A Shopping List for Murder

Book excerpt: A Shopping List for Murder, is an autobiography of a unique piece of New Zealand's criminal history. Robyn had a seemingly normal marriage and was achieving her dreams of breeding distinctive stud Belted Galloway cattle, and running a Farmstay in an idyllic valley setting in the Canterbury Foothills. Her world was nearly perfect. One cold and winters night, she walked nearly 10 km to a Public phone box and made the most important and influential phone call of her life. That phone call caused a series of events that disintegrated to a point where murder was the near outcome. This book describes in graphic detail, what it is like to be a victim of a horrendous premeditated crime, in a remote farm house. The story goes further then merely recounting the attack. We learn what it is like being the victim in the New Zealand criminal justice system, and the frustrations that individuals endure being a part of that system. We also watch as Robyn has to fight every inch of the way to rebuild her life after surviving the terror of that night that will no doubt haunt her forever. How she has coped has been her tremendous grit and determination, ability to think outside the square and her quirky sense of humour as is evidenced by the many amusing excerpts scattered throughout this book. Walk beside Robyn as she guides you through her story.