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.
