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The Mushroom Tapes

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The Mushroom Tapes

By: Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein
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About this listen

The Mushroom Tapes brings together three renowned writers of true crime: Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein.

For this extraordinary book, the lone wolves became a team. Garner, Hooper and Krasnostein tracked Erin Patterson’s preliminary hearings and trial, joined the media scrum at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts, slept over in Morwell and spent countless hours in fervent discussion of the case and the themes it raises: love, hate, jealousy, revenge, marriage, money, mycology and murder.

The Mushroom Tapes is a true crime book like no other, an unputdownable record of the writers’ private conversations about their impressions from inside the courtroom. They explore the gap between the certainties of the law and the messiness of reality, their own ambivalence about the true crime genre, and all that remains unknowable about Erin Patterson.

If you read one book about how Erin Patterson was convicted of triple murder make it The Mushroom Tapes.

 Murder True Crime Thought-Provoking Crime
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Some of us were pulled into a fascination with this trial, occurring alongside many other Australian crimes, trials and tragedies that were not given the same attention. Some of us felt a discomfort in our fascination, others relished in misogynistically driven "jokes"—publishing cookbooks and cramming as many mushroom references as possible into discussions and posts. These three intelligent women have the ability to understand the universality and the personal, and acknowledge where their views likely come from. They offer considerations that do not excuse of exonerate, the very opposite, as they explores those darker sides to many of us, though reserving the very darkest parts are unique to people like Erin. The narration from the very women who wrote this adds to the connection and I am always grateful to engage in any of their insights and articulations. Remembering the people most harmed and admiring the strength of those left behind is also a grace they bestow, that the sensationalism further harms.

Considerate analysis behind the punchlines

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I liked that they voiced it themselves. It addressed the important psychological question of 'why' and in doing so referenced the unhappiness of the human condition through Erin Patterson's life and in our myths and in our own lives.

the humanity of the authors

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Just when you thought you'd heard the whole story... brilliantly written and narrated with deep insights that are gripping and insightful. I'm so glad I listened to this. love the narration by all 3 authors.

Just brilliant!

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Having the three women’s views of the same trial was incredible. I feel I have a much better understanding of the trial & outcome from listening to this book. Thanks ladies.

An important inside view of The Mushroom Trial

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Hearing observations of 3 authors who were actually present at the trial brought added dimensions and insight to the story

Inside story of the trial

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