Bodies in Barrels: The Snowtown Murders

by Jack Smith, Dylan White (Narrator)

Most serial killers work alone. Killing is usually a private crime, something that mass murderers are keen to keep hidden. But this is not always the case. During the 1990s, a small town in Australia witnessed first-hand how devastating, horrendous, and effective a gang of serial killers could be. Snowtown, South Australia, was a sleepy little community. After John Bunting convinced his accomplices to embark on a killing spree, however, it would never be the same. This is the story of the Snowtown Murders.

It takes a particular kind of psychopath to not only carry out torture and murder but also to bring in others on the act. In this book, we will learn how one man was able to convince regular men that what he was doing was not only right, but also that they should join in. Together, the gang of four men became responsible for what was later known as the “bodies in the barrels” murders. How could seemingly ordinary folk be so easily convinced to commit horrific crimes? Brutal murder, the carving up of bodies, and the moving of corpses to stay one step ahead of the police. The series of homicides was one of the worst in Australian history.

Usually, serial killers either operate in major cities or drift between smaller towns. But as we shall see, the men in this story moved and murdered in the same small community for an extended period of time. In a way, they believed they were helping. In reality, they were leaving a lasting impact that the community of Snowtown would remember forever. To this day, the town still has not recovered. But what could have left such a lasting legacy? How horrible were the murders? How convincing a man was John Bunting? This book aims to answer all of your questions.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

3 pages, Audible Audio

Published August 18, 2016

About the author

Biographer and recorder of the history of serial killers

Reviews

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had already heard this story before reading this book, so I was hoping to learn new or more detailed information. Unfortunately, I did not learn anything new.

However, if this true crime story is new to you, the information included in the book will be interesting.

I am rating this as 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ based on the assumption that the potential reader has never heard of the story before.

[Caitlyn Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Snowtown Murders is a particularly fascinating case for several reasons, firstly because it’s the serial murder case in Australia with the highest body count, but also because serial killers are almost invariably solitary actors, and the Snowtown Murders were committed by what amounted to a small gang, under the leadership of John Bunting.

However, this book really doesn’t give you any more information than you can pick up from one of the several TV documentaries on the case. It’s apparent that the author isn’t from Australia, getting some basic geographical facts wrong - Murray Bridge is 70km from Adelaide, not an ‘eastern suburb’ - and to be honest, I feel like he just pulled this book together after watching those documentaries and summarizing them. There are no reports from the trials. No interviews with the detectives who investigated the case, the psychologists who have studied the Snowtown gang since. Nothing you can’t pick up from Wikipedia, frankly, and therefore I wouldn’t waste your time on this book. Two stars.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the details that are available

If you're like me and were only vaguely aware of the Snowtown murders, this book contains the rest of the story. John Bunting and his helpers had a deep and abiding hatred of homosexuals and pedophiles. Bunting believed he was doing a good thing by ridding communities of these "dirty" men.

In time, however, killing became power and anyone who crossed Bunting became fair game. There was also money to be had by killing and using disability and pension checks for his own use.

This story is exceptionally gruesome. Be aware of this before you open the book. I noted 27 errors for which I deducted one star.

[Donna Destefanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. Twisted story...

[Tony Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life/times of serial killers: John Bunting (Nazi ideology, white supremacist), Robert Wagner & James Vlassakis (Snowtown Murders).

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

Warning: This book contains descriptive accounts of extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (verbal/mental/physical/sexual abuse) which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. If you are especially sensitive to this type of material, it is strongly advised not to read any further.

An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written true crime book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great true crime thriller movie (Snowtown), PP presentation, or better yet a mini TV series or even a documentary (Crime Museum; True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery). There are no references, works cited, or endnotes so I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author (s); Mobi Maplewood Publishing; 1 edition; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Katherine Coble · Rating 2 out of 5]

I watched the movie from 2011 (_The Snowtown Murders_); it was heavy on atmosphere but light on details. I presume the filmmakers thought their audience was familiar with the story. It was big news in Australia but not so much here in Tennessee. So I got this book from Kindle Unlimited to fill in the details.

It has details but, quite frankly, it is a frustrating read that feels as though it was slapped together to make a quick buck. There are words missing, typos galore. Names are wrong for ancillary people and there really isn’t an effort to keep people separated. Everyone who wasn’t a victim or a killer just kind of all mashed together.

Honestly I feel like I got better information from various internet sites.

There is a lot of really good true crime on KU, but this one feels slapdash and reads like a rough draft.

[Erinn Jarvis-McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Bodies in Barrels to be a dark and haunting read. The way Smith describes how “ordinary folks” were drawn into such atrocity really shook me—it’s one thing to hear about horror in the news; quite another to see how close to everyday life it can touch. I was often disturbed, but also riveted—I couldn’t stop reading until I’d gotten through each chapter. For me, the strength was how the author gives both the atrocity and its victims proper weight: you feel the horror, but also the human cost. It’s not a book I’d re-read lightly, but I don’t regret reading it; it left me thinking about how systems, personalities, and moral choices intersect in terrifying ways.

[NatScan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several books on the Snowtown killers and would rate this one as average. It’s clearly written by an author who is not from Australia as the geographical errors throughout the book are quite obvious and rather annoying. Referring to Salisbury North as North Adelaide and calling Murray Bridge an eastern suburb of Adelaide are obvious errors to locals and could have been corrected with a little effort from the author. Otherwise it was good and had all the details I was expecting.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth is definitely stranger than fiction

They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That would’ve been great advice for these victims in Australia. I am not blaming them at all, but it really would have been great advice. The story is crazy and out of the box ridiculous and the ending couldn’t have been written better in Hollywood. I highly recommend this to true crime fans who are ready for something they haven’t heard 20 times already.

[chelsea ♡ chelseareadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to rate this too highly since the context of these crimes are so awful. There were also some typos which normally lower a rating hugely for me but I liked the way the crimes were covered overall, straight to the point and in a concise factual way. I’ve listened to a few podcasts on this and have been confused by the huge cast of characters involved so I found reading it to be much easier to piece together.

[Katherine Minton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

Jack Smith makes Bodies In Barrels easy to read. Even though there are numerous players interacting in these horrific events, it’s easy to keep up with where they play their part.
Jack Smith does from details of the crimes, the arrest and straight to sentencing, bypassing the boring trials.
A must read for True Crime fans who like to go straight to the point.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true account of the Snowtown Murders! In Australia, John Bunting and his accomplices went on a killing spree of people who he thought were harming children. Putting the bodies of his victims in barrels while he drained their bank accounts dry until he was finally caught. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of true crime.

[MoDonasChridhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

Every true crime enthusiast likes the details in the story and as always Jack Smith sits us down and walks us through it all from both criminal and victim backgrounds to apprehension and justice for their families.

[Hari Brandl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just another great true crime story ruined by (apparently absent) editing, and absolutely no documentation of sources.
Written as if the author is present for all the action, and in the perpetrators' minds at the same time.
Sad.

[Paul Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horrifying true crime. There were so many people involved that it was challenging keeping them all straight. So much abuse. So much trauma.

[Emily Maddison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a really good quick read. This book goes into a lot of detail and a few times I had to take a moment to compose myself at how cruel people can be.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be honest, this book creeped me out, and I am a fan of true crime novels. These guys were monsters plan and simple.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, covered the story well for those unfamiliar with the case.

Did not go into enough detail or give enough new insights to be considered better than okay.