
Dear Village
Best Australian Ghost Stories
$34.99
Australia's master storyteller uncovers stories of hauntings and uncanny events in the bush and in our towns - and maybe in your own neighbourhood too.

Dear Village
Carnage
$24.99
Millions have been entertained by the viral video of a man being arrested after a 'succulent Chinese meal'. But when Mark Dapin investigated, it emerged that this man's story went to the heart of the Australian underworld. A true crime cult classic in the making. This edition featuring a new Afterword.   Whether you know it as the 'succulent Chinese meal' video, or 'democracy manifest', chances are you have seen the video of baritone larrikin Jack Karlson getting arrested outside a Brisbane Chinese restaurant in 1991. The Guardian called it 'perhaps the pre- eminent Australian meme of the last 10 years'.   When Karlson called crime writer Mark Dapin out of the blue, though, Dapin hadn't heard of him. But there was enough that intrigued him about this theatrical outlaw to continue the conversation. Over the following months a dark and complex past emerged. It turned out that Karlson had been in the background of many notorious incidents in late-twentieth century Australian crime, from collaborating with infamous prison-playwright Jim McNeil to befriending hitman Christopher Dale Flannery (Mr Rent-a-Kill).   But most shockingly of all, Karlson's life story led Dapin to shed new light on a number of unsolved murders, by two serial killers.   The result is an extraordinary, deeply revealing portrait of Australian crime from the 60s to the 2010s – a portrait of carnage.  ' Carnage is a classic Australian crime story.' Gary Jubelin, author of I Catch Killers  'True crime at its grim and richly entertaining best, and – let's face it – its truest .' Robert Drewe, author of The Shark Net  'If ever there was a book crammed with colorful villains who are “mad, bad and dangerous to know,” it's definitely Mark Dapin's extraordinary book, Carnage .' Kate McClymont, author of He Who Must Be Obeyed

Dear Village
Hidden Scars
$34.99
Unmasking the Journey from Duty to Darkness to Healing In Hidden Scars, former NSW Police Officer Justyn Backhouse shares an unflinching memoir of life on the front lines, revealing the harrowing experiences and unseen toll of a 25-year policing career. Diagnosed with PTSD in 2021, Justyn wrote this memoir during treatment—not only as a path to healing but as an honest exploration of the psychological scars that come with being a first responder. His journey unfolds with gripping intensity: from high-speed pursuits on highway patrol to daring rescues and body recoveries with POLAir, each experience brings him closer to the edge. It all unravels with a pivotal incident late in Justyn’s career—a traumatic moment that thrust him into a mental health crisis. Vivid flashbacks pull readers into defining scenes: the adrenaline and shock of his first encounters with crime, tragic motor vehicle accidents that challenge his views on mortality, and the violent clashes during the Cronulla riots. Each experience erodes the safety of youth, replacing it with the stark realities of policing. As PTSD silently takes root, Justyn confronts the relentless impact of trauma on his work, family, and sense of self. He exposes private battles—panic attacks, the emotional toll on his loved ones, and the struggle to cope with the stress infiltrating every part of his life. Amidst the bleakness, his journey toward recovery unfolds, revealing the support and resilience he draws on to rebuild his life and purpose. Through raw, compelling storytelling, Hidden Scars offers a window into the harsh realities of police work and a powerful message of healing and hope, shining a light on the courage it takes to reclaim oneself from the shadows of trauma.

Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of Jeffrey Dahmer
$22.99
Inside The Mind Of Jeffrey Dahmer Sunday Times bestselling author Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. Berry-Dee now delves into the mind of perhaps the most sadistic and psychopathic killer of all time.Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered and dismembered seventeen boys and men. But he is most notorious for what happened to his victims after their grisly deaths and the shocking depravity that led to Dahmer being dubbed the 'Milwaukee Cannibal'.Using his long experience and psychological expertise, Berry-Dee seeks to understand the motivation, the amoral urges and the merciless horror behind Dahmer's inhuman behaviour: what could make a man do this?

Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of John Wayne Gacy
$22.99
Inside The Mind Of John Wayne GacyNew York Post and Toronto Sun crime reporter and author of Cold Blooded Murder, Brad Hunter has spent over thirty years writing about some of America's most horrific crimes. In this new book he enters the mind of John Wayne Gacy, the real-life 'Killer Clown', often said to be the inspiration for Stephen King's evil Pennywise in It.Gacy lured victims to his home with the promise of work or a warm bed and then duped them into putting on handcuffs, claiming he wanted to show them a magic trick. He would then rape and torture his victims before killing them by suffocating or strangling them. Twenty-six were buried in the crawl space beneath his home; others were buried elsewhere on his property, while a handful were dumped in the Des Plaines River.While Gacy was executed for his sickening crimes in 1994, his terrifying spectre continues to haunt us. At least five of his victims remain unidentified and detectives have always suspected that the known victims were just the tip of the iceberg. Gacy even told one detective that his tally of murders was closer to forty-five victims.How many victims were there? Did Gacy act alone? And what drove John Wayne Gacy to murder? Was it his alcoholic, abusive father or was it something deep within him that caused the seemingly normal Gacy to sexually assault, torture and murder at least thirty-three young men and boys? And who was the John Wayne Gacy who regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as Pogo, or Patches, the Clown? The Gacy who was a player in local Democratic Party circles?Drawing on his many years' experience as a crime reporter, investigating and interviewing perpetrators of terrible crimes, Hunter seeks to understand what drove Gacy to unleash a reign of terror in suburban Chicago.

Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of Rose West
$22.99
Inside the Mind of Rose WestRose West was, on the surface, a typical mother living with her husband, Fred, and their children in a three-storey terraced house in Gloucester. However, behind the unassuming facade of 25 Cromwell Street lay a House of Horror where truly terrible crimes took place.Within the family home, numerous young female victims and the Wests' own children endured horrifying sexual violence and torture. It would be many years before the full extent of the Wests' atrocities came to light. How many more victims were buried elsewhere, beyond the nine bodies unearthed beneath the house?Fred eventually confessed to committing murders independently, supposedly as a 'gift' to Rose. But was Rose the true mastermind behind their shared psychosis, their folie à deux?In their investigation, true crime writers Farber and Daniel delve into these questions and explore how the couple's psychology and relationship evolved over time. The story of Rose and Fred West is a chilling examination of the depths of human depravity.

Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of Ted Bundy
$22.99
Inside The Mind Of Ted Bundy Ted Bundy, a failed law student and lone drifter, raped and murdered at least thirty girls and young women in five different US states.Despite his apparent charm and intelligence and seemingly normal relationships with women, he conducted a brutal killing spree between 1974 and 1978. This was the decade during which 'criminal profiling' was initially developed and the term 'serial killer' was first used by law-enforcement agencies.True crime writers Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel examine how this charming man, who was able to function so well in society, could conduct these horrific crimes.They also uncover the cult of 'celebrity' that followed Bundy through the first televised trial in American history - and why his personality and profile has spawned so many films and TV dramas, including Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, in 2019, starring Zac Efron.

Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of The Yorkshire Ripper
$22.99
Inside The Mind Of The Yorkshire RipperThe police believed Sutcliffe was operating only in the Greater Manchester Police, South Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police force areas, using his car. In fact, Sutcliffe was operating nationally and internationally, using his employer's lorry to commit attacks.Authors Chris Clark and Tim Hicks have meticulously researched Sutcliffe's crimes and reveal many of his previously unknown victims for the first time.The police failed to deliver justice for the victims' families, and the media has failed to hold the police to account for this failure - both in the original investigation and in subsequent cold-case investigations.The authors hope that by bringing more of the facts of the case into the public domain and by telling the victims' stories, they can help to bring closure for friends and relatives of victims of the Yorkshire Ripper.

Dear Village
Look What You Made Me Do
$32.99
One Australian woman is hospitalised every three hours and two more lose their lives each week as a result of family violence. But for some women, there is a punishment far more enduring than injury or their own death.Look What You Made Me Do, is a timely exploration of the evil inflicted by vengeful fathers who have killed their own flesh and blood simply to punish partners for ending unrewarding – often abusive – relationships.Focussing on ten different, but equally harrowing cases of ‘spousal revenge’ dating back thirty years, award winning author Megan Norris, draws upon her own experience as a former court and crime reporter, to examine the horrific murders of eighteen children who were the collateral damage in crimes where the real target of their angry dad’s rage was their mother.From the 2018 cold-blooded shooting murders of Sydney teenagers, Jack and Jennifer Edwards, whose abusive businessman father was granted a licence to kill by the NSW Firearms Registry, despite a shocking history of family violence dating back three decades, to the heinous premeditated homicides of Queensland mum, Hannah Clarke, who succumbed to her own horrific injuries after watching her three young children burn to death at the hands of their violent father, this book shows it is not only women who are at risk when family violence turns deadly.Now recognised as the ultimate act of domestic violence a man could inflict on his partner, Norris’s award-winning book shines a light on the disturbing connection between family violence and retaliatory homicide and explores the shattering legacy of grief that such crimes have on surviving mothers.A book that allows these serious crimes to be better understood and ultimately informs and advocates for new approaches to managing these complex and deadly situations.

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Dear Village
Lovers' Lane Murders
$17.50
$34.99
Andy Atkinson and Cheryl Henry met on a blind date arranged by friends and hit it off immediately. On their second date at Bayou Mama’s, they left together to visit a spot known as "Lovers' Lane." Within hours, Andy was found tied to a tree with his throat slashed, and Cheryl was discovered raped and murdered nearby. Their brutal deaths shocked Houston and remain unsolved to this day. "The Lovers' Lane Murders" explores the lives of Cheryl and Andy, revealing new details and hoping to bring fresh insight into this decades-old mystery. The families still seek resolution, and the killer remains at large.

Dear Village
Meadow's Law
$34.99
Meadow'S LawThe remarkable story of a battle between science and the law, and a mother's fight for justiceIn 2003, Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of smothering her four young children to death, one by one. Medical experts told her trial that they had never come across a family like hers, where three or more infants had died from natural causes. Extracts from diaries she had written were judged to be virtual admissions of guilt, and Folbigg was sentenced to 40 years in jail. But did she do it?This is a gripping and meticulously researched account of one of Australia's most infamous criminal cases, written by investigative journalist Quentin McDermott, whose groundbreaking work with ABC's Australian Story helped trigger a push by scientists to uncover the genetic cause of two of the children's deaths. It is also the story of how dedicated teams of lawyers, friends and supporters fought to achieve Kathleen Folbigg's eventual pardon, release and acquittal after 20 years behind bars.Meadow's Law is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime, justice, science and the power of investigative journalism.

Dear Village
Missing
$32.99
Missing … without a trace … into thin air. In Missing, Nicole Morris, best-selling author of Vanished and founder of the Australian Missing Persons Register, delves into the chilling world of long-term missing persons cases. With over 55,000 disappearances annually in Australia, each story is a heart-wrenching account of unanswered questions and shattered lives. From a West Australian man entangled in the dangers of online dating to an Adelaide father possibly linked to Australia's most notorious serial killings, Morris uncovers haunting tales of those who vanished without a trace. Three mothers leaving behind bewildered children, a young hitchhiker lost on a desolate Queensland highway, and two Sydney men who lost their way—all woven into the fabric of inexplicable disappearances. The narrative spans decades, from the 1980s to present-day mysteries, including the puzzling case of a gentle Greenpeace worker vanishing amidst inner-city Melbourne, the suspicious disappearance of a 21-year-old, and the grim discovery of scattered remains in Queensland, unravelling a harrowing tale of violence and tragedy. And then there is the perplexing case of a man who went missing over and over again. Missing sheds light on the untold stories of those who vanished, leaving behind a void of unanswered questions and enduring pain. Nicole Morris brings attention to the cold cases from families of missing persons, raising awareness, and hopefully uncovering new leads for desperate families searching for the truthAuthor located in Brisbane. Location of the stories: Steven Lockey – Elizabeth, Davoren Park, Broadmeadows, Kilburn Adelaide SA; Joanne Butterfield – Cairns, Mossman, Mowbray, Pin Gin Hill QLD; Rigby Fielding – Perth, Kwinana, Rockingham WA; Gail King – Brahma Lodge, Adelaide,. Minlaton, Yorke Peninsula SA; Anthony Jones – Townsville, Hughenden, Mt Isa QLD and Perth WA; Owen Redman – Brunswick, St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria; Andrew Anderson – Nambucca Heads, Valla, Bowraville, Thora, Dorrigo, Bellingen, Macksville, Mid North Coast New South Wales; Jamie Howe – Glebe, Ashfield, Leichhardt, Broadway, Sydney, New South Wales; Sandrine Jourdan – Caboolture, QLD; Stephen Mitchell – Beverley Hills, Mortdale, Narwee, Hurstville, Olds Park, Kurnell, Jannali, Matraville, Miranda, Cronulla, Botany, Sydney, NSW; Shaun Barker – Pacific Pines, Broadbeach Gold Coast, Toolara State Forest, Cooloola Cove, Gympie, QLD; Paul – Nowra NSW praise for the author:"Thank you Nicole for all you do in helping these families and being their voice in getting the word out there. Excellent true crime book about what the families feel when a loved one goes missing. Written well so it’s an easy listen to heartbreaking stories that will stay with you." "I read this book within one day. I think it was a fantastic and informative exploration into these individuals stories" "Commendation to Nicole Morris for what she does for families of missing persons"

Dear Village
Murder In The Suburbs
$34.99
Shocking True Crimes can happen in Your Street. From acclaimed true crime author and podcaster Emily Webb comes a gripping collection of chilling cases from Australia and beyond. This volume delves into both well-known and obscure crimes, revealing the dark underbelly lurking beneath seemingly peaceful neighbourhoods. In 1977, the murder of an Australian nurse living in Texas shocked the community and remains unsolved to this day. In 1950, the disappearance of a Melbourne woman led to the largest search of its time, only for her husband to later confess to disposing of her body under dubious circumstances. The book also examines decades of baby abductions from hospitals, suburban homes, and public streets, highlighting the vulnerability of the most innocent among us. The still-unsolved murder of elderly "gentleman grocer" Frank Newbery in Newcastle serves as a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk in the most familiar places. In the 1950s, a cricket match in suburban Adelaide turned into a scene of terror when a gunman opened fire, fatally shooting one player and injuring another. In 1973, during a bustling football game at Adelaide Oval, 11-year-old Joanne Ratcliffe and 4-year-old Kirste Gordon vanished without a trace, their disappearances haunting the community to this day Murder in the Suburbs is a compelling reminder that even the most tranquil street can harbor dark secrets. These true accounts will leave you questioning the safety of the world just outside your door. PRAISE FOR EMILY WEBBSuburban True Crime is a cracking read. It's full of suspense and mystery — but not of the Hollywood variety — instead Emily Webb writes about our streets and suburbs. – The AU Review Webb certainly whets the appetite for more reading around these cases … A solid addition to any true crime lover’s bookshelf. – GLAM Her telling of a range of tales reads as factual, careful and very considered … That doesn't mean that she shies away from explaining what happened to many of these victims, it, fortunately, lacks the sensationalism that can sometimes be found in these sorts of accounts. – AustralianCrimeFiction.org

Dear Village
Payback
$34.99
From cold-blooded calculation to fiery vengeance—discover how history's most notorious killers finally faced their fate! Step into the chilling world of some of history's most infamous killers and discover how their reigns of terror came to a brutal, often fitting end. Payback chronicles the lives, crimes, and ultimate fates of notorious figures like Harold Shipman, the most prolific serial killer in British history, whose meticulous plans for suicide were as calculated as his murders. From Bluebeard, the remorseless widow-killer, racing toward his guillotine, to Bonnie and Clyde meeting their demise in a hail of bullets, this collection dives deep into the justice—or vengeance—that ended their crimes. Using historical accounts, trial transcripts, and psychological insights, Payback explores the depravity of these individuals, the lives they destroyed, and the punishments that await them. Readers will encounter chilling moments of calm calculation, like Percival William Budd's emotionless murder of a taxi driver for a car, and horrifying spectacles of retribution, from botched executions to violent prison deaths. This volume explores the psychology of killers, from early warning signs to the urges that drove them to kill. With gripping detail, Payback offers a haunting glimpse into the minds of killers and asks whether justice was truly served. You decide: Did these killers get what they deserved

Dear Village
The First Murderer I Ever Met
$36.99
The First Murderer I Ever MetFor more than thirty years, Mark Dapin has been hanging out with crooks, and both types of cop. In this gripping, often funny and always surprising book, he sorts the tall stories from the truth about true crime, showing us what some of Australia’s most famous felons are really like.Mark Dapin was still in school when he met his first murderer – a boy called Ian. In reporting the murder Ian eventually committed, newspapers used the cliché that it ‘shocked even those who knew him best’. But it didn’t shock Dapin, because he knew Ian in real life, not in clichés.Criminals are sensationalised in the press and mythologised in their own stories. In describing criminals, police and prison officers he’s spent time with, Dapin searches for the real characters and events. How many of Chopper Read’s stories were actually true? What's it like at home with former murder cop Gary Jubelin? Was the biggest art heist in Australian history carried out by one of Dapin’s neighbours, the mysterious Sky Blue? And what happens when you go to visit a prison with celebrated escapee John Killick? These encounters are better than a ring-side seat to the underworld: Dapin gets in the ring.The First Murderer I Ever Met is the truest true crime – it’s what actually happened.