What do you think?
Rate this book
Wanda: the untold story of the Wanda Beach murders
To this date the deaths of Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt - notoriously known as the Wanda Beach Murders - remain unsolved, and the story behind the crime has never before been told. In Wanda: the untold story behind the Wanda Beach murders, Alan Whiticker re-creates the lead-up to the and aftermath of the murders and provides a fascinating insight into the history, lives and fate of Christine and Marianne.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
86 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 12, 2017
What a sad and tragic tale this book tells. I love true crime books and in particular Australian true crime books, this is one of the worst crimes ever committed in this country and the fact that it’s still unsolved makes the whole thing even worse.
When it comes to true crime books this does its job quite well, it puts all the information on the table and tells you everything there is to know about the case, of which there is a lot. There’s a certain mystery surrounding this case as there has never been a clear suspect or even a clear idea of exactly what happened to those 2 girls that day at Wanda Beach. In a way I think this makes for a more well told and less bias account, more often than not you will read a book about an unsolved crime and the writer is swayed one way or the other however sadly there’s just no way to swing, no one has ever been caught and probably never will.
The author is very respectful of the 2 families, supposedly they didn’t participate in the writing of the book (a fact I find strange considering they were interviewed in the Crime Investigation Australia episode) but that doesn’t mean he goes into cheap tawdry territory the way so many other true crime books do, at all times he is empathetic and direct with everything he is writing.
It’s pretty much the only book on this case and really the only one you’ll ever need to read, it’s comprehensive, in-depth and well researched. Hats off to the author for writing about a case that’s slowly becoming forgotten and trying to keep the 2 girls names in the media.
Aussie true crime at its best.
When it comes to true crime books this does its job quite well, it puts all the information on the table and tells you everything there is to know about the case, of which there is a lot. There’s a certain mystery surrounding this case as there has never been a clear suspect or even a clear idea of exactly what happened to those 2 girls that day at Wanda Beach. In a way I think this makes for a more well told and less bias account, more often than not you will read a book about an unsolved crime and the writer is swayed one way or the other however sadly there’s just no way to swing, no one has ever been caught and probably never will.
The author is very respectful of the 2 families, supposedly they didn’t participate in the writing of the book (a fact I find strange considering they were interviewed in the Crime Investigation Australia episode) but that doesn’t mean he goes into cheap tawdry territory the way so many other true crime books do, at all times he is empathetic and direct with everything he is writing.
It’s pretty much the only book on this case and really the only one you’ll ever need to read, it’s comprehensive, in-depth and well researched. Hats off to the author for writing about a case that’s slowly becoming forgotten and trying to keep the 2 girls names in the media.
Aussie true crime at its best.
March 20, 2016
I remember this crime very well, it happened in my teenage years when very little else seemed to happen, so it was major news for weeks.
This refreshed my memory of the events, but of course the offender/s were never found, so little to be said of that.
One surprise was how many weirdos people reported to be hanging around the Wanda sandhills in the 60s.
This refreshed my memory of the events, but of course the offender/s were never found, so little to be said of that.
One surprise was how many weirdos people reported to be hanging around the Wanda sandhills in the 60s.
February 18, 2018
Well put together. The author has done a marvellous job in creating a backdrop of the Schmidt and Sharrock/Taig families. Important leads and evidence from this unsolved case are explored. The reader immediately feels transposed into 1966 Australia, back to a culture of innocence, knitted communities and naivety.
February 14, 2018
A well written and intensive look into this heartbreaking cold case.
July 4, 2021
This crime still haunts Australia so many years on. If only advances in DNA technology had been prevalent in 1965, then surely the culprit of this terrible event would have been caught giving closure to the families involved.
February 8, 2024
Fabulous book. Written with such high integrity and honour for the victims and their families.
I didn't realise how much Mrs Schmidt went through in her life. I felt that upset me the most, as I was familiar with the basic story and how awful it was.
I didn't realise how much Mrs Schmidt went through in her life. I felt that upset me the most, as I was familiar with the basic story and how awful it was.
November 13, 2020
A very well-researched, well-contextualised account of the unsolved Wanda Beach Murders.
August 4, 2022
A sad and frustrating situation for these two girls families. Thankfully times have changed a lot since the 60’s. And I agree with another reader, why were so many weirdo’s reported to be there?
September 4, 2022
Amazing write up about the Wanda Beach murders. Lots of detail too
April 8, 2017
Read my review on my website below! www.dahliaexitium.weebly.com ♡
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews