The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial

by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein

In July 2023, in the quiet Gippsland town of Leongatha, Erin Patterson—stay-at-home mother and true-crime devotee—invited her husband’s devoutly Christian family to lunch. Within days, three of her guests were dead and the fourth was in a coma. They had all been poisoned by death cap mushrooms.

Two years later, Patterson stood trial, accused of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. The court case gripped the nation and fascinated people all over the world.

Among those drawn into the drama were three renowned Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein.

Together, they joined the daily media scrum at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts and spent long days immersed in the case’s sinister and complex love, hate, jealousy, revenge, marriage, money, mycology and murder.

The Mushroom Tapes is a true-crime book like no other—a unique study of Erin Patterson and our collective obsession with her strange and terrible crime.

Helen Garner writes novels, stories, screenplays and works of non-fiction. She is the winner of the Melbourne Prize for Literature, the Windham Campbell Prize for Non-Fiction, the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature and the Australian Society of Authors Medal. Her books include Monkey Grip, The Children’s Bach, The First Stone, Joe Cinque’s Consolation, The Spare Room, This House of Grief, The Season, How to End a Collected Diaries, which won the prestigious Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, and The Mushroom Tapes, with Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein.

Chloe Hooper is acclaimed for her compelling narratives in both fiction and non-fiction. She is the author of A Child’s Book of True Crime, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Literature, the multi-award-winning The Tall Death and Life on Palm Island, The A Mind on Fire and Bedtime Story. She has won three Walkley awards.

Sarah Krasnostein is the bestselling author of The Trauma Cleaner and The Believer. Her prizes include the Victorian Prize for Literature and Walkley awards for both long-form feature writing and arts criticism. She holds a doctorate in criminal law and is admitted to practise law in New York and Victoria.

‘Insightful, humane and self-questioning.’ The Times

'Extremely readable...Garner, Hooper and Krasnostein are an acute trio of conversational partners. Their precise, wry observations compel the reader’s attention.’ Guardian

'Sensitive and insightful.' Age

‘Pick up this book and you’ll find it hard to put down.’ Australian

'I was utterly captivated...a dense and deeply engaging weaving of voices, narratives and ideas.’ Conversation

‘Allows us to imagine what the mealtime conversations many of us have been having about this case would be like if three of Australia’s best writers were guests.’ Inside Story

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Audiobook, Crime, Australia, Book Club

203 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Helen Garner was born in Geelong in 1942. She has published many works of fiction including Monkey Grip, Cosmo Cosmolino and The Children's Bach. Her fiction has won numerous awards. She is also one of Australia's most respected non-fiction writers, and received a Walkley Award for journalism in 1993.

Her most recent books are The First Stone, True Stories, My Hard Heart, The Feel of Stone and Joe Cinque's Consolation. In 2006 she won the Melbourne Prize for Literature. She lives in Melbourne.

Praise for Helen Garner's work

'Helen Garner is an extraordinarily good writer. There is not a paragraph, let alone a page, where she does not compel your attention.'
Bulletin

'She is outstanding in the accuracy of her observations, the intensity of passion...her radar-sure humour.'
Washington Post

'Garner has always had a mimic's ear for dialogue and an eye for unconscious symbolism, the clothes and gestures with which we give ourselves away.'
Peter Craven, Australian

'Helen Garner writes the best sentences in Australia.'
Ed Campion, Bulletin

Reviews

[Maya Ranganathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get me in that fucking car to Morwell!

[Luke McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of flimsy, but ultimately worthwhile, even if just for Garner’s terse little pearls of insight.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★s
“Maybe this is the most horrifying thing of all. That somebody who has the dark feelings we all experience, despite so many resources, still chose that path.”

The Mushroom Tapes is a non-fiction book by award-winning Australian authors, Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein, all known for their non-fiction writing, the latter also having a doctorate in criminal law. They decide to attend the triple murder trial of Erin Patterson together, and record their conversations about the experience. This book is the result.

Firstly, they muse on why each of them attends, something that remains in their minds as they observe the glee which some of those attending exhibit. Towards the end, Sarah remarks “But we have to look at our own interest in the case. Is it any different from that gleeful, ogling schadenfreude? Or from those people who are giving her greasies and making sure she sees their dirty looks? I don’t think it’s self-exonerating to say it’s different, and I’m not saying we’re here as lofty, self-appointed guardians of the social fabric, but there’s no glee for me in being here.”

She notes “There’s the idea that we’re trying to repair a rift in shared ethics. And there are so many little things, quiet details, that can reveal the human weight of the story.” To which Helen adds “we’re bearing witness to a rent in the social fabric and how the law is going to deal with it.”

They record their observations and impressions: on witness testimony, the people involved in the trial, the general atmosphere, the intimacy of the small courtroom. They discuss the financial aspect, and the possible motives for the crime. They comment on Simon Patterson’s control, on Erin observing and being observed, on the different perceptions of their marriage gained from family and from Erin’s online friends in their true crime Facebook page.

The book gives some of Erin’s background, and makes mention of the search history indicating research into death cap mushrooms and where they might be located, as well as the purchase of, disposal of, and later, denial of the dehydrator. Also noted are the four incidences of Simon’s admission to hospital after consuming food prepared by Erin, which were not permitted to be mentioned in court.

The women note their confusion, at times, about the person Erin presents, and her reactions to witness testimony. They also observe the reaction of the jury to the (often dense) technical evidence presented, and to witness testimony. Of the obsession of some attending, they report it said “All this dancing around the witch is ghoulish. People have died and you are sick bastards.”

On Justice Beale’s role “In this strange crucible of the courtroom, everything that is wild and overwhelming and uncertain and chaotic is reduced to numbers and units of measurement and comparability.” Sarah puts it succinctly “It must be one of the worst own goals in history, and it exists alongside this meticulous, calculated planning.” When Erin herself is on the stand, they find they are having such complex feelings, they exit the court exhausted.

Most people will have watched nightly news reports of the trial and likely drawn conclusions, but this book gives a very different perspective: that of being in the courtroom and being able to observe all those present: the accused, the defence counsel, the prosecutor, the witnesses, the judge, the jury, the family, the media, and those in the public seats. To feel the mood, to see and hear it all at close range, is a unique experience that these talented authors share with the reader. Informative and fascinating.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would so pissed if my publishers rushed out my half baked ramblings so they could make a quick buck before Christmas.

Tells us nothing, barely redeemed by Helen’s non-sequiturs (“what type of cow is that?” “Is this a banksia?”) and the bit where they suggest everyone who is interested in true crime has domestic problems ranging from the moderate to the extreme.

[Anneka Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously loved this. It was like hanging out with my three literary big sisters and just soaking up all their wisdom and insights. I can see that it wouldn’t be for everyone but if you, like me, are fascinated by the motive of Erin Patterson and didn’t already deep dive into the trial, this is brilliant. Not sensationalist true crime but something deeper, it really immersed me into that tiny courtroom day by day. Who are these people that we share a community with and yet break our social rules so drastically? How can we understand what it is that pushes someone over that line?

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded problematic - a rushed collection of notes and transcripts of the group chat about a triple murder trial. But with these 3 authors, I didn't care if it was bad!
Turns out... I did care. It was bad. I mean, that cover! You can tell it is a sloppy rush job. There are some beautifully written sentences and insights in here, but they felt contrived. The three authors recount their dreams (😫) and make excuses for why they are morally OK for obsessing over a horrible crime. A let down.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my poison pen & my killer keyboard , here is my book review of The Mushroom Tapes

THE MUSHROOM TAPES — REVIEW

A more accurate title might have been The Mushroom Scrapes—because for all its promise, this book feels more like a graze than a deep cut. And while we’re at it, what is going on with that green cover? More on that later.

Of the three books published so far about the Erin Patterson trial, The Mushroom Tapes was the one I anticipated most. With three highly respected authors—Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein—joining forces, the expectations were lofty. The cover promises “Conversations on a triple murder trial.” And yes, the book does contain those conversations.

What it also contains, unexpectedly and disappointingly, is a scatter of cheap shots tossed at members of the public who attended the court proceedings.

From writers of this calibre, it’s startling.
The trio seem to forget that while the book documents their experience of the trial, it also documents them. And the tone that emerges is less “illuminating legal observers” and more “Mean Girls: Literary Edition.” At times, they appear like the too-cool table at school—aloof, amused, and ever so slightly “holier than thou.”

They’re deservedly generous in their praise for Pastor Wilkinson’s grace. Yet they seem to misplace their own by resorting to calling ordinary court attendees “The Real Housewives of Morwell,” as if members of the public simply sitting in the gallery were fair game for ridicule.

A warm, colourful regular was reduced to “Rainbow Man,” and they suggest—casually, carelessly—that he was “probably tripping the whole time.” A curious conclusion, given “Rainbow Man” has over a million followers online and could have been identified simply by asking for his name.

To make matters worse, the coven also comment that “everyone in this court is probably somewhere on the domestic spectrum from moderately to desperately disappointed”; this final statement is one which I can not fathom a group of respected, empowered, intelligent authors making, yet here we are.

Throughout the book, the authors appear vaguely disapproving of those who came to observe the trial. Yet, in a twist of irony, these same observers—or people very much like them—are the ones now buying the $36.99 book (after the abandoned podcast idea) and paying $29–$39.50 to attend the Melbourne Town Hall event, thereby contributing directly to what is, undeniably, the monetisation of tragedy.

The irony is almost fluorescent.

The authors emphasise their commitment to accuracy—particularly during their visit to the house in Gibson Street, Leongatha. But that commitment seems not to have extended to meaningful conversations with the regular court watchers. Instead, the book invents caricatures rather than portraying actual people. Personas are created out of thin air, bearing little resemblance to the individuals who showed up day after day with dignity, curiosity, and respect.

And let’s set one record straight: the book’s suggestion that most public attendees were furiously note-taking is simply wrong. On any given day, perhaps two or three people had notepads. Hardly the frenzied scribble-fest described. The book also implies that regular attendees tried to take courtroom selfies with Erin Patterson.

Not so.

A handful of one-off visitors attempted such nonsense—and were promptly ejected, with any images deleted under the watch of court staff and security. Regular watchers were consistently courteous and dismayed by such behaviour.

Justice must be seen to be done, yes. But accuracy must be seen to be written.

I read the book in two days—part fascination, part disbelief.

Having attended the Wheeler Centre event at Melbourne Town Hall on a cold, wet night (November 10th, 2025), I had already felt flickers of what was to come. I collected my signed copy beforehand, full of anticipation.

The event, like the book, offered hints of brilliance but also flashes of something far less palatable.
Which brings me back to that cover.

That green.

Before reading the book, I wondered why. After finishing it, I still wondered.

Green can signify envy, illness, renewal, nature, greed, even luck. Perhaps it was meant to evoke the natural world—or maybe the colour of the mushrooms themselves. Or perhaps, unintentionally, it reflects something else entirely: a haze of judgement, a tint of superiority, a shade of the discord between what the authors hoped the project would be and what it ultimately became.

Whatever the case, The Mushroom Tapes left me pondering—but not for the reasons its authors might have hoped

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently it started like this: Sarah and Chloe were to-ing and fro-ing about whether they’d write anything about the ‘mushroom case’.

None of us wants to write about this. And none of us wants not to write about it.

And then they roped in Helen.

One wild domestic detail galvanises us: his dying aunt remembered the guests ate off four grey plates, while the hostess served herself on an orange one.

Can you imagine the team at Text Publishing when they discovered that Helen, Chloe and Sarah said, ‘Yeah, we’ll do something but only if we can do it together'? Publishing pay-dirt.

And so we have The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein.

Even if you have no interest in this case, and even if you have no interest in true crime, avid readers will be drawn to this book for the novelty format alone. And if you like the work of any or all of the authors, it’s a must-read. Their individual styles come through so distinctly - Helen with her inquisitive, thinking-out-loud observations; Chloe’s gentler narrative approach; and Sarah’s journalistic and forensic attention to detail.

Sarah: Helen and I texted 'a nice bowl of porridge' to each other at the same time, and I knew she had teared up too. It's those tiny, quotidian details that contain the world - we can all relate to them.

The book is essentially a record of their conversations - recorded as they drove to Morwell, where the trial was held; or in their motel rooms at the end of the day; or phone conversations from Melbourne to Morwell (when they did not get a balloted seat in the small Morwell courtroom, they accessed a live telecast of proceedings at the Supreme Court in Melbourne). There’s some scene setting and other contextual detail, and although it's chronological, the book is arranged around themes - the court, the death cap, the victims, and so on. Overall, it reads like a play, with the three authors slowing unfolding the drama.

Chloe: Even the way that she behaved after the murderous lunch is unhinged.
Sarah: And again, there's this keeling between deep premeditation and...
Chloe: ...no plan at all.
Sarah: Why didn't she smash that dehydrator into a million pieces and bury each shard in the bush? ... It must be one of the worst own goals in history, and it exists alongside this meticulous, calculated planning. Bigness and smallness.

Ultimately their observations are speculation, but the observations are so interesting and articulate. They explore the parallels with folklore; the 'data' on female poisoners (they usually have 'strong wish-fulfillment fantasies'); Erin's apparent feelings of 'not belonging'; the 'domestic' nature of this crime (and hence the public fascination for the case); the metaphor of fungal spores and 'murderous intent' (with the same applied to phone networks and fungi); and the significance of religion in the story.

Helen: The thing about female poisoners is it's the flip side of mothering. It's the most appalling betrayal of what women are supposed to be like. We're supposed to nourish and put in front of people food that brings life to them. This story is an inversion.

I read this book in two sittings. There are lots of little facts that I hadn't known (it probably doesn't hold anything new for the true-crimers who followed the case closely), but read it for the banter between these three marvelous authors.

4/5

Chloe:...I admit, though, that every time somebody mentions beef Wellington, I hear a little bell of absurdity ring. It's such a flamboyantly retro dish. ... When I admitted this bell-ring to Sarah, she put me right beautifully. The reason this story is so compelling is that it has everything in it that's human, including absurdity. 

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was probably more interesting because I knew nothing about the trial and because I had already decided to read Helen Garner's collected diaries.

So this was a spontaneous purchase and I was curious to see how the 3 authors pull off the idea of road trip conversations, a collaborative approach.

It's a terrible tragic event when 3 relatives die so suddenly after a Sunday lunch due to poisoning and even worse to imagine it may have been deliberate.

Though they attempt to discover a motive, they seem to have been kind, gentle people, so the focus becomes more of an analysis of the personality of Erin Patterson, the accused, the disintegration of her marriage, her resentments, her fascination with true crime and the online community of friends she was part of in absence of the same in real life.

It seems also strange the attention the trial is given in this age of podcasts and content creation, so many people pursuing a trial for their own opportunity and attention, a conversational book seems almost an oxymoron.

Intriguing, and with its own glimmer of hope as the sole survivor, shares the final thought-provoking words and exhibits values lacking elsewhere.

[Bronte · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felt very much on the gossipy and grimey side of ‘True Crime’ rather than anything of substance or with journalist integrity. The authors literally talked about not wanting to be seen as feeding the ‘true crime’ monster but maybe if that’s the case they could have actually, I don’t know, taken their shitty speculations and weird phallic dreams out of their work, and put a bit more journalism in there. If it wasn’t so short I would’ve DNFed

[Jess Lomas]

This wasn’t a book I intended to read as I don't enjoy true crime, but the combination of Garner, Hooper and Krasnostein and the book’s unique format hooked me. More than a retelling of the Mushroom Murders trial, it’s an exploration of how three writers' minds think: questioning everything, rationalising, meditating on female criminality and the craft of writing itself. Through their transcribed conversations, the book also captures the unexpected camaraderie that develops among the media, legal teams and public following the months-long case. Highly recommended.

[True Crime Bookcase · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Twenty-two months after she served her lunch guests beef Wellington, the distinctive orange plate off which Erin Patterson had eaten came spinning out of the past like a frisbee and landed in front of the jury considering her murder charges.” — Sarah Krasnostein

I went into this book genuinely excited. After spending ten weeks at the Erin Patterson trial (hours of lining up, waiting, talking, processing) I thought this would be the perfect way to revisit the evidence through the eyes of three incredibly talented writers. All three of these authors, I view, have a way with words that I love. All wordsmiths in their own right.

I was even thrilled to see my own name appear early in the book.

But as I read on, that excitement dulled.

While the authors’ insights into the case were sharp, their descriptions of some of the court watchers (my friends included) often felt like backhanded compliments… and at times, not compliments at all. I’ve read countless true crime books and usually take character descriptions with a grain of salt, but this felt different when it was people I’d sat beside every day.

In a small, emotionally heavy courtroom, it’s easy to psychoanalyse everyone around you. But would I put those exact thoughts to paper? As a friend who attended the trial with me said after reading it himself, the authors come off a little holier-than-thou.

While the “intellectuals” in the room received glowing descriptions, the rest of us were swept into one basket: simple country folk. The irony is that most of the court watchers who passed through were actually from the city, popping in for a day or two before disappearing. If the authors had taken a moment to speak to us, they would have known that.

Much of the book is edited transcripts of the authors’ conversations as they carpooled to and from Morwell. At times, it felt like being a fly on the dashboard, listening to their unfiltered thoughts about everyone in the room. Comments like “Real Housewives of Morwell” and “She thinks she’s the boss of the court” felt unnecessarily judgy.

But the line that truly floored me was from Chloe Hooper:

“Everyone in this court is probably somewhere on the domestic spectrum from moderately to desperately disappointed.”

I really wanted to love this book. I even attended an event to hear all three authors speak about it, and I left buzzing with excitement to read what they’d created. But ultimately, I was left disappointed. Not by their writing, but by the way they chose to write about the very people who showed up every day to try to understand the truth.

To borrow Helen Garner’s own words:

“What I don’t want is to write something that’s going to attract her animus.” I assume she meant Erin Patterson… but perhaps all three authors should have considered this sentiment when it came to the court watchers, too.

[Gia (지아) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ONE and ONLY time I’ll ever say this………. they should start a podcast

[hollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Sadly, neither a comprehensive expository of the trial or a unique exploration into a woman's animus.

I wanted more depth and more Morwell (The locals! The lady who got a mushroom tattoo! A whole book could be written, the characters already exist).

[✨ jami ✨]

despite not being very into true crime I did follow this case closely and was also a bit swept up in the drama of it - when I heard Helen Garner was in the courtroom I was intrigued. Love her and her insights.

This did have some interesting insights, was a brief and thoughtful pondering over this case, the people, the drama, why it intrigued and hit on many of the questions I'd also wondered about it. I loved the conversations and insights and found it interesting

the audibook format works well, I loved Helen Garner's narration and the musings from all three authors

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ trying to decide what position the audience is best placed to LOVE this one. If you followed the case religiously, there wasn’t a lot added; if you didn’t follow the case at all the pieces wouldn’t quite come together for the insights to land.

Some of the metaphors and connections made I felt were a little bit of a stretch. However I really enjoyed the writing style and how the voice of each author came through. Taping their conversations without the end format being envisioned created a unique angle. Plenty of interesting thoughts worthy of being explored around the media circus of a trial plus the enduring mystery of Erin Patterson’s character made the book difficult to put down.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you followed the trial closely, you won’t find much in The Mushroom Tapes that you didn’t already know. The book is essentially a heavily edited transcript of a podcast that never actually materialised, and it reads exactly like that—three authors circling familiar territory without adding much in the way of new insight.

I went in hoping for depth, analysis, or at least the sharp observational detail that Helen Garner, especially, is known for. Instead, a lot of it drifted into what felt like unfocused musing and, frankly, waffle. It’s not that the subject matter isn’t compelling—it absolutely is—but the treatment here feels rushed, as though the project was hurried to print to catch the pre-Christmas crowd.

Garner has written some of my favourite true-crime books, which makes this one all the more disappointing. If you’re new to the case, the book might serve as a tidy recap. But if you’ve been following along from the start, you’ll likely walk away feeling that this was a missed opportunity.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gasped when I saw this lined up at the library. Garner, Hooper and Krasnostein. It's the authorial equivalent of a perfect row at bingo. Three intelligent, articulate women, chatting with gentle charm about the criminal case du jour, sifting through its facts and fissures. This was never going to be anything but more-ish for me.

[Erin Cook]

The sum is not worth its parts here, I think.

What I do find interesting in a way is that Erin Patterson never struck me as a particularly fascinating figure in any direction, beyond being a murderer. Because of the weird structure of this you can see the trio try out things that could maybe make her compelling — her relationship to her mother, Munchausen, something-something the Baptists — and none of them work. There is nothing interesting here. The case itself is meaningless beyond the community it impacted. It's a post-Covid Victorian fever dream and despite efforts to import it with meaning for the country, or women, or whatever else, it just doesn't work. Just seems beneath the three writers, to me.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors identify Erin’s motive. It’s clear as day. Five stars for this alone.

TMT has everything the coverage of the trial lacked. It’s reflective and philosophical and critical. It locates the murders and the trial in the social imagination, holds a humble lens to the true crime content industry, and animates the character of the victims.

Everything about the trial felt more alive after reading this book, the people, the place, the tensions and the swirling fog.

The voices of Krasnostein and Hooper are clear and defined, no mean feat considering Garner’s pace, authorial voice and clout in crime writing. TMT could be a sequel to ‘This House of Grief’ except the interiority of the storyteller is replaced with camaraderie.

It’s an utter treat to be in the car with these three brilliant women. I’ve read it twice already.

[Sarah Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure there was much else to say about this case but this format of reading the discussion of the three friends and their experience at the trail was really intriguing and very moving at times. No matter how much we analyse someone’s past and actions, we’ll never know what they are thinking and what pushed them to do what they have done. What takes someone from an everyday person in a less than happy marriage, to essentially a mass murderer? The festering shame and loneliness. The banality of sociopathy.

[Anna Loder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this a brilliant way to talk about the mushroom trial. I really felt like I was the fourth (less clever haha) member of their conversations as they describe/ react/ ponder the Erin Patterson case. I loved their brilliant insights ‘…how did you feel about yourself?’ and little descriptions; the nice bowl of porridge..I think we probably all feel badly that we are interested, and that was really well addressed too…this isn’t going to a mushroom murders themed party; this is a nuanced, brilliant conversation about the trial and I am so glad I read the book.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never had read a book about this case had it not been for its authors - all of whom, I have a lot of respect for.

I never listened to much about this case, only the occasional news bulletin, yet didn’t learn very much new information within these pages. If that’s what you are looking for, this is not the book for you. However, their discussions on motive are very insightful and it is worth reading for this alone.

This book is transcribed conversations between these three women about the case and the trial. It gives us their thoughts and opinions of the case and It’s told with empathy of all involved and is, of course, very human.

[Sara Garrity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, well written, interesting perspectives - felt like sitting at a cafe with friends and discussing the ridiculousness that was this case in real time (while also questioning why I am so emotionally invested in it still, post verdict). Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend 🤩

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything Helen writes, I read…..

[Daniel Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

the subject makes this an always compelling read but ultimately kinda shallow? not sure how much insight its structure (essentially a podcast transcript of its 3 authors running commentary on the trial) actually provides. the most striking elements are direct details from the trial - ian wilkinsons offer of forgiveness

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the girls

[Rachel Baillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. Kind of lacking structure as it’s basically a printed transcript of recorded conversations between the three women. But it was vivid, like reading a script, and some interesting observations about the themes this trial brings up, such as religion, narcissism, relationships, love, identity and…mushrooms

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit light on, I didn’t learn anything particularly groundbreaking or new. That said, it was an interesting read, I enjoyed the conversational narrative device, along with their insights into the offending and the trial.

[Maggie Walch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a day or so to get into but once I got used to the slightly random structure, this read was so fascinating and insightful and altogether just made me a bit sad! These three women talk about such a calculated and senseless crime with such grace and gentleness and intelligence that it felt like I was immersed in a completely different type of true crime media. I really think this is such an achievement