Dear Madman

by Edwina Shaw

In the Lockyer Valley in 1911, my great grandfather unwittingly hired a dangerously disturbed man with a history of violent crimes against girls to work on the family farm, endangering the lives of his wife and four young daughters. But when the man accidentally revealed his true identity, my great grandfather fired him, setting in motion a chain of events that inevitably led to murder.

After he killed the girl, the murderer hid in the bushes and wrote three notes of confession to the girl’s mother.

Mrs Williams, Dear Madman, he wrote, misspelling madam.

I humbly confers to you for a deed of murder …

These notes were always part of the story my nana had told me since I was seven. My great aunt told a different version. There were no notes. No remorse or forgiveness.

How can you forgive the murder of a child?

When my great aunt died, she hoped the curse she believed had been placed upon her with the death of her sister would die with her, but it didn’t. The pattern of intergenerational trauma followed us all. Loss after loss after loss. Desperate to free us, I began to search for the truth behind the myth of the madman who’d shadowed our days.

What I discovered was only the beginning of a story that twisted and turned as often as the river that flowed through the farm.

A story that changed me forever.

384 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2026

Reviews

[Tatia Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I finished this book within 24 hours, ignoring family and work because I was so engrossed, tells you how compelling it is.

What left me most in awe, though, is Edwina extraordinary ability to write about something so dark with such compassion and humanity.

The book explores a horrifying crime that has haunted her family for generations. Edwina did an incredible amount of research to untangle the truth behind the story of a murdered child that her family had kept hushed in quiet shame.

But this is so much more than a true crime story. It’s Edwina’s search for understanding and meaning, and the complicated ways intergenerational trauma impacts families across decades.

It would be easy to write a story like this in a simplified Monster and Victim narrative. But Edwina was so much braver in exploring the humanity inside a man who committed an unspeakable act. That takes courage and skill. Because somehow she manages to create a sense of compassion without ever excusing the crime itself.

My favourite reads are books that ask difficult questions and help us see from perspectives we may never have been willing to consider.

Dear Madman does that brilliantly. Thank you Edwina!

[Jo Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a family memoir can be fraught, particularly when it involves the grisly murder of a child and three generations of guilt, grief, and pain. I was fortunate to attend the launch of Dear Madman, the true story Edwina has spent years researching and writing. It was one of the most joyful book events I have attended, despite the challenging and dark subject matter.

The beauty of this exquisitely told saga is Edwina’s courage in exploring the murder using the voice of Joe, the perpetrator. Despite knowing his heinous crimes against young girls and women, the reader finds some empathy for a man who is more than his crimes, who has longings and dreams like everyone. It is a remarkable feat and one which challenges simplistic interpretations of good and evil while interrogating our systems of law and order.

In between the voices of Joe and Edwina’s family, she inserts her own voice, adding more depth and raising further questions as she researches the lives of all those impacted by this awful murder. It weaves together a story rich with historical context with characters who feel as real to me as if I was there amongst them. Despite knowing the outcome, I found myself on the edge of my seat willing the ending to be different.

This is not your typical memoir. It is a meticulously researched piece of Australian history that also gives a voice to the powerful women who were denied an education and relegated to do menial work but played a critical role in shaping the world for their daughters and granddaughters. Despite some dark themes, it is full of love, empathy and forgiveness and reminds us that events to not happen in isolation but in a context which ripples outwards and through generations.

It is a book that will linger in my imagination for a very long time.

[Swarna Pinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wondering about the title of this book but was hooked from the first paragraph. It was an easy read although it was based on a murder of a child in Lockyer Valley, Queensland in 1912. The child was related to Edwina, and she writes about the family values, beliefs and stigma they had felt around the incident. Initially, Edwina's mother didn't want Edwina to write this book because it was a family secret. But with painstakingly hard but meticulous research, Edwina found the truth. She was inspired by people who believed in God, who kept their faith and moved on after awful tragedies. She forgave the murderer whom no one had loved but had abused since he was four. And I understood why Edwina chose this title.
All her life, Edwina's mother had been afraid something similar could happen to her. She thanked Edwina for "uncovering the truth of the story". Knowing the truth had helped her overcome that fear.
Dear Madman took me on an emotional journey which ended up with a positive outcome. It is creative non-fiction, but I am sure that the readers who like fiction, historical fiction and true crime genres like I do would definitely love reading this book.

[Kerstin Pilz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written historical true crime memoir, Dear Madman is the book Edwina Shaw had been wanting to write since she was seven years old when her nana first told her about the man who murdered her sister in 1911. For decades nobody in the family was allowed to talk about the tragic death at the hands of a violent, mentally ill laborer who’d been unwittingly hired by Edwina’s great grandfather to work on the family farm. The story has haunted Edwina’s family for decades, the trauma of the young girl’s death passed on through the generations. One of Edwina's goals for writing this book was to 'clean the ancestral wound', as she's said publicly. She's done this by giving a first person voice to the murderer and by including her own, self-reflective author voice as well as giving voice to her ancestors who witnessed this story first hand. The result it s gripping thriller that had me turning pages late into the night. The story is told with compassion and empathy, including for the mentally ill murderer. It raises many questions about how to write a real life story and who owns the story. Highly recommended, 5 stars!

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Madman is an incredible and heartfelt novel about love, grief, forgiveness, and generational trauma. Edwina Shaw approaches such a complex and heart-wrenching topic with grace and care, exploring it deeply and refusing to shy away from the ugly parts of humanity. Joe’s chapters in particular are where Edwina’s writing shines, with his personality leaping off the page in a manner that makes you equally despise and feel for him. This is a brilliant novel, but certainly one you may want to approach with caution and read when you aren’t in a vulnerable state of mind.

[Llewanna Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can highly recommend this book. I enjoyed reading it but not at night time haha. The story consumed me throughout the day.
A very harrowing story of loss, tragedy and the ongoing effects into future generations but also a story of healing and forgiveness. I loved how it was written from different perspectives - the family, the author and the killer, very clever. Well done Edwina!

[Beverley Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder under any circumstances is an awful occurrence; for it to be a child, even more hideous. Knowing the perpetrator, someone introduced into the family in all innocence, becomes a burden generations to come will carry. An incredible story, gripping, heartrending, and beautifully told. Hard to put down. It will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Bev Young

[Vahida Berberovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwina Shaw heard the story from her grandmother and had nightmares about him ever since. No one in the family was allowed to talk about the murder but it kept haunting all of them. As an adult and writer, Edwina decided to find out more about the murdered but also to investigate her own family and the mark this had left ok all of them.

At Varuna, where I met Edwina, she was already several years into that research. I was privileged to witness the journey she took to tell this story and to read early on about her own experiences in investigating this story but also the story of the killer.
The story intertwines Edwina’s own experiences as a member of this family and a writer/researcher with her family’s story and the story of the killer.

Edwina took a risk in telling his story in first person. But I believe she managed it magnificently to allow us to be in his mind as he grows up, impoverished and abused, spiralling from one disaster to the next. Despite her family’s tragedy, she manages to portray him empathetically.

Even though I’m biased, of course, as Edwina is my friend, I’d still recommend the story wholeheartedly to anyone interested in exploring inter-generational trauma and how a little twist early in life can turn anyone into a murderer.

[Linda Munster · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in true crime stories, then this is the book for you. Three stories expertly woven into one. It kept me reading long after the lights should have gone out. This is a gripping and heart-breaking story of love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption, not only for the family of the murdered girl but also for the murderer. Through her willingness to sit quietly, dig deep, and listen to his story, the author found a doorway into the psyche of the madman and has managed to create empathy for this lost soul, at least in this reader. The truth of his life does not excuse his actions, but explains them and opens the door for forgiveness. This in turn leads to deep healing. Although we know from the start that a murder will be committed, the identity of the murdered girl is not revealed until the awful deed is executed. With numerous twists and turns, this book will captivate the reader and keep them engaged until the very end. Warm, compelling, at times funny, and gripping, this book is a must-read. Brilliant.

[Sally Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story gripped me from the start. I couldn’t put it down but just couldn’t keep my eyes open to finish it in a day. The weaving of perspectives, short chapters and compelling narratives held me in the familiar landscape of the Lockyer Valley while swinging me wide to take in all the complexities of Joe and Edwina’s family line.
Highly recommended for mystery lovers and story tellers, watch out for your heart, it might feel at odds with itself. The characters will stay with me, always.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The extraordinary book DEAR MADMAN (&Also Books 2026) by Edwina Shaw is part ancestral memoir, part true crime, part family history, part mystery, part psychological examination and part sociological and cultural analysis. Touching on grief, murder, parenting, prejudice, institutionalisation, prisons, poverty, class, sibling bonds, infamy and particularly intergenerational trauma, DEAR MADMAN is the true story of a notorious crime a hundred years ago in Shaw’s family, and the blight or even curse it has left as a stain on generations of her family.

The voices in this story are powerful and authentic. We have the author herself, who has heard the story firsthand from her nana many times over the years: how her great grandfather hired a farmhand without realising he was a dangerous and violent man with a criminal past, and the risk this posed to him, his wife and their children (a son and four daughters, one of them Shaw’s grandmother). Shaw relates the chronology of her knowledge of this story and her research into the factual history through the use of Trove, government archives, institutional records and personal connections. Her voice is contemporary, wise, poignant, pragmatic and reasonable. The horror of this man and his actions have haunted her family for decades and she asks of herself whether it is ever possible to find forgiveness for someone responsible for the death of a child. In her quest, she searches deep into the man’s childhood and early life and finds not only psychological disturbance but also extreme physical illness and emotional paucity.

This leads her to write part of the book in the man’s voice. Through her careful and compassionate rendering and reimagining of his life, her research and a few scant photographs, the murderer is brought to life, his perspective accounting for a large portion of the book. Indeed, after the murder, he wrote several notes of confession to the victim’s mother: ‘Dear Madman’ he wrote (misspelling Madam), ‘I humbly confers to you for a deed of murder.’

The third point of view is third person and concerns the family and events of the time, as reimagined by Shaw from what she’s pieced together from newspaper articles, police reports, prison records and other sources. Together, the three voices combine to provide a powerful account of a troubled man, a vulnerable family and the societal forces of the time which were not up to the task of dealing with anyone with severe mental or even physical difficulties.

But the story Shaw has heard repeatedly from her nana is different to that from her great aunt, and Shaw’s mother is suspicious of the whole project. What good could come from digging into the past? How could understanding, let alone forgiveness, ever be possible?

Shaw has suffered several traumatic losses of her own and she began to wonder if untangling this story – and perhaps breaking the fabled curse – would go some way towards healing her broken family. What she discovers is transformative, unpredictable, confronting and heartbreaking.

No baby is born a killer. Murderers, rapists and other serious offenders are made so by a combination of dodgy genes, physical maladies, mental illness or psychosis, tortuous parenting, the lack of proper role models, bad luck, traumatic experiences, bad company, and a life of no consequences lacking opportunities or appropriate help. We, as a society, mould people according to how we treat them, the help we offer, the respect we show (or don’t), the prejudices we confirm, the labels we confer and the biases we sustain. Shaw explores this broad societal difficulty through the lens of this one man and his involvement with her ancestral family.

She questions, researches and probes, and tackles this difficult subject not with a sentimental attitude but rather a heart open to uncovering the truth, whatever that may be.

The story is masterfully written and well crafted. The murderer’s voice is distinct and original. Shaw does not set out to enlist pity but somewhere along the way, comprehension dawns. We see this man become what he is because of his circumstances and while that doesn’t in any way excuse his actions, it does explain them.

Shaw has carried this story since she was seven, when it was first told to her. All her adult life to this point has, I suspect, been training for the writing of this account – a dark reckoning of the links between past and present, a chilling and grisly crime tale that transforms into a story of profound tenderness and compassion.

I can only imagine the toll it’s taken for the author to compile this book, to finally set it all out on paper and release it into the world. Yet I hope it has done for her what she imagined it would – drain the festering wound and allow healing to take place.

We all have sordid stories in our backgrounds if we look hard enough. Mostly they are kept hidden because of embarrassment or pain or distress or humiliation. Rarely are they exposed to the light. Rarer still that both sides of the story are researched and presented in this way, so that victims can finally be spoken about without trauma, and perpetrators are seen also as victims.

I read this book in two breathless sittings. The mystery of who is killed propels the narrative as much as a contemporary crime novel, more so in fact, because this is personal. The more Shaw uncovers – and the more she delves deep into her psyche and the culture of the time – the more layered and fascinating this story becomes. A true triumph of a book, not least because of the author’s meditations on truth, trauma, family and forgiveness.

[CJ Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwina Shaw’s "DEAR MADMAN" is a haunting and deeply personal work that masterfully blends ancestral memoir, true crime, family history, and psychological analysis. Edwina unearths a notorious crime from her family’s past, a century ago, and explores the far-reaching effects it has had on subsequent generations. The book delves into themes of grief, murder, prejudice, institutionalization, and especially intergenerational trauma, offering readers a compelling account of how a single tragedy can cast a long shadow over a family.
One of the most striking aspects of "DEAR MADMAN" is Edwina’s use of multiple voices and perspectives. Drawing on stories heard firsthand from her nana, extensive archival research, and personal family recollections, she reconstructs the events surrounding her great-grandfather’s decision to hire a farmhand, unaware of the danger he posed to his family. The author’s narrative voice is wise, poignant, and grounded, as she grapples with impossible questions about forgiveness and the possibility of healing after such a devastating loss. Her investigation leads her to probe not only the facts of the crime but also the troubled psyche and circumstances of the perpetrator, painting a complex portrait rather than reducing him to a monster.
Notably, she writes a significant portion of the book from the perspective of the murderer himself. Through careful research and imaginative empathy, she reconstructs his life, motivations, and perspective, even drawing on his own confessional notes. He famously addressed the victim’s mother as ‘Dear Madman’ (a misspelling of ‘Madam’). This narrative decision lends the book an unusual depth, inviting readers to consider the roots of violence and the humanity of those we might be quick to condemn.
Her writing is masterful and the narrative structure, particularly the murderer’s voice, is both original and compelling. Rather than seeking pity, the author allows understanding to emerge organically, explaining how circumstances can shape even the darkest outcomes, without excusing them.
Few authors are willing to shine a light on the darkest corners of family history with such nuance and compassion. Edwina’s willingness to present both sides. with empathy for victims and an unflinching look at perpetrators, sets "DEAR MADMAN" apart in the true crime and memoir genres. What an exceptional read. It has left me reeling for days.

[Sarah Yip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwina Shaw is a rebellious QLD writer, editor, yoga teacher and independent publisher. A 32/5 life path Freedom-seeker in numerology, she’s here to open her throat chakra. 5’s are world travellers and ‘doctor/ professor’ types who help others find their voice.

I turned up to Edwina’s Queensland Writers Centre workshop in Beaudesert, not knowing who she was and instantly felt at home. She brought in meditation and ancestral mediumship to help us create memoir material.

Dear Madman took decades to write. It is a confronting look at a child’s murder that shocked the Laidley community and devastated Edwina’s family. The book blends true crime and her reflections in a unique, creative way.

I loved: the incredible quality of the dialogue, the characters are truly vivid. There are tender themes of forgiveness, sibling care and spiritual curiosity. Edwina’s writing is so absorbing, I read this in a night!

I was challenged by: the familiar agony of loss and systematic coverup, the institutional and prison abuse and emotional tension. Edwina’s story of police turning up after her newborn son Teddy died was tough. Many times, the women knew better, but were overruled by men (argh). I wish family pics were included but many were destroyed.

Overall: This book is a triumph of loving truth over censorship. It may just inspire you to explore your family secrets too.

They say, blessed are the cracked for they let in the light (Groucho Marx). My year six teacher Mrs Krauth said that to me when I was struggling and it has stayed with me for decades.

Thank you Edwina for doing what others could or would not do. Your words are Divinely timed medicine. This will heal many inner and outer children.

Best wishes x 555 Angels!

Sarah

P.s. Edwina has taught in a max security Juvenile Justice Centre, worked with students with severe disabilities, taught English to refugees and creative writing to Forgotten Australians (those who suffered institutional and/or out of home care). Her Soul is strong and true xx

Full blog: https://sarahyip.com/spiritual-book-r...

[Melissa Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwina Shaw book review

For the past few nights I have sat up in bed at the end of a long day, red wine in hand, not wanting to put this book down. Forcing myself to close it so a couple of hours sleep could be achieved, and comforting myself with the promise of continuing the next night. I didn’t want this book to end. The way it is written, the anticipation of what is to come, and the reality of life in the early 1900s Southeast Queensland, had my full attention. As I closed it for the last time, I found myself shedding a few tears. So much time and love has gone into this story. A true labour of love in acknowledging the past with all its pain and shame, but also trying to teach about forgiveness and how to heal after such a tragedy. Thank you for taking me on this journey through your family’s painful past. I have not enjoyed a book like this for a very long time. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I have loved every word; every chapter; the way it is written from both sides of the story, and the way you have brought the past to life. Thank you for not giving up in writing this book. It is just become one of my favourites.

[Pearl Tabart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex story about the murder of a young girl in the Lockyer Valley of Queensland in 1911. Told through a unique style weaving the murdered child's family's perspective, the murderer's and the author herself. Impeccably researched over more than a decade to learn everything about Joe,the murderer. The author bravely reveals her vulnerability, about mystical experiences and coincidences during the writing of her book. Certain psychic experiences of the murderer and other ancestors reaching out to her. Toward the end of the book, I was also challenged by many of the questions put forward by the author about big picture societal questions that are still relevant today. I hope this book reaches a wider audience if it is made into an Australian television series.

[Gay M. Liddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Dear Madman', a true crime memoir by Australian author Edwina Shaw, adresses intergenerational trauma, at its deepest level...the murder of Shaw's grandmother's eleven-year-old sister and family secrets held fast.

The writer tells the story in three voices - her own, that of the murderer, and the affected family. She creates tension and holds it taut.

As a reader, my emotions swung between compassion and dread of what was to become of 'the shadowman' and the Williams family.

Shaw's masterful style drew me into the harsh life of settlers in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland at the turn of the 20th century and took me on this fateful journey.

[Robyn Ede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Madman is a gripping read.
The braided story offers 3 points of view - the author, the murderer and the family. Each offer an important and sometimes differing perspective to the story. The reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride accelerating the sense of foreboding, leading to the devastating climax.
I felt great empathy for the characters and shared the family's grief for the brutal loss of their young daughter. I found myself challenging some of my beliefs ie capital punishment. The amount of research and detail in this story is incredible. It will stay with me for a very long time.

[Kerri Speyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Edwina Shaw, which covers the dark topic of murder, is written with a flair for engaging your interest whilst also opening the reader up to the complexity of life, people and the experiences that affect our lives and the lives of everyone around us.

It was a compelling read that I didn't want to put down and it left me with a better sense of the complexity of life and the importance of not judging others.

Kerri Speyers
Life Coach

[Kerryn Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a friend of Edwina's, I knew some of the story behind Dear Madman, but I was still completely captivated by the book. It is an honest, courageous and beautifully crafted exploration of family, trauma and healing that only someone with Edwina's empathy and insight could have written. Her ability to weave together history, mystery and deeply personal reflection makes for a powerful read. This is a book that will move, challenge and stay with its readers long after they turn the last page.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. I found it difficult to put down and when I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters and the story. The author’s thorough research, her family connection and involvement take this true story to a whole other level. But more than that - I loved the way it was written. Just brilliant.

[Sonya Neville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Madman is one of the most compelling books I've read in recent years. It's a rare thing to find a book that you don't want to put down and this is one of them. It's written in an original and innovative way; part true crime story, part historical novel and part memoir. I loved the meticulously researched historical details of life in Queensland in the early 1900's.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Dear Madman’ left a lasting impression on me. It’s a deeply moving memoir that I found impossible to put down. Edwina Shaw tells her story with remarkable honesty, tracing the complex and often heartbreaking generational family relationships but what shines through is an extraordinary sense of resilience. Thank you to Edwina Shaw for sharing such a personal and important family story.

[Rell Oliver-Braddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a riveting and beautifully written book. A true crime thriller that captures the voices of the killer, the narrator and the survivors through the generations. It carries the reader through a narrative that moves between horror on one hand and deep tenderness on the other.

[Rebecca Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got my copy of Dear Madman few days ago, and devoured it. The book is amazing- so well written, the technique to capture the three perspectives was compelling and so easy to read. So thankful for Edwina’s storytelling and research skills, her persistence and courage to bring this story to life.

[Deirdre Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwina Shaw’s Dear Madman is an extraordinary book, part family memoir, part historical true crime. I found it utterly compelling & deeply moving. It is written with compassion, insight & tenderness, exploring family dynamics, loss & grief. Powerful & honest.

[Fiona Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Madman is an intricate story combining three spellbinding strands – the story of a murder in Edwina Shaw’s family, Shaw’s reflections, and the richly-imagined perspective of the killer himself. The author employs deep compassion and curiosity to create a fascinating exploration of human nature, and of how we are shaped by life events. The book is chilling, tender and profound.