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HUCKSTEPP: A Dangerous Life
Winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Non-Fiction
A true crime classic, Huckstepp investigates the murder of the charismatic young woman who has fascinated Australians since she first appeared on national television to accuse NSW detectives of shooting her boyfriend in cold blood. Throughout her short life, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp lived a dangerous existence. This is a true story, brilliantly told, of someone who was gutsy and determined – and who paid the ultimate price for speaking out against corruption and murder.
In 2014, Xoum is proud to rerelease a new and revised edition of this seminal work.
Praise for Huckstepp by John Dale
‘A marvellous book, brilliantly written and researched.’ Louis Nowra
‘A significant, original work that challenges as much as it reveals.’ The Australian
‘Dale nails the treachery, corruption and decadence of a part of Sydney society that traces its origins to the Rum Corps.’ Andrew Rule
‘A brilliantly constructed record of one of Kings Cross’ most infamous characters. A great city story.’ The Australian
‘A fine and disciplined piece of writing.’ HQ
‘As gripping as a thriller.’ The Northern Star
‘Only the very famous – or infamous – are known by a single name. Huckstepp conjures memories of the bad old days in Sydney; of a time when cops and crims were as likely to be allies as enemies. In the age of Underbelly, John Dale’s new edition of Huckstepp is a timely reminder of the human cost behind the headlines. Through extensive interviews with those who knew, loved and used Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, Dale vividly recreates a time when heroin was currency, and corruption and murder were the everyday tools of violent men. It is a deadly, dangerous, brutal world, depicted with realism, not romanticism. For some, the name Huckstepp will forever carry a frisson of excitement, the promise of secrets, sex, drugs and crime. In this book, Dale ensures that Sallie-Anne’s name will also forever remind us of that fateful moment when a young woman with a gap-toothed smile and a story to tell naively believed that publicity would guarantee her protection. Huckstepp is still famous, but her story runs deeper than the headlines. In this book, Dale takes the reader beyond the underbelly, into the very belly of the beast.’ P.M. Newton
A true crime classic, Huckstepp investigates the murder of the charismatic young woman who has fascinated Australians since she first appeared on national television to accuse NSW detectives of shooting her boyfriend in cold blood. Throughout her short life, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp lived a dangerous existence. This is a true story, brilliantly told, of someone who was gutsy and determined – and who paid the ultimate price for speaking out against corruption and murder.
In 2014, Xoum is proud to rerelease a new and revised edition of this seminal work.
Praise for Huckstepp by John Dale
‘A marvellous book, brilliantly written and researched.’ Louis Nowra
‘A significant, original work that challenges as much as it reveals.’ The Australian
‘Dale nails the treachery, corruption and decadence of a part of Sydney society that traces its origins to the Rum Corps.’ Andrew Rule
‘A brilliantly constructed record of one of Kings Cross’ most infamous characters. A great city story.’ The Australian
‘A fine and disciplined piece of writing.’ HQ
‘As gripping as a thriller.’ The Northern Star
‘Only the very famous – or infamous – are known by a single name. Huckstepp conjures memories of the bad old days in Sydney; of a time when cops and crims were as likely to be allies as enemies. In the age of Underbelly, John Dale’s new edition of Huckstepp is a timely reminder of the human cost behind the headlines. Through extensive interviews with those who knew, loved and used Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, Dale vividly recreates a time when heroin was currency, and corruption and murder were the everyday tools of violent men. It is a deadly, dangerous, brutal world, depicted with realism, not romanticism. For some, the name Huckstepp will forever carry a frisson of excitement, the promise of secrets, sex, drugs and crime. In this book, Dale ensures that Sallie-Anne’s name will also forever remind us of that fateful moment when a young woman with a gap-toothed smile and a story to tell naively believed that publicity would guarantee her protection. Huckstepp is still famous, but her story runs deeper than the headlines. In this book, Dale takes the reader beyond the underbelly, into the very belly of the beast.’ P.M. Newton
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 31, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 9, 2012
Looking back at the life, and death in 1986 of Sallie-Anne Huckstepp there's a sense of inevitability about her destiny, a long time before she went on television to accuse NSW detectives of shooting her boyfriend in cold blood. HUCKSTEPP is an excellent book of its type - part biography, part investigation into Huckstepp, and her death, the book looks honestly at Sallie-Anne herself, as well as the crooks, cops and colleagues that she had close contact with over her life.
Given that there's never been an answer to who killed Huckstepp, this book seems to come as close as we're ever going to come to understanding what happened and why. It certainly does a number of notorious NSW cop and criminal "identities" no favours in its portrayal of them. It also is no whitewash of Sallie-Anne herself. Perhaps the only minor objection would be that its not until the very end that there's much light cast on what got Sallie-Anne into the life that ultimately killed her. I would have liked to have known a little bit more about Sallie-Anne the person, rather than Sallie-Anne the "identity", although I could also see that it might not have been so easy to get to the truth of that.
Given that there's never been an answer to who killed Huckstepp, this book seems to come as close as we're ever going to come to understanding what happened and why. It certainly does a number of notorious NSW cop and criminal "identities" no favours in its portrayal of them. It also is no whitewash of Sallie-Anne herself. Perhaps the only minor objection would be that its not until the very end that there's much light cast on what got Sallie-Anne into the life that ultimately killed her. I would have liked to have known a little bit more about Sallie-Anne the person, rather than Sallie-Anne the "identity", although I could also see that it might not have been so easy to get to the truth of that.
April 25, 2019
Highly recommend this one, especially with the Blue Murder mini series soon to start on television! 👌🏼
September 11, 2019
What a woman. I wish she had more of a life as I felt she would have done great things. I was most impressed with her strength and character. From not knowing about her before I felt that I really knew her when I finished reading this. I did find the flip flopping distracting a chronological order always suits me best. I was disappointed to find that after I had read 400 pages the killer was not made clear. An enjoyable read though.
August 7, 2011
a very interesting book
December 14, 2015
Read this years ago for uni and never forgot it. Fascinating.
November 19, 2016
Glorious Sydney.
May 24, 2022
I bought this as I aside from reading many volumes on the criminal and police activities of this time, I knew little of Huckstepp outside of interviews and where she fit in generally. I thought this book would be an investigative journey, chronologically moving through the subject's life, how she ended up where she did, and the criminal world and figures directly involved with her.
This is not that book.
Jumping all over the cookshop, this book manages to baffle the reader with it's jumping backwards and forwards, and quite literally all over the place until around 2/3 of the way through. Yes, this is an amatuer 'investigation', but like the journalists that exposed Watergate he has help from a senior AFP source.
I'm not yet sure of the author's intent or purpose is behind this very thorough account of all the facts, fiction and hearsay but it is thorough and fascinating compared with many so-called professional crime writer's books (Adam Shand take note).
Very enjoyable, if you are a True Crime reader of Australian crime.
This is not that book.
Jumping all over the cookshop, this book manages to baffle the reader with it's jumping backwards and forwards, and quite literally all over the place until around 2/3 of the way through. Yes, this is an amatuer 'investigation', but like the journalists that exposed Watergate he has help from a senior AFP source.
I'm not yet sure of the author's intent or purpose is behind this very thorough account of all the facts, fiction and hearsay but it is thorough and fascinating compared with many so-called professional crime writer's books (Adam Shand take note).
Very enjoyable, if you are a True Crime reader of Australian crime.
January 3, 2023
If you think you know Sallie Anne Huckstepp’s story ( as I thought I did ), you will be surprised how much this well researched book adds to it. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Sydney crime scene of the 1980’s.
March 17, 2023
A lot of detail
October 12, 2024
fascinating
Fascinating read into a high adrenaline life. The police seem to screw up even the simplest of cases in this country.
Fascinating read into a high adrenaline life. The police seem to screw up even the simplest of cases in this country.
August 24, 2021
A portrait of a hero. The woman who poured boiling water on NSW Police corruption who was then murdered. God bless you.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews