The Humiliation of Millicent Salmond, Jenny Lynch
Published by Mary Egan Publishing
Publication date: 22 October 2025
PB, 298pp, RRP $37.99
ISBN: 978-1-0670519-9-0
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 . . . a knitting needle becomes a lethal weapon.
These are among 22 deliciously twisted ‘tales of the unexpected’ that delve into the devious corners of human behaviour. Jenny 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 to a bold new level.
“For much of my life I have been fascinated by human behaviour. 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.
Some of the 22 stories in “The Humiliation of Millicent Salmond” were sparked by my own strange experiences, or those of people I encountered over the years. 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.”
JENNY LYNCH Jenny Lynch is a former editor of the NZ Woman's Weekly. She has also been an actor, photographic model and a Playboy bunny.
She has lived and worked in the USA, Canada and Australia and is the author of four non-fiction books including a fashion history, Ready To Wear: The changing shape of New Zealand fashion and a memoir Under the Covers: Secrets of a Magazine Editor. The Secrets They Kept was her first work of fiction.
Jenny's journalistic career spanned more than 30 years. A host of interviews – from celebrities to psychics – gave her insights into the vagaries of human behaviour that are reflected in the characters in the pages of her novel. So, too, did a six-month 'adventure' at Melbourne's ‘The Playboy’, a nightclub run by a shady underworld figure.
Before joining the Weekly in 1976 as assistant editor to legendary Jean Wishart and later taking over the reins herself she was a feature writer on the Weekly News, Sunday Herald and Thursday magazine. Jenny is now a sought-after public speaker on subjects such as the golden years of journalism, the hits and misses of 20th-century fashion, and the peculiarities of early 20th-century magazine advertising.
Jenny was educated at Epsom Girls Grammar in Auckland and Moorhead Senior High and Concordia College, in Minnesota, USA.
She lives in Auckland with her husband, Dr Gavin Ellis, a researcher and former editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Herald.
Previous titles by Jenny Lynch
In The Secrets They Kept, Helena Anderson searches for the truth about her mother’s mysterious death in 1967. Raised in a secretive, God-fearing family, every question is met with silence. As Helena digs deeper, long-buried truths surface, forcing her to confront shocking revelations about her past and herself.
In Under the Covers, former editor Jenny Lynch lifts the lid on the untold stories of New Zealand’s magazine world. From newsroom secrets and celebrity encounters to the fiery “Magazine Wars” of the Woman’s Weekly era, her witty, revealing memoir captures three decades of drama, change and life behind the headlines.
For media queries, review and giveaway copies, extracts and interviews, please contact publicist:
Karen McKenzie, 027 693 9044, karen_m@xtra.co.nz, www.lighthousepr.co.nz