Okay, first of all, thank you for the Pantheon publishing company and to one of your staffs who emailed me so I could read this book. It was unexpected and I was so honored to be receiving such an email.

So this book is a true crime story, and we all know true crime stories are riveting and fascinating in their own unusual ways, which tends to make people question the what, why, and how. While it took me a little longer to get interested in the story, the prose pulled me in their world and it felt like I was watching the events unfold before my very eyes. To say the least, there are some moments that flabbergasted me, but alas, people do things we can never know why they did it.

Thank you Netgalley and Pantheon for the ARC!

This house of grief by Helen Garner is a true story about a farther whose three children drowned and how he was the only one to survive. This story is set in Australia in 2005 when this tragedy gripped the Melbourne public as the story unfolds.
Robert Farquharson said he had a coughing fit and passed out. The book goes into the life of Farquharson who was separated at the time of the deaths of their three children and Farquharson was supposed to be on his way back to drop the children back to their mother as they had shared custody.
This book is devastating but both gripping and deeply moving. You get to get into the minds of the key players as Garner captivates reader with her writing and the emotional toll this tragedy takes on the family, friends Neighbours and the wider community.
Robert Farquharson will be tried twice as the first case was turned over due to the key witness who was facing criminal charges when he testified. It is an extraordinarily complex case as the jury ponder the complexities of human nature and the search for justice. This book will stay with you for a long time as you grapple with this story. An informative book club read. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Book Description: Considered a literary institution in Australia, Helen Garner’s incisive nonfiction evokes the keen eye of the New Journalists. Brisk, candid, and never dismissive of its flawed subjects, This House of Grief is a masterwork of literary journalism.

I wish i was able to fully appreciate this masterwork, but sometimes it's just not for me.

Thanks for the gifted copy!

This House of Grief is a powerful and thought-provoking read that will stay with readers long after they finish the final page. It's a testament to the enduring power of human emotion and the devastating impact of tragedy.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

"This House of Grief" by Helen Garner is a deeply sorrowful book, as suggested by the title. In 2005, on Father's Day in Winchelsea, Australia, Robert Farquharson drove his car into a dam, escaping but leaving his three young sons to drown. Separated from their mother, Cindy Gambino, he was returning the children when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle due to a coughing fit.
Garner, a freelance journalist, closely follows the trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria, taking notes on the testimonies and courtroom dynamics. The central questions are whether Farquharson intentionally harmed his children or if it was a tragic accident. The evidence is scrutinized: tire tracks, the children’s seatbelts, and Farquharson's behavior after the crash. Garner even investigates whether a car door can be opened underwater, adding a personal touch to the narrative. Garner depicts the search for truth as both a dramatic performance and a serious legal process.
The book is a heartbreaking exploration of a shattered family. Garner raises many questions about such tragedies. Her insightful observations and occasional humor make the narrative engaging. I highly recommend it!

I didn’t realize this was a true story at first or the depth of the crime.
You follow the trial of an Australian father who murdered his 3 children and tried to end his own life in the same tragedy but survived.
This was extremely thought provoking as well as incredibly sad.
The author did an amazing job writing this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc. This was such a a sad and tragic case. The author did a great job of informing the reader about this senseless crime.

A well written true crime novel. In 2005, Robert Farquharson drove his car into a dam, leading to the deaths of his three young sons. He stated that he had passed out after a coughing fit and was unable to rescue the children, but there was reason to believe that his accident was intentional, as a way to get back at his ex-wife. Author Helen Garner immediately became interested in the case, and attended every step of the court proceedings. In This House of Grief, she meticulously describes the case and the way she felt as an observer.

This is such a sad case, as you would expect. Farquharson was deemed guilty, but I still can't help feeling just the tiniest bit sorry for him (and for everyone else involved). This book gives an in depth look into the realities of a criminal trial, which could wind up boring the reader, but the well written and emotional narrative the author provides prevents that outcome. A must read for true crime fans.

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

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a great and well researched crime thriller. Plenty of detail and information. Great job by the author, you can tell they were really interested in the case and took their time putting this book together.

I had not heard of this case before. This book was interesting and well written. I found myself looking forward to reading more of it every night.

A whirlwind of emotions, Garner takes us into the depths of what it is to be human, to be a parent, and to be drowning in varied grievances. A legal drama but so very much more than that. Broken families, broken systems, and broken people all pushed to the brink and suffering tumultuous tragedies. As the court room drama unfolds and the story swiftly progresses, changing dynamics, twisting and turning, the reader can't help but to try to stay afloat. A loving, doting father grieving the loss of his marriage and children, is that the true narrative? Or did pain and anger push a hurting dad to the brink, did he want to hurt his ex so much he took the very things she loved away? Where does the truth lie? Is it drowning too, stuck in the depths where the light doesn't reach?

I DNF'ed at 25%. It started to get so repetitive and drawn out that even the tragic story itself couldn't keep me focused.

This one is heartbreaking. In the event that you’re not familiar with the case, much like I was not, I won’t give any details away. I am trying to read more true crime this year and this was well written and definitely made me want to read more. It feels sad rating a tragic and heartbreaking incident, but the rating is based on the authors ability to tell the story without bias and while not emotional, not emotionless either. Thanks to Penguin Randomhouse for sending a review copy my way. This House of Grief is available now.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Ver intriguing, well written, detailed characters. I was drawn in from the beginning; would recommend to others.

What a fantastic but haunting book, I’m an avid reader of true crime so this had me hooked.

It was so sad to read but absolutely gripping, it would make a good tv documentary .

"This House of Grief" is a written account of a true crime. On 4th September, 2015, as Robert Farquharson, a divorced father of three boys, was taking the children back to their mother after a Father's Day visit, his car veered off the road and plunged into a dam. The three kids died, while their father survived. He was accused of murdering the children. Robert claimed to have blacked out from a coughing fit at the wheel--a cough syncope, a super rare phenomenon--causing the car to go into the water. We got to follow Garner into the courtroom, observe the trial through her eyes, and listen to her thoughts and feelings.

I found the case very intriguing, but this ebook version of mine has pretty poor formatting and editing which's rather a turn-off. Anyway, thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC of this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Random House for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own. This book caught my attention because it was so closely like a case in Upstate South Carolina in the 1990’s that I knew about from living in there.
Helen Garner is a recognized Australian journalist who wrote of her observations of a trial for a father whose 3 young sons died in a horrible accident. Robert Farquharson was taking his sons back to his estranged wife after a Father’s Day outing with them. He lost control of the car and crashed into a dam. Although Robert escaped, his sons did not. This House of Grief details the two trials that followed.
Garner observes the trial, the families, the lawyers and judges, the witnesses, everyone in the courtrooms as she details this sad story. She develops a relationship with some of the relatives. She talks to people in the local coffee shops and bars. Her highly developed observational skills make this book interesting; her writing skills make it very readable.
I enjoyed this book. 4 stars

Wow. This book held back no punches. This House of Grief is a true crime story of the case of Robert Farquharson, who claims to have blacked out during a coughing fit and his car with himself and three children went into the water and he was the only one to walk away.. The court case that followed the questionable accident and the evidence given was great.

This book could have been slightly shorter I did find somethings repetitive but with that said it was a Birds Eye view of the court case so there probably was a lot of repetitiveness. The story itself was difficult at times but it was interesting going along with the court procedures.