Double Lives

by Kate McCaffrey, Unknown Author

This established WA-based writer examines notions of truth, gender, identity and acceptance in a compelling novel about a cold-case podcast.

Truth is like a lens we apply to everything we see, it is malleable and transformative, we can bend it, mould it, shape it, vanish it. We do this to present the versions of ourselves we want the world to see, and to hide the versions we can't bear to reveal.

Newly returned to Western Australia, journalist Amy Rhinehart pitches a crime podcast to increase her radio station's ratings. Her to use the listeners of the show as its co-creators, with live-time calls and suggestion boards. The Jonah Scott, charged and imprisoned for life for the murder of his girlfriend, transgender woman Casey Williams. Jonah went to great lengths to hide the body - but when arrested, confessed immediately and pleaded guilty, negating the need for a trial. Amy believes there is something darker at the heart of this case and sets about finding the truth, investigating a world of drugs, sex, gender identity and religious cults.

Threaded through the main narrative, the podcast transcripts represent a story-within-a-story, exploring the characters of Jonah and Casey and the relationship between them, interwoven with Amy's investigation into the cult run by Jonah's family and its potential involvement in Casey's murder.

Genres: Audiobook, Australia

MP3 CD

About the author

Kate grew up in Perth’s northern suburbs. She has a degree in English and Art and a diploma in Education.

Kate is the author of three award-winning novels for young adults: Destroying Avalon (2006), winner of the WAYBRA Award for older readers and the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award for Young Adults; In Ecstasy (2008), winner of the Australian Family Therapists Children’s Literature Awards; and Beautiful Monster (2010), named a 2011 White Raven, selected from newly published books from around the world as especially noteworthy by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. She is currently putting the finishing touches on a fourth novel to be published by Fremantle Press in 2014.
Awards

Winner, Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2008
Highly Commended, Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2007
Winner, Western Australian Premier’s Book Award, 2007
Notable Book, Children’s Book Council of Australia, 2007
Winner, West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award, 2007

Reviews

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hate to shit on a new release. I seriously considered not writing this review at all, because I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yums. I hope (beyond hope) that McCaffrey’s intentions were good with Double Lives… but she missed the mark. This story – which uses the murder of a trans woman by her lover for shock and intrigue – wasn’t handled sensitively at all. I really resented Casey’s gender being used as a “shock twist”, and it was exhausting to read.

My full review of Double Lives is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.

[Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

YA author Kate McCaffrey's debut adult novel.

Radio Western’s ratings are dwindling, haemorrhaging viewers to their competitors, surviving on life support, just like Amy Rhinehart’s career. Her idea, to save both, is a crime podcast in which the audience partakes in the investigation of a case. They call in with suggestions and ideas, the show proceeds arbitrarily with no set script. The idea works, ratings skyrocket, the podcast goes viral.

The case Amy finds seems to be a strange selection. A murder where the accused pleaded guilty immediately. Jonah, a member of what most would call a religious cult, murders his girlfriend when he finds that she is transgender. However, as Amy starts to dig deeper into the case, holes start to appear in Jonah’s story and witnesses, women who escaped the cult, shine a different light on the murder. If Jonah was going to waive his rights to any defence and confess to police immediately upon the body’s discovery, why bother hiding the body at all? Amy cannot shake the feeling that Jonah is innocent and is taking the fall.

Amy’s investigating takes her into the world of religious cults. Cults that prey on people who are usually vunerable,at low points in life, lost, searching for answers. Cults where a strong, charismatic leader can use religious script and dogma rigorously to control and coerce.

McCaffrey is tapping into subjects that are very much in vogue in contemporary times. Podcasts, in particular true crime podcasts, are ratings gold. Gender identity is a subject that grows each day, society slowly becoming more accepting and tolerant.

This novel is the result of another popular YA writer, dipping their toes, and making a successful transition, into the world of adult fiction,

[Gia (지아) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but I think this Kate McCaffrey missed the class on showing not telling

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
Double Lives by Kate McCaffrey is quite unique and well constructed, throughout the pages the story is combined with crime podcast transcripts.

Our protagonist Amy Rhinehart decides it would be a great idea to elevate the ratings on her radio station by starting a true crime podcast involving the listeners.

The case she selects is one of a young man named Jonah Scott who is nineteen and imprisoned for life for killing his girlfriend, he pleaded guilty so there was no trial. There is something off about the case and Amy sets off to interview the offender, his family and the religious cult members where he lived.

Thought provoking, emotional and topical, the story has themes of gender identity, love, acceptance and living an authentic life.

This was a well written and enjoyable read and Amy’s backstory engaged perfectly with the main plot.

Publication Date 05 October 2022

Publisher Echo Publishing 


Thank you Echo Publishing and @DMCP Media for inviting me on the Double Lives Bookstagram Tour and thank you Echo Publishing for sending me a copy of the book.

[Rebecca Preedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Lives is an engaging contemporary crime novel from Western Australian author Kate McCaffrey.

Looking for a way to boost her radio station’s ratings as well as her own profile, ambitious journalist Amy Reinehart pitches a weekly drive-time true crime podcast, with a difference. The investigation will delve into a case that has already been resolved but about which questions remain, and the show will be broadcast live, encouraging audience contributions.

“Hi, I’m Amy Rhinehart and I’m the presenter of Strange Crime, a live broadcast and podcast on Radio Western every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Season One is called Double Lives and examines the Jonah Scott murder of Casey Williams.”

The case Amy settles on is one that has several elements that she’s sure will capture the interest of her audience. After the victim of a savage stabbing attack, later identified as Casey Williams, was found floating in a river, her nineteen year old boyfriend of ten months, Jonah Scott confessed to the murder. He subsequently pled guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The only explanation Jonah ever offered for the crime was that he snapped when he discovered, during an intimate moment, that Casey was transgender, but for Amy, both Jonah’s claim, and his refusal to mount a defence, doesn’t add up.

Amy, and her assistant Sarah, dig eagerly into the case, interviewing related principles including the case detective, the family and friends of Casey, Jonah, and his father, the leader of a small cult calling itself The Brethren of the Word. Though she’s sworn to present only the truth, Amy begins to believe Jonah could be innocent and her professional veneer slips, revealing a personal connection to the issues involved in the case.

“People are anthologies of stories, mosaics made up of minor events, small truths that constitute who we are, what we believe in, the way we live.”

Double Lives is a thoughtful and sensitive exploration of identity, advocating for acceptance and tolerance. The theme of duality is represented in Amy’s past and present, Casey’s gender dysphoria, Jonah’s crime, and the Brethren’s ideology. Truth, particularly our individual relationship to it, is also examined. The author also touches on issues such as media bias and journalistic ethics, especially as it intersects with criminal cases.

I thought the structure of the novel worked well, with the narrative shifting between prose and show transcripts. The pacing is good, though I felt the ending was perhaps a little abrupt, though that could be attributed to it being quite a short book.

Well written, Double Lives is an astute, interesting and absorbing novel.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Echo Publishing for sending us a copy to read and review.
This is a cleverly constructed and topical story that covers a murder in a unique and refreshing way.
Highlighting how we perceive the truth.
Mix a crime podcast radio program with gender identity, a cult and living your own truth and you have a remarkable read.
Amy wants a time slot on the radio that will elevate her ratings and popularity.
She decides on a weekly one hour show dedicated to a crime and invites the audience to participate as amateur sleuths.
She focuses on a murder committed by a young man, he killed his girlfriend and was particular about her body being found.
Amy interviewed the prisoner, she trekked out to the crime scene, spoke with other cult members and also the prisoners family to enhance her show and get her audience hooked.
The facts full of intrigue and mystery.
I was so impressed by this book and marvelled again at the talent we have in this country.
It will invoke sadness and anger.
It displayed an empathy in addition to presenting a mystery to solve.
Fans of the crime genre seek this out.

[Sammysreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into reading this book not knowing much more than it being about a crime podcast that explores a gruesome murder. That was enough to interest me, as I don't mind a crime podcast or documentary on such subjects.

What I didn't expect was the podcast to explore religious cults, gender, sex and identity.

In this book, the local radio station decides to investigate a murder. It seems pretty open and shut case. They have the body, they found the suspect and the suspect admitted guilt instantly and plead guilty in court.

During the investigation they speak to the convicted murderer, his family, religious cult members, a missing person who resurfaces to talk, investigators, lawyers - the works. Did he actually do it? Because something is not adding up. The reason why this particular case was chosen also comes to light.

The way that this was written felt like I had watched an entire docu-series and left me reeling in heartbreak and utter devastation at the complete betrayal some of the characters in this book went through.
All because they were transgender.

There is some heavy content in this, and while utterly engrossing, my heart does feel heavy.
This is a story of fiction, however it does feel real.

[Fabee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book touches on some really heavy topics,
Through interviews, transcripts and “recorded dialogue”.
This is quite a short book and so I feel like we don’t get a close connection to the characters but rather a glossing over - we are a listener to the podcast in this scenario. There is one piece that lends itself to outside of the murder case and that’s that of Amy Rhinehart’s past - which again gives us a small but significant insight to her character.

[Flex and Herds from Death of the Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Lives is a harrowing, insightful look into the parasociality of crime-media, of both the true and fictional varieties. With a delightfully simple and thoroughly explored core theme, the hybrid prose and audio-transcript style creates an immersive investigation of what it means to 'enjoy' crime stories.

When the war council at Perth Radio Western is summoned, to produce a ratings-winning serial for the drive-time slot, Amy Rhinehart's 'Strange Crime' is the chosen warrior. What sets this serial apart is the catch - the investigation is ongoing, and listeners can participate and contribute week after week. The chosen case for season 1 reconstructs the all-too-tidy murder of a trans woman. Her boyfriend confessed immediately, and didn't take an easy legal loophole that would have turned his life-sentence to almost nothing. It echoes a case decades past, putting Amy and her team of producers on the prowl for what the official investigation - or lack thereof, missed.

We've all read the story of the open-and-shut case by the police, we know how this one plays out. There's a secret alternate explanation they don't want you to know! The thing Amy can't quite understand, is why nobody is speaking up. The detectives, the lawyers, even the alleged culprit all agree it's that simple, but surely that's too good to be true. Careful wishes, and all that.

Exploring touchy subjects of drugs, sexuality, transgenderism, religion, and the implicit relationship in crime-media, Kate's writing deftly controls the switches between standard prose and transcripts of the program. I should warn - if you don't find the transcript style appealing, I don't think the book does much to persuade you otherwise. Transcripts inherently turn some of the evocative flavour of prose into slightly blunt descriptors, but as someone buried in transcripts all the time for work, I felt right at home with the composed way Kate writes them. The characters, especially Amy, have a candid credibility in how they respond to the evolving narrative of 'Strange Crime' in both writing formats, and there's a few zinger lines that I bet at least one podcast-hosting reader is going to wish they could steal (it couldn't be me).

It's always delightful when a novel poses you a concept and then spends the next two-hundred some pages changing your mind about it, especially when they do it without you even realising it, and that was my experience with Double Lives. Even as the host of a radio-crime-fiction program, this book, (almost) speaking about my profession, had something enjoyably new and noteworthy to say about it. That said, I do think Amy Rhinehart should be committed to a ward for agreeing to produce a show this thoroughly researched and legally ambiguous on a weekly basis.

For our program, I read this alongside Margery Allingham's Cargo of Eagles, and I really enjoyed their companion themes of the courier venturing to the outside of a community buried in secret misdeeds, and how both question their protagonists' connection to their case, a case, of course, of Double Lives.

Thank you to Echo Publishing via DMCPR for the ARC.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and topical read.

[Nicole Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up to read on a flight- it certainly took me on one. Once started, I could not put it down. Kate addresses issues such as gender identity and religious identity with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. The main character is reflective and cognisant of the effects of our own conscious and unconscious biases when interpreting ‘truth’.

I certainly did not expect the ending.

A real page turner, I look forward to reading more from Kate McCaffrey.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant and thought provoking

[Kerran Olson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read most if not all of Kate McCaffrey's young adult novels, and was hoping that this Adult fiction release would feel less "here is a Topic and a moral"...but it reads very much like her previous works just with more gruesome content.

I liked the premise of the protagonist uncovering the details of a crime through a podcast, this felt very typical and interesting to me in this world of constant True Crime docos and media speculation. But as soon as the murder victim in the case was revealed to be a transgender woman, this "twist" on the case made me very uncomfortable. I think there is a respectful and considerate way to explore trans experiences in fiction, and this was definitely not it- I can see that the author was trying to delve into the prejudice and judgement trans people face, but I feel that she missed the mark and it just felt really uncomfortable for me to read, especially with the ultra-religious cult-like group being the opposing force delivering that judgement. The only real attempt and showing a balanced view of the "issue" was a very brief backstory revealing that the protagonist Amy had herself 'abandoned' a previous partner who chose to transition. For about a chapter Amy feels guilt over this behaviour....and is then right back to sensationalising cults in her podcast.

I don't like that trans experience is the big controversial topic in this book, but McCaffrey does tend to latch on to one big theme in her novels to explore, so I don't know how else to describe this. In her previous books the big issue us things like Drugs, Depression, Eating Disorders. It's always felt a bit forced and moralistic to me, but I thought the exploration of these topics had been simplified for her YA audience. Unfortunately, this book, despite being sold as an adult novel, reads much the same and falls into that same trap.

The podcast format of much of this book probably contributed to this, but Amy and the few side characters were quite one dimensional and I didn't connect with any of them at all. Religious sub-plots are never my fave so the cult aspect wasn't something I enjoyed, and I also would have liked prejudiced attitudes to have been explored from a less extreme, not Bible-based viewpoint. And the way Perth was described repetitively as non-diverse, old-fashioned, and without opportunity for growth felt a bit odd and not relevant to the story- trans people are abused and endangered in much bigger cities than Perth, so it felt like a weird point to continue making.

All in all, the podcast concept of this novel interested me, and I was excited to see if McCaffrey writes differently to an adult readership, but overall this book was a bit of a disappointment, and made me pretty uncomfortable. I think it's time for me to accept that I enjoyed this author as a 13 year old and have just well and truly outgrown her and her writing style.

Update to add: initially reviewed as a 2* but after reflecting on my feelings for a couple of hours I'm making it a 1*, 1.5 at absolute best. The way trans experience is approached in this book just makes me feel gross, not a fan at all. Casey has NO voice. Why is she also revealed to be an escort? She is quite literally portrayed as a messenger of Satan. Urgh

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter shit. Do not read. Triggering use of Transmen and Transwomen to further a stupid plot.

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book. I’ve not read anything like it before. The whole idea of a double life in this book was applied in several ways, and I think that was a pivotal element in this book by Kate McCaffrey. Amy Rhinehart wants to be the next big thing in radio. Upon her return to Western Australia, she pitches an idea for a podcast on the murder of a transgender woman, Casey Williams, by Jonah Scott, currently serving life in prison after admitting guilt immediately to the crime. Amy thinks there’s more to the case and uses this for her climb to the top. At the same time, the story exposes a world of gender and identity, drugs, a religious cult and Amy’s own double life experience.

The majority of the book is the narration of the episodes of the podcast created by Amy and her assistant, Sarah. We have the story of the crime that was committed, the back stories of Jonah and Casey, and women intent we see Amy’s life story emerge, from why she returned to Western Australia and her own personal relationship that inspired her interest in this case (you’ll need to read the book to find out what it is). As the podcast is researched by Amy and Sarah, their questions become the reader’s questions: why confess to a crime so easily? Are there other elements we don’t understand about Jonah? Was something else influencing what had happened? Who was Casey and how did she come to be who she was? What was it about both Jonah’s and Casey’s identifies that were skewed in their portrayal by the press, by those that knew them ,and the podcast itself? Were the social stereotypes about Casey and Jonah based on bias and ignorance? What is the power of a podcast over books?

A relatively short book, but it captured a lot of detail and things to think about.

Thank you to Echo Publishing for my gifted copy

[Gabrielle Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhhhhhhh - where to start? I loved this book. LOVED IT. Hit a nerve with me from the very beginning and I felt connected to the characters immediately! I read this quickly - which I always do when I am drawn into a YA novel this fast - however this isn't just an Adult or YA novel. It's a gripping read and made me question some long held beliefs and assumptions...
As the book drew to a close I started getting worried - how is this going to end? Who is responsible? And is this responsibility the same responsibility I had defined earlier in the book? How to divvy up the blame? And is it blame or just gross, gross misunderstandings and ignorance.
I swear my heartrate, pulse and metabolism increased reading this book and I felt emotionally exhausted as I turned the last page. What a cracker of a read Kate McCaffrey!

[Jay Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel follows a West Australian radio journalist and adopts the recent trend of having a true crime podcast deliver a lot of the matters uncovered in the narrator’s investigations.

The case Amy investigates is that of Jonah Scott, a cult member who pleaded guilty to the murder of transgender woman Casey Williams.

Despite the guilty plea, Amy doesn’t believe it’s an open and shut case.

Is there more to the story?

Indeed there is, and the story does take some surprising turns.

A thought provoking read that I found to be a genuine page turner.

[Shirley Mckinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!! I read it in two sittings. Fascinating tale of how we interpret what we see and hear. This is what happens in social media. People get some information and then opinions become beliefs and that is how arguments start.

And having some experience of working in radio, I enjoyed the premise of this book. Notice, how careful I'm being so I don't give anything away.

And I love how I never saw the end coming because it was so authentic to the character. Highly recommended. A new author to watch.

[grace saint · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m obvs not the target audience for this book but who could say no to Christian cult and trans themes ? Not me x needed something easy to churn through in a few hours and it exceeded all my expectations for fiction

[Lisa Glanville · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good true crime podcast, so I thought I'd give this book a go. I liked the idea of a novel dealing with researching a pod.
I mean... it was ok. It was well-meaning, I guess.
But a little more depth and nuance would've been nice.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing and insightful, DOUBLE LIVES by Kate McCaffrey is a very topical exploration of issues around gender, identity, acceptance and truth.

Full Review at: https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...

[Belinda Chisholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars*

[D A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept

[Kim Heberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love!! A fantastic read. Engaging, intriguing and timely x

[Maddi Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good quick read.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Read it as an audio book and just couldn’t put it down.Absolutely fascinating.

[Denise Tannock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting format. Interesting story but ....

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uninspiring, uninspired, bandwagonish and poorly cobbled together. Also the protagonist is utterly unlikeable. Save your time and listen to Sadie by Courtney Summers instead.

[Ailish B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting! It's definitely a unique story, with some heavy topics explored.