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The Murder Squad: How Australia's Toughest Cops Hunted the Monsters of the Great Depression
As Australia sank into the darkest days of the Great Depression, a succession of bloody mysteries grabbed headlines and gripped the country. The Hammer Horror, The Bungendore Bones, The Park Demon, The Human Glove and The Pyjama Girl - these were just some of the grisly cases that had to be solved by the Sydney detectives of The Murder Squad.
With the people, press and politicians screaming for justice and vengeance, homicide chief Tom McRae and his colleagues used bold new investigative tools in the massive manhunts for these maniacal killers. Working under intense pressure, hard-nosed and hard-charging cops solved some cases brilliantly - yet others were 'closed' with dodgy convictions while several shadowy figures were to get away with murder.
Set against the backdrop of our greatest economic crisis, as the federal and state governments headed for a showdown and fascist and communist thugs threatened civil war, The Murder Squad reopens the files on Australia's most chilling forgotten crimes to ask who was guilty, who was innocent, and whether some cops were as dangerous as the monsters they were hunting.
With the people, press and politicians screaming for justice and vengeance, homicide chief Tom McRae and his colleagues used bold new investigative tools in the massive manhunts for these maniacal killers. Working under intense pressure, hard-nosed and hard-charging cops solved some cases brilliantly - yet others were 'closed' with dodgy convictions while several shadowy figures were to get away with murder.
Set against the backdrop of our greatest economic crisis, as the federal and state governments headed for a showdown and fascist and communist thugs threatened civil war, The Murder Squad reopens the files on Australia's most chilling forgotten crimes to ask who was guilty, who was innocent, and whether some cops were as dangerous as the monsters they were hunting.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2023
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65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 17, 2023
Sydney, the Great Depression. Murder and mayhem grip the country. Homicide Chief, Tom McRae, and colleagues (the Murder Squad) are tasked with hunting down killers and solving crimes.
Michael Adams transports the reader to Sydney at the start of the 1930s. The Murder Squad is well-researched. He paints a vivid picture of events and challenges facing people of those times. Life was tough back then, and being part of the police force was no different.
It was fascinating to read of advances in crime-fighting techniques, and the origins of methods (like ballistics) which would prove vital in years to come. I particularly enjoyed mention of the dog squads – Constable Adam “Scotty” Denholm and Tess.
“The dogs could track men, articles and parcels by their scent - and chase crooks and pin them down until they were arrested. But these dogs were absolutely placid and friendly otherwise - and were particularly good with children.”
Such wholesome anecdotes were rare in a book filled with murder. Some of the most notable cases included The Pyjama Girl, The Park Demon, and The Human Glove. The latter involved noteworthy methods to obtain fingerprints.
“Walkom donned a thin rubber glove and carefully slid his own hand inside the dead man’s skin to print each finger of the human glove”
The era was certainly filled with its share of intriguing characters – both villains and cops. I didn’t find any of them particularly likeable though. Talk of politicians didn’t help matters. In fact, politics, unions, and communism featured heavily. While the backdrop helped portray the times, it began to dominate content.
Speaking of unlikable characters, the media was also a strong focus. Responsible for drumming up hysteria around crimes, the real story in The Murder Squad appeared to be the vigorous competition among Sydney press.
“But to the Smith’s editors, the police silence might have been interpreted as a green light for even wilder stories to boost circulation in the cut-throat Sydney market.”
Australia had the death sentence back then, which added extra tension to court cases portrayed. These were detailed retellings, and often highlighted dodgy police tactics. But for all the justice system’s flaws, you couldn’t argue against its efficiency in some areas.
“From cell to hanging, it had taken ten seconds.”
While The Murder Squad highlights gripping cases “worthy of Agatha Christie," it’s too often bogged down depicting time and place. Despite solid research, it occasionally feels like a series of newspaper reports. Recommend only for serious true crime and history buffs.
Many thanks to Affirm Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Michael Adams transports the reader to Sydney at the start of the 1930s. The Murder Squad is well-researched. He paints a vivid picture of events and challenges facing people of those times. Life was tough back then, and being part of the police force was no different.
It was fascinating to read of advances in crime-fighting techniques, and the origins of methods (like ballistics) which would prove vital in years to come. I particularly enjoyed mention of the dog squads – Constable Adam “Scotty” Denholm and Tess.
“The dogs could track men, articles and parcels by their scent - and chase crooks and pin them down until they were arrested. But these dogs were absolutely placid and friendly otherwise - and were particularly good with children.”
Such wholesome anecdotes were rare in a book filled with murder. Some of the most notable cases included The Pyjama Girl, The Park Demon, and The Human Glove. The latter involved noteworthy methods to obtain fingerprints.
“Walkom donned a thin rubber glove and carefully slid his own hand inside the dead man’s skin to print each finger of the human glove”
The era was certainly filled with its share of intriguing characters – both villains and cops. I didn’t find any of them particularly likeable though. Talk of politicians didn’t help matters. In fact, politics, unions, and communism featured heavily. While the backdrop helped portray the times, it began to dominate content.
Speaking of unlikable characters, the media was also a strong focus. Responsible for drumming up hysteria around crimes, the real story in The Murder Squad appeared to be the vigorous competition among Sydney press.
“But to the Smith’s editors, the police silence might have been interpreted as a green light for even wilder stories to boost circulation in the cut-throat Sydney market.”
Australia had the death sentence back then, which added extra tension to court cases portrayed. These were detailed retellings, and often highlighted dodgy police tactics. But for all the justice system’s flaws, you couldn’t argue against its efficiency in some areas.
“From cell to hanging, it had taken ten seconds.”
While The Murder Squad highlights gripping cases “worthy of Agatha Christie," it’s too often bogged down depicting time and place. Despite solid research, it occasionally feels like a series of newspaper reports. Recommend only for serious true crime and history buffs.
Many thanks to Affirm Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2023
A review form the husband
This was a fascinating read about the police and crime in New South Wales during the Great Depression. The crimes that have long been forgotten and how they were solved.
I enjoyed the detail that transported me back through time into the 1930’s and Michael gives insight into policing of the times, and also from the victims side as well. How the police got things right, and wrong. The research he has done also raises questions on some convictions.
There is lots of detail from Sydney’s past newspapers, court case transcripts and police records, and you feel like an observer being close to the action. Sydney was a tough city to live in at the time with a high frequency of brutal crimes, it took a tough team of detectives to solve them.
This book reopens some of those cases from beginning to end. Well worth a read if you like true crime.
Thanks to Affirm Press for sending a copy of this book for us to read
This was a fascinating read about the police and crime in New South Wales during the Great Depression. The crimes that have long been forgotten and how they were solved.
I enjoyed the detail that transported me back through time into the 1930’s and Michael gives insight into policing of the times, and also from the victims side as well. How the police got things right, and wrong. The research he has done also raises questions on some convictions.
There is lots of detail from Sydney’s past newspapers, court case transcripts and police records, and you feel like an observer being close to the action. Sydney was a tough city to live in at the time with a high frequency of brutal crimes, it took a tough team of detectives to solve them.
This book reopens some of those cases from beginning to end. Well worth a read if you like true crime.
Thanks to Affirm Press for sending a copy of this book for us to read
December 14, 2024
Darkly interesting book, very depressing read - especially in 2024 as it feels not much has changed culturally and politically.
Very rich in information, and much broader in topics than I was expecting.
As an Austrslian this was a well written slice of a history I did not know much about.
Very rich in information, and much broader in topics than I was expecting.
As an Austrslian this was a well written slice of a history I did not know much about.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews