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Madigan Mine

Kirstyn McDermott (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 118 ratings · 29 reviews

Alex doesn't know what he wants to do, how to connect with people or what's good for him. He drifts his way through dead-end jobs and fumbled relationships, unable to find a way out of the rut his life has become. Then he runs into Madigan Sargood and everything changes.

A ray of light shining from an almost-forgotten past, Madigan is beautiful and impulsive, enigmatic and ...more

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Paperback, 303 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Picador (Pan Macmillan Australia)

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Lists with This Book

The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales by Angela Slatter

Aurealis Awards winners

100 books — 18 voters

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Aussie YA Paranormal and Fantasy

70 books — 134 voters

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· 118 ratings · 29 reviews

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Jul 11, 2012 David rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When Madigan Mine came out it was nominated for a number of awards, and received a great deal of critical acclaim. When you read it, you will see why. Madigan Mine works on a number of levels, and I was able to enjoy it immensely both as a reader and a writer.

A gripping tale of psychological disintegration, Madigan Mine deals with grief, obsession and how love can be used against someone. It’s not for the faint hearted; visceral and confronting, it pulls no punches as we see exactly how far some When Madigan Mine came out it was nominated for a number of awards, and received a great deal of critical acclaim. When you read it, you will see why. Madigan Mine works on a number of levels, and I was able to enjoy it immensely both as a reader and a writer.

A gripping tale of psychological disintegration, Madigan Mine deals with grief, obsession and how love can be used against someone. It’s not for the faint hearted; visceral and confronting, it pulls no punches as we see exactly how far someone can fall.

Kirstyn is clearly an author at the top of her game, and as a writer I found myself full of admiration and no little envy at the skill evident in this book. The prose is haunting, the images painted with words rather than merely described. Some of them will stay with you for a long, long time. I found the way that flashbacks were handled particularly clever, done in a seamless manner that carried me along with the timeline of the story. While reading this, I assumed (wrongly, I believe) that she must have been born and bred in Melbourne, because she writes about this city the way Stephen King writes about Maine, with an intimate knowledge not only of its geography, but of its soul. Any Melbournian will nod knowingly at the descriptions of familiar places, landmarks and inhabitants, but it is not so heavy handed as to limit the books accessibility to those not fortunate enough to call this city home.

But, as beautifully written as it is, that would mean nothing if the story was all style over substance. However, this is where Madigan Mine truly excels, with a compelling narrative that drags you along, not wanting to see what is going to happen, but unable to look away from the carnage as the protagonist loses control of more and more of his life, almost everything he has of value stripped away. There were more than a few scenes that left me genuinely upset, and it doesn’t follow a safe and predictable formula – all bets are off as things continually escalate. There is a real sense that anything could happen, that you shouldn’t get attached to anyone or anything. I actually found myself dreading turning the page at times, scared of what I was going to find next. There is no sentimentality on the author’s behalf, she is more than willing to put the characters through the ringer in service to the story.

The true horror in this book comes from the knowledge of how cruel someone can be to another person, and in that regard it paints a picture scarily faithful to real life. We see how love can be used as a weapon to possess and compel another, and how hard it is to actually let go of someone you’ve lost. Just like the protagonist, you will find yourself unsure whether there is anything supernatural going on, or whether all this is happening in his mind.

It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you want to read a book that will haunt you for days after reading it, and that is an example of how Australia produces work every bit as good as (if not better than) anything coming from overseas, then Madigan Mine is for you. ...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Kylie Fox rated it it was amazing

Once in a while a book comes along that is so beautifully written, so perfectly crafted that it leaves you with a serious case of envy – word envy that is.

Such is the case with Kirstyn McDermott’s “Madigan Mine”. The characters are so rich and believable, the world you are transported into so whole and multi-dimensional and the very mood of the book so tangible that, as a reader, there is never a moment, from start to glorious finish, that you are taken out of the story, reminded that you are s Once in a while a book comes along that is so beautifully written, so perfectly crafted that it leaves you with a serious case of envy – word envy that is.

Such is the case with Kirstyn McDermott’s “Madigan Mine”. The characters are so rich and believable, the world you are transported into so whole and multi-dimensional and the very mood of the book so tangible that, as a reader, there is never a moment, from start to glorious finish, that you are taken out of the story, reminded that you are simply a spectator to it. No, from the first page it grips the reader by the throat and doesn’t let them go.

Madigan Mine is difficult to outline briefly – every line, every word is a new discovery and to tell of one thing, hints at the next.

Alex Bishop loves Madigan Sargood, has always loved her, so when, after twelve years apart, a chance meeting with her is like a dream come true. But it soon becomes clear that Madigan, though beautiful, is also something far more dangerous.

When she commits suicide, Alex’s troubles should be over. The danger and impending doom that Madigan bought into his life should be gone. But it’s not. It’s only just the beginning.

Alex can’t get Madigan out of his head. She haunts his every waking moment but is it all in his mind? Is he crazy with grief? Or is it something more sinister?

Alex must delve into Madigan’s past to uncover her reasons for committing suicide and to discover why she won’t, even now, leave him alone. His life – and the lives of those he cares about – depend on it.

Madigan Mine is deliciously dark but never gratuitous in its use of violence. The sinister feeling that underlies every line, even seemingly innocent exchanges, never waivers.

McDermott has created a cast of characters that are real. They have flaws, they have motivations that aren’t always pure and, they make mistakes. Not one is a cliché, not one sounds like the “every” character that we so often read, who can belong in any book, any story. Each is unique and each is complete. This is their story, and we never doubt it.

McDermott doesn’t shy away from making the tough calls. For every twist and turn that Madigan Mine takes us on, there are two options for McDermott – and in every one she opts for the harder, the more heart-breaking, the more surprising.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

...more

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Oct 13, 2016 kari rated it it was amazing

I've been wondering why all the reviews are about love. Sure, there is love and romance in this book. But most importantly, there's Madigan - and within her, a powerful, detailed deconstruction of a manipulative mind. I was amazed at how McDermott managed to show Madigan's workings, her ruthlessness, gaslighting, her own narrative, and still make her a real person, with her own doubts, experiences and sadness. Yet, there's nothing to suggest that Madigan's surroundings shaped her entirely; mostl ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Emily Crow rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australia, horror, read-in-2016

I'm not going to say anything about the plot because I went into this book knowing almost nothing about it and that totally increased my enjoyment of all the weird, crazy things that it delivered. Almost anything would have been a spoiler. I thought it was a thriller about some sort of messed up obsessive love gone wrong, and it was, but also so much better than that. This book completely exhausted me, from the intensity and pure hatefulness that is Madigan and my terror that she would triumph i ...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Mark Webb rated it it was amazing

This review forms part of my contribution to the Australian Women Writers 2012 Reading Challenge. All my AWWC reviews can be found here.

I'm not a big reader of horror, not because of any kind of strong dislike of the genre but I find that horror novels seldom make it to the top of my reading list. Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott makes me think that I'll have to be more active in trying to find good quality horror - I really enjoyed this book.

I hadn't read much about the story before picking up ...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Tsana Dolichva rated it it was amazing

Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott is the author's first novel but I have previously reviewed her second (unrelated) novel, Perfections. I think the blurb (on the actual cover, rather than what Goodreads thinks the blurb is) of this one sums it up quite nicely:

When Alex Bishop meets Madigan Sargood again after twelve years apart, everything changes. His childhood sweetheart is beautiful and impulsive, but there is something wrong with her. Something dangerous. Then she commits suicide.

Now Alex

When Alex Bishop meets Madigan Sargood again after twelve years apart, everything changes. His childhood sweetheart is beautiful and impulsive, but there is something wrong with her. Something dangerous. Then she commits suicide.

Now Alex can't get Madigan out if his head. Is it all in his mind, or is she communicating with him?

To save himself and those he loves, Alex must uncover the sinister reason why Madigan took her own life — and why she won't lie still in her grave.

The cover reads, "Obsession never dies..." and the story of Madigan Mine is definitely about obsession. Before I started reading I thought it would be Alex's obsession at the forefront of the novel. There is some of that, but the novel is really about Madigan. Although she is dead at the start — the story opens with her funeral — we get to know her almost as well as Alex, through flashbacks and through Alex's descriptions. Alex quickly falls into a relationship with her after she waltzes back into his life. At first he's happy to be reunited with her after she moved away while they were at school. Their relationship progresses quickly, building on their shared history in a way that makes perfect sense.

Inevitably, things change. Alex finds himself drifting away from Madigan as she surrounds herself with models and hangers-on, gets lost in her art and Alex starts to wonder how well he really knows her. But that's all back story. In the present, Alex is dealing with Madigan's suicide and events surrounding it. And, despite not having seen or spoken with her for weeks before her death, he suddenly finds he can't get her out of his mind. The mental interjections in Madigan's voice are written in grey, which is the first time I remember seeing that in a book, and was a particularly clever way of handing it. There is more symbolism in the slightly washed-out words than there would have been in italics.

The first half or so of the book is fairly contemporary — as in, not speculative fiction — although some horror elements do come into play. (There was one scene in particular that had a fairly high ick factor for me and quite definitively sealed Madigan Mine as horror, in my mind.) In the second half, however, more speculative elements come prpominently to the forefront. Although it starts off like a contemporary novel, I don't expect people who don't like speculative fiction to enjoy it.

Madigan Mine is eerie, haunting (and haunted) and intense. Alex's journey is not an easy one for him nor for the people around him. Right up until the end I wasn't sure if he was going to survive the book. McDermott's début is an excellent start to what I hope will be a long career. I enjoyed Madigan Mine a lot (even the cringe-worthy bits) and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next (probably starting with her Twelve Planet collection, Contains Small Parts, as soon as the ebook is available). I highly recommend Madigan Mine to fans of horror and to fantasy fans who don't mind dark themes — aside from that one scene I mentioned, I didn't feel it rated all that highly on the nightmare-o-meter.

4.5 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. ...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian, fantasy, horror

I don't read a lot of Fantasy - Dark or not, but luckily I've been steered in the right direction when I have picked up one of these books - and MADIGAN MINE is no exception. What was even more startling is that this is a first book, yet it's very assured, cleverly paced and quite engaging.

This book is the story of Alex Bishop who meets up with his childhood friend Madigan Sargood after many years apart. A very intense love affair follows, with tensions over friendships, time spent together and I don't read a lot of Fantasy - Dark or not, but luckily I've been steered in the right direction when I have picked up one of these books - and MADIGAN MINE is no exception. What was even more startling is that this is a first book, yet it's very assured, cleverly paced and quite engaging.

This book is the story of Alex Bishop who meets up with his childhood friend Madigan Sargood after many years apart. A very intense love affair follows, with tensions over friendships, time spent together and time spent apart. Their affair eventually ends, but the attraction continues. Forever.

There's something very believable about the attraction that Alex has for Madigan. Despite the warnings of friends, despite the way that she takes over his life, but seems oddly to hold back a little from him, Alex cannot and does not want to let go. He is bewitched, besotted and utterly in love. On the one hand Madigan, in some ways as committed to their relationship, is also somewhat absent, often more interested in her increasing band of odd friends and her desire for control of everything and everybody.

All of the characters in this book are extremely engaging. Alex is definitely a victim, but he's not pathetic, or a figure of contempt. His love and support of Madigan is beautifully written. Madigan quickly reveals some complicated sides to her own personality - a victim in her own right, a catalyst, a threat, a lover and an object of worship, a controller who is controlled by events in her own life. It's actually quite a juxtaposition of typical gender expectations that works really well. And there's a good supporting cast from the discomforted flatmate to the acolytes that surround Madison, all of whom lead or spotlight the main characters and their actions.

I came away from MADIGAN MINE really pleased I'd taken the time to pick it up. Whilst Dark Fantasy at it's core, there is enough in this book to engage fans of thrillers as well. Whilst the action and outcomes rely heavily on paranormal aspects - there is also a wonderful sense of foreboding and threat, combined with excellent pace and an overall thriller styling that really really works well. Combine all of those elements with a rather touching, and somewhat sinister love story, and this was definitely a one-sitting book.
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Jul 26, 2011 S.B. Wright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Madigan Mine is Kirstyn McDermott’s first novel[1]. It’s won an Aurealis and a Chronos award and has been nominated for an Australian Shadows award and a Ditmar. Frankly, that’s because it deserves it.

I think if a writer can take you from thinking the main character is an annoying, whiney, pain in the backside, that needs to, as Chopper [2] would say “Harden the @!?! up”, to rooting for him - then they have a rare talent.

The Story

Now I am not going to elaborate on the story, spoilers will kill t ...more

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Jun 28, 2016 Susan Barton rated it really liked it

Shelves: dark-horror, dark, fiction, fantasy, paranormal, suspense, thriller, witchcraft

Alex and Madigan were childhood friends since kindergarten – until Madigan’s family suddenly moved away. Alex is thrilled to bump into Madigan again years later when they’re both in their twenties. They renew their relationship, but this time it’s become a dark and warped romance. After a violent argument, Madigan leaves a relieved Alex. But when he learns of Madigan’s suicide he becomes more involved with Madigan than he ever thought possible.

I chose this book because of its description. The s ...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Mick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror-fiction

This book begins with a suicide, or rather the immediate aftermath of one, and it doesn't get happier from there. It's a book about grief, obsession, and horror. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, or for those who want a typical ghost story.

The story follows Alex Bishop, a Melbourne 20-something who struggles to cope with the loss of childhood friend and adulthood flame, Madigan Sargood. Alex is a terrific character, real and distinct. While I found him unlikable at the beginning of th ...more

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Aug 15, 2013 Tehani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian, horror

Alex Bishop has had his heart broken and his life twisted up in knots by Madigan Sargood. Childhood friends, adult lovers, Madigan’s reappearance in Alex’s life causes havoc, throwing him into chaos and causing him to question his own values and beliefs. Then Madigan commits suicide and Alex doesn’t know how he’s supposed to feel, or why he is driven to find out the reason why. And why he can’t get Madigan out of his head. Literally.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book. Kirstyn McDermott ...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Celia rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011-books, australian-author, spec-fic, horror

I've tagged this as horror, because that seems to be how it's marketed, but that's not really how I thought of it - it's a dark story, definitely, a disturbing story in parts, but horror? I don't know. I'm not exactly a horror reader, so I'm not sure what the markers of a horror story would be. I picked it up because I love listening to Kirstyn on the Writer and the Critic podcast - and I have a fairly good track record with progressing from thinking an author seems interesting to enjoying t ...more

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Nov 18, 2013 Maree Kimberley rated it liked it

Shelves: aww2013

I want to rate this 3 & half stars. Madigan Mine is a page turner, although I think I don't scare as easily as some of the other reviewers because it didn't worry me to read it late at night. It's a fast-paced read, but the author doesn't overwhelm with too much action at once and is skilled at giving the reader a breather every now and then, which is important in a psychological thriller.

The flashbacks were handled really well, and I liked the dream/memory sequences where Alex, the main charact ...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Alisha Brook rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3andahalf-stars

Title: Madigan Mine
Series: -
Author: Kirstyn McDermott
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: 3.5 stars

A very intriguing read, and a very nice debut by Kirstyn McDermott.

It's a psychological horror basically put, that shows just how controlling love can be.

The story begins at the aftermath of a suicide, the suicide of Madigan, and it really doesn't get any happier from there. Alex, while struggling through grief, tries to find the answers to why Madigan committed suicide, uncovering a whole he ...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Roslyn rated it it was amazing

This is one of those books that you just have to rate 5 stars even though you can't give it a blanket recommendation! The book crosses the line from dark fantasy to horror/psychological thriller and I usually avoid the latter. If I'd known how masterfully creepy it is, I might not have read it. And I did find it really creepy and disturbing. Other reviewers have commented that it's not for the faint at heart, and I completely agree . The problem was that once I began reading it, I couldn't stop. ...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Amra Pajalic rated it really liked it

Shelves: ozauthor

Madigan Mine is a supernatural thriller. Alex Bishop is reunited with his first love Madigan Sargood and after she commits suicide he is haunted. McDermott creates a tense atmosphere as Alex and Madigan’s love affair is revealed. There is a creeping sense of dread and suspense as McDermott takes the reader through twists and turns. I loved not knowing where it was going and constantly being surprised as I turned each page.

As I was getting ready for bed one night while reading the book I stood in ...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Cara rated it liked it

A fiercely dark novel of love, possession and jealously. Strong and passionate characters bring this story to vivid realization demonstrating the dangers in an unconditional love that leaves you blind to all flaws. Madigan is impulsive, reckless and unstable and as a character makes for a compelling villain.

Flawlessly written and thoroughly enjoyable, Madigan Mine will hold large appeal for any reader that loves a dark, compulsively readable mystery/thriller with gripping characters and a darin ...more

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Jun 29, 2016 Marie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy

One of my favourite reads of 2016 so far. Madigan Mine is a creepy, absorbing story of abuse and control, and Madigan herself might be the best antagonist I've read in a long while. Certainly it will be a while before I get her out of my head...

McDermott does an excellent job of raising the stakes bit by bit (or revealling how high the stakes have already become). The Point of No Return (no spoilers!) was very well done, the execution more than making up for the slightly out-of-place naivety of ...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Narrelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, australian

Deserving of all its nominations and awards, Madigan Mine is a fabulous book of creeping horror. It begins as a story of two messed up people being self-centred and destructive about being in love. It ends up with the destruction falling like doom upon everyone, the result of a warped and vicious mistaken idea of what love means. Kirstyn McDermott brings a chilling eye to a creepy and abominable love story. I can't wait for her next book! ...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Karen Brooks rated it it was amazing

This is a masterful book, written in crisp, clear prose that captures the possessive relationship of Lexi and Madigan in a chilling and yet, for a supernatural narrative, oh so real way. The characters are beautifully realized as is the love-hate relationship and the creeping awareness that death is not an end... I could not put this down.

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Aug 25, 2010 Christine Bongers rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-adult

Kirstyn McDermott's debut novel is a beautifully crafted, compulsively readable story of obsessive love and possession. Gothic thriller fans will love its spiraling journey from the dark recesses of the human psyche into the realms of the supernatural. I loved its damn fine writing. A pleasure to read. A writer to watch. ...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Very, very disturbing and a compelling read. Recommended for fans of beautifully written horror.

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Feb 15, 2014 ROSE HATHAWAY rated it liked it

It was okay. Could've been better. ...more

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Feb 26, 2015 Sarah rated it it was amazing

not on overdrive

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Oct 06, 2012 Kim Wilkins rated it it was amazing

Beautifully written. Strange and lovely all at once.

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Jun 16, 2016 Kate Gordon rated it it was amazing

I loved this even more than I remembered!

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Jun 19, 2012 Alan Baxter rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Beautifully written and excellently constructed, this is a powerful story. Highly recommended.

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Nov 14, 2014 Judy rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

I thought this book was silly and not so well written. I did not like it.

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Nov 28, 2010 J.C. Hart rated it really liked it

I devoured this book! It was a great read, really easy to get into and lose yourself in.

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Kathleen Egan rated it liked it
Jan 17, 2016

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About Kirstyn McDermott

Kirstyn McDermott

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Kirstyn McDermott is an Australian author of two award-winning novels, Madigan Mine and Perfections, as well as a collection of short fiction, Caution: Contains Small Parts. Until recently, she produced and co-hosted a literary discussion podcast, The Writer and the Critic, and is currently undertaking a creative PhD at Federation University with a research focus on retold fairy tales.