Wedderburn A true tale of blood and dust

 Wedderburn A true tale of blood and dust

Reviewed By  Nan van Dissel       December 16, 2018

 

Author  Maryrose Cuskelly

Distributor:      Allen and Unwin
ISBN:                 9781760528072
Publisher:         Allen and Unwin
Release Date:   October 2018  

   Website:   https://www.allenandunwin.com

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‘A bit of dust’ was that the cause of a triple murder? What drives a person to commit murder? And what in particular drives someone to brutally slaughter three citizens of a central Victorian town before handing himself into the police?

In 2014 the unthinkable shattered Wedderburn; three people were murdered by a neighbour, Ian Jamieson. Maryrose Cuskelly, after hearing about this event, became intrigued about the circumstances and personalities which triggered this tragic loss of life; she was determined to find meaning for this horrific loss of life.

In her compelling book ‘Wedderburn’ she explores the notion that this tragedy was the combination of a ‘tyrant – feared and hated, the tyrant’s weak wife, her warrior son and a stern loner’. The book narrates the author’s journey to a deeper understanding of the victims, their lives and the workings of a small country town. She probes the secrets and prejudices which underlie what seemingly appears to be a harmonious community, 220 km. from Melbourne.  Ms Cuskelly examined the terrible events, when they happened, in the hope they would allow others to learn from them.

The book also details the court case and the antics of the triple murderer Ian Jamison.

By interviewing the town’s locals, friends and family members of both the victims and murderer, she weaves a narrative which holds the reader’s interest until the last page.

A must read for true crime readers.

Crime, Fiction