Lynley's Books

Lynley Hood, A City Possessed: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case, Longacre, Dunedin, 2001

A City Possessed is a strong, compelling and shocking story about one of New Zealand's most high-profile criminal cases - a story of child abuse allegations, gender politics and the law. In detailing the events and debates leading up to and surrounding the Christchurch Civic Creche case, Lynley Hood shows how such a case could happen, and why. Her penetrating analysis of the social and legal processes by which the conviction of Peter Ellis was obtained, and has been repeatedly upheld, has far-reaching implications - not only for our justice system, but for the way in which we see ourselves. A City Possessed won the prestigious 2002 Montana Medal for non-fiction, and the Readers' Choice Award in the 2002 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Lynley Hood was awarded a New Zealand Skeptics 2002 Bravo award for A City Possessed

'Ms Hood is clearly interested in the truth, and in careful research, rather than holding a view and sticking with it through thick and thin.'
Dr Alison Jones, Director of the Institute for Research on Gender, University of Auckland.

'A book that will elicit strong responses; outrage and bewilderment among them.'
Brian Turner, poet and publishing consultant.

'This is a work of scholarship of the highest academic standard.'
Professor Mark Henaghan, Dean of Law, University of Otago.

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