CRIMES THAT SHOCKED AUSTRALIA ...50 crimes from 1803 to the present...

Hardback. A collection of the most mysterious, bizarre and often macabre incidents in Australian history. They date from the 1803 nightmare of 'The Man They Couldn't Hang'(Joseph Samuels), to such lingering mysteries as the disappearance of Sydney heiress Juanita Nielsen. Some of the cases were ingenious, or so they seemed. Others were committed with such absurd incompetence - like 'The First Bank Robbery' - that they reach almost comical proportions. But the majority of the crimes, of course, plumb the depths of tragedy, and not always for the victims alone. The author leads the armchair criminologist along an absorbing trail, examining the protagonists, the motives and the circumstances. Many of the characters are surprisingly mild, ordinary people, driven to incomprehensible behaviour by greed, lust or desperation. Others appear scarcely human in their cold-blooded cruelty. Written in chronological order, these crime stories also provide an historical record of everyday life in Australia. Profusely Illus., Bibliog. and Index. 328pp. lge. 8vo. h/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. Vg+ in faded G+ dw. which has 'rippled' back cover (see image). A fairly heavy book which will require additional postage.