The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies

by Kimberley Starr

Twenty years after the first boy vanished along the Brisbane River, psychologist Madeleine Jeffries is called home to help untangle a chain of similar disappearances. To do so she must confront secrets and guilt from her own past.The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies is an exploration of grief, responsibility and repercussions, and the way childhood actions can echo throughout our lives.

Genres: Australia, Murder Mystery

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, the writing style was clean and undemanding, the main character was consistent and believable and the plot was engaging. I was tickled by having it set in QLD and especially in Brisbane, since I live in Brisbane it was enjoyable to read a book set here.

The faults in the novel were what I tend to think of as endemically Australian literary faults in that you see them over and over again in Australian writing, every country has these endemics I think.

• There was one main character and the other characters were essentially backdrops.
• Heavily understated, a serial killer novel should manage to be a little exciting. This one isn’t - it manages to make a serial killer secondary to memories of childhood.
• The end is more of a winding down with punctuation rather than an actual finish.

The cover describes it as “A gripping psychological thriller” and it isn’t because as I said, it is so understated that there is no actual ‘thrill’ involved. And it isn’t ‘psychological’ because there is no element of messing with your mind. It is a very pleasant reading experience however.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I finished the book, I wondered why it didn't quite click with me. The characters were interesting wildly varied, the setting was well-handled, and the plot had good twists.

After some thought, I realized this book would make an excellent play, where characters drive the plot forward, and much can be left as unknown.

As a book, the characters seemed to me to be a part of a series, where other facets are fulfilled in other books. As it was, I was left wondering about why the priest always drove so fast, and why his background, which was sketchily explained, did not have more development in this book. What about the sheriff's wife? How that that unlikely coupling come about? No answers, but still, a readable book.

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From all the books I have gotten from the Bookface ‘book swap’ table, this has been one of
the better novels. One of the better Australian novels too, for that matter. Not that it was overly amazing or unique, it was just written well enough to create an enjoyable, easy read. There were a few spelling and grammatical errors (spelling a character’s name wrong, two ‘I’s in a sentence) and the characters weren’t particularly interesting, an exception being the serial killer. He though was not explored nearly enough, this wasn’t a courtroom novel nor was it trying to delve into a mentally ill man’s mind, rather he was pushed aside to showcase the protags somewhat unenticing childhood. I really think this book would have benefited to be a bit longer, it feels cut off from a bigger story. Something was definitely missing. Other than that, it was a surprisingly good book.

Rating: 7/10

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 17 of the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
I wouldn't call it a 'gripping psychological thriller' like it states on the cover. Although it was still a great read - there was no "thrill", it wasn't a page turner, and it certainly didn't get me into heart racing, can't sleep mode.
It was a crime novel. A story of grief, and unresolved trauma. I did enjoy the small twists of where the characters ended up, and I enjoyed the telling over the two different time periods.
Set in Australia, but still felt close to home, and the scenes were set wonderfully, I could envision Brisbane and felt the hot dry Brisbane weather as I was reading. Probably would have been 4 stars had I not gone into it expected a thriller.
3/5 stars

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the small town was described, however felt the story meandered then had a rushed and lackluster ending

This is the second time I've noticed this in a book by an Australian author. The interchangeable use of taxi and cab. I hailed the cab. I got into the taxi.

There was also both spellings of curb / kerb used as well.

[Mandy Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Kingdom where Nobody Dies' reads like a crime thriller, but without the tension. The author acts like they are surprised that we have serial killers in Australia, after she states that one in 5000 people will be killed by one. Serial killers aren't glamorous, unusual people, just boring psychopaths who blend in with all the other boring characters. In this book, he's a lonely, porn-reading paedophile. It seemed a little like everyone in this book, including the police-woman who's lost her husband, was on valium.
The protagonist's mother, the neighbour's father, another neighbour's boy, there are a lot of deaths on this Brisbane river front street, for a Kingdom where Nobody Dies.

[Sheridan Kunde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very distinctly a crime/detective novel but an interesting look at childhood and grief. I feel like Madeline's cancer was bought in and not used/didn't serve a purpose.

It's eerie reading a story set where you live, especially a crime novel like this, almost felt like an autobiography. Quite engaging and authentic.

[Veronica-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. Set in Australia, a mystery of a missing child and then later a missing teenager, supposedly connected and causing grief and chaos to a community full of secrets and tragedy. Recommended.

[Amy Hucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a very enjoyable read, but lacked the punch I was expecting at the end. Characters were well written and really enjoyed the setting. Felt like the wind up was greater than the release. I thought we were building to something a lot bigger.

[Joy Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not read another book by this author if they were the same style.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

An audio book that I enjoyed on my way home from work. Fascinating to 'read' about the Brisbane River as I drove over it one afternoon. Based on the local area of Brisbane, I found it an interesting read.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting journey into the time when a young girl is grieving for her mother. Living with her grandmother she's immersed in a new neighbourhood dealing with friendship, love and death. A murder mystery but one with an unusual structure.

[Kristy 0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book immensly and cannot wait for a followup from Starr.

[Niamh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found it hard to get into this book. Probably because the jumping from the past to the present didn't flow for me. I like mystery/crime stories but this one just didn't hit the right note Missable.