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The Phillip Island Murder
The discovery of the body of Beth Barnard in her Phillip Island farmhouse in 1986, began a homicide investigation that rocked a peaceful community. It also created an enduring mystery, for no one was ever brought to trial for her brutal death, and the main suspect disappeared - never to be seen again. Beth Barnard, a popular and attractive 23-year-old, had been having an affair with a local married man. On the night of her brutal murder, a car belonging to Vivienne Cameron - wife of Beth's lover - was found abandoned near the bridge that connects the famous tourist island to the mainland. No trace of Vivienne was ever found, and her disappearance has never been adequately explained. Nevertheless, a Coroner's Court found that Vivienne had killed her rival then jumped to her death into the waters of Westernport Bay. The case was closed but not forgotten. Ever since their first edition of The Phillip Island Murder, in 1993, Vikki Petraitis and Paul Daley have been regularly contacted by people wanting to know more; people who, like the authors, let the case get under their skin. More than three decades later the mystery, rumours and arm-chair solutions continue.
174 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2013
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595 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 14, 2016
absolutely a must read!!!! this story will really take a hold of you. there are so many unanswered questions. read it in 6 hours and re-read it again the next day.
November 16, 2022
This is the true crime story of a still unsolved murder that occurred on Phillip Island in the 1980s. The book was originally published in 1994 and then republished in 2018 with minor updates.
True crime is not a genre I read very often and this example was quite different in style from my previous and very limited experiences (eg The Suitcase Baby and other more historic cases). I struggled initially with this book due to what felt like long lists of names as every detective, crime scene attendee and others were named. I kept wondering if I needed to know all these names and in fact I only needed the key figures. I think this, and the lack of background to some of the characters, negatively influenced my initial and overall opinion. I also found the writing style, what felt like a simplistic chronological reportage, somewhat off putting or at least quite different for me as a reader. I did adjust and quite enjoyed the last section of the book, the conjecture, questions and debates around this story which remains an ongoing mystery.
True crime is not a genre I read very often and this example was quite different in style from my previous and very limited experiences (eg The Suitcase Baby and other more historic cases). I struggled initially with this book due to what felt like long lists of names as every detective, crime scene attendee and others were named. I kept wondering if I needed to know all these names and in fact I only needed the key figures. I think this, and the lack of background to some of the characters, negatively influenced my initial and overall opinion. I also found the writing style, what felt like a simplistic chronological reportage, somewhat off putting or at least quite different for me as a reader. I did adjust and quite enjoyed the last section of the book, the conjecture, questions and debates around this story which remains an ongoing mystery.
January 16, 2024
I listened to a podcast that cited this book. I think it’s a very interesting case and enjoyed learning more about it. I really wish there were some answers as to what happened!
January 11, 2013
Started reading THE PHILLIP ISLAND MURDER ages ago, tidied up one day and promptly couldn't find the book to finish it. (Goes to prove that housework is dangerous and frankly bloody annoying as I wanted to read this book.) Rather relieved that after 12 months of idly moving things around, I finally managed to find it again. So I sat down and re-read cover to cover.
Petraitis and Dale have written an extremely good true crime book. It's well researched, reasoned and thoughtful, and the case deserves a light held up to it. Alas, unlike the blurb hopes, I don't think anything has eventuated. Interesting article about the writing can be found here:
http://www.basscoastpost.com/case-not...
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Petraitis and Dale have written an extremely good true crime book. It's well researched, reasoned and thoughtful, and the case deserves a light held up to it. Alas, unlike the blurb hopes, I don't think anything has eventuated. Interesting article about the writing can be found here:
http://www.basscoastpost.com/case-not...
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
December 18, 2020
This book was originally published in 1994 and then republished in 2018 with a small update. I first heard about this case on the Podcast CaseFiles and it fascinated me enough to find this book. And the book has plenty of details about the murder and the circumstances around it. However, it doesn’t have a lot of background about the principle people (Fergus & Vivienne Cameron or Beth Barnard), it doesn’t give information about how the investigation went after the initial interviews with people of interest, nothing about Beth’s family - it lacks a lot of background and makes for an incomplete story.
If you want a book that has a narrow focus on the forensic details and the happenings shortly before and after the murder then this is up your alley. However, it left me wanting a fuller picture of the people involved as well as the aftermath if there was any.
If you want a book that has a narrow focus on the forensic details and the happenings shortly before and after the murder then this is up your alley. However, it left me wanting a fuller picture of the people involved as well as the aftermath if there was any.
August 10, 2013
what a good short read book before going to bed! nothing better then an unsolved murder case! ah it felt like i was watching the episode on tv!
August 18, 2023
I bought this book on a whim for myself after purchasing it as a gift for someone else. My first true crime book and I have to say I was captivated. The murder still stands as unsolved. A quick read and informative.
October 11, 2023
The Casefile podcast on this was so intriguing, that I had to get the book. I have so many theories on this, but sadly, I think we'll never know what happened that night.
February 5, 2024
A fascinating, fascinating case. I can only hope that a resolution will be reached in the future because the women involved in this case deserve justice.
January 27, 2026
Phillip Island is best known to most as the home to the fairy penguin. Each night, tourists can watch them waddling home at dusk, out of the ocean and up the beach. But beneath the postcard beauty lies one of Australia’s most unsettling unsolved murders.
In The Phillip Island Murder, Vikki Petraitis takes readers back to 1986, when 23-year-old Beth Barnard was brutally murdered in her bedroom in a farmhouse on the island. Her throat was cut, her body repeatedly stabbed and slashed, and her hands showed clear defensive wounds, evidence of a desperate fight for her life.
That same night, wife of wealthy and influential local Fergus Cameron, and mother to two young children, Vivienne Cameron vanished without explanation. Beth, meanwhile, had been working as a farmhand on the Cameron property and was engaged in a well-known affair with Fergus at the time of her death.
An inquest in 1988 ruled Vivienne the likely killer before taking her own life, yet her body was never recovered and to this day she has never been found.
First published in 1993, this was Petraitis’ first endeavour into true crime writing, and it is a compelling one. Unwelcome on the island once locals learned what she was investigating, she persisted anyway, turning over every stone until she hit brick walls. What she uncovers forces the reader to seriously question the coroner’s findings because when the evidence is laid out, things simply don’t add up.
Did Vivienne really have the physical strength to inflict such brutal injuries? Would she truly abandon her children? And why was Fergus never scrutinised more closely? Did his standing within the community shield him from suspicion and did he get away with murder?
In The Phillip Island Murder, Vikki Petraitis takes readers back to 1986, when 23-year-old Beth Barnard was brutally murdered in her bedroom in a farmhouse on the island. Her throat was cut, her body repeatedly stabbed and slashed, and her hands showed clear defensive wounds, evidence of a desperate fight for her life.
That same night, wife of wealthy and influential local Fergus Cameron, and mother to two young children, Vivienne Cameron vanished without explanation. Beth, meanwhile, had been working as a farmhand on the Cameron property and was engaged in a well-known affair with Fergus at the time of her death.
An inquest in 1988 ruled Vivienne the likely killer before taking her own life, yet her body was never recovered and to this day she has never been found.
First published in 1993, this was Petraitis’ first endeavour into true crime writing, and it is a compelling one. Unwelcome on the island once locals learned what she was investigating, she persisted anyway, turning over every stone until she hit brick walls. What she uncovers forces the reader to seriously question the coroner’s findings because when the evidence is laid out, things simply don’t add up.
Did Vivienne really have the physical strength to inflict such brutal injuries? Would she truly abandon her children? And why was Fergus never scrutinised more closely? Did his standing within the community shield him from suspicion and did he get away with murder?
February 8, 2026
About:
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia is the setting for this true crime about a woman discovered brutally murdered and a missing wife.
Review:
I wanted to learn more about this case and it does tell you all the details. It includes the crime scene photos as well as the coroner results which was particularly shocking to me. Some of the evidence does not seem to add up but i think i would strongly go with the coroner results of the case. It is odd that certain evidence does point to more than what the results have fpund but people questioning the wife's disappearance being out of character do not realize that people mask, and in this case a rage where one no longer uses rationality results in tragedy.
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia is the setting for this true crime about a woman discovered brutally murdered and a missing wife.
Review:
I wanted to learn more about this case and it does tell you all the details. It includes the crime scene photos as well as the coroner results which was particularly shocking to me. Some of the evidence does not seem to add up but i think i would strongly go with the coroner results of the case. It is odd that certain evidence does point to more than what the results have fpund but people questioning the wife's disappearance being out of character do not realize that people mask, and in this case a rage where one no longer uses rationality results in tragedy.
August 1, 2024
4.5 stars for a very informative look at this horrific crime
I am too young to remember this actually happening but I found this whole case riveting. From the start it’s disclosed that there was no real closure, so you always know there will be no breakthrough. Even though I knew this, I still found it so infuriating when I got to the end.
In the beginning I often forgot this was true crime, especially in the way it was written. But with the graphic details of the crime I soon remembered.
I can’t say it’s enjoyable because it’s a debating case just it’s a very interesting read and the perfect fit for lovers of true crime
I am too young to remember this actually happening but I found this whole case riveting. From the start it’s disclosed that there was no real closure, so you always know there will be no breakthrough. Even though I knew this, I still found it so infuriating when I got to the end.
In the beginning I often forgot this was true crime, especially in the way it was written. But with the graphic details of the crime I soon remembered.
I can’t say it’s enjoyable because it’s a debating case just it’s a very interesting read and the perfect fit for lovers of true crime
May 27, 2024
Interesting case. The writing was ok. The forensic evidence was quite basic. Baffling that DNA still hasn’t been tested, given the scant evidence presented at the inquest. The author makes mention, many times, how DNA analysis wasn’t available in 1986. True. But it was available at the time the book was published and is certainly available now. Also, I am unsure why phone records weren’t investigated, particularly Vivianne’s supposed 10am call to a friend the morning of.
November 1, 2025
4.5 STARS
Vikki and Paul manage to captivate and engage in this interesting and intriguing case of Beth Barnard and Vivienne Cameron.
It is informative and engaging, and whilst knowing it is currently unsolved, it’s still a brilliant and thoroughly investigated account of that night in September and the aftermath.
As a local to the area, I enjoyed the book and can’t wait to see any further developments.
Vikki and Paul manage to captivate and engage in this interesting and intriguing case of Beth Barnard and Vivienne Cameron.
It is informative and engaging, and whilst knowing it is currently unsolved, it’s still a brilliant and thoroughly investigated account of that night in September and the aftermath.
As a local to the area, I enjoyed the book and can’t wait to see any further developments.
February 15, 2024
Probably the worst book I have read for a long time. Bought it because I live locally, but the writing is terrible and boring. Feels like a rough draft that changed direction half-way through.
May 4, 2024
it got under my skin
I have so many theories and questions. Too many to fit in this box. You need to read this. You just need to!
I have so many theories and questions. Too many to fit in this box. You need to read this. You just need to!
May 7, 2024
It's an interesting story and well written. This is the second True Crime book that I have read from this author.
I couldn't put this book down!
I couldn't put this book down!
November 26, 2024
This unsolved ‘local’ murder mystery baffled me years ago when I first read it. Nothing has changed!
October 7, 2025
A compelling mystery!
July 31, 2022
A Great Read A Real Whodunit Murder
I did not know much about this murder case, but I have read books by Vikki Petraitis, and I love her witing style so I could not wait to read this book.
This book is about a very heinous murder that occurred on Philip Island on the Australian Victoria's Coast in the late 1980's. This book tells the story of the discovery of the dead body of Beth Barnard who was only 23 when she was found on the floor of the bedroom in the island farmhouse where she lived. Beth had been brutally stabbed to death with the letter A carved into her chest. Beth who had been having an affair with a local married man called Angus Cameron was employed to work on Angus's and Vivienne Cameron farm.
The day that Beth was murdered Angus's wife Vivienne confronting Angus over the affair and a fight broke out and Vivienne cuts Angus's ear and threatened to hurt Beth. The next morning Angus’s wife Vivienne is found to be missing and his girlfriend Beth is dead. Did Vivienne kill her rival and jump to her death in the waters of Western Port?
The Coroner ruled the disappearance of Vivienne a suicide brought on by the guilt of murdering Beth Barnard and the case was then closed.
Still even with a lot of evidence there are more questions than answers, and the disappearance which is still not solved today intrigues and gets under the skin of regularly people, including me.
Vikki did not disappoint me once again an exceptionally well researched and well written book. Vikki is a very good true crime writer and I Defiantly look forward to reading more books by Vikki. Thanks to Clan Destine Press I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I did not know much about this murder case, but I have read books by Vikki Petraitis, and I love her witing style so I could not wait to read this book.
This book is about a very heinous murder that occurred on Philip Island on the Australian Victoria's Coast in the late 1980's. This book tells the story of the discovery of the dead body of Beth Barnard who was only 23 when she was found on the floor of the bedroom in the island farmhouse where she lived. Beth had been brutally stabbed to death with the letter A carved into her chest. Beth who had been having an affair with a local married man called Angus Cameron was employed to work on Angus's and Vivienne Cameron farm.
The day that Beth was murdered Angus's wife Vivienne confronting Angus over the affair and a fight broke out and Vivienne cuts Angus's ear and threatened to hurt Beth. The next morning Angus’s wife Vivienne is found to be missing and his girlfriend Beth is dead. Did Vivienne kill her rival and jump to her death in the waters of Western Port?
The Coroner ruled the disappearance of Vivienne a suicide brought on by the guilt of murdering Beth Barnard and the case was then closed.
Still even with a lot of evidence there are more questions than answers, and the disappearance which is still not solved today intrigues and gets under the skin of regularly people, including me.
Vikki did not disappoint me once again an exceptionally well researched and well written book. Vikki is a very good true crime writer and I Defiantly look forward to reading more books by Vikki. Thanks to Clan Destine Press I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2021
A friend of mine listened to a podcast about this and recommended the book to me. It was fascinating! Having been born after these events took place I wasn't at all familiar with the story and had no idea it had even happened. The book discusses a heinous murder that occurred on Philip Island on Victoria's cost in the late 80's. The murder of a young woman who was well liked on the island but who was having an affair with a married man and the almost immediate disappearance of her lover's wife captivated the imaginations of many at the time. Petraitis' account of both the events and investigation are both comprehensive and respectful. There is no hype or wild theory that sometimes surrounds these sorts of unsolved mystery books but it's clearly something that she's been looking into for a long time. The only small criticism I would have is that the book isn't terribly well edited and I picked up a few spelling and grammatical errors that were a tad frustrating but I am the sort of person that is annoyed by that sort of thing. Other than that it was a great read that attempts to shine a light on a very dark part of Victorian history and that I'm glad I now know something about.
May 30, 2024
Back in the late 80s Beth Barnard a 23 year old farm worker was brutally murdered on Phillip Island. Beth was having an affair with married man Angus Cameron a local land owner. On the day that Beth is murdered Vivienne Cameron, Angus's wife, goes missing. The Coroner ruled the disappearance of Vivienne a suicide brought on by the guilt of murdering Beth Barnard.
Petraitis brings together the threads of the story by using material availble to the public through FOI requests. It does not look like Petraitis interviews any of the people involved so the construction relies on the statements that have been collected. There are certainly inconsistencies in statements and timelines. There are questions and many lines of enquiry that do not seem to have been resolved.
Petraitis is at pains to explain that the police were hampered by a lack of technology such as DNA sequencing to provide greater clarity.
There is certainly enough doubt presented in this book to have the case reviewed. Whether it provides a different outcome, that is for the judicial system.
Petraitis brings together the threads of the story by using material availble to the public through FOI requests. It does not look like Petraitis interviews any of the people involved so the construction relies on the statements that have been collected. There are certainly inconsistencies in statements and timelines. There are questions and many lines of enquiry that do not seem to have been resolved.
Petraitis is at pains to explain that the police were hampered by a lack of technology such as DNA sequencing to provide greater clarity.
There is certainly enough doubt presented in this book to have the case reviewed. Whether it provides a different outcome, that is for the judicial system.
June 9, 2019
Very good summary of the facts surrounding a really mysterious unsolved murder in Australia in 1986. Beth Barnard was a young lady having an affair with Fergus Cameron, a sheep farmer. Her fate and the fate of Fergus' wife become strangely entwined. What seems obvious at first glance is anything but, once you start reviewing the sequence of events that took place that day. There are so many clues, yet no useable clues left behind. The people in the area refuse to speak about the crime, so there are so many questions left unanswered.
April 30, 2024
This is a book that involves the need to see justice carried out and has the reader humming along with his own agatha christie type mentality trying to will the truth out of the true life characters portrayed alongside facts and statements etc etc.... a very good read with my own whodunnit theory bleeding into everyone else's. Recommended.
January 26, 2019
Interesting!
Great true crime book! I was disappointed that so far, they haven't found the murderer. I don't agree how the law allows them to say Vivienne drowned when there was no proof of that, etc. Still, kept my interest. That was the reason for the four stars-it was never solved.
Great true crime book! I was disappointed that so far, they haven't found the murderer. I don't agree how the law allows them to say Vivienne drowned when there was no proof of that, etc. Still, kept my interest. That was the reason for the four stars-it was never solved.
April 27, 2020
A well written story of a murder and a disappearance which are still not solved today. I must admit to a fondness for true crime which has an ambiguous resolution or none at all. You can create your own theories and there's always the chance that in the future new evidence will be found or the case re-opened.
July 11, 2012
well researched and written.
July 12, 2020
Loved this book. It is a fascinating run of events. Vikki Petraitis has opened up a whole new world for me with her great writing of this.
October 30, 2020
A gripping mystery, still not solved and some things still hang in the air.
September 26, 2021
Interesting insight into an unsolved murder.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews