I know this story so well by now. To hear the story behind the story was mildly interesting but generally a repeat of things I already knew. Some of the items which would have made reading more compelling were too lightly brushed over, such as why JC abruptly terminated her friendship with Rebecca Hazel and how this podcast caused pressures in Hedley’s marriage.

There were also some were just weird inclusions like the random Matty Johns name drops - what does a boy from Cessnock have to do with any of this? Nothing…

There should have been much better editing/fact checking too, as there is a suburb and beach mentioned which don’t exist (Ocean Grove) and South West Rocks is described as being on the Central Coast (it’s no where near) so it makes you wonder how many other mistakes slipped by editors and onto the page.

It’s interesting to read that Hedley was completely eviscerated about his journalism by a judge who almost stayed any criminal trial for Dawson, especially since he is again trying to whip up the same public frenzy in a new podcast called Bronwyn. Does he expect to get away with zero consequences for the same behaviour a second time? Clearly he must.

Also the final parts of the book being written by someone with a much better command of the English language and an easier to read style of prose highlighted Hedley’s shortcomings in those areas. Which is a shame because Hedley won a Walkley award for his work here.

All in all, an interesting read and one I’m glad to have ticked off by tbr pile.

I loved this book as a kid and I’ve just re-read it for nostalgia and it was still pretty good. Not much happens story wise but I find that quite soothing sometimes.

I really should have read all the Walsh family books by now but I have just never got around to it - and I don’t know why because Keyes is such a wonderful writer and her books are so delightful. I suppose it’s that my tbr list is always a mile long and it seems silly to stop everything and just read about the Walsh sisters - but I would one day love to have read each and every book by Marian Keyes. Fingers crossed I have enough time!!

I cannot remember how this book ended up on my list of books to read, but someone must have recommended it. I knew precisely nothing about this book when I started reading it and it gradually revealed itself to me.

ah! So it’s set in New York when it only has 7000 occupants…interesting…

ah! It’s a romance because he likes the girl.

Oh! Perhaps it’s not a romance - what can it be then?

Well it was interesting, and refreshing because it’s very different to anything else I’ve read for a long time. I liked the reveal of the narrator at the end. Very nicely done.

The concept for this book, to create a fictional juror and see all the evidence presented at the trial through the fictional jurors eyes actually works surprisingly well. The way the narrator assesses and weighs the evidence does make a tonne of sense and you do understand how the genuine jury came to their collective guilty verdict. The question left at the end of the book - why did she do it - well only one person can answer that and she’s locked up in solitary now.

Such a charming book, some of it is a little bit dated from being set in the 70s or 80s but the raw feelings and the funny observations about people and relationships are timeless and honestly it was all made even more glorious by listening to Meryl Streep’s beautiful buttery voice read it aloud. Just beautiful.

Wow - what an incredible debut novel, I’m so envious of how talented Clare Stephens is. The story is so topical and the characters and their inner thoughts are written so well. I wish my heart might one day grow to be as big as Clare’s clearly is.