As a graduate of the University Of Queensland, this was a
book that immediately captivated my interest, given that the family at the
centre of this grisly tale made huge financial and land donations to help
establish UQ in the leafy Brisbane suburb of St Lucia. It's interesting to
think that without the philanthropy of the Mayne family, the UQ campus may have
remained in it's inner city location and not have developed into the massive
facility it is today.
Rosamond Siemon has done a marvellous job at painstakingly piecing together the
threads of what was, a shameful family secret for the Mayne family. It was as
gripping as many fictional murder mystery books I've read and gave me a whole
new insight into the history of Brisbane. It also highlighted the stigma of
mental illness and how, due to societal expectation, it shaped the way the
Mayne family lived and mainly chose not to marry or have children, lest they
pass on the rogue genes.
Well written and with a good pace, The Mayne Inheritance was an easy book to
read and one that kept me engaged and interested from beginning to end.
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