How to Kill Your Family - Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Main Character: Grace
• Setting: Limehouse Prison
• Plot: Grace is in prison for a murder she did not commit. She writes her memoir to document her true crimes.

Life in Prison

• Cellmate: Kelly, who is talkative and likes to leverage Grace's notoriety for respect.
• Prison Life: Grace attempts to stay in her cell and avoid interactions as much as possible.

Grace's Crimes - Memoir Highlights

1. Grandparents' Murder:

   • Location: Marbella
   • Method: Car crash off a cliff
   • Motivation: Grandparents knew about her but chose to ignore her existence.

2. Andrew Artemis - Cousin:

   • Location: Walthamstow Marsh
   • Method: Drowning under influence of drugs
   • Motivation: Part of family and potential beneficiary.

3. Uncle Lee's Death:

   • Setting: Sex Club
   • Method: Autoerotic asphyxiation
   • Motivation: Part of family and desired death.

4. Janine Artemis (Stepmother):

   • Location: Sauna in Monaco
   • Method: Overheating with a hacked smart home system
   • Motivation: Part of family and indirectly influenced her father.

5. Bryony Artemis - Sister:

   • Method: Allergy-inducing face cream
   • Motivation: Part of family; no direct animosity, but was in line.

Personal Life and Relationships

• Mother: Marie, who died early from cancer.
• Father: Simon Artemis, absent and wealthy.
• Friend: Jimmy, childhood friend, drifted apart due to relationships.

Imprisonment

• Crime: Wrongly accused of murdering Caro Morton, Jimmy's fiancée.
• Appeal Process: New evidence surfaces; hope for exoneration.

Simon Artemis's Death

• Circumstances: Died accidentally at sea while drunk.
• Impact: Grace's ultimate goal thwarted as his death was not by her hand.

Revelations

• Harry: Half-brother, also Simon's child, reveals his role in Simon's death.
• Kelly: Cellmate who documented Grace’s memoir, holding it as leverage.

Conclusion

• Current Status: Grace is set to be released; family fortune controlled by Lara.
• Future Plans: Uncertain due to potential exposure and failure to kill Simon personally.

Themes

• Family and Revenge: Grace's vendetta against family for her mother’s mistreatment.
• Identity and Legacy: Navigating the legacy of her father, Simon Artemis.
• Moral Ambiguity: Grace's reflection on her actions and their justification.

Overall, the memoir serves as a narrative of Grace's life, her motivations, and the consequences of her actions as she recounts her journey and the web of deceit and murder she has spun.