Madigan Mine

By Kirstyn McDermott

ISBN: 9780330425711

Binding: Trade Paperback

Pub. Date: 01-07-2010

Category: Modern & Contemporary Fiction

Imprint: Picador Australia

Pages: 416 page/s

Stock: New, Available

RRP: $32.99 AUD



Alex doesn't know what he wants to do, how to connect with people or what's good for him. He drifts his way through dead-end jobs and fumbled relationships, unable to find a way out of the rut his life has become. Then he runs into Madigan Sargood and everything changes.



A ray of light shining from an almost-forgotten past, Madigan is beautiful and impulsive, enigmatic and passionate beyond measure. This is what it means to live, Alex realises, and to love. Never mind that she can be somewhat possessive. Never mind that his best friend thinks there's something wrong with her, something dangerous even. Never mind that the creepy band of misfits she attracts have all but taken over his home. Madigan fills Alex's life with significance; he will put up with anything to be with her.



Until, without any warning, she kills herself.



Now Alex can't seem to get her out of his head, and his world – along with his sanity – begins to disintegrate. Black outs and missing time, conversations he can't recall, people he can't remember. Is this the product of a diseased and lovesick mind, or can Madigan really be trying to communicate with him?



When the past threatens to obliterate the future, Alex is forced to take action. To save himself and those he loves, he must discover the sinister reason why Madigan took her own life – and why she won't lie still in her grave.



Author Information



Kirstyn McDermott was born in Newcastle on Halloween, an auspicious date which may go some way towards explaining her lifelong attraction to all things dark and mysterious. After completing a Bachelor of Arts at Newcastle University, she moved to Melbourne where she currently lives. Her passion is for speculative fiction, especially that strange beast which has been variously labeled as gothic, horror, dark fantasy, or weird fiction, and her writing has been recognised with Aurealis, Ditmar and Chronos awards, as well as publication in literary and genre journals including Island, Southerly and GUD.



Review



For a debut novel, Madigan Mine, you couldn’t ask for a better book. Kirstyn’s well crafted, supernatural thriller is a compelling read. You’ll be taken along for a roller coaster of a ride with the reckless and unstable main character that is complex and downright scary.



It was great to read an original story set in Melbourne and in a gothic subculture that many of us find curious at the best of times. This story only adds to the element of uncertainty that surrounds this dark and mysterious group of interesting creatures.



The other character’s are well developed and the storyline is smooth while action packed. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a dark and gothic tale, and a great book.