Crimes that Shocked the Nation

by Alan J. Whiticker

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick and easy read, but pretty bland in the telling.

I'd heard of a few of these cases previously, but this book doesn't deliver any more than what you could easily find with a Google search. It describes the crimes, the evidence, and the perpetrators, but it's all very emotionless.

It would have been interesting to hear a bit more background on the perpetrators of these crimes, and how the families of the victims were effected. Some psychology would have been an interesting inclusion, and just a bit more why seemed necessary. It seems to me that the author did very little research at all, and even chunks of the story are just copied from actual case files rather than being paraphrased or explained in the author's own words.

The cases themselves were fascinating, but the author does a poor job in highlighting the emotional pain these crimes would have caused. He creates no emotional connections so I feel it's quite a disservice to the families and loved ones of the victims.

Forget this one, and if you're interested in any of these cases just Google them. You'll get about the same amount of information, and you'll probably even get the bonus of images to help you remember the faces of those whose lives were taken from them so unjustly.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories about some of Australia's more famous crimes. It was a good overview.