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The Woman Who Knew Too Little
1948. An unidentified dead man is found on Somerton Beach, Adelaide. Officer Kitty Wheeler yearns to work the case - but the city's women police are typically assigned to more domestic matters. A wryly funny, sharply observed novel about one of Australia's great mysteries, and the life choices available to mid-century women.
December, 1948. Officer Kitty Wheeler is a member of the Women Police, responsible for 'upholding the moral virtue' of Adelaide's at times unruly and amorous citizens. Patrolling Somerton beach one night, Kitty and her partner spot a man leaning against the sea wall, apparently drunk. It's late, they're tired, and they leave him to sleep it off ...
The man is dead, his identity unknown, and Kitty has missed a career-making opportunity. In the following months, the case of the Somerton Man grips first Adelaide, then Australia, as bizarre clues point towards international espionage, Eastern mysticism or salacious scandal. Kitty, preoccupied with the case, joins the investigation wherever she can, although the men are firmly in charge. Meanwhile, she must decide whether she wants husband and family, or a career - in 1940s Australia, she can't have both. Her boyfriend Peter wants to pop the question, but Kitty is keener on solving the case ...
Olivia Wearne has threaded Kitty's story into the real-life 1940s mystery of the Somerton Man. This intriguing, sharply observed and wholly engaging novel explores the life and crimes of a city and its people, few of whom are without their secrets.
December, 1948. Officer Kitty Wheeler is a member of the Women Police, responsible for 'upholding the moral virtue' of Adelaide's at times unruly and amorous citizens. Patrolling Somerton beach one night, Kitty and her partner spot a man leaning against the sea wall, apparently drunk. It's late, they're tired, and they leave him to sleep it off ...
The man is dead, his identity unknown, and Kitty has missed a career-making opportunity. In the following months, the case of the Somerton Man grips first Adelaide, then Australia, as bizarre clues point towards international espionage, Eastern mysticism or salacious scandal. Kitty, preoccupied with the case, joins the investigation wherever she can, although the men are firmly in charge. Meanwhile, she must decide whether she wants husband and family, or a career - in 1940s Australia, she can't have both. Her boyfriend Peter wants to pop the question, but Kitty is keener on solving the case ...
Olivia Wearne has threaded Kitty's story into the real-life 1940s mystery of the Somerton Man. This intriguing, sharply observed and wholly engaging novel explores the life and crimes of a city and its people, few of whom are without their secrets.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2023
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208 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Wearne
2 books6 followersOlivia Wearne began her writing career as a screenwriter and has several film credits to her name. After receiving a Masters in creative writing she went on to write The Grand Tour, which was published in 2020. Born and raised in Melbourne, Olivia now resides in Ballarat, Victoria, with her filmmaker husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 23, 2023
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.
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.
February 4, 2023
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.
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.
January 30, 2023
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.
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.
July 9, 2023
I loved the idea of this book more than the execution. As an Aussie I am well aware of the Somerton Man mystery, especially since it resurfaced last year (2022) in the media, but this book just doesn't do the story justice.
I felt very drawn to "The Woman Who Knew Too Little". The idea of it, the cover is stunning and I felt like every time I went to a shop I saw it, it was begging for me to buy it and love it. Unfortunately there were too many things that irritated me and distracted from the storyline:
- Starting on page 13 a police officer "Ginger Meggs" was introduce for the 1st of only two or three times. He is not an important character at all, so it shouldn't matter, but what I want to know is why a police officer from 1940's was named after a mischievous fictional child from a 1920's? Has it anything to do with the most famous Australian comic book character that still appears in publications around the world to this day? I tried to search any connections between the Somerton Man and a person called Ginger Meggs and nothing came up, so it irked me because it should have been picked up/thought about prior to publishing. It was a full research distraction that I didn't need 2.5 chapters in. He was also the only police officer mentioned by his FULL name when he came up in a later scene, which made me think it was on purpose 🙄
- The writing didn't flow, or there wasn't proper paragraphing between changes in scenes. At one point I reread 2 whole pages and thought I was missing a page... nope, there just wasn't a separation from one day to the next.
- When we were first introduced to the protagonist's (Kitty) parents, we were introduced to them by their Christian names, then it all of a sudden it switched to Mother and Father and back again. If Kitty is talking about her parents can she just say 'I went to my Father's shop', or "Mother was sitting up", why the constant flicking between names, it was confusing at the beginning and super annoying throughout.
- Small nit-pick, but while we're here... one of the main characters name appears wrong on page 229. "Alec" is referred to "Alex", but his name is literally 2 lines above it in row, so how was this not picked up in editing?!
- There is also an undertone of fatphobia on page 328 "I tried not to notice, unkindly, how much of the couch Audrey occupied compared to Kenneth. Everything about her was broad. Her thighs looked to be melting within their mint-green jersey skirt; her bulging bosom and round creamy face; her heavy-lidded eyes were wide. 'Even her accent is broad', I thought." This was the first introduction to Kitty's sister-in-law, who was there to share good news, so why this commentary? I found it in very poor taste 😔
Petty annoyances aside, the book literally has written on the cover 1948, Somerton, Adelaide. A dead man. An unsolved mystery. But it was mainly about a women police officer, all of her daily eating habits, confusion about if she should marry someone she doesn't really want to be with, every time she lets him down because work, how tired she is, all the missed policing opportunities she should have picked up on and regrets associated with it. I understand it is meant to be commentary on the Women's Police Force of the late 1940's and 1950's, but since Kitty spent most of the book with the men's department, and seemed to prefer it, I even found that lacking.
In the end I felt nothing. No answers to anything. No connection to any of the characters. I wasn't expecting answers to the Somerton case as it's been maybe solved only within the last year, but I was expecting more of a thorough read about the investigation at the time without any of the other unrelated information.
I felt very drawn to "The Woman Who Knew Too Little". The idea of it, the cover is stunning and I felt like every time I went to a shop I saw it, it was begging for me to buy it and love it. Unfortunately there were too many things that irritated me and distracted from the storyline:
- Starting on page 13 a police officer "Ginger Meggs" was introduce for the 1st of only two or three times. He is not an important character at all, so it shouldn't matter, but what I want to know is why a police officer from 1940's was named after a mischievous fictional child from a 1920's? Has it anything to do with the most famous Australian comic book character that still appears in publications around the world to this day? I tried to search any connections between the Somerton Man and a person called Ginger Meggs and nothing came up, so it irked me because it should have been picked up/thought about prior to publishing. It was a full research distraction that I didn't need 2.5 chapters in. He was also the only police officer mentioned by his FULL name when he came up in a later scene, which made me think it was on purpose 🙄
- The writing didn't flow, or there wasn't proper paragraphing between changes in scenes. At one point I reread 2 whole pages and thought I was missing a page... nope, there just wasn't a separation from one day to the next.
- When we were first introduced to the protagonist's (Kitty) parents, we were introduced to them by their Christian names, then it all of a sudden it switched to Mother and Father and back again. If Kitty is talking about her parents can she just say 'I went to my Father's shop', or "Mother was sitting up", why the constant flicking between names, it was confusing at the beginning and super annoying throughout.
- Small nit-pick, but while we're here... one of the main characters name appears wrong on page 229. "Alec" is referred to "Alex", but his name is literally 2 lines above it in row, so how was this not picked up in editing?!
- There is also an undertone of fatphobia on page 328 "I tried not to notice, unkindly, how much of the couch Audrey occupied compared to Kenneth. Everything about her was broad. Her thighs looked to be melting within their mint-green jersey skirt; her bulging bosom and round creamy face; her heavy-lidded eyes were wide. 'Even her accent is broad', I thought." This was the first introduction to Kitty's sister-in-law, who was there to share good news, so why this commentary? I found it in very poor taste 😔
Petty annoyances aside, the book literally has written on the cover 1948, Somerton, Adelaide. A dead man. An unsolved mystery. But it was mainly about a women police officer, all of her daily eating habits, confusion about if she should marry someone she doesn't really want to be with, every time she lets him down because work, how tired she is, all the missed policing opportunities she should have picked up on and regrets associated with it. I understand it is meant to be commentary on the Women's Police Force of the late 1940's and 1950's, but since Kitty spent most of the book with the men's department, and seemed to prefer it, I even found that lacking.
In the end I felt nothing. No answers to anything. No connection to any of the characters. I wasn't expecting answers to the Somerton case as it's been maybe solved only within the last year, but I was expecting more of a thorough read about the investigation at the time without any of the other unrelated information.
January 6, 2023
‘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
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
April 13, 2023
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Ballarat based author and screenwriter Olivia Wearne published her first novel in 2020. Wearne’s second release is a historical mystery that fuses fact with fiction. Wry, observant and enlightening, The Woman Who Knew Too Little is a novel that takes us back to days gone by, by allowing us to travel back in time to Adelaide in late 1948.
Opening in December of 1948, we meet Kitty Wheeler, a female police officer, who is given the role of ensuring that Adelaide’s residents uphold their moral values and behaviours. While conducting a sweep of Adelaide’s Somerton beach area, Kitty and her colleague observe a man who appears to be intoxicated on a sea edge. The officers decide to leave him there rather than asking him to move on and this decision will haunt both women. Once daylight breaks, it is revealed that the man is deceased and no one has any clues as to his identity. Kitty knows that she made an error of judgement that night. In the coming weeks and months, an investigation is launched into this man’s case. With many wild theories and ideas circulating around this strange case, it seems that the Adelaide police force are unable to close in on the Somerton man’s true identity. For Kitty, this case causes a clash between her personal life and professional career. Will Kitty choose to devote herself to this investigation, or will she leave to start a family?
In terms of long standing Australian historical mysteries, the Somerton man case has got to be one of the most well-known unsolved cases in our nation’s history. I have followed this case for some time and as soon as I saw that Olivia Wearne’s second novel was inspired by this significant investigation, I had to get my hands on this book. I decided to leave reading The Woman Who Knew Too Little to the school holidays, a time where I am less distracted and able to absorb a story of this nature. I did find this story very interesting in terms of the focus on society at the time and women’s rights, but the Somerton man angle wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
Wearne does a good job of immersing us into Adelaide society in the late 1940s. This is a place and time I don’t have a great deal of prior information about, so The Woman Who Knew Too Little provided me with the chance to learn a little more about this era. I think Wearne captured the essence and feelings of this time, particularly in relation to the mindset of the period, the morals, core virtues, societal expectations, gender restrictions and societal pushes. The role of women in the workforce with a specific focus on the police system was covered well by the author. I also found the detail in regards to the forensic, autopsy and policing procedures at the time of this complex case to be very interesting. It is clear that Wearne has conducted a great deal of research in this area, which I appreciated. For the most part, Kitty feels like a credible and believable construction of a typical female police officer of the time. I did feel for Kitty, particularly as she wrestles her professional and personal life throughout the story. I was less interested in Kitty’s relationship issues and there were times where I longed for the focus to be drawn back to the case at hand. In terms of the central Somerton man mystery, the central drawcard for me, I know that this is a rather complex case. There wasn’t a great deal new or different that The Woman Who Knew Too Little was able to provide on this longstanding case, which I guess was a little deflating. However, it did bring to light how it would have felt at this time to work on a case of this nature and how the community at the time perceived this investigation. Wearne’s approach to the historical mystery is more of a slow burn style plod around the facts of this puzzling case, which pace wise may or may not suit some readers.
Wearne has succeeded in providing us with a strong reflection of the patriarchal attitudes and life in Australia at the time of the well-known Somerton case, but she leaves us wanting more in terms of answers around this fascinating historical investigation.
Ballarat based author and screenwriter Olivia Wearne published her first novel in 2020. Wearne’s second release is a historical mystery that fuses fact with fiction. Wry, observant and enlightening, The Woman Who Knew Too Little is a novel that takes us back to days gone by, by allowing us to travel back in time to Adelaide in late 1948.
Opening in December of 1948, we meet Kitty Wheeler, a female police officer, who is given the role of ensuring that Adelaide’s residents uphold their moral values and behaviours. While conducting a sweep of Adelaide’s Somerton beach area, Kitty and her colleague observe a man who appears to be intoxicated on a sea edge. The officers decide to leave him there rather than asking him to move on and this decision will haunt both women. Once daylight breaks, it is revealed that the man is deceased and no one has any clues as to his identity. Kitty knows that she made an error of judgement that night. In the coming weeks and months, an investigation is launched into this man’s case. With many wild theories and ideas circulating around this strange case, it seems that the Adelaide police force are unable to close in on the Somerton man’s true identity. For Kitty, this case causes a clash between her personal life and professional career. Will Kitty choose to devote herself to this investigation, or will she leave to start a family?
In terms of long standing Australian historical mysteries, the Somerton man case has got to be one of the most well-known unsolved cases in our nation’s history. I have followed this case for some time and as soon as I saw that Olivia Wearne’s second novel was inspired by this significant investigation, I had to get my hands on this book. I decided to leave reading The Woman Who Knew Too Little to the school holidays, a time where I am less distracted and able to absorb a story of this nature. I did find this story very interesting in terms of the focus on society at the time and women’s rights, but the Somerton man angle wasn’t quite what I was expecting.
Wearne does a good job of immersing us into Adelaide society in the late 1940s. This is a place and time I don’t have a great deal of prior information about, so The Woman Who Knew Too Little provided me with the chance to learn a little more about this era. I think Wearne captured the essence and feelings of this time, particularly in relation to the mindset of the period, the morals, core virtues, societal expectations, gender restrictions and societal pushes. The role of women in the workforce with a specific focus on the police system was covered well by the author. I also found the detail in regards to the forensic, autopsy and policing procedures at the time of this complex case to be very interesting. It is clear that Wearne has conducted a great deal of research in this area, which I appreciated. For the most part, Kitty feels like a credible and believable construction of a typical female police officer of the time. I did feel for Kitty, particularly as she wrestles her professional and personal life throughout the story. I was less interested in Kitty’s relationship issues and there were times where I longed for the focus to be drawn back to the case at hand. In terms of the central Somerton man mystery, the central drawcard for me, I know that this is a rather complex case. There wasn’t a great deal new or different that The Woman Who Knew Too Little was able to provide on this longstanding case, which I guess was a little deflating. However, it did bring to light how it would have felt at this time to work on a case of this nature and how the community at the time perceived this investigation. Wearne’s approach to the historical mystery is more of a slow burn style plod around the facts of this puzzling case, which pace wise may or may not suit some readers.
Wearne has succeeded in providing us with a strong reflection of the patriarchal attitudes and life in Australia at the time of the well-known Somerton case, but she leaves us wanting more in terms of answers around this fascinating historical investigation.
April 30, 2023
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.
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.
January 8, 2023
Although the story revolves around the Adelaide police force, particularly Officer Kitty Wheeler, and the suspicious death of an unidentified man, I wouldn’t call this a crime novel in the traditional sense.
It’s more a narration of its time – late 1940’s – and the observations of a female police officer in a heavily patriarchal society, as existed in that era.
As a crime novel, the pace was very slow. It’s the exploration of life and crimes of a small Australian city in that time, and particularly the difficulties females faced in those time, that gave this novel its point of interest for me.
It’s more a narration of its time – late 1940’s – and the observations of a female police officer in a heavily patriarchal society, as existed in that era.
As a crime novel, the pace was very slow. It’s the exploration of life and crimes of a small Australian city in that time, and particularly the difficulties females faced in those time, that gave this novel its point of interest for me.
February 22, 2023
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 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.
September 12, 2023
The Woman who Knew Too Little is an interesting insight into the life of a female police officer1940’s Australia. The novel is woven around the true story of a man’s body found on Somerton Beach, Adelaide in 1948. Becoming known as the Somerton Man, his death and identity have enthralled the Australian public for decades. Female police officer Kitty Wheeler is obsessed with the case and is determined to work on the investigation despite female officers being assigned to domestic disputes not crime and murder.
March 17, 2023
I really wanted to love this one, but I felt it just fell short. Having a story focus on a policewoman in Adelaide in the 1950s is a really interesting premise. We got to see a lot of the gender divide that existed and the expectations set on females to find husbands and make babies.
I felt the author needed to put in more time and effort into setting scenes. I would regularly find myself imagining what was happening and then have to change because of extra information added later. E.g. Hanging out with her partner. Oh, actually, they're at the dinner table. Oh, actually, they're all having dinner with her parents. There were so many occasions throughout the book that I was confused as to where she was and who she was with.
Also, there seemed to be unexplained time skips? Like, Kitty was reflecting on how she hadn't spoken to her fiance since he said they needed a break, and the next chapter, she's getting ready to go to his wedding to someone else? When did that happen? How did she respond when she got the invitation? How long had they been together before he proposed? Why did she and her mum agree to go along?
Separately to this, I found it weird the main character called her mum by her first name. And I was really surprised that the book just stopped without any further explanations. There were so many storylines that were left unfinished, and I'm just not sure why.
I felt the author needed to put in more time and effort into setting scenes. I would regularly find myself imagining what was happening and then have to change because of extra information added later. E.g. Hanging out with her partner. Oh, actually, they're at the dinner table. Oh, actually, they're all having dinner with her parents. There were so many occasions throughout the book that I was confused as to where she was and who she was with.
Also, there seemed to be unexplained time skips? Like, Kitty was reflecting on how she hadn't spoken to her fiance since he said they needed a break, and the next chapter, she's getting ready to go to his wedding to someone else? When did that happen? How did she respond when she got the invitation? How long had they been together before he proposed? Why did she and her mum agree to go along?
Separately to this, I found it weird the main character called her mum by her first name. And I was really surprised that the book just stopped without any further explanations. There were so many storylines that were left unfinished, and I'm just not sure why.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
Kitty is a policewoman in Adelaide, it's1947. A man has been discovered, deceased, on the beach. Tags have been removed from his clothes, he has no identifying documents. How did he die? What was he doing on the beach? Who is he?! its a mystery.
The Somerton Man mystery has captivated people worldwide, and with good reason. How can no-one know who this man is?! It's proper mysterious and went unsolved for decades. This book sounded awesome, unfortunately it wasn't.
Rather than focus on the Somerton man, the author tried to pack too much in: women's rights, politics, social issues of the day, relationships, murders and a love story. What should have been a great story, just ended up being a big ol mess. Blergh, NEXT!
The Somerton Man mystery has captivated people worldwide, and with good reason. How can no-one know who this man is?! It's proper mysterious and went unsolved for decades. This book sounded awesome, unfortunately it wasn't.
Rather than focus on the Somerton man, the author tried to pack too much in: women's rights, politics, social issues of the day, relationships, murders and a love story. What should have been a great story, just ended up being a big ol mess. Blergh, NEXT!
March 19, 2023
The Woman Who Knew Too Little is a work of fiction set against the backdrop of real life events. Set in Adelaide, my hometown, I found the local references entertaining however unfortunately I found the book to be very slow and I struggled to concentrate, often having to go back and reread pages as I’d get to the end of the page and have no idea what I’d read! I really don’t like giving books a bad review as I appreciate how much work and research the author has put into it but I honestly struggled to finish this book. I did chuckle at page 332 though! 😂
January 11, 2026
Not my usual genre so I wanted to stick with it. it was ok but not amazing. I like listening to Australian narrators so I enjoyed listening while doing monotonous tasks however I doubt I could've stuck with it if I was reading a physical hardcover. Also I didn't know anything about the real life case so I didn't go in knowing anything about the outcome which often is a good thing but in this case it was disappointing.
Did not finish
January 11, 2026DNF at page 157
January 19, 2023
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.
April 6, 2023
The book was inspired by a true story and is based around the Somerton mystery man.
Kitty Wheeler and her partner Fiona were patrolling the beach at Somerton in south Australia in 1948. They notice a man leaning up against a sea wall. They assume he is drunk . But Kitty is shocked to learn the next day that the man's body is found and he is dead. He was found with no suspicious activity or mark on his body.
The story is about an era where women as Police Officers were dealing with domestic cases, child neglect and keeping away prostitutes from public places at night. The novel was not only about the case but about Kitty and Peter's relationship and her choice of career. Kitty was a strong headed and independent woman.
A fascinating case and all autopsy details were well researched .Though for many years this case was a mystery. In July 2022, they identified the man with his DNA.
A very interesting read of the 1940's era.
Kitty Wheeler and her partner Fiona were patrolling the beach at Somerton in south Australia in 1948. They notice a man leaning up against a sea wall. They assume he is drunk . But Kitty is shocked to learn the next day that the man's body is found and he is dead. He was found with no suspicious activity or mark on his body.
The story is about an era where women as Police Officers were dealing with domestic cases, child neglect and keeping away prostitutes from public places at night. The novel was not only about the case but about Kitty and Peter's relationship and her choice of career. Kitty was a strong headed and independent woman.
A fascinating case and all autopsy details were well researched .Though for many years this case was a mystery. In July 2022, they identified the man with his DNA.
A very interesting read of the 1940's era.
January 11, 2023
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 even there was 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 today 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.
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 even there was 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 today 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.
June 17, 2023
Two mysteries have been the subject of years of interest and conjecture by Australians, the disappearance of the Beaumont children and the Somerton man both in Sth Australia. This book gives another view into the mystery of the dead man on the beach, well dressed and sitting upright against a wall. While the real discovery was made by two trainee jockeys exercising horses this book gives a little more colour with two young female Police Officers making the discovery. It's just after WW2, the Cold War is beginning to emerge, Russia is again in the frame, spies, espionage etc but in Australia? then such an insignificant player in world politics the concept is amusing.
Main character Kit, has chosen the Police Force as her vocation due to her inability to relate to any other type of work, an unusual young woman for her time, the thought of marriage and children just not on her radar although she does have a hanging-on boyfriend Peter who just can't kick the habit of having Kit as his girlfriend, she continually lets him down for which she shows no empathy and rarely gives meaningful apologies. Actually she is perfect as a Policewoman, devoid of empathy.
Kit relates the story with her parents Wilma and Noel in the third person. Noel is a butcher and is rebuilding his business after war restrictions, butter is still a novelty, lard the substitute for wartime use.
On the whole this is a book that will appeal to mainly Australians and I am reluctant to say that it's boring as the one saving factor by the author is bringing to light the Australian vernacular of the time that with today's social/electronic media is slowly disappearing, along with politically incorrect speech (now shunned by world populace) and the off the cuff Aussie sense of humour that no one even today outside of Australia "gets it". I laughed out loud remembering the many sayings that people of the day used.
"Each dish sported a different-sized cap of tin foil, like flying saucers from the planet Pyrex"……describing the staff Christmas feast at work, all hands on deck to aid the battered victims of Yuletide disillusionment.
With the hope that someone would recognise the dead man on the beach, the Somerton man, the read brings to light within the Police investigation the long line of people anxious to find something to confirm the whereabouts of the men in their lives still missing after the war, such a long queue of sad and desperate people.
Main character Kit, has chosen the Police Force as her vocation due to her inability to relate to any other type of work, an unusual young woman for her time, the thought of marriage and children just not on her radar although she does have a hanging-on boyfriend Peter who just can't kick the habit of having Kit as his girlfriend, she continually lets him down for which she shows no empathy and rarely gives meaningful apologies. Actually she is perfect as a Policewoman, devoid of empathy.
Kit relates the story with her parents Wilma and Noel in the third person. Noel is a butcher and is rebuilding his business after war restrictions, butter is still a novelty, lard the substitute for wartime use.
On the whole this is a book that will appeal to mainly Australians and I am reluctant to say that it's boring as the one saving factor by the author is bringing to light the Australian vernacular of the time that with today's social/electronic media is slowly disappearing, along with politically incorrect speech (now shunned by world populace) and the off the cuff Aussie sense of humour that no one even today outside of Australia "gets it". I laughed out loud remembering the many sayings that people of the day used.
"Each dish sported a different-sized cap of tin foil, like flying saucers from the planet Pyrex"……describing the staff Christmas feast at work, all hands on deck to aid the battered victims of Yuletide disillusionment.
With the hope that someone would recognise the dead man on the beach, the Somerton man, the read brings to light within the Police investigation the long line of people anxious to find something to confirm the whereabouts of the men in their lives still missing after the war, such a long queue of sad and desperate people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
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.
November 10, 2023
As an Adelaide native, I’m very familiar with the mystery of the Somerton man and was excited to read a book set in Adelaide. There were details that were fantastic and nostalgic (John Martin’s Christmas pageant, Wendts jewellers, Balfours bakery) but I also got the sense the author had never actually been to Adelaide.
I had such high hopes for this book that I worry it never could have lived up to them, but I’m also comfortable that my criticisms of this book are valid. I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t blow me away. I found myself frequently distracted by things that weren’t making sense, or weren’t clear.
For example:
- why were the women patrolling Somerton Beach when their HQ is in the city (it’s a half hour drive by today’s standards)?
- why was the protagonist referring to her parents by their first name?
- scenes where 2 conversations were happening simultaneously were hard to follow
- the protagonist offers her mentor a comb, some mints and a lipstick as some kind of ‘bribe’ to get him to let her tag along on the investigation, it made no sense to me.
A key theme in this story was around women being unable to have both a career and a marriage at that time in history. The feminist ideals of this book weren’t helped by the protagonist being quite unlikeable. She came across as very self-centred and just awful to her long-suffering boyfriend, who conversely, was quite sympathetic.
Knowing that the mystery remained unsolved until 2022, and the case still hasn’t been officially closed, this book was never going to provide complete satisfaction that way, although it did illuminate some aspects of that story in a more exciting fashion than a Wikipedia article, so props for that.
I had such high hopes for this book that I worry it never could have lived up to them, but I’m also comfortable that my criticisms of this book are valid. I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t blow me away. I found myself frequently distracted by things that weren’t making sense, or weren’t clear.
For example:
- why were the women patrolling Somerton Beach when their HQ is in the city (it’s a half hour drive by today’s standards)?
- why was the protagonist referring to her parents by their first name?
- scenes where 2 conversations were happening simultaneously were hard to follow
- the protagonist offers her mentor a comb, some mints and a lipstick as some kind of ‘bribe’ to get him to let her tag along on the investigation, it made no sense to me.
A key theme in this story was around women being unable to have both a career and a marriage at that time in history. The feminist ideals of this book weren’t helped by the protagonist being quite unlikeable. She came across as very self-centred and just awful to her long-suffering boyfriend, who conversely, was quite sympathetic.
Knowing that the mystery remained unsolved until 2022, and the case still hasn’t been officially closed, this book was never going to provide complete satisfaction that way, although it did illuminate some aspects of that story in a more exciting fashion than a Wikipedia article, so props for that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2023
I’m so conflicted by this book. I rarely, if ever, get to the end of a book not being able to pinpoint whether I loved it or hated it. In this case it was neither of those extremes and I’ll try to explain why.
I was initially intrigued by this book because it claimed to be based around the real life unsolved mystery of the Somerton Man who was found dead leaning up against the sea wall at Somerton Beach in Adelaide in 1948. As a true crime junkie, I have long loved this case in which the man’s identity and cause of death wasn’t known (until last year, thanks to DNA).
So, here’s my first problem, this book does have the Somerton Man’s case as its foundation - the protagonist Kitty Wheeler - spots the man’s body and becomes caught up in the case - but it’s more about her struggles with being a woman in 1948 and her job as a female police that dominates the storyline. To sum it up, I went in expecting a crime thriller but found more of a historical drama.
My other problem was that I found the plot to be a bit slow with no real dramatic arc and I struggled with that.
Having said all that, here is what I did enjoy about this book. I loved Kitty Wheeler, she’s a strong woman who refuses to settle for what society believes is her pre-determined role. She doesn’t want to give up her work as a female police, which she will have to do if she marries her sweetheart, Peter. And I think the author really portrays this post-war feminist struggle superbly.
And I loved the mid-century Adelaide setting. You can tell the author has researched daily life in this era to the finest detail: lunch at the Coles cafeteria, catching the trolley through the city and Kotex ads in the Women’s Weekly.
In the end, I think the problem lay with me, perhaps it was the mood I was in, or it was simply a case of going in with the wrong expectations.
A solid 3/5 stars and an enjoyable read.
I was initially intrigued by this book because it claimed to be based around the real life unsolved mystery of the Somerton Man who was found dead leaning up against the sea wall at Somerton Beach in Adelaide in 1948. As a true crime junkie, I have long loved this case in which the man’s identity and cause of death wasn’t known (until last year, thanks to DNA).
So, here’s my first problem, this book does have the Somerton Man’s case as its foundation - the protagonist Kitty Wheeler - spots the man’s body and becomes caught up in the case - but it’s more about her struggles with being a woman in 1948 and her job as a female police that dominates the storyline. To sum it up, I went in expecting a crime thriller but found more of a historical drama.
My other problem was that I found the plot to be a bit slow with no real dramatic arc and I struggled with that.
Having said all that, here is what I did enjoy about this book. I loved Kitty Wheeler, she’s a strong woman who refuses to settle for what society believes is her pre-determined role. She doesn’t want to give up her work as a female police, which she will have to do if she marries her sweetheart, Peter. And I think the author really portrays this post-war feminist struggle superbly.
And I loved the mid-century Adelaide setting. You can tell the author has researched daily life in this era to the finest detail: lunch at the Coles cafeteria, catching the trolley through the city and Kotex ads in the Women’s Weekly.
In the end, I think the problem lay with me, perhaps it was the mood I was in, or it was simply a case of going in with the wrong expectations.
A solid 3/5 stars and an enjoyable read.
April 1, 2023
On 1st December 1915 women joined the South Australian police force for the first time. Community groups pressured the government as they were concerned police care for women with husbands and partners away fighting in Europe was inadequate. The police women were paid the same wage as men and were given the same authority.
In December 1948 Officer Kathleen ‘Kitty’ Wheeler and a colleague are patrolling the beaches when they notice a well-dressed male sitting on the sand, leaning against the sea wall. The two police women assume he’s sleeping off a night-on-the-town. They didn’t check whether he was alive or dead and they didn’t attempt to move him on. The well-dressed male became known as the Somerton Man and the women missed out being an important footnote in the history of Australia.
The Somerton Man has no ID on him and the labels on his clothing had been cut off. Blood is found in his stomach, his kidneys are congested and his spleen is three times its normal size. In all likelihood, he had been poisoned. However, the coroner is not able to identify the toxin.
Kitty is intrigued and manages to become part of the team investigating the death of the Somerton Man. We also learn about her private life and the duties that are the responsibilities of the women police. She is a dedicated police officer but at 29 years of age must decide whether she wants a career, or marriage and a family with Peter, the man in her life. In 1940s Australia she cannot have both.
The Woman Who Knew Too Little, a novel based on a true story, is easy-to-read, humorous and enlightening.
March 7, 2023
Despite too many words, terms and concepts from the 2020s plus some Americanisms which took you out of the era, this was still an engaging read set over the best part of a year in Adelaide from December 1948 and focused on the real-life mystery of the “Somerton Man”. Kitty Wheeler is a member of the Women’s Police, largely social workers by today's standards, who helps unravel some clues as to the identity of the man found dead on the beach, all the while experiencing an unsatisfactory relationship with Peter and dealing with mid-century attitudes towards women.
Words like longshoremen instead of wharfies and terms like "The Feds" don't fit late 1940s Australia and neither does the term GP for a doctor, while talking about the sisterhood and institutional spin etc feels anachronistic as does the erudition of many in her circle.
Despite this, overall, I felt it was a good portrait of the time; well-written, intriguing and with believable characters.
Words like longshoremen instead of wharfies and terms like "The Feds" don't fit late 1940s Australia and neither does the term GP for a doctor, while talking about the sisterhood and institutional spin etc feels anachronistic as does the erudition of many in her circle.
Despite this, overall, I felt it was a good portrait of the time; well-written, intriguing and with believable characters.
February 5, 2023
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.
January 15, 2024
I was excited to get to this book after having it on my TBR for quite a while. Given the cover and the synopsis I was excepting the book to focus a lot on the Somerton man case with little bit about life for the MC in 1948 where as it was written the opposite way. Going into this book I was excited to see how the somerton man would be written I know the case isn’t officially closed but I was intrigued for how the author would end book the book because of that. Honestly it ended disappointingly. You experience unexplained time jump of an unknown period of time leads to heaps of unanswered questions the MC goes from new engaged and needing some time due to deciding between marriage or her career but then next charter MC and her mum are attending her fiancés wedding to another bride. What happened? How long ago did they split up and also why is MC at the wedding with her mum?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2024
3.5 stars
A uniquely Adelaide story centred on the police investigation into the Somerton Man - was he a spy, was he a tourist or was he a hobo? Who was the man in the suit found dead on the beach? Kitty is a female police officer - part of the women's brigade who managed to get employed on equal pay but without the uniform. The book shines a light on the dedicated work these women did whilst also fictionalising the account of investigating the mysterious death - a true story that has haunted Adelaideans since 1948. I liked the investigation side of things but found the home life and romantic life of Kitty to be less engaging. The author touched on a lot of things (illegal abortion, family dynamics etc) but without the same finesse as she did the investigation.
A uniquely Adelaide story centred on the police investigation into the Somerton Man - was he a spy, was he a tourist or was he a hobo? Who was the man in the suit found dead on the beach? Kitty is a female police officer - part of the women's brigade who managed to get employed on equal pay but without the uniform. The book shines a light on the dedicated work these women did whilst also fictionalising the account of investigating the mysterious death - a true story that has haunted Adelaideans since 1948. I liked the investigation side of things but found the home life and romantic life of Kitty to be less engaging. The author touched on a lot of things (illegal abortion, family dynamics etc) but without the same finesse as she did the investigation.
October 17, 2023
After a long day on her feet, Kitty Wheeler and her partner Fiona are patrolling the beach at Somerton in the 1940’s, and they notice a man and they assume he’s just another drunk. The following day, Kitty is shocked to discover a man’s body has been found at Somerton Beach and its 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.
Olivia Wearne has succeeded in providing us with a strong reflection of the life in Australia at the time of the well-known Somerton case, but she leaves us wanting more in terms of answers around this fascinating historical investigation.
Olivia Wearne has succeeded in providing us with a strong reflection of the life in Australia at the time of the well-known Somerton case, but she leaves us wanting more in terms of answers around this fascinating historical investigation.
November 21, 2022
The real-life 1940s mystery of the Somerton Man has been expertly weaved into the narrative of this novel. Protagonist Officer Kitty Wheeler is engaging and funny, her desires and ambitions offer the reader a fabulous insight into life in the 1940s, particularly in regards to the limitations and constraints on women. I would love to go back in time and be best friends with Kitty. She was a refreshingly original character with an interesting story as were each of the characters introduced along the way.
February 5, 2023
An interesting book with a slightly quirky main character. Kitty's interpersonal skills sometimes seem lacking but at the same time, she's the most empathetic police woman in Adelaide. I enjoyed seeing what AU looked like in the 1940s and thought the dilemma Kitty faced, career or family, was handled beautifully. The fact that this mystery is based on a real-life murder that went unsolved for decades just made me more invested in the investigation. Very cleverly done.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.
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