Joe Cinque's Consolation

by Garner, Helen

Reviews

Review this book!

On Jul 21, 2017, CloggieDownunder said

4.5 stars

Joe Cinque's Consolation. A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law is a non-fiction book by award -winning Australian author, Helen Garner. In March 1999, a respected senior journalist suggested to Garner that she write about the murder, in October 1997, of young civil engineer, Joe Cinque. At first reluctant, Garner became intrigued by the case. The bones were this: Cinque's girlfriend and her best friend had been charged with murdering him by giving him a massive dose of Rohypnol, then injecting him with heroin.

After an aborted joint jury trial, each accused was being tried separately in a judge-only trial. By the time Garner arrived in Canberra for the trial, the prosecution's case for the girlfriend, law student Anu Singh, was already done, and the defence was presenting their case. Garner attended the remainder of that trial, the sentencing hearing and then the trial of law student Madhavi Rao, Anu's best friend. She also read through all the transcripts of the aborted trial and the trial she had attended.

In her book Garner includes discussions she had with journalists, with AFP officer involved, with other judges, and eventually with the presiding judge, Justice Crispin. She includes comments overheard and interviews with Joe's parents Maria and Nino Cinque as well as his family and friends. She also interviewed the parents of the accused, Dr Pradyumn Singh and Mrs Dr Surinder Singh. Conspicuous by their absence are any words from the two accused, who declined to be interviewed.

This is no clinical analysis of the case. Garner describes all involved: defence counsel, prosecutor, judge, accused, witnesses and those in the public gallery. She reports not just testimony, but also behaviour, attitude and body language, showing just how very human they all are. She does not hesitate to include her own opinions, reactions, feelings, and moods, and even the reactions of those who heard that she may be writing a book about it.

Thus, Singh's defence counsel, Jack Pappas: "He was a tough little package of a man with an almost shaven head, a hooked nose, the rosy cheeks of good circulation, and the thick neck of a boxer. You could have drawn a diagram of the lines of attention that centred on him. His voice was the sharpest and most carrying, his enunciation the crispest, his pacing the most leisurely, his gestures the most dramatic. The jokes were his, and others laughed".

While reading Justice Crispin judgement, Garner comes across the mention of "simple wickedness" and thought: "What is 'simple wickedness'? does such a thing exist? Was there ever such a thing, or did it die with the arrival of psychiatry?"

While reading trial transcripts, it struck Garner that the victim, Joe Cinque was barely represented in the proceedings, that everything focussed instead on the flamboyant accused. (Even now, Anu Singh apparently merits a Wikipedia entry, while Joe Cinque only gets a mention therein). This book goes some small way to redressing that. Would that every victim of crime had a Helen Garner to be their voice. A thought-provoking read.

Available Copies

Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

by Garner, Helen

Condition
Used - Very Good Condition
Jacket Condition
No Dust Jacket
Edition
Reprint
Published
2004
Binding
Softcover
ISBN 10
0330364979
Quantity Available
1
Seller
melbourne, Victoria, AUS
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$14.02

Show Details

Description:
Picador, Sydney, 2004. Reprint. Softcover. Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. author's note. Colour photographic cover with gilt and ochre coloured titles to the front panel and gilt titles to the backstrip. Colour photograph of author to the rear book panel. In 1997 Joe Cinque was murdered by his law… Read more about this item
Item Price
NZ$14.02
Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law
More Photos

Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

by Garner, Helen

Condition
Used - Fine Condition
Edition
Reprint
Published
2010
Binding
Softcover
ISBN 10
0330421786
Quantity Available
1
Seller
King River, Western Australia, AUS
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$19.76

Show Details

Description:
Picador, Sydney, 2010. Reprint. Softcover. Fine Condition. Size: Octavo (standard book size). 328 pages. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. This book is available and ready to be shipped.. A true story of death, grief and the law from the 2019 winner of the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. In… Read more about this item
Item Price
NZ$19.76
Joe Cinque's Consolation

Joe Cinque's Consolation

by Helen Garner

Condition
Used - Good Condition
Published
2004
Binding
Softcover
ISBN 10
0330364979
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Bowral, New South Wales, AUS
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$13.76

Show Details

Description:
Picador, Australia, 2004. Softcover. Good Condition. A true story of death, grief and the law from the 2019 winner of the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. In October 1997 a clever young law student at ANU made a bizarre plan to murder her devoted boyfriend after a dinner party at their house.… Read more about this item
Item Price
NZ$13.76
Joe Cinque's Consolation
More Photos

Joe Cinque's Consolation

by Helen Garner

Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
First Edition
Published
2004
Binding
Medium Trade Paperback
ISBN 10
0330421786
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Traralgon, Victoria, AUS
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$39.07

Show Details

Description:
Pan Books, UK, 2004. First Edition. Medium Trade Paperback. Very Good. Medium Trade Paperback. 328 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Pan Books, UK, 2004. First Edition. *** CONDITION: This book is in very good condition. More specifically: Covers have light creasing. Edges of covers have superficial edgewear and corners are moderately bumped. Spine is uncreased. .… Read more about this item
Item Price
NZ$39.07
No image available

Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

by GARNER, HELEN

Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Seller
DUNEDIN, NZL
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$10.00

Show Details

Description:
Picador 2005. Imperial octavo softcover (VG); all our specials have minimal description to keep listing them viable. They are at least reading copies, complete and in reasonable condition, but usually secondhand; frequently they are superior examples. Ordering more than one book will reduce your overall postage costs
Item Price
NZ$10.00
Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

Joe Cinque's Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law

by Garner, Helen

Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10
0330364979
Quantity Available
1
Seller
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 2 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$35.19

Show Details

Description:
Paperback. Very Good.
Item Price
NZ$35.19