Dead Centre

by Robin Bowles

While the media immediately suspected his girlfriend, two years on police arrested another man, Bradley Murdoch.In DEAD CENTRE, bestselling true crime author Robin Bowles tells the story behind the headlines of this mystery

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love what a dedicated researcher Robin Bowles is and this book is no exception. If sleep and real life didn't get in the way I would have read this book in one sitting.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Robin Bowles as a writer, she is one of my favorites and I have most of her books.

This is one however where I felt from the very beginning she had already made her choice as to the guilt or not of the defendant and a certain bias shone throughout the book.

This is not the unbiased style I am used to reading from Robin and while she put forward an excellent and well documented one side, the other was somewhat lacking. I am aware it was difficult to obtain interviews with some of the key players.

I will not spoil the plot for any new readers, but to get a good all around view on this case I have felt the need to read no less than four books on the subject to satisfy myself that I have a clear picture of all the events and players.

Well written and of the usual high standard expected of this author, but as I said a little one sided but still very enjoyable and I do recommend it

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent true crime book, rich in detail and characterisation. I have to admit by the time I reached the end of it I was in serious doubt as to whether they got the right man.

[Darren Trapski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was excellent Robin Bowles research was superb . Not convinced Murdoch got a fair trial but very strange events happened that night in the NT. Unlikely we will never know the truth .

[Bronny · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I think I just reviewed another Robin Bowles' book where I complained that the coverage of the trial dragged on too much, but with Dead Centre I pretty much have the opposite complaint. There was a lot of detail about her research, everything leading up to the trial etc but when it came to the actual trial it seemed as though she skimmed over so much stuff! I don't think she even really mentioned closing statements for example.

I'm a fan of Bowles' work but I found Dead Centre a little disappointing. Apparently she spoke with Bradley Murdoch for 50 hours but she only mentioned maybe four meetings with him, surely there had to be more to say about what he told her?! The ending of the book seemed very abrupt too, ended with a thud. It was an interesting book, Robin Bowles is a talented author but I don't know, I was just expecting a bit more.

[Mrs B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A riveting exploration into the disappearance of Peter Falconio, and subsequent conviction of Bradley Murdoch for Falconio’s murder. The author carried out a lot of interviews with both Murdoch and various police/witnesses, and documents the trial and accompanying media frenzy in detail.
That said, some of the author’s investigative methods did have me raising an eyebrow (getting some trackers to dig into a forked tree in the hope of discovering a body, co-opting a crime scene video recording expert into her research team, along with her husband and dog).
There’s no doubt it’s a perplexing case and the author does well to highlight the inconclusive and inconsistent evidence to the reader, whilst leaving us to form our own conclusions regarding Murdoch’s guilt.

[Gillian Snoxall · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book having just seen the TV documentary about the disappearance of Peter Falconio. The book was fascinating and well-written (I still believe that Murdoch is innocent), but the typesetting is appalling (especially after Chapter 30 or thereabouts) with a "howler" in almost every sentence. For example: "When did you stop eating your wife?". The book should be withdrawn and re-set. In the meantime, because of this terrible typesetting, I have given it the lowest possible rating of one star.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very condensed version (the audiobook) of a baffling Northern Australian crime. One startling development is that all the spoilers I took out of the book description turned out not to have happened, according to the contents of the disc. The crime is interesting, but the audiobook format made it very hard to follow.

[Georgia H · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very interesting take - some great insight into this sloppy mess of a case, with empathy shown to all parties.

Riddled with typos, which made for difficult reading but maybe this is a Kindle issue?

[Adrian Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true crime story gave insight into a case that most people thought was pretty clear-cut. A terrible man attacked someone due to paranoia over his drug-dealing, and murdered an innocent man. But that is not the case at all. Robin Bowles presented a complete selection of evidence, from both sides of the case, and indeed of all sides, and, ultimately, she gave a definitive conclusion, which was that Bradley John Murdoch did not murder Peter Falconio. While Bowles did not offer any definite conclusion as to who did, or alternatively if Falconio was still alive, she suggested that perhaps the man who did the most to frame Murdoch, his former friend and now greatest enemy James Hepi, was perhaps the man most likely, at least if a murder had occurred, and alternatively that Falconio had simply faked his own death and was alive and well somewhere. Of course, just because Hepi framed Murdoch doesn't mean that Hepi is the murderer - just that he was prepared to do anything he could, including lying, to get Murdoch thrown in jail. It could well be that someone else, one of a million possible suspects, had done it, or, perhaps more likely, that that car that dropped Joanne Lees off just before she was found, had inside Peter Falconio, who was taken off to safety to live his new life. Of course, it could have been something much more sinister, that Peter Falconio was murdered, and that Lees was forced to lie about who did it, or else she would be killed. There are many different possibilities. What is clear is that the possibility that we ran with, that Bradley John Murdoch murdered him, is perhaps the least likely scenario, not only improbable but completely and utterly impossible. Perhaps one day Murdoch will have an appeal heard and be set free, or perhaps not. In an era of fake news, this novel is a light in the dark.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was working as a lawyer in the Territory when this happened and knew some of the lawyers on both the defence and prosecution teams in the Murdoch trial. I've also read most of the other books about the case.
There was a passage in the book that particularly took my interest and I contacted the author. I didn't expect a response but to my surprise Ms Bowles got back to me. It was during that conversation that I realised just how thoroughly researched it was. She had clearly done extensive background research that paid off.
There are other books about the case including one by Paul Toohey who was working as a journalist in the territory at the time. But Robin Bowles' work is the standout, whereas the others I've read, including Toohey's, seem more like efforts to cash in on the huge interest generated by the media at the time.
"Dead Centre" is by far and away the best; well written and very well researched.

[Jack Sprat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written and researched. Robin Bowles takes you right into the depths of the "Trial of the Century", and one of Australia's biggest ever crime mysteries. At the end, there's still a lot more questions than answers, and there's still the eternal legal question - how much doubt is reasonable doubt? As a lay person, I'm not convinced of Murdoch's guilt, nor of his innocence. Maybe one day (hopefully), more answers will come.

[GEORGIE · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book.

However I did enjoy Bowles story telling capabilities. At times this book was incredibly slow.

However, this was a very good recount of the case and what unfolded

[Paul Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. A great read about one of our most publicized cases in recent times. Robin looks at both sides of the case and gives us an in depth look at what the case and a few shortcomings along the way. She doesn’t take sides and lets the reader form their own opinion. Well worth a read

[Water Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exhaustive research and amazing level of detail. It has more interviews and facts on this case than you could ever possibly need to know. It's a long read. There is a lot of back and forth re the timeline which gets a bit confusing. Overall though it raised more questions than answers for me.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting!

[Stacey B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Was glued to knowing the verdict.
Got a bit confused at times!

[Holly Kildare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well researched and well written true crime book by Robin. I was aware of the general story, but Robin brought it to life with her natural writing style.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant Robin Bowles book!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thoughtful and well researched and written account of what is still a mystery case.

[Cara]

Deliciously detailed and poetically sad retelling of the events of a mysterious dissappearance. The grounds for a mistrial and miscarriage of justice are plain to see. Thankyou Robin Bowles.

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't think I'm missing anything here after seeing the documentary. But just another cover up murder story. If you've seen the documentary skip the first half of the book. I've always said Murdoch was innocent and this book did not change my mind on that. Robin Bowles does an amazing job investigating and writing

[Deb Bodinnar · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Joanne Lees returning to Australia just recently I decided it was time to read Robins book. So I picked up a copy from the library, as I had passed my copy on after finding the font was a bit small for me, got a bit crossed eyed at times, but there are so many unanswered questions I just kept on reading. It is such an "interesting story" with so many "holes" in it. Think I need to read more about this case to get more insight.

[Craig Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happened to Peter Falconio?. That is the question still being asked nearly 20 years after his disappearance. Why did Joanne Lees change her story several times?, and why did her statements to police contain information that defied logic and sometimes bordered on the impossible?. Robin Bowles is a hard nosed journalist who tries to answer these questions and make some sense of the often conflicting and confusing evidence in this case. Although i truly believe Bradley Murdoch was the person responsible, how he was convicted by the mostly circumstantial evidence against him almost boggles the mind. This book was thoroughly researched, (the author travelled all over Australia to interview witnesses), and well written but still left more questions than answers. There is definitely more to this story than meets the eye, but perhaps, sadly we may never know the truth.

[Fiona Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admire the tenacious research by investigative author Robin Bowles because I had assumed that Bradley John Murdoch was the man responsible for murdering Peter Falconio and tying up Peter's girlfriend Joanne Lees on a lonely stretch of the Stuart Hwy in the Northern Territory. Now I am not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Murdoch was guilty at all. There are just too many loose ends and inconclusive and conflicting circumstantial evidence in this infamous case. I really would have appreciated a map of three states and the highways and towns mentioned but I did appreciate the flow of the chapters and Robin's ability to write testimony succinctly. I would read another of her titles for sure.

[Kathleen Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arghh…this case was frustrating to read about. I remember this happening like it was yesterday, but I don’t think I remember it being solved. I remember it being a tough case with several questions surrounding it. And even after finishing this book, I still have questions…but I’m glad to be finished the book

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the flow of this book, even though it was a one-sided story from the first few paragraphs. The author has a fantasctic way of making you feel as if you are in the room with the witnesses and the victims. Not a bad read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a few years back while on holiday and could not put this down (got myself terribly terribly sunburnt as a result!). A fascinating and well researched account of one of Australia's great crime mysteries.

Looking forward to reading more by this author.

[BeccatheBookReviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read, the case is very much like the Dingo ate my baby case whether you believe Murdoch is guilty or not. For me I was not convinced that Murdoch was guilty. All in all though a very interesting read

[Liv Chez · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite author