Joe Cinque's Consolation

This is the story behind the story of the murder of a young man, Joe Cinque, by his girlfriend, Anu
Singh, in Canberra, Australia. It took me a little while to figure out whether Garner was coming from a particular angle or not. Surprisingly, it seems, she is not. While she clearly deeply sympathises with Joe Cinque's family, the book is a reflection of one woman's attempt to understand what really happened. The more I read of this book, the more I became absorbed in it. Not only with Garner's quest to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but also with her own honest reflections about her reactions to the accused, the family members, the lawyers, and even the trial judge. As she does so, she highlights that law and truth are very different concepts, and how peripheral the victim is in the criminal justice system. I'm glad Joe Cinque's family pressured Garner into writing the book. I wonder what they thought of it.

Read this book for our f2f bookclub meeting this weekend. Unfortunately I'm going to miss that gathering now, so I'm waiting to hear what reports himself brings back from everyone else - as I think it's going to be quite a discussion.

JOE CINQUE'S CONSOLATION isn't a "traditional" true crime book. What starts out as feeling like a genuine attempt on the part of the author to understand the case, the participants (victim and perpetrator(s)), quickly becomes an analysis of why this is such an elusive and frankly, bizarre case. Anu Singh, the woman ultimately convicted of the manslaughter of Joe Cinque, is a very elusive figure in this book, and the reader quickly becomes as frustrated as the author seems to have been in trying to understand this woman's motivation and thinking. This frustration extends to her family who also seem to spend more time trying to cover up, rather than understand what on this earth makes a drama queen like Anu Singh "suddenly" decide that her boyfriend has damaged her health and somehow or other he has to be included in her supposed suicide.

Not just because the author (who declares this bias and its reasons) got very close to Joe Cinque's mother in particular, it's very hard not to feel some sympathy for his family. Despite two court cases, despite so many people circling around this young couple, despite so many supposedly intelligent and responsible young people who knew that something was up, somehow Joe Cinque died horribly. It's very hard to put down this book and not wonder very very hard about Anu Singh, her family, and all the things that were totally left unexplained by this book. It's very easy to understand why this is such a frustrating book - it's one of the most frustrating cases I've ever read about. ( )

This was the best book I read in 2004. Invoking thought on death and the law. This book still stays with me. ( )

Quite an interesting little read and quite disturbing for an enlightened society. how we have treated this family is a disgrace. The perpetrators are astonishing in thier admitting the guilt - the dead really needed this voice - well done garner, my sorrow for the parents of bth parties. this is the law?

This is a awesome book - a unique blend of forensic pathology and human pathos - i loved every minute of every page - YOU MUST READ IT!!! ( )