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Dead by Friday
A compelling portrait of murder for hire in the Australian suburbs, it begins when a dangerous sexual predator seduces her husband's sleazy boss.
Their obsessive affair leads to public sex and disturbing fantasies. Two mothers talk murder outside a primary school and suddenly down-payments are being made on contracts to kill.
From the Adelaide suburbs that spawned the Snowtown killers, enter the hitman, a man who eats speed for breakfast and murder contracts for lunch, on a sandwich.
For the first time, the truth about the lovers who wanted their partners dead, but didn't count on shrewd detectives, a brave husband and a shattered family - all determined to bring three killers to justice.
Their obsessive affair leads to public sex and disturbing fantasies. Two mothers talk murder outside a primary school and suddenly down-payments are being made on contracts to kill.
From the Adelaide suburbs that spawned the Snowtown killers, enter the hitman, a man who eats speed for breakfast and murder contracts for lunch, on a sandwich.
For the first time, the truth about the lovers who wanted their partners dead, but didn't count on shrewd detectives, a brave husband and a shattered family - all determined to bring three killers to justice.
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2012
49 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Derek Pedley
6 books12 followersDerek Pedley's fourth book, CRAZY BASTARD, a memoir of his 1972 adoption,is published by Wakefield Press, under his originial name, Abraham Maddison. Two of his true crime books have been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards. Abraham now works as a reporter for Australian Associated Press.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 7, 2018
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
January 10, 2014
“Adelaide is no virgin when it comes to bizarre murders.”
Dead by Friday is a well-crafted and in-depth account of the cruel and brutal slaying of South Australian mother-of-three Carolyn Matthews, a woman whose only crime was to be married to the wrong man.
There is nothing simple about this case. Dead by Friday reads like a far-fetched crime novel, but then truth is often stranger than fiction. The more the story unfolded, the sicker I felt and the more I wished it were fiction.
My admiration has to go to the detectives who somehow pieced together this complex and warped tale of lust and manipulation.
Highly recommended for lovers of true crime.
Dead by Friday is a well-crafted and in-depth account of the cruel and brutal slaying of South Australian mother-of-three Carolyn Matthews, a woman whose only crime was to be married to the wrong man.
There is nothing simple about this case. Dead by Friday reads like a far-fetched crime novel, but then truth is often stranger than fiction. The more the story unfolded, the sicker I felt and the more I wished it were fiction.
My admiration has to go to the detectives who somehow pieced together this complex and warped tale of lust and manipulation.
Highly recommended for lovers of true crime.
January 3, 2013
I'd never heard of the death of Carolyn Matthews until I found out about Derek Pedley's book DEAD BY FRIDAY. In one way, I wish I still hadn't as this has to be, without a doubt, one of the most pointless, selfish, stupid, idiotic, inexplicable and flat out unbelievable crimes from a city that seems to specialise in them. In another, it's been a succinct reminder for a reader of a lot of fictional crime that real life can beat the fictional for weirdness hands down.
(DISCLAIMER: I did generate the ebook version of this manuscript for Derek Pedley, with no obligation whatsoever to review the book). One of the bonuses of generating ebooks for authors is that you do get a bit of a sneak preview of books as you're going, although you don't get a chance to take in a lot of details. But there were snippets and bits and pieces of this book that kept catching my eye, and mostly, they tended to indicate that this really was one of the most pointless true crimes I've ever read about. And because of that it was particularly vicious. There was enough there to make me want to sit down and read DEAD BY FRIDAY properly, which I did, and in that reading most of the "players" in the plot to kill Carolyn Matthews don't exactly come across as rocket scientists, but to think that people who are as base, self-interested, nasty and disrespectful of others as this lot, are also capable of coupling together a plot, is breathtaking to be frank.
The book does an excellent job of outlining the circumstances that lead up to the murder, as well as the aftermath. It describes the impact that her pointless death had on her immediate family, in particular the three sons that were taken, on purpose, into the room to find their mother's body by a father who words just about defy description of. It outlines the sordid, tedious, icky behaviour of that father - Kevin Matthews, and his lover, Michelle Burgess and how Burgess manipulated so many fools of blokes into doing her bidding. It also provides some possible explanations, by way of a Forensic Psychologist, for the behaviour that Burgess, in particular, exhibited.
What it can't definitively explain, and what nobody can ever is why. Why on earth these two people ever believed they could get away with all of this. Why they just couldn't tread the path that most people would and take their sordid little sex affair off into an appropriate location somewhere and leave their families in peace. Surely they didn't really think that at the end of all of this they'd take the insurance money and walk off into the sunset....
This is not easy subject matter, which makes DEAD BY FRIDAY quite an achievement, because out of that sordid horribleness, Pedley has written a story which has a serious go at explaining the inexplicable.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
(DISCLAIMER: I did generate the ebook version of this manuscript for Derek Pedley, with no obligation whatsoever to review the book). One of the bonuses of generating ebooks for authors is that you do get a bit of a sneak preview of books as you're going, although you don't get a chance to take in a lot of details. But there were snippets and bits and pieces of this book that kept catching my eye, and mostly, they tended to indicate that this really was one of the most pointless true crimes I've ever read about. And because of that it was particularly vicious. There was enough there to make me want to sit down and read DEAD BY FRIDAY properly, which I did, and in that reading most of the "players" in the plot to kill Carolyn Matthews don't exactly come across as rocket scientists, but to think that people who are as base, self-interested, nasty and disrespectful of others as this lot, are also capable of coupling together a plot, is breathtaking to be frank.
The book does an excellent job of outlining the circumstances that lead up to the murder, as well as the aftermath. It describes the impact that her pointless death had on her immediate family, in particular the three sons that were taken, on purpose, into the room to find their mother's body by a father who words just about defy description of. It outlines the sordid, tedious, icky behaviour of that father - Kevin Matthews, and his lover, Michelle Burgess and how Burgess manipulated so many fools of blokes into doing her bidding. It also provides some possible explanations, by way of a Forensic Psychologist, for the behaviour that Burgess, in particular, exhibited.
What it can't definitively explain, and what nobody can ever is why. Why on earth these two people ever believed they could get away with all of this. Why they just couldn't tread the path that most people would and take their sordid little sex affair off into an appropriate location somewhere and leave their families in peace. Surely they didn't really think that at the end of all of this they'd take the insurance money and walk off into the sunset....
This is not easy subject matter, which makes DEAD BY FRIDAY quite an achievement, because out of that sordid horribleness, Pedley has written a story which has a serious go at explaining the inexplicable.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
December 29, 2013
Could have the subtitle A Very Bogan Murder.
Two horrible selfish people who are lovers hire a drug addicted idiot to murder the wife of the bloke. If it wasn't for the death of a good woman who left behind 3 grieving sons this could almost be a black comedy.
A tale of greed and selfishness of two not too bright people living in their own little fantasy world is compelling in their obliviousness to what's going on around them.
Two horrible selfish people who are lovers hire a drug addicted idiot to murder the wife of the bloke. If it wasn't for the death of a good woman who left behind 3 grieving sons this could almost be a black comedy.
A tale of greed and selfishness of two not too bright people living in their own little fantasy world is compelling in their obliviousness to what's going on around them.
August 12, 2016
An interesting story of murder-for-hire in Australia, though the author takes his time in telling it. As is often the case with these Aussie books, I found myself looking up plenty of terms ('mum's spat the dummy,' 'she's got tickets on herself,' etc.).
February 18, 2013
A valiant effort by Pedley to explain the inexplicable - a bizarre, irrational and vicious murder. A crime of basal, primeval passion fuelled by ego, greed and lust skilfully nurtured by the manipulative, goading, nymphomaniacal protagonist who manages to snare her men from the outer fringes of nice society.
he said, she said and the dialogue is
he said, she said and the dialogue is
June 7, 2013
A great book about a lady named Michelle Burgess who hated her husband's boss (Kevin Matthews) but then started a affair with him which lead to Michelle and Kevin planning on murdering Kevin's wife Carolyn, so they could be together. It also details all the sexually affairs this lady has while married and already having an affair with Kevin Matthews
September 29, 2013
As a resident of Adelaide, I was familiar with this story but was horrified when I read the sordid details. This senseless murder has destroyed so many families and for what?
I found this book fascinating, but disturbing at the realisation that these contract murders are far more common than I thought.
Well written and gripping to the end.
I found this book fascinating, but disturbing at the realisation that these contract murders are far more common than I thought.
Well written and gripping to the end.
December 8, 2013
Fascinating story
Horrific story about some truly awful people. Not particularly well written, but all the details carry you along. Liked the inclusion of psychological profile of the woman at the center of this mess. Fascinating.
Horrific story about some truly awful people. Not particularly well written, but all the details carry you along. Liked the inclusion of psychological profile of the woman at the center of this mess. Fascinating.
July 27, 2013
boring
July 8, 2014
I really like this type of book as im into true crime
August 8, 2017
Fairly good
read, a little confusing but only relating to dialect...
Good for Darren Burgess for getting out of that mess when he did. Poor kids, now adults of course.
read, a little confusing but only relating to dialect...
Good for Darren Burgess for getting out of that mess when he did. Poor kids, now adults of course.
December 2, 2022
Encompassing Page Turner
A very full view of this heinous case was given by the author. The author also brought to life characteristics of each key figure within the case including judicial, police and familial figures.
The author kept the narrative fresh and did not get bogged down with trivial details. A nice plus was to include a professional circumstantial psychological picture of Michelle Burgess by an eminent psychiatrist which helped answer the why and motivational aspects of the case.
Very thorough effort.
A very full view of this heinous case was given by the author. The author also brought to life characteristics of each key figure within the case including judicial, police and familial figures.
The author kept the narrative fresh and did not get bogged down with trivial details. A nice plus was to include a professional circumstantial psychological picture of Michelle Burgess by an eminent psychiatrist which helped answer the why and motivational aspects of the case.
Very thorough effort.
August 29, 2019
In my backyard
I was intrigued by this book because places mentioned in the book are where I lived, worked and socialised. To read the full story not just the headlines gives an insight the ugly undercurrent that maybe happening in your neighbourhood without realising it. A good read.
I was intrigued by this book because places mentioned in the book are where I lived, worked and socialised. To read the full story not just the headlines gives an insight the ugly undercurrent that maybe happening in your neighbourhood without realising it. A good read.
November 9, 2018
Wow!
A vivid insight to the horrors that people will inflict on others in the name of "love". A true example of money being the root of evil. An almost unbelievable tale, yet true. A very 👍 read.
A vivid insight to the horrors that people will inflict on others in the name of "love". A true example of money being the root of evil. An almost unbelievable tale, yet true. A very 👍 read.
January 2, 2019
Thank goodness justice was served
What a gut wrenching story. Many lives will be forever destroyed by these evil callous selfish people. RIP beautiful lady.
What a gut wrenching story. Many lives will be forever destroyed by these evil callous selfish people. RIP beautiful lady.
April 25, 2020
Really good book. Very well written
February 19, 2021
This book was so good I couldn't put it down
This book was that good, I read it over 2 days. Very well written. Very in-depth. Complete with photos so you can see who's who.
This book was that good, I read it over 2 days. Very well written. Very in-depth. Complete with photos so you can see who's who.
May 20, 2023
A true story - well researched and well written. So hard to comprehend that people can be so evil. You can marry someone, then kill them. Unputdownable!!
May 15, 2025
Extremely thorough and fascinating read by a top Aussie journalist.
October 22, 2019
Fascinating insight into the true story of the 2001 murder of a suburban housewife and mother in Westlakes Shore, Adelaide, South Australia. The depravity of some individuals never ceases to amaze me. In chronological order, it follows the sequence of events and investigations that lead to the arrest and sentencing of the contract killer (not the sharpest tool in the shed) and the husband and manipulative lover who hired him. One of my favourite quotes in the book was that after psychological assessment of the low IQ killer, the most positive thing that could be said about him, was that he had mastered toilet training. If you are a lover of true crime, you will enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews