Dear Village
The Vanishing Of Vivienne Cameron
$36.99
The Vanishing Of Vivienne Cameron by Vikki Petraitis returns to one of Victoria’s most haunting true crime cases: the 1986 Phillip Island murder of Beth Barnard and the disappearance of Vivienne Cameron, a wife and mother who was never found. From the start, police settled on a simple story — jealousy, murder, suicide — but the facts have always felt messier, and far more unsettling. Petraitis revisits the evidence with a practised investigative eye, weaving in fresh testimony, overlooked details, and what decades of reporting (including her earlier work and podcast) have revealed about the case. Just as compelling is her look at how assumptions and bias can shape an investigation, and what gets missed when a narrative is chosen too quickly. Perfect for readers who enjoy Australian true crime, cold cases, forensic investigation, and books that question official conclusions. Add it to your trolley and see why this forty-year mystery still won’t lie still.
Dear Village
Convicts, Crimes And Tragic Times
$36.99
Convicts, Crimes and Tragic Times by Tony Matthews is a riveting slice of Australian history, told through true crime stories that uncover the harsh, lawless edge of the colonial era. With a historian’s eye for telling detail, Matthews threads together crime, punishment and sheer survival across penal settlements, goldfields and early cities. This anthology introduces unforgettable figures and incidents: a one-eyed executioner at Old Melbourne Gaol, bungled robberies with deadly consequences, and courtroom moments where justice is anything but straightforward. The book moves through mutinies, disappearances, poisonings and gold-rush greed, building a vivid picture of how desperation and opportunity shaped lives—and the nation. Perfect for readers who enjoy narrative nonfiction, true crime, and anyone drawn to the darker corners of early Australian society. Add it to your next read if you like history with grit, momentum and plenty to talk about.
Dear Village
The Postcard Bandit
$34.99
The Postcard Bandit by Brenden Abbott is an authorised true crime biography that traces one of Australia’s most notorious fugitives, from daring escapes to years spent in maximum-security prison. Written with a close eye for detail and the lived reality of a man who became a headline, it offers a gripping look at what it takes to survive on the run—and what it costs. This biography chronicles Abbott’s criminal career, the manhunts that followed, and the long stretch of incarceration that shaped his later life. Along the way, it explores the mechanics of pursuit and containment, and the uneasy fascination the public holds for outlaw figures in modern Australian crime history. Perfect for readers who devour Australian true crime, prison memoirs, and criminal biography, as well as anyone curious about life behind bars and the psychology of escape. Add it to your cart and discover the story behind the legend.
Dear Village
Blood On The Badge
$34.99
Blood On The Badge Gunfights, stabbings, and unspeakable violence — these are the true stories of the officers who stood between chaos and order.Early 20th-century criminals were among the most ruthless in Australia’s history. Their violent excesses left communities reeling.In an era when handguns, explosives and Tommy guns were the weapons of choice, police officers faced down dangerous offenders without modern tactics, protective gear or psychological training — relying only on grit, instinct and sheer physical courage.Award-winning police veteran Alan Leek brings to life a gripping collection of true stories from a time when raw danger came with the badge. From the frenzied Anzac Day stabbing of a young constable who had returned from years of active war service to an officer mortally wounded by a serial killer he had apprehended, whose bravery earned a posthumous George Cross. These are stories of men who stepped forward when others ran — and often paid the ultimate price.Blood on the Badge is a hard-hitting tribute to the forgotten heroes of Australian policing. Through gunfights, prison breakouts, brutal stabbings and the relentless toll of frontline service, this book lays bare the human cost of justice during one of the nation’s most violent periods.‘I enjoyed the book immensely … told by a man who has personally experienced and witnessed the life-changing impacts of service.’Reg Watson‘We are often exposed to the hoodlum era of America, but jeepers, Australia was not far behind.’Hobart Legacy‘Some of the crimes dealt with here are horrific and tragic … but they need to be told to set the record straight and ensure that the victims are remembered beyond their names being chiselled into stone.’The Book Albury
Dear Village
Badness: From The Author Of The Number One Bestselling Crime Book I Catch Killers
$34.99
Badness: From The Author Of The Number One Bestselling Crime Book I Catch Killers FROM THE HOST OF THE HIT PODCAST I CATCH KILLERSTHE BESTSELLING TRUE CRIME BOOK OF 2022As a cop, I used to sit on one side of the interview room table facing murderers, child abductors and rapists. Now I'm sitting on the other side: disgraced, forced out of the police and judged to be a criminal. I want to show you what the world looks like from here.Talking to crooks, cops, forensic psychologists, scientists and victims, I've gone back to some of Australia's worst acts of badness, including unsolved murders that never made the front pages as well as infamous killings carried out by Ivan Milat and the Granny Killer, the murder of Anita Cobby, the Hoddle Street massacre, Port Arthur, horrific abuse at the Parramatta girls' home and the disappearance of preschooler William Tyrrell.What I've found has made me question everything, including where evil comes from, what drives us to commit crimes and how we can prevent them. I used to think I was on the side of the angels. Now I am not so sure.Gary Jubelin was one of Australia's most celebrated Homicide detectives, leading investigations into the William Tyrrell case, the serial killing of three Aboriginal children in Bowraville and the brutal gangland murder of Terry Falconer. In 2020, he was found guilty of illicitly recording conversations with a witness. Since leaving the NSW Police Force, he has built a career in the media, working in newspapers, television and podcasts. Gary still works hard to help the victims of crime.
Dear Village
The Lost Girls
$27.99
The Lost Girls The chilling true story of the heinous murder of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and daughter Khandalyce and how the case was crackedIn August 2010, the bones of a young woman were found in Belanglo State Forest, where, years earlier, Ivan Milat had tortured and slain seven young backpackers. Dubbed Angel, her remains lay unidentified for years. Who was she, how did she die, and at whose hand? Then, in July 2015, the bones of a child were found in a suitcase by a highway in South Australia. Months later, a call to Crime Stoppers led to an identification. Two-year-old Khandalyce Pearce had left Alice Springs in 2008 with her mother and hadn't been seen since. Through DNA, Angel was quickly identified as Khandalyce's mother, Karlie Pearce-Stevenson. In the grimmest of scenarios, mother and daughter were reunited at last. The Lost Girls is the chilling true story of this heinous double murder and how police tracked down the perpetrator, who not only killed the girls but stole the young mother's identity to defraud authorities and her family. Gripping and authentic, The Lost Girls celebrates the short lives of a young woman and her daughter, and the investigators determined to bring them home.
Dear Village
The Dark Prince Of Melbourne: From The Top Crime Author Of The Golden Gang And On Radji Beach
$35.99
The Dark Prince Of Melbourne: From The Top Crime Author Of The Golden Gang And On Radji BeachBad boys, bright lights and sorry ends: the story of our most infamous gangster.Joseph Leslie 'Squizzy' Taylor was many things to many people: a kind and caring husband, father and stepfather, a reliable son and brother, a generous and considerate neighbour and patron. He was also a criminal willing to consider any type of crime, provided it supported his lifestyle and his ego.Squizzy graduated from teenage pickpocket to adult murderer, from organising smash-and-grab raids on jewellers to corrupting juries and suborning witnesses. And he was nothing if not newsworthy, whether appearing at the opening night of a new show at the top end of Bourke Street or climbing the steps en route to an appearance in the Supreme Court.For more than a decade, Victoria's best detectives were unable to pin any one of a dozen major crimes on him. Yet Squizzy ultimately met his match in street-punk-turned-gunman Snowy Cutmore in a darkened bedroom in a boarding house in Carlton.In this first detailed biography of arguably Australia's best-known standover man, Ian W. Shaw traces the life of the criminal who set the trend in city gangster life, not only in Melbourne but Australia-wide.
Dear Village
Inside The Mind Of The Backpacker Killer
$22.99
Inside The Mind Of The Backpacker Killer Ivan Milat’s killing spree through the Australian outback left a trail of terror and cemented his legacy as one of the most ruthless serial killers in history. Targeting young backpackers seeking adventure, Milat turned the idyllic Belanglo State Forest into a nightmare, brutally murdering at least seven travellers. His horrifying crimes became the real-life inspiration for the hit horror film Wolf Creek, an iconic piece of Australian cinema.This book unravels the shocking details of Milat’s brutality, the relentless investigation that brought him to justice, and the cultural effects that turned his story into both a cautionary tale and a dark fascination for true crime fans. Discover the unsettling truths behind the man who terrorized a nation.Perfect for fans of Mindhunter, Making a Murderer, and anyone drawn to the real-life stories behind horror’s most haunting legends, this is the definitive account of a killer who terrorized the Australian Outback.
Dear Village
Recipe For Murder
$34.99
Recipe For Murder: The Definitive Account of Erin Patterson and the Mushroom Murder Trial That Enthralled the WorldIt is the case that has fascinated many.On 29 July 2023 in Leongatha, a small town in rural Victoria, family and friends of local woman Erin Patterson sit down for Saturday lunch. On the menu, Beef Wellington.The next day, four of the guests are hospitalized. Doctors suspect death cap mushroom poisoning. Within a week, three of them will be dead.On 2 November that same year, Erin Patterson is arrested and charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder. Held in custody at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison until her trial began in April 2025, the case captured media attention around the world.Did Patterson deliberately poison her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle?Was the lunch a recipe for murder? Patterson insisted no. She was innocent of any crime. Not guilty, she declared to the court.A jury of her peers have now decided the answer to those two questions. So how did a respected country woman come to find her relationships and behavior dissected by police and prosecutors?Bestselling author, investigative journalist and former detective, Duncan McNab has sifted through the evidence, spoken to witnesses and attended the nine-week trial.In this gripping book, McNab expertly explains the sequence of events that left three people dead, a community and family shattered and brought Erin Patterson to stand trial. With forensic detail he reveals why the verdict fell the way it did. Guilty!
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
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?
00
DAYS 00
HRS 00
MIN 00
SEC
DAYS 00
HRS 00
MIN 00
SEC
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.
