It didn't feel like True Crime as the focus was really on the trial. There was no lead up to the accident or a determination of his state of mind or his wife's. I didn't care for the writing style as I really missed chapters. I was glad I wasn't on that jury and having to sit through Mr. Morrissey, the defense attorney. This all takes place in Australia so I had trouble picturing what was going on with them using right hand drive cars and some of the terminology was strictly Australian. I felt bad for the children who lost their lives but I never got a sense of whether Rob was guilty or not. I did know that I didn't like him very much.

I think if I had gone into it knowing that the focus was the trial and not true crime where the trial comes at the end I would have had a different expectation and enjoyed it more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing me a digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced reader of this book in exchange for my opinion,

Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me. I got about 25% into it and felt disconnected. I gave it another 10% and found myself skimming.

Probably a case of right book. wrong time.

Helen Garner’s “This House of Grief” recounts the trials of Robert Farquharson who was charged with murdering his three small children in 2005. On the way to return the boys to his former wife after a Father’s Day visit, he veered off the road and plunged into a dam. Farquharson survived, but his boys drowned. Farquharson was convicted of murder in 2007, won a retrial in 2009, and was tried again in 2010.

Garner attends the trials with Louise, the 16 year-old daughter of a close friend. She details the testimony of the 40 witnesses called by the Crown, including Farquharson’s former wife, Cindy Gambino who, despite her grief, displayed loyalty to the man she no longer loved, admitting on cross-examination that “Farquharson had loved his children very deeply.” Stephen Moules, the man with whom Gambino was living, described how he had helplessly dived into the bitterly cold water, his repeated requests to Farquharson to tell him where the car had entered the dam and Farquharson answering, “I don’t know. I had a coughing fit and blacked out.” Moules describes Farquharson’s casual impotence at the crime scene (his first words to Moules, when he arrived, were “Where’s your smokes?”). Garner recounts the testimony of the physicians who treated Farquharson for depression as his marriage unraveled, experts who challenged Farquharson’s defense of cough syncope (i.e., coughing to the point of passing out), the auto mechanic who kept Farquharson’s dilapidated car running, experts who reconstructed the crime scene and, most devastating for the defense, the testimony of Greg King who claimed that Farquharson had complained about Moules living with Gambino and the children in Farquharson’s home and that he intended to take away Gambino’s most “important things,” clarifying that it was his intent to kill the children.

What is unexpected and fresh in Garner’s crime narrative is that she injects her perspective into the case. She ponders: ”What had passed through Farquharson’s mind, that night, on the dark country road where there was nothing to distract a driver from his wild thoughts? Were the boys squabbling? Was there a painful mention of their mother’s new man? Or did they just sit quietly in their harnesses as they old car rolled along, making their father’s heart ache that one more he had to give them back and say goodbye? Did a casual word, a rush of despair cause everything that he had shored up against his ruins to buckle and give way?” At another juncture in the trial, Garner muses that Farquharson’s story “was becoming more fantastical with every passing day.” Garner is a vivid presence in the narrative, pondering the unspeakable horror and circling around the question of why a man would murder his children.

Thank you Pantheon and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this masterwork of literary journalism that has been compare to In Cold Blood and the Serial podcast series.

The True Crime, in Australia.
HeleGarner has done a throughout view of the proceeds as an outside.
Every detail is brought to clear view of the reader, thus making the case understandable to an
outsider.
This House of Grief tells the process of court case agains Robert Farquharson, who had driven his
canr into a dam. His three children didn't survive the drowning. Mr. Fraquharson was able to save
himself.
The case came to accuse of killing the children instead of the drowning being an accident.

Towards the end of the case final words and surprising discoveries come to life.
Well written by Mw. Garner, and interesting to follow these procedures.

Made for:
Devotees of the Casey Anthony case
Critics of the modern state of male friendship
Type 2 Enneagrams
“Just a shit-detector going off, that was all. The alarm bells of a woman who had been in the world for more than sixty years, knowing men, sometimes hearing them say true things, sometimes being told lies.”


Thank you Pantheon for the #gifted copy of this astonishing modern Australian classic.
On Father’s Day 2005, Robert Farquharson drove his car off a highway in rural Australia, into a dam. His three little boys drowned while he successfully swam to shore. What unfolded over the next 6 years is one of the most talked-about trials in Australian history. Did Farquharson truly black out due to a coughing attack, losing control of the vehicle? Or was this a botched murder-suicide in a cruel ploy to inflict pain on his ex-wife and her shiny new life?

Beyond the cutting prose, this story circles and circles around our 21st century obsession with “once-in-a-lifetime” chances. The “I never thought it could happen to me” stories that fill up TLC’s time slots.
The billion dollar PowerBall.
The miracle recovery.
Dogs crossing the country to find their owners.
But what happens when our yearning for that one-in-a-million chance has to hold up in a criminal court?

Originally released in Australia in 2014, Penguin is giving this story, along with other selections in Garner’s resume, an opportunity to shine for a new generation of readers. This is my first Garner, but I’m excited to pick up the other re-releases asap!

A true crime story about a father in Australia convicted of killing his three children. I thought this story was really interesting, but the format was really not for me. It was much more free flowing than structured, with no clear chapters I could find. I think a better structure would’ve helped a lot here.

I wasn't a fan of this authors voice and it was a struggle to finish reading it. I think the story was interesting enough, but I dont think I'll read anything else by this writer

Compulsive read. I was unable to put this book down, absolutely gripping.

Helen Garner briefly tells us about the crime and the whole book is about the court proceedings, which she recounts masterfully. Somehow Garner's account fo the court is rich but without too many quotes, insightful but without inserting herself, beautifully written but not flowery, solemn without being melancholy.
Every true crime book focus on the crime, the criminal, the background, with a chapter on the fallout. Garner flips it, showing us all of this through a trial.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this incredible read.

This House of Grief
The Story of a Murder Trial
Helen Garner
The setting was Australia, September 4, 2005, around 7pm, Father’s Day. Robert and Cindy Farquharson were separated. Robert was returning his three sons to their mother. His car veered across the Princes Highway between Winchelsea and Geelong, in Victoria. It crashed through a fence and came to rest in a farm dam. The vehicle filled with water and submerged. The three boys could not free themselves and drowned. Robert managed to escape and had another driver take him to Winchelsea. Police drivers recovered the bodies of the boys the next day. The boys were inside the vehicle and were not restrained by seatbelts.
Would a father actually drown his three sons, ten, seven, and two to get revenge on his?
Robert’s defense was losing consciousness due to a coughing fit. He was arrested and placed on trial. There was a total of 49 witnesses. On October 5, 2007, Robert Farquharson was found guilty and was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment without parole. The court of appeals overturned the judgement, and he was retried. On July 22, 2010, the jury returned with a verdict of guilt. Robert Farquharson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 33 years.
What can I say? My heart breaks for those three boys and their family.
This book was written by the author Helen Garner. She was there and witnessed the trials of Robert Farquharson. This story is told from her point of view. She shares her thoughts, and interpretations as well as the evidence presented. MS Garner did an excellent job writing this book. She conveyed the anguish, agony, unease, damage, sentiments, and material successfully.

I'm excited for this book to release. A great addition to the true crime genre by an author who really does justice to an interesting story. Thank you to the publisher for early access.

For the future, would prefer if titles could be deployed in a format that worked better for kindle - the formatting was very off.

This House of Grief by Helen Garner is an enthralling true-crime read. And this was a brilliantly written story.
I thought the writing was exquisite and Garner captivated me within the third page.
I was pleasantly surprised by his book if I’m being honest. I didn’t know what to expect going in but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I truly did.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Pantheon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

If you are one who enjoys true crime books, this one is for you. It's easy to read and fun. This is one everyone will enjoy.

This covers the tragic & intriguing case involving Rob Farquharson, which I had not known about. Helen Garner, followed and attended the trials in Australia.

Rob Farquharson was divorced from Cindy Gambino’s, who later married Stephen Moules. Moules was a contractor who did work for the family. Farquharson moved to his father's place a few blocks away after their separation. On the evening of Father’s Day, 2005, Rob was driving to his ex-wife Cindy's house to take their 3 boys (Jai, Tyler, Bailey) back to her. The car runs off a bridge, Rob survives, while the boys die. Rob claims he had an episode of coughing syncope (considered very rare) which caused him to lose consciousness momentarily and he found himself in water.

Rob is charged with killing his boys on purpose as revenge against his wife. The trial and a subsequent retrial involve witnesses and experts providing opinions based on his conduct, interaction with others and evidence on the scene.

Being a true crime story, I suppose many have heard of or known about the case (I did not though). Despite there being a good amount of public information, I will avoid discussing the evidence and verdict as that would a spoiler for those who do not know about it. I was a little surprised by the verdict considering the evidence presented.

The book does well to outline all key testimonies and evidence. The case itself is fascinating, though of course, extremely tragic. I found the narration to be very dry and felt the writing could have been better. Other than that, it would have been good to include some other perspectives on what common people and experts thought of the case and the verdict.

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

I don’t always love true crime that focuses so heavily on the trial(s) because it can be so dry but the author did a great job of making you feel like you were there and adding color and personality to the situation.

I really felt like I knew those involved, even the more tangentially involved like the snoozing brother-in-law.

Solid journalism and compellingly written

This was a mind-bending horror story that’s all too true. An Australian father and his three boys go off the road on their way home and land in a dam. The father escapes, but his three boys drown. Written to keep you enmeshed in the story and the court cases. It has you trying to decide if this was a tragic accident or murder. Lots of suspense and surprises.

A brilliant look at a horrible sickening crime.A father driving his car into a damn drowning his three sons .Helen Garner brings the trial the father separated from their mother the boy’s family the towns people all into view.There is so many emotional moments so much to cringe at think about you willnot be able to forget this tragedy#netgalley #knopfvintagebooks.

This House of Grief by H. Garner, published by Penguin Randomhouse is a true crime pageturner of its finest.
Robert is driving his three sons back home to their mother when an accident happens and all boys have lost their lives.
An accident or bloody revenge from the divprced father?
A court case follws and one year later Robert stands trial for three murder charges.
I started reading and while I don't take a peek at the end, all I wanted to know was what's the verdict.
Robert is an annoying person, aggravating at his best, not a fav character.
With minutae love to detail the author describes the trial, a true-crime-classic that grips you and doesn't let go anymore.

This House of Grief is unlike any other true crime book I've read--it is so much more! It tells the story of an incident that received wide attention in Australia--a father drove a car with his three young children into a dam, resulting in their deaths, while he escaped. Helen Garner attended the father's subsequent murder trial (and retrial) and describes her experiences here in stunning prose. I didn't realize that she is also a novelist, but it became clear through reading the book that she has a remarkable way with words and of creating atmosphere. She vividly describes the trial participants and delves into the father's background in particular. This seems like an inexplicable event--the father apparently made no attempt to save his children and behaved oddly afterwards. Garner examines his story with a clear eye, allowing the reader to make their own determination about what really happened. This is a tragic story, brought to life by a gifted storyteller.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another brilliant work from this legendary author. The subject matter is sensitively handled but no painful detail is spared. Deep analysis and insights into the crime and the people involved are skilfully offered in this true crime masterpiece.

Really interesting story I had not heard of. Happy it was realized to the US. This really was just a play by play of the court case but I thought it was interesting but a little slow.

The formatting on the Kindle is way off so hopefully that will be fixed before official release.