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A new fiction book by a well-known and respected journalist is described as “22 deliciously twisted tales of the unexpected that delve into the devious corners of human behaviour”.
In The Humiliation of Millicent Salmond, New Zealand author Jenny Lynch delves into subject matter such as “a fed-up housewife plans the perfect murder; a woman scorned seeks revenge; a callous nurse breaks a deathbed promise; a domestic tyrant makes a shocking discovery; and a knitting needle becomes a lethal weapon”.
Lynch brings sly humour, sharp observation and a sting in the tail to every story.
From quiet desperation to outrageous rebellion, this is a collection rich in wit, tension and brilliantly offbeat turns.
The Humiliation of Millicent Salmond takes the element of surprise that captivated readers of her first novel, The Secrets They Kept, to a bold new level.
“For much of my life, I have been fascinated by human behaviour,” she says.
“As a child, I listened at closed doors, eager to know what exciting, dreadful or disgusting things adults were discussing in hushed voices behind them.
“Curiosity of this sort eventually led me to journalism. Over several decades I met newsmakers who ranged from business executives to pop stars and psychics, and some people who still make me shiver when I think of them.
“I wondered why quiet heroes often got so little reward while unpleasant, self-serving people appeared to prosper.
“Or did they? For, as time went on, I discovered that life can turn the tables – in totally unexpected ways,” Lynch says.
“But the plots themselves simply ‘arrived’ out of the blue. Almost all have had a long gestation.
“I wrote a draft of each tale as it ‘arrived’ then put it in a folder with the others.
“The favourable reception to my first novel, a mystery titled The Secrets They Kept, encouraged me to think that readers might be ready for a new level of surprise and intrigue.”
