“That’s it, I’m gone,” Steve Braunias declares in the first line of “The Survivors”, the final entry in his trilogy of true-crime non-fiction. Years of researching and writing bleak courtroom narratives and other grisly stories has finally worn him down - though it’s this book in particular, Braunias makes clear, that was the true nail in the coffin.
Certainly, for a collection called “The Survivors”, plenty of them involve death. His WORD Christchurch 2024 event “True Stories of Death and Desperation” (taken from the subtitle of his book) seems more fitting somehow for the grim tales contained within, which were sometimes bittersweet, usually devastating, and often left me with that twinge in the throat you feel just before you’re about to cry. You can see why Braunias, who until recently was able to attend court cases simply as a passing observer, has become affected. The book emerged from a curiosity about how people live their lives and make unusual, potentially inexplicable decisions. But it’s difficult to dig so deeply into the complexities of another and not somehow be changed yourself.
The despair that looms over “The Survivors” is no reason to shy away from the book, however - it’s a captivating collection and thoroughly worth the read. Braunias’ years of experience as a journalist for The New Zealand Herald and literary editor at Newsroom shine through in his work; his attention to detail is immaculate, not only drawing the reader along for the journey but conveying emotions so raw you may as well have been there. He paints a portrait of various complex characters, but the complexities tend to invoke sympathy rather than scorn. There are some really wonderful people discussed in this book, who were clearly treasured by their communities, and then there are people who committed crimes, even killed others, and you're empathetic all the same. (Apart from a few cases in the book that are really so horrible it's hard to think about).
It's not all doom and gloom, though. There's a humour present throughout, in the classic Steve Braunias style, but it doesn't feel disrespectful. And the stories themselves are absorbing, somehow hopeful, propelling you onwards even where the subject matter turns heavy. He covers local eccentrics, strange killings, and historical crimes, all of it infused with an air of intrigue and plenty of humanity. One particular ending to a chapter tossed my heart around:
We talked about grief, but we also talked about fish, and games, and drawing, and the stories he used to write with his wife. He was in good spirits, made jokes, chatted, listened closely, and sometimes wept. I said about loss: 'What can you do?' He spread his hands to indicate the two of us sitting in that café, and said: 'This.'
I'm looking forward to hearing such a fantastic storyteller in person - if "The Survivors" is anything to go by, it's bound to be an engaging night. We should all be happy that, although Steve Braunias may be done writing true crime, he’s not yet finished talking about it.
Steve Braunias will be joining Philip Matthews in conversation on Friday 30 August, 12:30-1:30pm at The Piano. Make sure to get your tickets before they're all sold out!
More by Steve Braunias
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