An Isolated Incident

Reviews / Votes

'Superb writing and sense of place. Totally credible voices. Read her!' Ann Cleeves

'One of the things I like in crime fiction is when it's a whydunnit, or when it's about the ripple effects of a crime, and An Isolated Incident is very much about the aftermath of a crime. It's a beautifully, beautifully written book which has introduced crime fiction to a much wider literary audience' Emma Viskic

'Utterly engrossing ... skilfully constructed narrative ... Rather than creating a simple case of goodies and baddies, Maguire subtly examines the complexity of the human personality and what leads somebody to feel destructive. This hugely chilling and evocative story, mixing lyrical language and brutal events, is told with great psychological acuity' Sydney Morning Herald

'This is a harrowing, fascinating, compelling work from an accomplished and thoughtful Australian writer who uses the vehicle of a young woman's death to question and explore society's treatment of women, the everyday violence it condones and its intrusive fascination with the murder of pretty young women' The Australian

'This is far more than a page-turning crime drama, though it is also that. Maguire's focus is on those left behind, the often unacknowledged victims of violent crimes... It is a nuanced portrait of a group of flawed characters, male and female, responding to a tragedy... Above all this is a powerful and provocative examination of grief and, in Chris, Emily Maguire has created a character who resounds in the imagination' Newtown Review of Books

'Maguire eschews lingering looks at the victim's terror, the body in situ, forensic detail or the male gaze of the investigators, and instead gives us the grief rage and complex emotions felt by Bella's older sister and her fellow townsfolk. Both lyrical and colloquial, An Isolated Incident is an evocative outing that explores the violence threading though everyday life, and our responses to it.' Craig Sisterson, Southern Cross Crime

'An Isolated Incident is the kind of story that stays with you for a long time after you finish reading it. It is a moving and often painful tale of grief and the devastation of loss, and it is also an expose of the prevalence of casual sexism, misogyny and violence against women. It's a compelling and intense story, one that is certainly very different from the typical psychological thriller. An Isolated Incident is certainly a great and important book' Nudge Book

'An Isolated Incident is clear-eyed and forceful. It's always compelling, it's extremely well-written, and most of all it's important: giving a sustained perspective about what life can be like for a vast section of people. At times it left me shaken and at times it left me horrified, but in the way that writing should do - showing you the world as it is, so you put the book down determined to take action. It'll undoubtedly feature on many 'Best of the Year' lists in 2018, and deservedly so. I recommend it highly' IndieLitFic

'You think it's going to be a whodunnit but it very cleverly subverts the crime novel: it's a novel with a crime in it and whodunnit doesn't matter. It's got a lot to say about male violence and how we digest crime' Kirsty Doole, Late To It podcast

'Unexpected. Challenging. Utterly compelling' It's An Indie Book Blog

'From the moment I picked up An Isolated Incident, I couldn't put it down. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects and Gone Girl take note, this is the book that you need in your life right now' The Book Chief

'Set against the backdrop of a misogynistic society in which violence against women is almost routinely perpetrated, Maguire's novel explores the effects of a murder on the family of the victim and the community in which they live, and it's riveting... a crime novel for those who don't read crime' A Life in Books

'One of those novels that refuses to be boxed into a single category... it dances a fine line between crime thriller and literary fiction. What makes it so effective is the spotlight Maguire shines on misogyny and everyday violence against women without being too prescriptive or obvious. An excellent, deeply unsettling read that explores sex, marriage, prostitution, masculinity, criminality and violence. It deserves a wide audience' Reading Matters

'An excellent novel. Recommended' Promoting Crime Fiction

'Crikey. This is a powerful book. Emily Maguire has not written a whodunnit crime novel, but rather explores the experiences of those left in the wake of a violent murder. An Isolated Incident is just what society needs to read right now' Have You Read This

'A beautiful, brutal, utterly riveting psychological drama which takes an edgy and insightful look at crime from the underneath. It's darkly complex and completely compelling throughout. Recommended' Liz Loves Books

'Where you might normally expect a mystery to give a sense of progressing towards a solution, there's a void at the centre of Maguire's mystery, which fills up with more and more uncertainty. It's engrossing stuff, with a strong narrative voice' David's Book World

'This whole book is about relationships. The actual investigation and murder mystery isn't what's important. It's not a tear-jerker, but it does grab onto the heart and that pit of fear in your stomach. Everyone should tell their brother/sister that they love them and then go read this book' Rea's Reads

'An Isolated Incident is good, it is very good. There is no huge drama, no screaming police sirens, no hard-nosed detectives, no dramatic ending as the killer is revealed. It's a novel based around the emotions of the characters. I found it hugely thought-provoking, and dark with a unique rawness about it that [is] hugely refreshing. The writing is sublime' My Bookish Blog Spot

'I can see why it was shortlisted for [so many] prizes and awards' Bucks Books & Beyond

'I have no words to describe how affecting An Isolated Incident is. Deeper than your average crime novel, it is one of the best books I've read this year' Elementary V Watson

'An extraordinary and beautifully wrought tale that works on multiple levels, this is a very powerful, feminist story' Rachel Read It