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Chloe Hooper has had an auspicious career for a young writer. She won a Fulbright scholarship to study in the U.S. and, having had success with the publication of short stories, wrote A Child's Book of True Crime, her first novel, while studying there. Perhaps fortunately, the first agent to whom she submitted this work did not like the children's story interpolated within the pages, so Hooper then approached Andrew Wylie, one of the most famous of literary agents, and he welcomed the girl together with the (then unfinished) entire concept of the book. Now, through a combination of the author's talent and clever marketing, Chloe Hooper is becoming well known throughout the world. The children's true crime tale (told in the third person and written in italics)is the first aspect of the story to be introduced to the reader. In the manner of its telling it is reminiscent of some of the earlier writers of Australian children's fiction such as May Gibbs, Dorothy Wall, Nuri Mass or even, dare one say it, Norman Lindsay. One can even detect overtones of the aboriginal Dreamtime. The animals, including Terence Tiger (the thylacine), Kitty Koala and Wally Wombat, those whose business it is to know if there is ever any trouble at Black Swan Point, discover that young Ellie Siddell has been brutally and horridly murdered. Kate Byrne, a very young and very naive primary school teacher, is caught up with forbidden fruit : she is having an affair with a parent, said parent, Thomas, being the father of her brightest student, Lucien, and husband of writer Veronica. Veronica has written a book about a crime committed in the district nearly twenty years previously, the murder of Ellie Sidell. Ellie, whose age approximated Kate's own, had been having an affair with her employer, veterinary surgeon Graeme Harvey. Purportedly Margot Harvey, the wronged wife, had killed Ellie then committed suicide, although there was still some doubt about this solution. Predatory Veronica had tracked down people, including the vet himself who was dying at the time, in order to extract as much information from them as possible, then written her book providing possible scenarios and solutions. As an antidote to this work, Kate has mentally drawn up what she perceives as an alternative but complementary story in the form of a true crime narrative for children. Kate seems to be a gifted teacher, taking her charges very seriously and planning innovative lessons for them although she is directed to an inordinate degree by her lover who wishes the best possible education for his young son. Hooper introduces snatches of lessons and the dialogue of the children, which makes for interesting reading. The young teacher sees a parallel between her own situation and that of murdered Ellie and as her life begins to fall apart as she fears she may be a victim of a wronged wife. so, too, do the characters in her true crime fable. For example Kitty Koala is seen to have chlamydia. As Kate's mental condition deteriorates, so more of her own story is incorporated into the children's tale. As a psychological thriller, this book shows remarkable promise. The background of Tasmania is very interesting and Hooper's descriptions are excellent. The action could not really be described as fast paced but it is involving. The characterisation of Kate herself is quite good although the other characters appear merely to be sketched. This is a promising beginning for a neophyte and one can hope that in future she may have more than short stories in store for her readers. Editoržs note: This is a review of the Australian edition of this book, Knopf ISBN 1740511204. The cover is much nicer than the US  Even the UK cover is better looking 
Reviewed by Denise Wels, March 2002
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