who relates most of the story to a listener whose identity is not revealed until the end – the reader is preoccupied by the horror of Bella’s death. We not ‘see’ the body as Chris does – there are no graphic depictions of violence – but we know enough to know that she suffered terribly and that the wounds inflicted are what make the police confident that the killer is not someone from Strathdee. That is because they – like everyone else in Strathdee – know the men who are violent to their women, and they know the kind of violence they routinely inflict. When another woman is murdered in the town, the police know exactly who has done it and they wrap up the case almost overnight, a phenomenon we see so often in perfunctory media reports that it is commonplace. Bella’s murder is different. ‘This was done by someone who really hates women’, they say in Strathdee, oblivious to the reality that the culture of this emblematic town makes them all complicit in everyday violence. It doesn’t occur to them that the other woman was murdered by a man-hating woman, because, you know, he was sorry afterwards.
To read the rest of my review please visithttps://anzlitlovers.com/2016/10/12/a...
April 2, 2016
Good, but it had the potential to be so much more...
[spoilers]
The fact that the two main female characters, May and Chris, were both so hooked up on their ex-partners was frustrating. Neither of them seemed to have anything in the way of friends and both were totally wrapped up in how their value as women related to their men.
The ending was also a huge disappointment. Sure, we find out who the killer was, but we learn nothing about him -he's just some random new character introduced as the killer, and that's it, that's the end of the story. Why did he kill Bella? What happened that night? Was it premeditated or did something go wrong? We'll never know. Emily Maguire missed a big opportunity there to explore why women are so frequently killed by their intimate partners, which seemed initially to be what the book wanted to do.
Also what was with all the dead animals that may or may not have been linked to Bella's death? Were they related or just a coincidence in the end?!
[spoilers]
The fact that the two main female characters, May and Chris, were both so hooked up on their ex-partners was frustrating. Neither of them seemed to have anything in the way of friends and both were totally wrapped up in how their value as women related to their men.
The ending was also a huge disappointment. Sure, we find out who the killer was, but we learn nothing about him -he's just some random new character introduced as the killer, and that's it, that's the end of the story. Why did he kill Bella? What happened that night? Was it premeditated or did something go wrong? We'll never know. Emily Maguire missed a big opportunity there to explore why women are so frequently killed by their intimate partners, which seemed initially to be what the book wanted to do.
Also what was with all the dead animals that may or may not have been linked to Bella's death? Were they related or just a coincidence in the end?!
June 8, 2018
An Isolated IncidentEmily MaguireI was looking forward to reading this 'Psychological Thriller' and was hoping for some who dunnit twists and turns, some hard core 'lets get the murderer' type story but what I got was a story of those left behind, there sad sorry lives and sexual undertones that made this book a bit 'off'.
I didn't really enjoy it and found the narrative much like listening to someone on a stage narrating a story in a play. It was not a page turner for me, was not at all thrilling and ended on a real low due to the randomness of who the actual murderer was.
I didn't really enjoy it and found the narrative much like listening to someone on a stage narrating a story in a play. It was not a page turner for me, was not at all thrilling and ended on a real low due to the randomness of who the actual murderer was.
February 4, 2018
This was a compelling but bleak read. It’s not your conventional crime novel, we aren’t looking for the killer as much as we are observing the profound and extensive ripples that a crime like this causes. This, more than anything is a catalogue of violence against women, and a pointed comment on social misogyny, and the temporal and misogynistic nature of the reporting of crimes against women. A decent read.
September 1, 2017
I was intrigued by the premise of this book after listening to a Garret Podcast episode featuring the shortlisted nominees for the 2017 Miles Franklin Award (Australia’s most prestigious literary award).
This is Emily Maguire’s fifth novel and is deserving of its place in the top 5 Miles Franklin shortlist. Well written with real, gritty characters, its primary theme is violence against women and the fleeting social media interest in these crimes. I found this novel totally absorbing.
What happened to Bella (the murdered victim) may have been an ‘isolated incident’, yet it is deeply connected to the ongoing violence perpetrated against so many women, and therefore not really isolated.
Young, pretty, innocent Bella goes missing in the carpark of an aged care facility at the end of her shift. She is found brutally murdered a few days later. The injuries to her mutilated body are so heinous that it is believed a group of perpetrators may have been involved.
The novel centres around three main female characters. Bella (the murder victim), Chris (her older sister) and May (a reporter). The story is narrated from two points of view - Chris and May. Chris is the stronger character and so well drawn that you come to know her intimately. The author has cleverly used two different points of view - Chris being written in first person and also speaking directly to the reader, whilst May is written in third person. First person is a much more intimate point of view and as the victim’s sister, it makes sense that the reader should be drawn to her more than any other character.
May, the reporter, initially uses the crime as her ‘big break’, but the case starts to affect her personally, and she is determined that the killer be found, giving up her job to pursue the crime. She also becomes an ‘accidental guardian’ to Chris. A strong bond forms between the two women.
Towards the end of the novel I began to worry that the perpetrator would not be revealed, but he is, and the ending was one of my favourite parts of the novel. There were many ‘suspects’ - men who are rough, violent, only after sex, but the idea that the man who is eventually arrested is an ‘everyman’ is even more harrowing.
In the end justice is done, but like Chris says, ‘All that’s ended is one man’s ability to do it to someone else.’ The world just moves on. She describes the complete gamut of the male psyche - from psychopaths to men who aren’t quite so bad and look mild in comparison; to men who aren’t violent but don’t see it as their problem; to men who are pure and good and only want to be friends and brothers. Chris says, ‘We have no way of telling those from the others until it’s too late and that, perhaps, is the most unbearbale thing of all.’
The sister who went missing was wholesome, pristine, pretty, young, respectful and private. Therefore the crime appears to be more shocking. Whereas the sister left behind works as a barmaid in a rough pub, socialises with men rather than women, and earns ‘grocery money’ from one night stands with truckies passing though town. The way the police treat her is skewed by the way she dresses and behaves. It is an indictment of societal attitudes towards the way a woman presents herself, rather than the crime itself, which should never have happened in the first place.
I could go on for ages about Chris’s relationship with her ex-husband Nate (who was happy to sleep with her despite being in a relationship with a baby on the way, yet left her cold when he found out she slept around); the way all three women - Bella, Chris and May were in relationships with married men; the police’s attitudes towards Chris etc, but at the end of the day, I came away thinking each of these aspects were sensitively written.
This book gets my vote for the Miles Franklin award.
This is Emily Maguire’s fifth novel and is deserving of its place in the top 5 Miles Franklin shortlist. Well written with real, gritty characters, its primary theme is violence against women and the fleeting social media interest in these crimes. I found this novel totally absorbing.
What happened to Bella (the murdered victim) may have been an ‘isolated incident’, yet it is deeply connected to the ongoing violence perpetrated against so many women, and therefore not really isolated.
Young, pretty, innocent Bella goes missing in the carpark of an aged care facility at the end of her shift. She is found brutally murdered a few days later. The injuries to her mutilated body are so heinous that it is believed a group of perpetrators may have been involved.
The novel centres around three main female characters. Bella (the murder victim), Chris (her older sister) and May (a reporter). The story is narrated from two points of view - Chris and May. Chris is the stronger character and so well drawn that you come to know her intimately. The author has cleverly used two different points of view - Chris being written in first person and also speaking directly to the reader, whilst May is written in third person. First person is a much more intimate point of view and as the victim’s sister, it makes sense that the reader should be drawn to her more than any other character.
May, the reporter, initially uses the crime as her ‘big break’, but the case starts to affect her personally, and she is determined that the killer be found, giving up her job to pursue the crime. She also becomes an ‘accidental guardian’ to Chris. A strong bond forms between the two women.
Towards the end of the novel I began to worry that the perpetrator would not be revealed, but he is, and the ending was one of my favourite parts of the novel. There were many ‘suspects’ - men who are rough, violent, only after sex, but the idea that the man who is eventually arrested is an ‘everyman’ is even more harrowing.
In the end justice is done, but like Chris says, ‘All that’s ended is one man’s ability to do it to someone else.’ The world just moves on. She describes the complete gamut of the male psyche - from psychopaths to men who aren’t quite so bad and look mild in comparison; to men who aren’t violent but don’t see it as their problem; to men who are pure and good and only want to be friends and brothers. Chris says, ‘We have no way of telling those from the others until it’s too late and that, perhaps, is the most unbearbale thing of all.’
The sister who went missing was wholesome, pristine, pretty, young, respectful and private. Therefore the crime appears to be more shocking. Whereas the sister left behind works as a barmaid in a rough pub, socialises with men rather than women, and earns ‘grocery money’ from one night stands with truckies passing though town. The way the police treat her is skewed by the way she dresses and behaves. It is an indictment of societal attitudes towards the way a woman presents herself, rather than the crime itself, which should never have happened in the first place.
I could go on for ages about Chris’s relationship with her ex-husband Nate (who was happy to sleep with her despite being in a relationship with a baby on the way, yet left her cold when he found out she slept around); the way all three women - Bella, Chris and May were in relationships with married men; the police’s attitudes towards Chris etc, but at the end of the day, I came away thinking each of these aspects were sensitively written.
This book gets my vote for the Miles Franklin award.
Shelved as 'not-finished'
September 22, 2016This one was not for me. Initially I was impressed with the writing which is honest, raw and sometimes confronting. I quickly realised that this was not about a murder investigation but about how people from different 'sides' of the story - particularly a grieving sister and a crime reporter - experience what has happened and how the impact will play out on their lives. There are serious issues here of misogyny, sexual mores and violence toward women - issues which were taken up, also brutally (but also brilliantly) in Charlotte Wood's award winning The Natural Way of Things.
But whereas in that novel I found things to enrich me, even in the most brutal of circumstances, I could find no such nourishment here. About two-thirds of the way through I felt that Maguire was just ploughing deeper and deeper ruts of misery. This is not why I read. I don't avoid harsh issues - far from it - but there has to be some hope, some light. Perhaps I could have found this if I had finished the novel but I felt lacerated and just couldn't bear to read any more.
Impossible to rate.
But whereas in that novel I found things to enrich me, even in the most brutal of circumstances, I could find no such nourishment here. About two-thirds of the way through I felt that Maguire was just ploughing deeper and deeper ruts of misery. This is not why I read. I don't avoid harsh issues - far from it - but there has to be some hope, some light. Perhaps I could have found this if I had finished the novel but I felt lacerated and just couldn't bear to read any more.
Impossible to rate.
June 4, 2017
In the small truck-stop town of Strathdee, a pretty young nurse is brutally assaulted and murdered - and that's before the book even begins. But don't be fooled by the blurb saying this is a psychological thriller, and thinking it's all about catching the murderer. Not at all. I wouldn't say it's a thriller, although there is a distinct air of mystery as we don't find out who the killer is until the final pages. But it does have definite psychological leanings. Maguire skilfully and methodically dissects the psychology of contemporary Australia, male/female relationships and the Australian media, laying bare the ugly violence, misogyny, hysteria and xenophobia that makes this a difficult read for its painful accuracy.
This book was deservedly shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize.
This book was deservedly shortlisted for the 2017 Stella Prize.
April 9, 2016
I've given An Isolated Incident a two star rating which means that it was ok. Truth is that I have probably been over-generous. Yes, I did finish it and that was actually the worst part as the finale or conclusion to this murder mystery was actually the weakest part of the story. I am very familiar with small-town Australia, as I've lived there, but I didn't feel a connection from the two main narrators to either their location or their relaying of the plot. The key fact is the murder of 25 year old Bella Michaels, who to all intents and purposes is a saint in waiting in her hometown of Strathdee. Now her sister Chris is a very different story, although they were very close. Chris is a drunk, a semi-prostitute and the opposite of Bella. Alongside Chris in narrating An Isolated Incident is struggling journalist May Norman. Struggling in that she is just weeks into a role as a reporter for a start-up on-line news site. Not one of the reads I will remember for 2016.
June 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, good characters and descriptions of an Australian country town. Not so much much a mystery but a story about grief, the media and how society treats victims of crime. 4.5 stars
October 5, 2017
This is not a crime novel. Yes there is a murder but you are not led along a skilful path of suspects and motives towards a killer. There is a murder and there is a killer but the details of those are not fully revealed, they don't form the basis of this book.
The book focuses on Chris, the sister of the murdered girl, Bella. Bella' murder shines a big light on Chris. She goes from being a nobody barmaid to the person everyone wants to speak to. She goes from having an ordinary life that is ignored, to having an ordinary life that is over-examined and judged - and judged harshly. Everything is reflected back from the mirror of the murder - casual sex? Well that's what gets girls murdered. Big boobs? Well you can't blame a bloke for thinking that you want it. The mirror shines obtuse light on May the journalist too. She's sees herself in Chris, but she is able to examine her actions in private. There's no media pack waiting to take photos of everything she does. Both women have made mistakes and questionable decisions but hasn't everyone?
The men in this book are not likeable. They are all shown with flaws and unsavoury characteristics but there is no judgement. It's what men do.
This book is essentially about the difference between how men and women are judged for their actions. Women are asking for it and should know better and men can't help it. Women are held to a higher standard than men, but men get to set that standard. It's The Handmaids Tale - Strathdee version
The book focuses on Chris, the sister of the murdered girl, Bella. Bella' murder shines a big light on Chris. She goes from being a nobody barmaid to the person everyone wants to speak to. She goes from having an ordinary life that is ignored, to having an ordinary life that is over-examined and judged - and judged harshly. Everything is reflected back from the mirror of the murder - casual sex? Well that's what gets girls murdered. Big boobs? Well you can't blame a bloke for thinking that you want it. The mirror shines obtuse light on May the journalist too. She's sees herself in Chris, but she is able to examine her actions in private. There's no media pack waiting to take photos of everything she does. Both women have made mistakes and questionable decisions but hasn't everyone?
The men in this book are not likeable. They are all shown with flaws and unsavoury characteristics but there is no judgement. It's what men do.
This book is essentially about the difference between how men and women are judged for their actions. Women are asking for it and should know better and men can't help it. Women are held to a higher standard than men, but men get to set that standard. It's The Handmaids Tale - Strathdee version
July 20, 2017
3 1/2 for the very realistic, if 'ocker' town and people. The last few pages had me holding my breath as Chris,the sister's emotions, experiences of 'soul', hallucinations (?) were eerily similar to mine, after my sister died.. In fact a friend who picked me up from the airport said almost the same words.. "It doesn't matter who, a sister died'...
No, you never do 'get over it', but the people who spring into protective mode, is so life-affirming. I think that is the message, (and to ignore the ones who just want to share the drama.)
Doubt if I could recommend unless, sadly, someone else is in the same or similar situation. Then it's very meaningful and even helpful.
No, you never do 'get over it', but the people who spring into protective mode, is so life-affirming. I think that is the message, (and to ignore the ones who just want to share the drama.)
Doubt if I could recommend unless, sadly, someone else is in the same or similar situation. Then it's very meaningful and even helpful.
October 27, 2018
I am admittedly a prude about sex. I don't naturally gravitate toward books with graphic sex. So part of the reason, this book was not my cup of tea was the take on sex partners and how many there were. If that doesn't bother you, then you may enjoy this book more. I also didn't enjoy the descent into grief. This book was more focused on how a person's life is destroyed when a loved one is violently snatched than on the whodunnit part. I think others will really resonate with the book.
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