The Burning Desire

The Burning Desire by Geoff Plunkett is gripping Australian true crime that digs into the disturbing psychology of serial arson and the devastating human cost left behind.

Plunkett examines two catastrophic fires: the 1975 Savoy Hotel blaze in Kings Cross and the 1989 Downunder Hotel inferno, each started by a different man and together claiming 21 lives. One offender’s violence erupts in rage; the other’s is methodical, remorseless, and—over decades—linked to hundreds more fires across Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, many in occupied buildings. Drawing on investigators and expert insights, the book follows how the story didn’t end in the courtroom, with later crimes and a web of manipulation that demanded fresh scrutiny.

Perfect for readers of investigative nonfiction, criminal psychology, and Australian history, especially anyone drawn to meticulous case-based storytelling.

Step into a confronting, unputdownable account of fire as an overlooked form of mass killing.