Victoria

John Silvester

John Silvester is a Walkley-award winning crime writer and columnist. A co-author of the best-selling books that formed the basis of the hit Australian TV series Underbelly, Silvester is also a regular guest on 3AW with his "Sly of the Underworld" segment.

Mick Gatto purchased his luxury property in 2005.

Inside Chateau Gatto

The first thing real estate agents (and porn movie directors for that matter) advise is you should de-clutter your prime assets to make them look more impressive and stand out.

Karl Frederick Bonnett.

The Dirty Dozen

Before drugs made every second street dealer strut around like Al Capone gangsters were home-grown, white and local. And back then police produced a super-secret annual report, which was their Football Record on crooks.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius.

When cops go bad

In a big country town cops tend to stick together. They share rented homes, support local sports clubs and drink in the same pubs. They share tragedies and triumphs and in the good districts newbies benefit from the experience of the station elders.

Christopher Binse in police custody after his two-day siege at Keilor in 2012.

Was Badness Born Bad?

Sadly the true crime shelves in most bookshops are inhabited by paperbacks of dubious quality containing cliche-ridden chapters on reheated topics. I should know as I have written many of them.

Melbourne woman Elisabeth Membrey who disappeared from her Ringwood home in December 1994.

When murder acquittal brings peace to no one

How do you tell grieving parents they will never find justice and there will be no last minute miracles? How do you tell the honest and the decent that life is unfair, that logic doesn't always work and prayers can go unanswered?