Award winner

The Killing of Louisa
by Janet Lee

Finally, convicted murderess Louisa Collins can tell her own story. But will she confess?

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Overview

To lose one husband may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder.

In New South Wales in 1888, Louisa Collins was sentenced to hang after being tried multiple times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. The testimony of her young daughter helped to decide her fate.

This clever and compelling novel recreates Louisa’s time in her Darlinghurst prison cell as she reflects on her life and on the grief and loss that delivered her to this place. Despite difficult marriages, financial hardship and the deaths of several children, she remains resilient and determined to have her own identity.

But as she faces her final days, will Louisa confess to her crimes? Or is an innocent woman about to be hanged?

Details

Awards

Reviews

ebook

Rohan Wilson

author of The Roving Party

‘Like listening to a ghost of the past, The Killing of Louisa performs an incredible act of ventriloquism.’

Queensland Literary Awards Judge

‘This novel provides a creative re-imagining of colonial Australia, rich with historical detail and high drama.’

Melissa Ashley

author of The Birdman’s Wife

‘This is a superb debut.’

Janet Lee

Janet Lee’s manuscript The Killing of Louisa won the Emerging Queensland Writer category in the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards. Her short fiction has won awards and has been published in national and international anthologies. In 2017 Janet was awarded a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of the Sunshine Coast for her research into the creative relationship between the sisters Cassandra and Jane Austen. She lives in south east Queensland with her family and is currently working on her second novel.