Kitty Wheeler is a female police officer in the Adelaide "Women Police". Going against the grain of normality, she is asked to work alongside the male detectives on a case dubbed the Somerton Man murder.
This case is a real one, where a mystery man was found dead on a beach in South Australia in 1948.
As well as the murder mystery side to the story, we see what it was like to be a female police officer and the challenges faced in that era. Kitty is torn between getting engaged to Peter and having a family, or a career - in 1940s Australia, she can't have both. Kitty is keen to solve the case and is pretty obsessed with it - as well as being a dedicated police woman on the beat, she works all hours! Her normal role would be handling more domestic "women" related cases, and we see glimpses of life in 1948 in regard to abortion, ladies of the night, the lingering emotional trauma from the recent WW2 and how women are seen at that time, by society. An interesting historical narrative where Olivia Wearne has threaded Kitty's story into the real-life 1940s mystery of the Somerton Man.
Although set in Adelaide, Australia, I just kept imagining the setting as England....possibly because the language used of that time in Australia, was still very much British and the lifestyle lived was still very much "old country", as Australian's had not yet developed their own identity as a nation.
I didn’t find the novel as riveting as I hoped and the ending sort of faded away....but I guess as the Somerton Man murder was never really solved in that era, there is no ending to that side of the story.......unless you google and find out what happened in later years as dna became a tool.
Thanks to NetGalley, Olivia Wearne and Harlequin Australia for my copy to read and review.

It’s late at night in December of 1948 when 29 year old policewoman Kitty Wheeler, nearing the end of her shift. spies a man in a suit slumped against the breakwall on Somerton Beach. Assuming he is sleeping off a few too many drinks and noting nothing amiss, she and her partner decide not to roust him. It’s a decision Kitty regrets when she learns the next morning that the man has been found dead.

As a policewoman, Kitty’s role is quite narrowly defined by her gender. She and her fellow female officers mainly deal with offences involving women and juveniles including domestic violence, prostitution, and runaways; patrolling to remind to uphold standards of public decency; and paperwork. Kitty wants to do more, and volunteers to help the detectives investigate the case that becomes one of Australia’s most famous real-life unsolved cases*.

What I enjoyed most about The Woman Who Knew Too Little was learning about the role of women police officers in post WWII Australia. Their experience of misogyny was not unexpected given the time period, but I was surprised to learn they patrolled the streets late into the night, and that they wore no uniform, instead having just a pin worn discretely to identify them as police.

I thought centering the plot around the real-life Somerton Man investigation was an unusual choice. The broad details of the case are generally well known so there isn’t really any opportunity for Wearne to surprise the reader, or to provide a resolution to the mystery. However there were elements of Kitty’s perspective on the crime, the evidence, the investigation, and the public response that I found interesting. The glimpses of other cases Kitty was involved in, from the fake psychic to the tragedy of a missing toddler, added interest too.

Unfortunately I didn’t find Kitty to be a particularly compelling character, which is problematic since the story is related from the first person point of view. I also found the dynamics of her personal life to be a bit strange. Her relationship with her fiancé, Peter, was obviously doomed, and the introduction of Alec as a romantic rival of sorts didn’t really appeal to me.

While I found the historical elements of The Woman Who Knew Too Little, and the novel’s subject, of interest, I didn’t find the novel as engaging as I hoped.

*The Somerton Man was finally identified in 2022 through DNA but an explanation for the circumstances of his death is still elusive.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I'm not really sure what I thought about this book. Fiction from real events is always tricky. I can say I didn't particularly like Kitty and the ending was bizarre.

I'm sure it was mainly due to my state of mind at the moment but I struggled to get into this one. I love the mystery surrounding the Somerton Man but I did not feel any passion to read this one and had to ensure I read some each day.

Witty, insightful and entertaining, The Woman Who Knew Too Little stars career South Australian women’s police officer Kitty Wheeler. Set in Adelaide in 1948, the story loosely follows the police investigation into the Somerton Man murder, a case that has never been solved. This is, however, a work of fiction. At a time when women could have a career, or at least a job, while single but were forced by societal norms to give it up when they married and devote their subsequent lives to hearth and home, Kitty stands out as an anomaly. She’s a strong character, a good police officer and an interesting person but she’s not really marriage material. The story is a snapshot in time and certainly kept me turning the pages, though I found the ending a bit unsatisfactory as I didn’t think it tied up the loose ends adequately. That said, it’s a very interesting read and well worth picking up.

Kitty Wheeler didn’t know what she wanted to do when she left school, she studied nursing, went to secretarial school and even tried teachers college. Kitty joins the South Australian Police Force and it's one of the few occupations where women earned equal pay to men. Kitty and her fellow female officers are mainly called out to domestic altercations, child neglect cases, runaways and dealing with ladies of the night.

After a long day on her feet, Kitty and her partner Fiona are patrolling the beach at Somerton and they notice a man and they assume he’s just another drunk. The following day, Kitty is shocked to discover a mans body has been found at Somerton Beach and it's front page news in, The Adelaide Advertiser. The deceased man was slumped up against a seawall, with no signs of foul play and any forms of identification on his person.

Policing was very different in the 1940’s, it was very time consuming, often a missing person case didn’t have a photo included and a copy of dental records in their file. He was middle aged, neatly and well dressed, oddly all the tags had been removed from his clothing and the coroner couldn’t find a cause of death. People came forward, many hoping it was their son or husband who have been listed as missing in action since the Second World War, and they had all sorts of leads and all ended in disappointment.

I received a copy of The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearne from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I have always found the story about the unidentified man who was found at the Somerton Beach fascinating and it was interesting to read about how the case was handled in 1948. There were so many theories about who he could be and was he poisoned, perhaps he was a spy or a German soldier who had committed war crimes and was hiding in South Australia?

You get an in-depth look at life in Australia at the time, very few women would have considered joining the police force, Kitty enjoyed her job, she worked long hours and she was constantly put under pressure by her family and others to get married and have a family. Kitty’s character's a real trailblazer, she paved the way for Australian women to be able to have a career and be independent. Four stars from me, a well written historical fiction mystery based around decades of theories and real facts.

3.5★s
The Woman Who Knew Too Little is the second novel by Australian screenwriter and author, Olivia Wearne. Having rejected several potential careers, Kitty Wheeler becomes a policewoman. It’s 1948, Adelaide, South Australia, and policewomen are afforded very little respect by their male colleagues. While she accepts that she’s expected to carry out mundane tasks like helping new arrivals off the train, moving prostitutes along from public places and walking night patrols, Kitty really wishes she could get her teeth into some proper policing.

In the early hours of December first, her patrol takes her past a suited man asleep on the promenade at Somerton Beach. When it later turns out the fellow is dead, and bearing no clues to his identity or manner of death, Kitty is hooked. She approaches the Detective Senior Sergeant in charge of the investigation, requesting to take part.

She often has to fit it in between her regular duties: checking marriage applicants are eligible, notifying index cases of their VD status, warning off scam psychics, handling domestic complaints and doing welfare checks; but she’s eventually assigned to checking missing persons files against the Somerton Man’s photo, and vetting the public who come to view the body, claiming to know his identity. All that leaves very little time for sleep. She comes up with a few suggestions, but never gets any credit, even when they yield results.

Meanwhile, at twenty-nine, Kitty is also resisting her regular suitor’s pressure to marry: that would mean the end of police work; and fending off flirtations from a Detective Constable involved in the Somerton case, and a lodger. She doesn’t really have time for a man: she just wants to solve this mystery.

Wearne’s depiction of era and setting is mostly accurate; the community mindset and the patriarchal attitude towards police women is well demonstrated. Anyone who knows the story of the Somerton Man will realise that no proper resolution of that case can be part of this story, so it really depends on Kitty’s role in that investigation, and her other activities being noteworthy enough to keep the reader interested: at times Wearne fails to do that and there’s a temptation to skim. This is sedately-paced historical crime fiction that may appeal to some fans of the genre.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and HQ Fiction.

Based on the true story of the body of a man being found on Somerton Beach, Adelaide, in 1948, who remained unidentified until mid 2022, the author, Olivia Wearne, has woven a story which focuses on the female police officer, Kitty Wheeler, and her desire to work the case. There weren't many women police back in the 1940s, and those that were there only went to domestic disputes, not being allowed to work crime, murder and the like. Their superiors were just that - more superior (in their eyes) and worked to keep the women out.

Kitty and her partner Fiona, had patrolled Somerton Beach the night before he was found. They saw him and thought he was drunk, and because it was late in their shift, they left him, not realising he was already dead - a fact they discovered the following day.

The Woman who Knew Too Little by Aussie author Olivia Wearne is a slow, meandering wander through the days of the police force in South Australia in the middle of the century. The Somerton Man is a well known case, but I don't think the fictionalised story has gripped the essence of the crime. I like my crime reads to be fast-paced and gripping - this was neither, so I was disappointed. Recommended to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Inspired by a true story, The Woman Who Knew Too Little is based around the Somerton mystery man who was found dead on a beach in South Australia in 1948. It is also a story about what it was like to be a female police officer and the challenges women faced in that era.

In the novel, Kitty Wheeler is the policewoman on patrol with her partner, Fiona, when a well-dressed man leaning up against a sea wall is seen. They assume he is drunk and sleeping off the effects, so do not concern themselves with his presence. Next day, Kitty discovers the man is dead, leaving her to wonder if she could have saved him.

The author draws upon the well of research available on the mysterious case such as autopsy details that included his last meal (pasty), the horrid condition of his insides that led investigators to think he may have been poisoned (though no evidence of a substance could be detected back then), the strange removal of labels from most of his clothing, the shape of his feet indicating he wore pointed shoes and the list goes on. Then there was the intriguing message found sewn into one of the man’s trouser pockets with the words ‘Tamám Shud’ translated to mean ‘ended’ or ‘finished’ —a phrase found on the last page of Edward Fitzgerald’s 1859 translation of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam (Omar was the Astronomer Poet of Persia). This book was popular during the late 1800s and various clubs sprang up as a result and there was even an ‘end of century’ cult of Rubaiyat. The book was also popular in the 1940s. What did this have to do with the unidentified dead man of 1948? As the novel states, the whole country kept guessing and trying to break the code, scratching down solutions. Kitty even carried the book around and, while eating, hypothesised and experimented with various formulas.

The novel covers many intriguing details and clues that unfortunately led to dead end roads. For years there were numerous theories of what happened and who this man was. Olivia Wearne weaves all this into the plot giving her story substance. I must add that the unsolved case spanned many years but in July 2022, identification of this man was made possible through DNA samples (yes, they exhumed his remains).

It certainly is a fascinating case and easy to see why an author would want to write about it. But this novel is not just about the mysterious dead man. It is also about the interactions between family, friends and acquaintances clustering around the main event. Including the relationship of Kitty and Peter and the personal dramas that surround their lives. Kitty’s family, particularly, are not happy with her chosen career and want to see her married and focusing on domestic life. But that was the thinking of the age, so a reader accepts it as an appropriate expectation (even if it was archaic). So independent free thinking women like Kitty, really stood out and were often ridiculed for wanting to take a different path.

Seeing the 1940s world through the author’s eyes was interesting and it appears she provided an authentic experience. Even the friendly, though often times cutting banter between individuals, kept the tone razor sharp. As for Kitty, she battled to rise above the negative reactions and trivial pursuits. She worked hard to be involved with the Somerton case as she wanted to do real police work that mattered. Not just carry out reports on domestic issues or public relief items. Comments from Doris, ‘You’re too pretty to be a policewoman,’ on the surface seemed like a compliment but were ‘laced with derision.’ Her discussions with Doris definitely dampened her intentions at times. But even when such negative talk tries to deflate her purpose and strength, she ploughs on.

The mystery that is woven into the plot keeps it moving forward while the lives of the characters and their actions hum along side. And with true details of the case being used, there is a good balance or marriage of fact and fiction.

Olivia Wearne has provided an intriguing detailed description of the Somerton case. She has also zeroed in on the women who wanted to have a career and possibly later a family, too. The times have changed, of course, but it is with admiration and respect we can look back and honour those who did not have the luxury of choice afforded today. Even though the world for women is not perfect now, it is certainly better than it was. The Woman Who Knew Too Little is a good solid historical read. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to HarperCollins Au and Netgalley for my review copy.

The Woman Who Knew Too Little uses the mystery of the Somerton man as a backdrop to a story which revolves around life as a female police officer in Adelaide in the late 1940s. I enjoyed the weaving of the mystery into the story and I enjoyed reading about how policing was for women back in the 1940s. It was a time when Kitty had to decide if her career or a family were more important to her - as she couldn't have both.

‘My parents were initially amused by my decision to join the police force.’

December 1948. Officer Kitty Wheeler, a female member of the South Australian Police Force, is patrolling Somerton Beach in Adelaide one night with her partner, Fiona. They see a man leaning against the sea wall, apparently drunk. It is late, they are tired, and they leave him to sleep it off.

Unfortunately, the man is dead, and no-one knows who he was. Kitty discovers this from the front page of The Adelaide Advertiser the following day. Has Kitty has missed a career-making opportunity? Female police officers at the time were mainly called to domestic disputes, cases of child neglect, prostitution and runaways.

But Kitty is drawn to this case and joins in the investigation whenever she can. There are opportunities for involvement: many people came forward hoping that the Somerton Man was a missing relative or friend.
Kitty’s mother is concerned. She wants Kitty to marry her boyfriend Peter and become domesticated. Kitty herself is torn between her job and marriage. Marrying would require her to resign from the police force.

Ms Wearne has used the real case of the Somerton Man (whose identity remained a mystery until July 2022) to highlight the choices available to women in the 1940s (and beyond). While Kitty’s parents were initially amused by her choice to join the police force, they see it as a temporary measure, not a career.

I enjoyed seeing the mid twentieth century through this novel, together with a contemporary view of the case of the Somerton Man. Less enjoyable (but accurately portrayed) were the restrictions placed on women.

‘Lionel Leane was all in favour of free speech, so long as everyone kept their mouth shut.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

WOW! This is the only way I can start this review as this is the book I have been waiting to read.
1948. A dead body on Somerton Beach (I know this beach well). A policewoman, not a normal thing in this era. A mystery. I just don't know where to start.

Based on a real murder mystery this book had me from the first page. I was drawn in and I just couldn't put it down. Kitty Wheeler is a wonderful character, has a sense of humour but is a well rounded character that brings life for working women in the 1940's to life.

This is a story where you follow the clues along with all the characters of this book, you get drawn into the mystery of this murder. That is what I love in a good book. This is a well written book which weaves together fact and fiction to make a great story, very entertaining, a bit of fun and humour and a lot intrigue.

Love it and highly recommend!