What do you think?
Rate this book
Deception Bay #1
The Unbelieved
Winner of the inaugural Allen & Unwin Crime Prize.
'So you believed the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?' Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. 'Girls lie sometimes.' I nodded. 'And rapists lie all the time.'
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub, and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
Chilling, timely and gripping, The Unbelieved takes us behind the headlines to a small-town world that is all too real - and introduces us to a brilliant new voice in crime fiction.
'So you believed the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?' Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. 'Girls lie sometimes.' I nodded. 'And rapists lie all the time.'
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub, and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
Chilling, timely and gripping, The Unbelieved takes us behind the headlines to a small-town world that is all too real - and introduces us to a brilliant new voice in crime fiction.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2022
63 people are currently reading
1917 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
November 14, 2023
So. Good. So. Horrifying. So. Real.
Such great Australian talent of late. Allen & Unwin are churning them out at a rate of knots. Thank you to that publisher for my physical copy to read and review. I will be keeping my copy, after loaning it to a fellow book lover from work.
An absolute common theme again for my latest reads, sexual assault, gendered violence, misogyny, and corruption shows itself to the extreme, here. In this instance, I felt our protagonist, Senior Detective Antigone Pollard was a safe, capable, and strong lead. I was never once left feeling she was unable to hold her own, stand up for herself and showing a good sense of knowing when to choose her battles.
The book opens as she is undercover, enticing a possible serial rapist out of the fold in a pub, by way of drink spiking. We see her physical strength straight away; she’s a fighter, tough and strong.
Again, this is a small country town run by overbearing, sexist, entitled and arrogant men. But luckily for us, and for Antigone, she stands up for herself, and her capabilities are such that she will not falter. She has an amazing partner (Wozza – yep you got it right!) and forms excellent alliances with the women of the town.
I loved Antigone’s faithful dog, Waffles, a loveable hound that failed at being a police dog. He wasn’t quite aggressive enough. I learned a lot about this type of dog, which is interesting to me as I work where the local canine unit train their dogs. I found this aspect of the story fascinating, how she cared for Waffles and how loyal and well trained he was.
Antigone forms friendships with the women of the town, who often meet up at the local CWA group where she holds self defence classes as part of her presence. Her boss Bob ‘Wheels’ Wheeler will have none of this, Wheels also takes offence to everything she does. Looking down on her at every turn, as do many of the men of authority in the town, such as the Mayor and the high school principal. In fact, most men she came across had a terrible attitude and assumed they were entirely unaccountable for their despicable treatment of women. Young men being raised in an unhealthy environment where the victims are treated as the offender, and the true offenders acting as the victim. The level of entitlement was what spurred me along, it was so very bad! Antigone was very switched on was able to control herself, she took and took and took the bad treatment, and saved it for when it was appropriate for her to act.
Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame were mentioned (current high profile Australian cases of blatant sexual mistreatment) so this book really does delve quite deep. Written by a researcher, teacher, and podcaster, is now able to tell her story to a wider audience after previously writing true crime, evidently this writer knows her content. The crime is fast paced and clever, deviating in all types of ways.
I found this book chilling, compelling, addictive, clever, maddening, and when it comes down to it, mostly horrifying as these things happen. The mistreatment of women where those in power have built a protective layer and those in need have no protection at all. Antigone’s arrival in Deception Bay is long overdue; she can handle the disgraceful treatment, but those at a higher risk cannot. Detective Antigone and her partner form an excellent alliance, helped by those brave enough in the community to make a stand.
I got a lump in my throat. Sometimes kindness came from the unlikeliness of allies. I gave him a small not of gratitude. He nodded back; no words necessary.
My experience with this book comes with a high recommendation. Very well written, edge of your seat pacing, and sadly, very real.
With my thanks to Allen & Unwin for my physical copy to read and review; keep doing what you are doing the formula works.
Such great Australian talent of late. Allen & Unwin are churning them out at a rate of knots. Thank you to that publisher for my physical copy to read and review. I will be keeping my copy, after loaning it to a fellow book lover from work.
An absolute common theme again for my latest reads, sexual assault, gendered violence, misogyny, and corruption shows itself to the extreme, here. In this instance, I felt our protagonist, Senior Detective Antigone Pollard was a safe, capable, and strong lead. I was never once left feeling she was unable to hold her own, stand up for herself and showing a good sense of knowing when to choose her battles.
The book opens as she is undercover, enticing a possible serial rapist out of the fold in a pub, by way of drink spiking. We see her physical strength straight away; she’s a fighter, tough and strong.
Again, this is a small country town run by overbearing, sexist, entitled and arrogant men. But luckily for us, and for Antigone, she stands up for herself, and her capabilities are such that she will not falter. She has an amazing partner (Wozza – yep you got it right!) and forms excellent alliances with the women of the town.
I loved Antigone’s faithful dog, Waffles, a loveable hound that failed at being a police dog. He wasn’t quite aggressive enough. I learned a lot about this type of dog, which is interesting to me as I work where the local canine unit train their dogs. I found this aspect of the story fascinating, how she cared for Waffles and how loyal and well trained he was.
Antigone forms friendships with the women of the town, who often meet up at the local CWA group where she holds self defence classes as part of her presence. Her boss Bob ‘Wheels’ Wheeler will have none of this, Wheels also takes offence to everything she does. Looking down on her at every turn, as do many of the men of authority in the town, such as the Mayor and the high school principal. In fact, most men she came across had a terrible attitude and assumed they were entirely unaccountable for their despicable treatment of women. Young men being raised in an unhealthy environment where the victims are treated as the offender, and the true offenders acting as the victim. The level of entitlement was what spurred me along, it was so very bad! Antigone was very switched on was able to control herself, she took and took and took the bad treatment, and saved it for when it was appropriate for her to act.
Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame were mentioned (current high profile Australian cases of blatant sexual mistreatment) so this book really does delve quite deep. Written by a researcher, teacher, and podcaster, is now able to tell her story to a wider audience after previously writing true crime, evidently this writer knows her content. The crime is fast paced and clever, deviating in all types of ways.
I found this book chilling, compelling, addictive, clever, maddening, and when it comes down to it, mostly horrifying as these things happen. The mistreatment of women where those in power have built a protective layer and those in need have no protection at all. Antigone’s arrival in Deception Bay is long overdue; she can handle the disgraceful treatment, but those at a higher risk cannot. Detective Antigone and her partner form an excellent alliance, helped by those brave enough in the community to make a stand.
I got a lump in my throat. Sometimes kindness came from the unlikeliness of allies. I gave him a small not of gratitude. He nodded back; no words necessary.
My experience with this book comes with a high recommendation. Very well written, edge of your seat pacing, and sadly, very real.
With my thanks to Allen & Unwin for my physical copy to read and review; keep doing what you are doing the formula works.
August 6, 2022
This gripping debut crime novel by Vikki Petraitis, well known for her true crime writing, won the Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Award for 2021 and is certainly a worthy winner. Well written and compelling reading, the plot centres on sexual assault, the most difficult types of crime to prove in court and obtain justice for the victim.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has moved to back to her home town of Deception Bay in Victoria after a rape case ended badly for the victim who she had been supporting, when the alleged rapist was found not guilty. The case was not only emotionally draining but ended her relationship with her partner Daniel. Unfortunately, she finds things are not much better in the country. Although there have been a series of sexual assaults with similar hallmarks in the area, so far no one has been charged and the victims have generally been met with unbelief and blamed for drinking too much or being provocatively dressed or crying rape after the event. When Pollard herself is targeted by a man who tries to spike her drink and take advantage of her, the witnesses in the bar all support the man’s version of events rather than hers.
Even though Pollard is up against a wall of male derision in the town, including from her own boss and the mayor, she is determined to find the man or men responsible for the rapes, despite the risk to her own safety. It’s just as well she is tough and trained in martial arts and has Wozza, a police partner she can trust and rely on as well as her police-trained German Shepherd, Waffles, by her side to keep her safe. The plot is well written with believable characters and snippets of police interviews included to show how hard it can be to prove that rape has occurred. The novel also touches on the theme of domestic violence, that is also often swept under the rug instead of being called out. A thought provoking novel that hooked me in from the start. I’d love to see Antigone, Wazza and Waffles back again in the future.
With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for a copy to read
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has moved to back to her home town of Deception Bay in Victoria after a rape case ended badly for the victim who she had been supporting, when the alleged rapist was found not guilty. The case was not only emotionally draining but ended her relationship with her partner Daniel. Unfortunately, she finds things are not much better in the country. Although there have been a series of sexual assaults with similar hallmarks in the area, so far no one has been charged and the victims have generally been met with unbelief and blamed for drinking too much or being provocatively dressed or crying rape after the event. When Pollard herself is targeted by a man who tries to spike her drink and take advantage of her, the witnesses in the bar all support the man’s version of events rather than hers.
Even though Pollard is up against a wall of male derision in the town, including from her own boss and the mayor, she is determined to find the man or men responsible for the rapes, despite the risk to her own safety. It’s just as well she is tough and trained in martial arts and has Wozza, a police partner she can trust and rely on as well as her police-trained German Shepherd, Waffles, by her side to keep her safe. The plot is well written with believable characters and snippets of police interviews included to show how hard it can be to prove that rape has occurred. The novel also touches on the theme of domestic violence, that is also often swept under the rug instead of being called out. A thought provoking novel that hooked me in from the start. I’d love to see Antigone, Wazza and Waffles back again in the future.
With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for a copy to read
July 10, 2022
A disturbing thriller, that unfortunately is "believable"
Vikki Petraitis tells the story of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard. Detective Pollard was working a rape victim case in Melbourne that became too close to her heart. When the case was wrapped up, and escape from the tragedy and shock that this case held over her, Detective Pollard moved to the small town she had grown up in, to stay in her grandmother's farm house.
Not long after Detective Pollard has moved in, things go from bad to worse in this small town, where everybody knows each other, and secrets are kept.
Detective Pollard is on her way home from work, and stops at the bar for a quiet drink. Before too long she is being hit on, by a drunk old timer, who doesn't want to take no for an answer. A tall, handsome looking stranger diffuses the situation for her and offers to buy her a drink, they chat for a bit, and then she starts to feel tired and a little woozy/sick. Detective Pollard excuses herself and makes her way to her car, stumbling and tripping.
The events of this evening, lead Detective Pollard on a series of investigations, leading into suspected date rape druggings, which have been reported and previously ruled out, as the girls were apparently dressed "asking for trouble" or where only crying rape, as they were in relationships and "their boyfriends had found out"
"So you believed the the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?" Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. "Girls lie sometimes." I nodded . And rapists lie all the time"
As Detective Pollard's investigations into these investigations continue, she becomes a target herself. She is being threatened by her boss, is threatened at her home, and is labelled as a liar by the Mayor and others in authority in the town.
Even with her back against the wall. Detective Pollard is determined to find out the truth of what is going on in this small town, even if it costs her, her own life.
Thankyou to Better Reading for my advanced copy, in return I offer my honest review.
4 Stars: I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who like the genre. I will definitely want to read more books by this author
Please visit my Facebook page and blog to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/kyliesbookad...
https://kyliesbookaddictreviews.blogs...
Vikki Petraitis tells the story of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard. Detective Pollard was working a rape victim case in Melbourne that became too close to her heart. When the case was wrapped up, and escape from the tragedy and shock that this case held over her, Detective Pollard moved to the small town she had grown up in, to stay in her grandmother's farm house.
Not long after Detective Pollard has moved in, things go from bad to worse in this small town, where everybody knows each other, and secrets are kept.
Detective Pollard is on her way home from work, and stops at the bar for a quiet drink. Before too long she is being hit on, by a drunk old timer, who doesn't want to take no for an answer. A tall, handsome looking stranger diffuses the situation for her and offers to buy her a drink, they chat for a bit, and then she starts to feel tired and a little woozy/sick. Detective Pollard excuses herself and makes her way to her car, stumbling and tripping.
The events of this evening, lead Detective Pollard on a series of investigations, leading into suspected date rape druggings, which have been reported and previously ruled out, as the girls were apparently dressed "asking for trouble" or where only crying rape, as they were in relationships and "their boyfriends had found out"
"So you believed the the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?" Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. "Girls lie sometimes." I nodded . And rapists lie all the time"
As Detective Pollard's investigations into these investigations continue, she becomes a target herself. She is being threatened by her boss, is threatened at her home, and is labelled as a liar by the Mayor and others in authority in the town.
Even with her back against the wall. Detective Pollard is determined to find out the truth of what is going on in this small town, even if it costs her, her own life.
Thankyou to Better Reading for my advanced copy, in return I offer my honest review.
4 Stars: I enjoyed it and would recommend it to people who like the genre. I will definitely want to read more books by this author
Please visit my Facebook page and blog to see all of my past and future book reviews.
https://www.facebook.com/kyliesbookad...
https://kyliesbookaddictreviews.blogs...
August 25, 2023
EXCERPT: Sally’s husband, Herb, was ready at dawn for the round-up. He headed outside while she got started in the kitchen. The whiny sound of his dirt bike followed by the thunder of small hooves always brought her to the verandah. The breeze was blowing inland and she could smell the sea. Their farm bordered a national park that boasted a convergence of cliffs known as the Devil’s Corner.
Jagged rocks and a current that swirled and writhed beneath a deceptively calm surface. Over the years, the area had snared many a fishing boat, dragging strong men to early graves, but for Sally and Herb the rugged beauty of the sweeping Deception Bay coastline was often ignored for more pressing duties, like sheep. The paddocks were golden at this time of the morning in early spring. Like scurrying children in fleecy pyjamas, the sheep moved in waves, reined in by Herb on the bike and the dogs circling the herd in a frenzy of barking. Sally straightened her apron and went back inside. She had the shearers’ breakfast to finish.
Half an hour later, Sally was covering a baking dish of scrambled eggs when the bang of the wire door announced Herb.
‘Bloody Millard hasn’t turned up again. Will you get on the phone and see where he is?’ Sally sighed. She had little time for Brett Millard. Unreliable shearers were the worst. When he turned up, Brett could match the other blokes sheep for sheep, but it fell to Sally to chase him when he was a no-show. Sometimes it was Brett’s wife, Shayna, who answered the phone. She’d apologise, exasperated, and say, Sorry, Sal! I’ll make sure he’s there tomorrow.
Good shearer or not, Brett Millard was easily distracted; Shayna was the opposite. Worked up at the hospital. Backbone of the young family. Problem was, thought Sally as she dialled the number, men like Brett rarely improved with age—Shayna had a tough road ahead of her…
ABOUT 'THE UNBELIEVED': 'So you believed the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?' Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. 'Girls lie sometimes.' I nodded. 'And rapists lie all the time.'
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared, and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
MY THOUGHTS: I was immersed in this book from the beginning. Anitgone Pollard is a strong and determined character in a town that likes its women submissive and in the home. Domestic violence is rife and hidden, or ignored, and there is a culture of drugging and raping young women. A culture that is glossed over as 'just the boys having a bit of fun', and 'the girls were asking for it'.
Then, along came Antigone . . .
Petraitis has written a powerful book about misogyny, women's rights, the cultures of fear and rape and the difficulty of getting a rape conviction through the courts. This is not a book for the faint-hearted. Reading it, I was stunned, saddened and angry. I was backing Antigone and her wonderful dog Waffles (I want to know how he got his name) all the way. Not all males come out poorly portrayed. Wazza, Antigone's work partner, is a wonderful man who has an equally wonderful wife, Jess, and they are great and supportive friends to Antigone.
The twist in the epilogue is superb and unexpected.
This is a great plot with wonderfully developed characters, very true to their insular small-town setting. I hope we get to read more of Antigone, Waffles and Wazza.
This is Vikki Petraitis's first novel. She has previously written true crime. This is not an easy transition to make. I know. I have read several unsuccessful attempts. Had I known this I probably wouldn't have selected this to read. I'm glad I didn't know. I would have missed out on a rather wonderful read.
This is the first time I have listened to narrator Maria Angelico. She was mostly okay, BUT she paused in some very odd places which made the narrative a little disjointed in places.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheUnbelieved #WaitomoDistrictLIbrary
I: @vikkipetraitis @wavesoundaustralia
X: @PetraitisVikki @WavesoundAus
#Audiobook #Australianfiction #crime #detectivefiction #samlltownfiction #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Ever since she was a small child, Vikki dreamed of being a writer. One of her favourite things is when people tell her how her books have changed their life or influenced their career choice. There’s more than one cop, forensic psychologist, podcaster, or investigator whose journey began with opening one of Vikki’s books.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
Jagged rocks and a current that swirled and writhed beneath a deceptively calm surface. Over the years, the area had snared many a fishing boat, dragging strong men to early graves, but for Sally and Herb the rugged beauty of the sweeping Deception Bay coastline was often ignored for more pressing duties, like sheep. The paddocks were golden at this time of the morning in early spring. Like scurrying children in fleecy pyjamas, the sheep moved in waves, reined in by Herb on the bike and the dogs circling the herd in a frenzy of barking. Sally straightened her apron and went back inside. She had the shearers’ breakfast to finish.
Half an hour later, Sally was covering a baking dish of scrambled eggs when the bang of the wire door announced Herb.
‘Bloody Millard hasn’t turned up again. Will you get on the phone and see where he is?’ Sally sighed. She had little time for Brett Millard. Unreliable shearers were the worst. When he turned up, Brett could match the other blokes sheep for sheep, but it fell to Sally to chase him when he was a no-show. Sometimes it was Brett’s wife, Shayna, who answered the phone. She’d apologise, exasperated, and say, Sorry, Sal! I’ll make sure he’s there tomorrow.
Good shearer or not, Brett Millard was easily distracted; Shayna was the opposite. Worked up at the hospital. Backbone of the young family. Problem was, thought Sally as she dialled the number, men like Brett rarely improved with age—Shayna had a tough road ahead of her…
ABOUT 'THE UNBELIEVED': 'So you believed the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?' Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. 'Girls lie sometimes.' I nodded. 'And rapists lie all the time.'
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared, and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
MY THOUGHTS: I was immersed in this book from the beginning. Anitgone Pollard is a strong and determined character in a town that likes its women submissive and in the home. Domestic violence is rife and hidden, or ignored, and there is a culture of drugging and raping young women. A culture that is glossed over as 'just the boys having a bit of fun', and 'the girls were asking for it'.
Then, along came Antigone . . .
Petraitis has written a powerful book about misogyny, women's rights, the cultures of fear and rape and the difficulty of getting a rape conviction through the courts. This is not a book for the faint-hearted. Reading it, I was stunned, saddened and angry. I was backing Antigone and her wonderful dog Waffles (I want to know how he got his name) all the way. Not all males come out poorly portrayed. Wazza, Antigone's work partner, is a wonderful man who has an equally wonderful wife, Jess, and they are great and supportive friends to Antigone.
The twist in the epilogue is superb and unexpected.
This is a great plot with wonderfully developed characters, very true to their insular small-town setting. I hope we get to read more of Antigone, Waffles and Wazza.
This is Vikki Petraitis's first novel. She has previously written true crime. This is not an easy transition to make. I know. I have read several unsuccessful attempts. Had I known this I probably wouldn't have selected this to read. I'm glad I didn't know. I would have missed out on a rather wonderful read.
This is the first time I have listened to narrator Maria Angelico. She was mostly okay, BUT she paused in some very odd places which made the narrative a little disjointed in places.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.2
#TheUnbelieved #WaitomoDistrictLIbrary
I: @vikkipetraitis @wavesoundaustralia
X: @PetraitisVikki @WavesoundAus
#Audiobook #Australianfiction #crime #detectivefiction #samlltownfiction #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Ever since she was a small child, Vikki dreamed of being a writer. One of her favourite things is when people tell her how her books have changed their life or influenced their career choice. There’s more than one cop, forensic psychologist, podcaster, or investigator whose journey began with opening one of Vikki’s books.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.
September 2, 2022
This is Vikki Petraitis’s first fiction book and can I say WOW, what a book I totally understand how it won the Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize. It is compelling and gripping as she opens up a world where woman are not always given the respect they deserve and sometimes it feels like you are hitting a brick wall no matter how hard to try to protect the innocent. This is a must read.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard takes a new position in the small town of Deception Bay on the coast of Victoria, she is still getting over what happened in Melbourne and is hoping that being in a town that she spent a lot of time in when she was a child will help her heal but guilt is hard to forget. With her police dog Waffles by her side and a great partner Senior Detective Warren Harvey (Wozza) and living in her Nan’s house Antigone is settling in.
There have been a few sex attacks in the area and no convictions when Antigone stops in at the pub on her way home from work she finds herself targeted by someone planning to rape her, but things don’t go his way and Antigone is having trouble getting anyone to give an honest statement about what happened that night, even her boss is not convinced.
Antigone will never give up no matter what and with the help of her partner Wozza they are uncovering a lot of clues and hints but finding answers is even harder and with her boss and most of the males in the town putting up a brick wall it is not easy. There is also a lot more going on in this town, are the woman safe, well Antigone is determined to help them be safe and when she also uncovers a past case the more she looks into it the more this case smells of corruption.
This books is written so well and has taken on issues that are very much making headlines today and Petraitis has done it brilliantly, I could barely put this book down, Antigone is such a strong and caring character and I was cheering her on and yes I was so frustrated with what her and the victims in this story had to go up against and the ending is so very good. I do highly recommend this one, an enthralling read.
My thanks to the publisher Allen & Unwin for my copy to read
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard takes a new position in the small town of Deception Bay on the coast of Victoria, she is still getting over what happened in Melbourne and is hoping that being in a town that she spent a lot of time in when she was a child will help her heal but guilt is hard to forget. With her police dog Waffles by her side and a great partner Senior Detective Warren Harvey (Wozza) and living in her Nan’s house Antigone is settling in.
There have been a few sex attacks in the area and no convictions when Antigone stops in at the pub on her way home from work she finds herself targeted by someone planning to rape her, but things don’t go his way and Antigone is having trouble getting anyone to give an honest statement about what happened that night, even her boss is not convinced.
Antigone will never give up no matter what and with the help of her partner Wozza they are uncovering a lot of clues and hints but finding answers is even harder and with her boss and most of the males in the town putting up a brick wall it is not easy. There is also a lot more going on in this town, are the woman safe, well Antigone is determined to help them be safe and when she also uncovers a past case the more she looks into it the more this case smells of corruption.
This books is written so well and has taken on issues that are very much making headlines today and Petraitis has done it brilliantly, I could barely put this book down, Antigone is such a strong and caring character and I was cheering her on and yes I was so frustrated with what her and the victims in this story had to go up against and the ending is so very good. I do highly recommend this one, an enthralling read.
My thanks to the publisher Allen & Unwin for my copy to read
August 13, 2022
Another fantastic Australian crime fiction debut from Vikki Petraitis. I understand that this author has written true crime novels and it really shows in the detail and writing in The Unbelieved. This book has a lot of really tough subjects throughout, making it a really uncomfortable but important read. Unfortunately, a lot of what happens in this fiction novel happens every day in real life. A compulsive read and ai look forward to more from this author.
Detective Antigone Pollard decides to return to the small coastal town of Deception Bay in Victoria after a rape case she is working on goes horribly wrong. It is a chance for a fresh start. But when she arrives in town, she realises that small towns are no better than the city. In fact, things may be worse here. Men defend their fellow man’s actions right to the top of the power chain, and the women are too scared to talk. Pollard decides she needs to make changes, along with her partner Wozza (can you get more Aussie than that name) She vows to do the right thing for the women of this area, no matter what.
I loved that Antigone had an ex police dog called Waffles. I am a sucker for a dog in a story and Waffles was awesome, a fierce protector and friend.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read. The Unbelieved is out now in Australia
Detective Antigone Pollard decides to return to the small coastal town of Deception Bay in Victoria after a rape case she is working on goes horribly wrong. It is a chance for a fresh start. But when she arrives in town, she realises that small towns are no better than the city. In fact, things may be worse here. Men defend their fellow man’s actions right to the top of the power chain, and the women are too scared to talk. Pollard decides she needs to make changes, along with her partner Wozza (can you get more Aussie than that name) She vows to do the right thing for the women of this area, no matter what.
I loved that Antigone had an ex police dog called Waffles. I am a sucker for a dog in a story and Waffles was awesome, a fierce protector and friend.
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read. The Unbelieved is out now in Australia
August 15, 2022
Four and a half stars.
This book angered me. Not because it is badly written - quite the opposite. It makes the situation of rape and the reality of trying to get it to court to prosecute, let alone get a conviction, only too real.
Senior detective Antigone Pollard has moved from Melbourne to the coastal town of Deception Bay, where she grew up, Her Nan still lives there in a retirement home so Antigone lives in her grandmother's old house. Antigone is haunted by the way events played out in Melbourne with a drink spiking and rape case she was involved in. The victim Gemma and what happened to her, still haunts Antigone; because she was not believed. The perpetrator of the crime was made out by the law system to be a victim. Antigone is not content. Justice has not been done.
But is the situation in Deception Bay any different to Melbourne?
One night Antigone calls in for a drink at the local pub and experiences the situation for herself, with results the perpetrator did not expect. Yet the man is a footy hero and his word is quickly believed over many in the town instead of Antigone's version of events. She finds herself one of the unbelieved. Even some in the police force do not believe her but make excuses for Jack, the man she believes is responsible for other date rapes. According to many he is 'a good bloke.' Antigone vows that no way is he going to be allowed to get away with it. But when she eventually uncovers the crime and perpetrators it is a lot bigger than she imagined.
With a character known as Wozza this couldn’t be anything but an Aussie book.
The statistics given on page 24 of the amount of rape crimes reported in one year in Victoria as against the few who were jailed for it is staggering and will evoke many feelings of anger in others as it did in me. The quote earlier on that page is telling about girls lie sometimes about rape. And the definitive answer is 'And rapists lie all the time.' Yet so often the victim become one of the unbelieved of the title.
Antigone is a grea , passionate, caring but feisty character and I loved her partner Wozza and her police trained dog Waffles. Other characters and their attitudes are also well portrayed. As well as the date rape this story also covers the issue of domestic violence..
Enjoyed was not a word I would use for this book but it certainly commanded my attention. I hated having to put it down to attend to other things. .
Many thanks to Allen&Unwin for my copy which I won to read and review. An engrossing, but sadly all too authentic, look at this problem. I haven't previously read anything by this author who usually write true crime but this has all the earmarks of a true crime and I would be interested to read more by her. A couple of things in the ending seemed a bit much, but on the whole a compelling read. The coastal setting is beautifully portrayed too. A must read for men and women and highly recommended, It never comes across as pushing an agenda as sometimes happens because it is all too authentic and the characters and the story so real.
This book angered me. Not because it is badly written - quite the opposite. It makes the situation of rape and the reality of trying to get it to court to prosecute, let alone get a conviction, only too real.
Senior detective Antigone Pollard has moved from Melbourne to the coastal town of Deception Bay, where she grew up, Her Nan still lives there in a retirement home so Antigone lives in her grandmother's old house. Antigone is haunted by the way events played out in Melbourne with a drink spiking and rape case she was involved in. The victim Gemma and what happened to her, still haunts Antigone; because she was not believed. The perpetrator of the crime was made out by the law system to be a victim. Antigone is not content. Justice has not been done.
But is the situation in Deception Bay any different to Melbourne?
One night Antigone calls in for a drink at the local pub and experiences the situation for herself, with results the perpetrator did not expect. Yet the man is a footy hero and his word is quickly believed over many in the town instead of Antigone's version of events. She finds herself one of the unbelieved. Even some in the police force do not believe her but make excuses for Jack, the man she believes is responsible for other date rapes. According to many he is 'a good bloke.' Antigone vows that no way is he going to be allowed to get away with it. But when she eventually uncovers the crime and perpetrators it is a lot bigger than she imagined.
With a character known as Wozza this couldn’t be anything but an Aussie book.
The statistics given on page 24 of the amount of rape crimes reported in one year in Victoria as against the few who were jailed for it is staggering and will evoke many feelings of anger in others as it did in me. The quote earlier on that page is telling about girls lie sometimes about rape. And the definitive answer is 'And rapists lie all the time.' Yet so often the victim become one of the unbelieved of the title.
Antigone is a grea , passionate, caring but feisty character and I loved her partner Wozza and her police trained dog Waffles. Other characters and their attitudes are also well portrayed. As well as the date rape this story also covers the issue of domestic violence..
Enjoyed was not a word I would use for this book but it certainly commanded my attention. I hated having to put it down to attend to other things. .
Many thanks to Allen&Unwin for my copy which I won to read and review. An engrossing, but sadly all too authentic, look at this problem. I haven't previously read anything by this author who usually write true crime but this has all the earmarks of a true crime and I would be interested to read more by her. A couple of things in the ending seemed a bit much, but on the whole a compelling read. The coastal setting is beautifully portrayed too. A must read for men and women and highly recommended, It never comes across as pushing an agenda as sometimes happens because it is all too authentic and the characters and the story so real.
January 21, 2023
Read this book, this is my advice. But a warning!! If you are offended by feminism. Grace Tame or Brittany Higgins, then clear your mind and then read this book. There is a definite feminist approach here, some is quite powerful and at times I too had to remember this is fictional.
Vikki Petraitis hits us square in the face with her debut fictional novel. She, of course, is known for her true crime titles like Rockspider, Police Stories, and the Phillip Island Murders. Probably best known for her book, The Frankston Murders, concentrating on serial killer Paul Denyer in the Southern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Personal opinion: Never release this sicko!!
In The Unbelieved there is real evidence of her time spent with police officers and forensics experts in her previous writing. It should also be added that this book was a part of her PhD in fictional writing. But, putting aside my perceived slant on this book, and the advantages she has gained over her career, Vikki has written an amazing book. Possibly the best aspect is that this is a fast-paced thriller, not bogged down with technical information that Vikki is, more than likely, well versed in.
The story surrounds the rapes of young ladies in a Victorian coastal town so a little bit of a trigger warning. While the townships are fictional, those of us that live in Victoria can easily see where Vikki is drawing her inspiration from. The main character, Senior Detective Antigone Pollard seems set to be a central character in ongoing titles, at least that is my feeling. She is a tough, no-nonsense crime fighter, and I can feel Vikki punching out justice against all of those men she wrote about her her non-fictional titles.
I guess I may be shot down in flames here but I removed one star purely because I did not like the epilogue. Can't explain why without spoilers, perhaps some of you will understand when you read the book. But, as I said at the start, read this book. You should be seeing a lot more fiction, and hopefully some non-fiction, from Ms. Petraitis.
Vikki Petraitis hits us square in the face with her debut fictional novel. She, of course, is known for her true crime titles like Rockspider, Police Stories, and the Phillip Island Murders. Probably best known for her book, The Frankston Murders, concentrating on serial killer Paul Denyer in the Southern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Personal opinion: Never release this sicko!!
In The Unbelieved there is real evidence of her time spent with police officers and forensics experts in her previous writing. It should also be added that this book was a part of her PhD in fictional writing. But, putting aside my perceived slant on this book, and the advantages she has gained over her career, Vikki has written an amazing book. Possibly the best aspect is that this is a fast-paced thriller, not bogged down with technical information that Vikki is, more than likely, well versed in.
The story surrounds the rapes of young ladies in a Victorian coastal town so a little bit of a trigger warning. While the townships are fictional, those of us that live in Victoria can easily see where Vikki is drawing her inspiration from. The main character, Senior Detective Antigone Pollard seems set to be a central character in ongoing titles, at least that is my feeling. She is a tough, no-nonsense crime fighter, and I can feel Vikki punching out justice against all of those men she wrote about her her non-fictional titles.
I guess I may be shot down in flames here but I removed one star purely because I did not like the epilogue. Can't explain why without spoilers, perhaps some of you will understand when you read the book. But, as I said at the start, read this book. You should be seeing a lot more fiction, and hopefully some non-fiction, from Ms. Petraitis.
August 8, 2022
The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis
Synopsis /
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub, and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
My Thoughts /
4 stars rounded up to 4.5
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Vikki Petraitis has been a crime writer for 25 years and in that time, she has written 14 true crime books and her latest offering, The Unbelieved is the winner of the inaugural Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: there are strong themes around sexual assault and domestic and family violence.
Senior Detective Antigone (pronounced an-tig-o-nee) Pollard has recently relocated from Melbourne to the small coastal town two hour’s drive away called Deception Bay.
In the opening of the book, we learn that there has been a spate of sexual assaults on young women in Deception Bay. Someone (or maybe a group of ‘someones’) is spiking the drinks of young girls at pubs and clubs and then sexually assaulting them. Outraged that women are being targeted and taken advantage of, Antigone is determined to get to the bottom of who is responsible.
In addition to this current timeline, we learn that Pollard relocated to Deception Bay from Melbourne, when one of the cases she was working on, a rape case, ended badly for the victim, when the alleged rapist was found not guilty. Now, a decade later, she still hasn’t quite escaped the guilt and haunting memories of that case, which not only ended badly for the victim, but also marked the end of her relationship with her then current partner, Daniel.
For Antigone, it’s a return to home of sorts – she grew up in Deception Bay, so it’s a return to a place and people she knows. But does she? Antigone quickly realises that this small community has changed a lot. There are secrets here and some may even say…..nightmares. Being a relative newcomer again to the community, Antigone thought she may encounter some resistance to her investigations from certain parts of the township, but what she hadn’t encountered on, was the wall of resistance that she received from her boss.
As mentioned above, Petraitis has included strong themes around assault; sexual and domestic. I am hoping the author has meant for us to be reminded of how endemic domestic violence can be. In a lot of cases it is hidden perfectly away – it’s insidious effects masked by our presumption of what is a perfect family. These passages are compelling reading. Petraitis writes, Antigone is surprised and saddened that we’re all guilty of not calling out the unacceptable behaviour of others. Well, I hear you, loud and clear.
Petraitis has written Antigone as a gutsy, no-nonsense officer but she has also written into her, a great depth of character. The author has gifted us with not only one main protagonist; but also a terrific supporting cast. Pollard’s bumbling but well intentioned, partner, Detective Senior Constable Warren (Wozza) Harvey, was a delightful surprise; and Waffles the (failed?) German Shephard police dog was a firm favourite of mine.
The ‘Records of Interviews’ scattered throughout the book also added a real, lifelike element and these ROIs had me hooked!
Altogether, The Unbelieved is well written, thought provoking and compelling reading. And, I am hoping that there will be more of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard in the future; as this read like a great kick-off to a new series. Fingers crossed!
Synopsis /
When Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay, she is still in shock and grief. Back in Melbourne, one of her cases had gone catastrophically wrong, and to escape the guilt and the haunting memories, she'd requested a transfer to the quiet town she'd grown up in.
But there are some things you can't run from. A month into her new life, she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub, and realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the surrounding district. The male witnesses in the pub back her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her.
Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay, but soon there are more. As Antigone searches for answers, she encounters a wall of silence in the town built of secrets and denial and fear. The women of Deception Bay are scared and the law is not on their side. The nightmare has followed her home.
My Thoughts /
4 stars rounded up to 4.5
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Vikki Petraitis has been a crime writer for 25 years and in that time, she has written 14 true crime books and her latest offering, The Unbelieved is the winner of the inaugural Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: there are strong themes around sexual assault and domestic and family violence.
Senior Detective Antigone (pronounced an-tig-o-nee) Pollard has recently relocated from Melbourne to the small coastal town two hour’s drive away called Deception Bay.
In the opening of the book, we learn that there has been a spate of sexual assaults on young women in Deception Bay. Someone (or maybe a group of ‘someones’) is spiking the drinks of young girls at pubs and clubs and then sexually assaulting them. Outraged that women are being targeted and taken advantage of, Antigone is determined to get to the bottom of who is responsible.
In addition to this current timeline, we learn that Pollard relocated to Deception Bay from Melbourne, when one of the cases she was working on, a rape case, ended badly for the victim, when the alleged rapist was found not guilty. Now, a decade later, she still hasn’t quite escaped the guilt and haunting memories of that case, which not only ended badly for the victim, but also marked the end of her relationship with her then current partner, Daniel.
For Antigone, it’s a return to home of sorts – she grew up in Deception Bay, so it’s a return to a place and people she knows. But does she? Antigone quickly realises that this small community has changed a lot. There are secrets here and some may even say…..nightmares. Being a relative newcomer again to the community, Antigone thought she may encounter some resistance to her investigations from certain parts of the township, but what she hadn’t encountered on, was the wall of resistance that she received from her boss.
As mentioned above, Petraitis has included strong themes around assault; sexual and domestic. I am hoping the author has meant for us to be reminded of how endemic domestic violence can be. In a lot of cases it is hidden perfectly away – it’s insidious effects masked by our presumption of what is a perfect family. These passages are compelling reading. Petraitis writes, Antigone is surprised and saddened that we’re all guilty of not calling out the unacceptable behaviour of others. Well, I hear you, loud and clear.
Petraitis has written Antigone as a gutsy, no-nonsense officer but she has also written into her, a great depth of character. The author has gifted us with not only one main protagonist; but also a terrific supporting cast. Pollard’s bumbling but well intentioned, partner, Detective Senior Constable Warren (Wozza) Harvey, was a delightful surprise; and Waffles the (failed?) German Shephard police dog was a firm favourite of mine.
The ‘Records of Interviews’ scattered throughout the book also added a real, lifelike element and these ROIs had me hooked!
Altogether, The Unbelieved is well written, thought provoking and compelling reading. And, I am hoping that there will be more of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard in the future; as this read like a great kick-off to a new series. Fingers crossed!
October 10, 2023
Although this is Vikki Petraitis’ debut novel she is well versed in presenting powerful stories through a long and successful career as a true crime author. Wading through some of the worst crimes in Australian history has proven to be a solid basis for The Unbelieved and it is every bit as powerful as those true crimes, hitting on important themes of misogyny, sexual abuse and victim blaming that plagues the modern landscape today.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has returned home to the small coastal town of Deception Bay after a case she was involved in went terribly wrong in Melbourne. The emotional toll the case took on her has prompted a need to reset and starting over in a small-town environment appears to be the restart she’s looking for.
But Deception Bay isn’t without its problems and Antigone soon discovers that there are indications of systematic sexual abuse taking place in the town. But it also appears these incidents are being covered up and the cover up appears to be reaching into the upper echelons of the town’s powerbrokers.
It’s only after Antigone has taken matters into her own hands after narrowly avoiding being drugged and attacked in the carpark of the local pub that she finds out what she’s up against. She arrests the man after performing a few effective judo moves on him and takes him in to be charged. What she gets is a chewing out from her immediate superior for using excessive force on the man, all but blaming her for being attacked.
She finds that this type of thing has been going on within Deception Bay for quite some time now. She hears of more and more instances of women waking up having been abused after a night out in the pub. In each case the women involved are too afraid to report the attack knowing the ramifications that may follow.
There are a great many important themes in this book, particularly with regard to the injustice of the legal system and its treatment of women who are victims of violent crimes at the hands of men. It invites you to be outraged by the way men are routinely allowed to get away with terrible crimes such as rape, domestic violence abuses and mental cruelty. Sadly, it strikes all too closely to many of the real-life stories that are told today.
I found myself deeply immersed in the story being played out in Deception Bay and, yes, completely outraged by what was being played out. All huge ticks to the superior story-telling talents of Vikki Petraitis.
Things move by at a rapid rate, kicked along by the fire burning within Antigone and her determination to stand up for the women in her community despite the roadblocks placed before her. There’s great attention to detail in fleshing out the main characters in the story with each becoming fully developed and lifelike.
From the first page to the last, this is a finely crafted police procedural dealing thoughtfully with a difficult subject and culminating in a cracking ending. I enjoyed it immensely.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has returned home to the small coastal town of Deception Bay after a case she was involved in went terribly wrong in Melbourne. The emotional toll the case took on her has prompted a need to reset and starting over in a small-town environment appears to be the restart she’s looking for.
But Deception Bay isn’t without its problems and Antigone soon discovers that there are indications of systematic sexual abuse taking place in the town. But it also appears these incidents are being covered up and the cover up appears to be reaching into the upper echelons of the town’s powerbrokers.
It’s only after Antigone has taken matters into her own hands after narrowly avoiding being drugged and attacked in the carpark of the local pub that she finds out what she’s up against. She arrests the man after performing a few effective judo moves on him and takes him in to be charged. What she gets is a chewing out from her immediate superior for using excessive force on the man, all but blaming her for being attacked.
She finds that this type of thing has been going on within Deception Bay for quite some time now. She hears of more and more instances of women waking up having been abused after a night out in the pub. In each case the women involved are too afraid to report the attack knowing the ramifications that may follow.
There are a great many important themes in this book, particularly with regard to the injustice of the legal system and its treatment of women who are victims of violent crimes at the hands of men. It invites you to be outraged by the way men are routinely allowed to get away with terrible crimes such as rape, domestic violence abuses and mental cruelty. Sadly, it strikes all too closely to many of the real-life stories that are told today.
I found myself deeply immersed in the story being played out in Deception Bay and, yes, completely outraged by what was being played out. All huge ticks to the superior story-telling talents of Vikki Petraitis.
Things move by at a rapid rate, kicked along by the fire burning within Antigone and her determination to stand up for the women in her community despite the roadblocks placed before her. There’s great attention to detail in fleshing out the main characters in the story with each becoming fully developed and lifelike.
From the first page to the last, this is a finely crafted police procedural dealing thoughtfully with a difficult subject and culminating in a cracking ending. I enjoyed it immensely.
November 7, 2022
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis. (2022).
When Senior Detective Antigone moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay from Melbourne, she is still in shock after a traumatic case gone catastrophically wrong and is hoping to escape the guilt and memories in the quiet town she grew up in. But within a month she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub and quickly realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the area. The male witness at the pub defend her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her. Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay but there are soon more. As Antigone investigates, there is a wall of silence built by secrets, denial and fear...
Wow, just wow. It's hard to believe this is a debut fiction novel, it really is. It isn't surprising to learn that the author has written many true crime novels - the extensive research into these is demonstrated by the realism in this fiction novel. The depictions of violence, misogyny and sexual assault sound all too real in this one - and could be triggering for some readers - and it makes for a book that will no doubt provoke an emotional response for those reading it. I really enjoyed the lead character of Antigone, she was a strong female character not willing to put up with the way women are treated. Her police partner Wozza was also a great character, and her dog Waffles was fabulous.
Overall: I highly recommend this page-turner novel which although covers confronting topics, is an excellent read.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis. (2022).
When Senior Detective Antigone moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay from Melbourne, she is still in shock after a traumatic case gone catastrophically wrong and is hoping to escape the guilt and memories in the quiet town she grew up in. But within a month she is targeted by a would-be rapist at the pub and quickly realises why there have been no convictions following a spate of similar sexual attacks in the area. The male witness at the pub defend her attacker and even her boss doesn't believe her. Hers is the first reported case in Deception Bay but there are soon more. As Antigone investigates, there is a wall of silence built by secrets, denial and fear...
Wow, just wow. It's hard to believe this is a debut fiction novel, it really is. It isn't surprising to learn that the author has written many true crime novels - the extensive research into these is demonstrated by the realism in this fiction novel. The depictions of violence, misogyny and sexual assault sound all too real in this one - and could be triggering for some readers - and it makes for a book that will no doubt provoke an emotional response for those reading it. I really enjoyed the lead character of Antigone, she was a strong female character not willing to put up with the way women are treated. Her police partner Wozza was also a great character, and her dog Waffles was fabulous.
Overall: I highly recommend this page-turner novel which although covers confronting topics, is an excellent read.
August 19, 2022
⭐️5 Stars⭐️
I can honestly say I can see how The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis won the inaugural Allen & Unwin Crime Prize!
Absolutely unputdownable, realistic Australian crime fiction, well-written and compelling.
Firstly I loved the characters of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard and her ex-police dog Waffles. It was wonderful to see Waffles the German Shepherd play a key part in the story, I loved the bond he had with his owner.
This story deals with a tough subject and how the law doesn’t always protect women.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard transfers back to her home town of Deception Bay to escape the city after a case of hers went horrifically wrong. She stays at her Nan’s old weatherboard homestead which is currently unoccupied and over a hundred years old. On duty Antigone feels the unexpected resentment of her new boss who treats her with little respect.
Trouble appears to follow Antigone, and it’s not long before she’s targeted and her drink is spiked at the local pub. She’s a tough and likeable protagonist and will stop at nothing to bring in her attacker and help the fearful women in this small coastal town.
There are so many dark secrets in Deception Bay!!! An explosive, timely and skilfully executed story.
I hope we see the fearless Antigone, Waffles and Wazza (work partner) again!
Publication Date 02 August 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
I can honestly say I can see how The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis won the inaugural Allen & Unwin Crime Prize!
Absolutely unputdownable, realistic Australian crime fiction, well-written and compelling.
Firstly I loved the characters of Senior Detective Antigone Pollard and her ex-police dog Waffles. It was wonderful to see Waffles the German Shepherd play a key part in the story, I loved the bond he had with his owner.
This story deals with a tough subject and how the law doesn’t always protect women.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard transfers back to her home town of Deception Bay to escape the city after a case of hers went horrifically wrong. She stays at her Nan’s old weatherboard homestead which is currently unoccupied and over a hundred years old. On duty Antigone feels the unexpected resentment of her new boss who treats her with little respect.
Trouble appears to follow Antigone, and it’s not long before she’s targeted and her drink is spiked at the local pub. She’s a tough and likeable protagonist and will stop at nothing to bring in her attacker and help the fearful women in this small coastal town.
There are so many dark secrets in Deception Bay!!! An explosive, timely and skilfully executed story.
I hope we see the fearless Antigone, Waffles and Wazza (work partner) again!
Publication Date 02 August 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
October 2, 2022
The Unbelieved is the first novel by best-selling, award-winning Australian journalist, podcaster and author, Vikki Petraitis. The audio version is narrated (with rather strange pacing and emphasis) by Maria Angelico. Two months after Senior Detective Antigone Pollard returns to Deception Bay, the coastal Victorian town where she spent some of her childhood, she effectively fends off an assault in a pub car park by the man who tried to spike her drink. While her partner, Senior Detective Warren Harvey believes her story, not everyone is convinced that a nice guy like Jack Barratt would ever do what she has alleged.
Already aware of similar attacks in nearby towns, when Antigone and Wozza pick up a disoriented eighteen-year-old schoolgirl on the highway, and she describes a ruse similar to what was used on Antigone, they begin to wonder if they have a serial rapist on their hands. Except that the girl mentions the presence of more than one man in the car from which she was thrown.
Then Antigone and her dog, Waffles disarm a knife-wielding intruder in her yard, and not only is her boss, Senior Sergeant Bill Wheeler unsupportive, he actually criticises her actions. She and Wozza wonder if it is related to the pub attacks, but could it be connected to the tragic case she left behind in Melbourne?
Meanwhile, the women in the local CWA invite her to speak to them about personal safety, and ask her to run some self-defence classes, another thing of which Bill Wheeler disapproves. Talking to these women, she describes silence: the victim’s, and that of others who are aware, as the biggest obstacle in combatting domestic violence.
All the while, niggling in the back of her brain is the case she has recently heard about: a decade earlier it was ruled a murder-suicide, but she finds it hard to believe that cheeky scallywag Brett Millard grew up to be a murderer. Antigone shares her doubts with someone with access to the full details of the case.
As Wozza and Antigone make it their mission to discover just who is spiking drinks and assaulting the young women of Deception Bay, Antigone finds she also has to battle the toxic masculinity that runs rampant throughout the town, and the associated victim-blaming mindset that not just the men display. Calling out privilege, arrogance, entitlement and gaslighting is still necessary, even in this supposedly enlightened #metoo age.
Petraitis conveys her era and setting with consummate ease. Her depiction of a country town is particularly well drawn: “Nothing better than a country town to bury a truth” Wozza tells Antigone, and later, “Scratch the surface and everyone is linked”. This cast of characters will feel familiar to anyone who has lived or vacationed in a small Australian coastal town.
One subplot will feel to some readers like a repeat of another recent Australian novel, and a factual error concerning the spiking drug points to insufficient research, but otherwise this is a gripping, highly relevant and topical page-turner.
Already aware of similar attacks in nearby towns, when Antigone and Wozza pick up a disoriented eighteen-year-old schoolgirl on the highway, and she describes a ruse similar to what was used on Antigone, they begin to wonder if they have a serial rapist on their hands. Except that the girl mentions the presence of more than one man in the car from which she was thrown.
Then Antigone and her dog, Waffles disarm a knife-wielding intruder in her yard, and not only is her boss, Senior Sergeant Bill Wheeler unsupportive, he actually criticises her actions. She and Wozza wonder if it is related to the pub attacks, but could it be connected to the tragic case she left behind in Melbourne?
Meanwhile, the women in the local CWA invite her to speak to them about personal safety, and ask her to run some self-defence classes, another thing of which Bill Wheeler disapproves. Talking to these women, she describes silence: the victim’s, and that of others who are aware, as the biggest obstacle in combatting domestic violence.
All the while, niggling in the back of her brain is the case she has recently heard about: a decade earlier it was ruled a murder-suicide, but she finds it hard to believe that cheeky scallywag Brett Millard grew up to be a murderer. Antigone shares her doubts with someone with access to the full details of the case.
As Wozza and Antigone make it their mission to discover just who is spiking drinks and assaulting the young women of Deception Bay, Antigone finds she also has to battle the toxic masculinity that runs rampant throughout the town, and the associated victim-blaming mindset that not just the men display. Calling out privilege, arrogance, entitlement and gaslighting is still necessary, even in this supposedly enlightened #metoo age.
Petraitis conveys her era and setting with consummate ease. Her depiction of a country town is particularly well drawn: “Nothing better than a country town to bury a truth” Wozza tells Antigone, and later, “Scratch the surface and everyone is linked”. This cast of characters will feel familiar to anyone who has lived or vacationed in a small Australian coastal town.
One subplot will feel to some readers like a repeat of another recent Australian novel, and a factual error concerning the spiking drug points to insufficient research, but otherwise this is a gripping, highly relevant and topical page-turner.
December 31, 2022
This was a gripping read which had me hooked from the start. This is a book that many people will enjoy and will recommend to their friends who like to read this genre. Well written and it’s not hard to see there was a lot of research that went into writing this book.
Now that I’ve read this book I now want to read her other books. Highly recommended.
Now that I’ve read this book I now want to read her other books. Highly recommended.
June 22, 2025
4.5★
Sensational! I missed this one when it first came out in 2022, but have now rectified my own error and am eagerly looking forward to diving in to #2 in the series very soon. Vikki Petraitis has given me a new police heroine to admire, with a new canine offsider to adore. As for the subject matter - well, let me just say my blood was boiling from start to finish, even as I compulsively listened to this audiobook at every opportunity. Sexual assault and gendered violence, along with the accompanying misogyny, will get under my skin every time, but when it's written by someone with a pedigree like this author's, it becomes just so chillingly real.
A few of the things I loved were:
- Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has such a solid moral compass and an inner strength that allows her to get on with her job without resorting to risky behaviour or hot-headedness (like some of my other favourite female detectives!!)
- Pollard's new (detective) partner in Deception Bay is not the usual resentful dickhead character, but is in fact a genuinely good guy and good cop who is willing to support 'the new girl'
- Deception Bay is a typical country town, with its lovely CWA cake ladies, but it's large enough that not everyone knows everyone else or their business. Pollard grew up there, so she has some ties and certainly some decades-old knowledge of the town.
- Waffles the jet-black, police-trained German Shepherd, rejected from serving on the force for being not quite aggressive enough. An excellent guard dog and loyal companion for a woman living on her own on a rural property!
Another excellent example of Aussie noir. Highly recommended
Sensational! I missed this one when it first came out in 2022, but have now rectified my own error and am eagerly looking forward to diving in to #2 in the series very soon. Vikki Petraitis has given me a new police heroine to admire, with a new canine offsider to adore. As for the subject matter - well, let me just say my blood was boiling from start to finish, even as I compulsively listened to this audiobook at every opportunity. Sexual assault and gendered violence, along with the accompanying misogyny, will get under my skin every time, but when it's written by someone with a pedigree like this author's, it becomes just so chillingly real.
A few of the things I loved were:
- Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has such a solid moral compass and an inner strength that allows her to get on with her job without resorting to risky behaviour or hot-headedness (like some of my other favourite female detectives!!)
- Pollard's new (detective) partner in Deception Bay is not the usual resentful dickhead character, but is in fact a genuinely good guy and good cop who is willing to support 'the new girl'
- Deception Bay is a typical country town, with its lovely CWA cake ladies, but it's large enough that not everyone knows everyone else or their business. Pollard grew up there, so she has some ties and certainly some decades-old knowledge of the town.
- Waffles the jet-black, police-trained German Shepherd, rejected from serving on the force for being not quite aggressive enough. An excellent guard dog and loyal companion for a woman living on her own on a rural property!
Another excellent example of Aussie noir. Highly recommended
August 4, 2022
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book to review.
I am familiar with Vikki Petraitis true crime books as I also read true crime. I knew this was going to be a fantastic book.
This story resonates with me as I have 2 teenage daughters and I worry their drinks can get spiked when they go out to clubs and pubs. We didnt have to worry about this.
I really enjoyed Vikkis writing style as she held my interest from the first page to the last page. It was a detective story with a difference. The situation had actually happened to the detective so it was written from a more personal viewpoint instead of someone going in tough to solve the crime. It was a sensitive topic done in a realistic way.
Highly recommend another Australian crime author for us to enjoy !
I am familiar with Vikki Petraitis true crime books as I also read true crime. I knew this was going to be a fantastic book.
This story resonates with me as I have 2 teenage daughters and I worry their drinks can get spiked when they go out to clubs and pubs. We didnt have to worry about this.
I really enjoyed Vikkis writing style as she held my interest from the first page to the last page. It was a detective story with a difference. The situation had actually happened to the detective so it was written from a more personal viewpoint instead of someone going in tough to solve the crime. It was a sensitive topic done in a realistic way.
Highly recommend another Australian crime author for us to enjoy !
August 15, 2022
The Unbelieved is the first novel by best-selling, award-winning Australian journalist, podcaster and author, Vikki Petraitis. Two months after Senior Detective Antigone Pollard returns to Deception Bay, the coastal Victorian town where she spent some of her childhood, she effectively fends off an assault in a pub car park by the man who tried to spike her drink. While her partner, Senior Detective Warren Harvey believes her story, not everyone is convinced that a nice guy like Jack Barratt would ever do what she has alleged.
Already aware of similar attacks in nearby towns, when Antigone and Wozza pick up a disoriented eighteen-year-old schoolgirl on the highway, and she describes a ruse similar to what was used on Antigone, they begin to wonder if they have a serial rapist on their hands. Except that the girl mentions the presence of more than one man in the car from which she was thrown.
Then Antigone and her dog, Waffles disarm a knife-wielding intruder in her yard, and not only is her boss, Senior Sergeant Bill Wheeler unsupportive, he actually criticises her actions. She and Wozza wonder if it is related to the pub attacks, but could it be connected to the tragic case she left behind in Melbourne?
Meanwhile, the women in the local CWA invite her to speak to them about personal safety, and ask her to run some self-defence classes, another thing of which Bill Wheeler disapproves. Talking to these women, she describes silence: the victim’s, and that of others who are aware, as the biggest obstacle in combatting domestic violence.
All the while, niggling in the back of her brain is the case she has recently heard about: a decade earlier it was ruled a murder-suicide, but she finds it hard to believe that cheeky scallywag Brett Millard grew up to be a murderer. Antigone shares her doubts with someone with access to the full details of the case.
As Wozza and Antigone make it their mission to discover just who is spiking drinks and assaulting the young women of Deception Bay, Antigone finds she also has to battle the toxic masculinity that runs rampant throughout the town, and the associated victim-blaming mindset that not just the men display. Calling out privilege, arrogance, entitlement and gaslighting is still necessary, even in this supposedly enlightened #metoo age.
Petraitis conveys her era and setting with consummate ease. Her depiction of a country town is particularly well drawn: “Nothing better than a country town to bury a truth” Wozza tells Antigone, and later, “Scratch the surface and everyone is linked”. This cast of characters will feel familiar to anyone who has lived or vacationed in a small Australian coastal town.
One subplot will feel to some readers like a repeat of another recent Australian novel, and a factual error concerning the spiking drug points to insufficient research, but otherwise this is a gripping, highly relevant and topical page-turner.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
Already aware of similar attacks in nearby towns, when Antigone and Wozza pick up a disoriented eighteen-year-old schoolgirl on the highway, and she describes a ruse similar to what was used on Antigone, they begin to wonder if they have a serial rapist on their hands. Except that the girl mentions the presence of more than one man in the car from which she was thrown.
Then Antigone and her dog, Waffles disarm a knife-wielding intruder in her yard, and not only is her boss, Senior Sergeant Bill Wheeler unsupportive, he actually criticises her actions. She and Wozza wonder if it is related to the pub attacks, but could it be connected to the tragic case she left behind in Melbourne?
Meanwhile, the women in the local CWA invite her to speak to them about personal safety, and ask her to run some self-defence classes, another thing of which Bill Wheeler disapproves. Talking to these women, she describes silence: the victim’s, and that of others who are aware, as the biggest obstacle in combatting domestic violence.
All the while, niggling in the back of her brain is the case she has recently heard about: a decade earlier it was ruled a murder-suicide, but she finds it hard to believe that cheeky scallywag Brett Millard grew up to be a murderer. Antigone shares her doubts with someone with access to the full details of the case.
As Wozza and Antigone make it their mission to discover just who is spiking drinks and assaulting the young women of Deception Bay, Antigone finds she also has to battle the toxic masculinity that runs rampant throughout the town, and the associated victim-blaming mindset that not just the men display. Calling out privilege, arrogance, entitlement and gaslighting is still necessary, even in this supposedly enlightened #metoo age.
Petraitis conveys her era and setting with consummate ease. Her depiction of a country town is particularly well drawn: “Nothing better than a country town to bury a truth” Wozza tells Antigone, and later, “Scratch the surface and everyone is linked”. This cast of characters will feel familiar to anyone who has lived or vacationed in a small Australian coastal town.
One subplot will feel to some readers like a repeat of another recent Australian novel, and a factual error concerning the spiking drug points to insufficient research, but otherwise this is a gripping, highly relevant and topical page-turner.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
August 14, 2022
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
The winner of the inaugural Allen and Unwin Crime Fiction Prize has made a smooth transition from true crime writing to contemporary crime fiction. The Unbelieved was published to great acclaim in August this year, heralding the beginning of a successful career in Australian crime fiction for author Vikki Petraitis. Filled with contentious issues of justice, fear, suppression, abuse, rape, powerlessness, violence, corruption and abuse, The Unbelieved is an up-to-the minute crime fiction release.
Meet Senior Detective Antigone Pollard, a crusader in the field of protecting the innocent and upholding the law. When Antigone finds herself in the coastal township of Deception Bay fresh from a difficult stint in Melbourne, she hopes to find some solace in her old home town. However, not long after her homecoming Antigone becomes directly involved in a difficult rape case. When Antigone digs into this case further, she finds that this incident is just one of a spate of similar attacks in the areas. Opposition comes in every direction for this hard-boiled detective. With little support or backing from her colleagues, Antigone is determined to put an end to these heinous attacks. But silence and disbelief surrounds Antigone – will she be able to break this tough line of denial before more victims are claimed?
I always take note of award-winning books in the crime fiction field and as The Unbelieved collected in the inaugural Allen and Unwin Crime Fiction Prize I was definitely very keen to read it. As I suspected, The Unbelieved proved to be a very hard hitting and timely read, that I appreciated very much.
The Unbelieved signals author Vikki Petraitis’ first entry in the Australian crime fiction field and it is a worthy one. I do hope Petraitis is ready to bring us more Australian crime fiction novels in the future! Drawing on her many years of true crime writing and reporting, Petraitis has managed to pen a novel that is credible, well written and urgent. Combined with characters that are fully developed and a plot that is filled with authentic situations, I found The Unbelieved to be a standout crime fiction text. Interwoven in this engrossing crime story is a hard-line focus on justice, the law, gender bias and reporting practices of sexual assaults. Petraitis has composed a novel that really needed to be written, especially in today’s complex world. This essential social commentary is balanced well within the overall narrative. We get a glimpse into the personal life of the likeable lead protagonist Antigone and her loveable canine companion Waffles. The policing aspect rang true as I made my way through this novel and the almost stifled small-town setting helped to extend my interest in The Unbelieved.
There have been a number of noteworthy crime fiction releases this year and The Unbelieved is an example of a meritorious piece of Australian crime fiction.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
4.5 stars
The winner of the inaugural Allen and Unwin Crime Fiction Prize has made a smooth transition from true crime writing to contemporary crime fiction. The Unbelieved was published to great acclaim in August this year, heralding the beginning of a successful career in Australian crime fiction for author Vikki Petraitis. Filled with contentious issues of justice, fear, suppression, abuse, rape, powerlessness, violence, corruption and abuse, The Unbelieved is an up-to-the minute crime fiction release.
Meet Senior Detective Antigone Pollard, a crusader in the field of protecting the innocent and upholding the law. When Antigone finds herself in the coastal township of Deception Bay fresh from a difficult stint in Melbourne, she hopes to find some solace in her old home town. However, not long after her homecoming Antigone becomes directly involved in a difficult rape case. When Antigone digs into this case further, she finds that this incident is just one of a spate of similar attacks in the areas. Opposition comes in every direction for this hard-boiled detective. With little support or backing from her colleagues, Antigone is determined to put an end to these heinous attacks. But silence and disbelief surrounds Antigone – will she be able to break this tough line of denial before more victims are claimed?
I always take note of award-winning books in the crime fiction field and as The Unbelieved collected in the inaugural Allen and Unwin Crime Fiction Prize I was definitely very keen to read it. As I suspected, The Unbelieved proved to be a very hard hitting and timely read, that I appreciated very much.
The Unbelieved signals author Vikki Petraitis’ first entry in the Australian crime fiction field and it is a worthy one. I do hope Petraitis is ready to bring us more Australian crime fiction novels in the future! Drawing on her many years of true crime writing and reporting, Petraitis has managed to pen a novel that is credible, well written and urgent. Combined with characters that are fully developed and a plot that is filled with authentic situations, I found The Unbelieved to be a standout crime fiction text. Interwoven in this engrossing crime story is a hard-line focus on justice, the law, gender bias and reporting practices of sexual assaults. Petraitis has composed a novel that really needed to be written, especially in today’s complex world. This essential social commentary is balanced well within the overall narrative. We get a glimpse into the personal life of the likeable lead protagonist Antigone and her loveable canine companion Waffles. The policing aspect rang true as I made my way through this novel and the almost stifled small-town setting helped to extend my interest in The Unbelieved.
There have been a number of noteworthy crime fiction releases this year and The Unbelieved is an example of a meritorious piece of Australian crime fiction.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
August 23, 2022
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has returned to her Nana’s farmstead in Deception Bay where she spent time enrolled at the local primary school as a child. After a Melbourne rape case ended tragically, and lead to her romantic breakup, she hopes to salve her soul and have a less fraught existence. But some crimes are easier hidden away from the bright city lights.
During a quiet drink at the pub on her way home from work Antigone rebuffs a lecherous old drunk with an ‘assertive dipped in polite’ comment, but it takes a charming interloper to rescue her from his attentions. They have a drink together but when she abruptly begins to feel woozy Antigone leaves the bar. In the car park events turn ugly and end with backup called. All the male witnesses support the culprit’s story and even the police chief Sergeant Wheeler castigates Antigone. The town’s footy culture and boys club mentality hits its stride. But some of the women of the town applaud her actions, inviting her to speak at a CWA meeting and offer self defence tactics, triggering them to stand up and speak up. Not the easy default In a society prone to misogynistic leanings. There are numerous rumours, if not reports, of sexual assault following drink spiking in the area, but only when the old drunk helps himself to a glass of beer and ends up dead do the blokes in town, lead by the wife bashing mayor, call a meeting to protect themselves.
As Antigone and her partner Senior Detective Warren (Wozza) Harvey investigate the case of a girl who is found disoriented and injured after being thrown from a moving car, their net tightens on the perpetrator/s. Antigone has a few threatening close calls saved only by the intervention of her failed police dog Waffles. Meanwhile her interest in a case involving someone Antigone knew as a child is prompted by 14 year old Crystal caught shoplifting at the local pharmacy. She lives with her uncle who is hiding from her the truth about her parents’ deaths a decade previously. Declared a murder-suicide, the facts just don’t add up.
‘The Unbelieved’ illustrates the gruelling struggle faced by female victims of DV and rape. As Wozza calls it, not the justice system but ‘just a system’. Told with great perception, heart and touches of humour this a compelling debut novel. I especially enjoyed seeing one of the villains at the Deception Bay Fair’s scone judging event getting his just desserts.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
During a quiet drink at the pub on her way home from work Antigone rebuffs a lecherous old drunk with an ‘assertive dipped in polite’ comment, but it takes a charming interloper to rescue her from his attentions. They have a drink together but when she abruptly begins to feel woozy Antigone leaves the bar. In the car park events turn ugly and end with backup called. All the male witnesses support the culprit’s story and even the police chief Sergeant Wheeler castigates Antigone. The town’s footy culture and boys club mentality hits its stride. But some of the women of the town applaud her actions, inviting her to speak at a CWA meeting and offer self defence tactics, triggering them to stand up and speak up. Not the easy default In a society prone to misogynistic leanings. There are numerous rumours, if not reports, of sexual assault following drink spiking in the area, but only when the old drunk helps himself to a glass of beer and ends up dead do the blokes in town, lead by the wife bashing mayor, call a meeting to protect themselves.
As Antigone and her partner Senior Detective Warren (Wozza) Harvey investigate the case of a girl who is found disoriented and injured after being thrown from a moving car, their net tightens on the perpetrator/s. Antigone has a few threatening close calls saved only by the intervention of her failed police dog Waffles. Meanwhile her interest in a case involving someone Antigone knew as a child is prompted by 14 year old Crystal caught shoplifting at the local pharmacy. She lives with her uncle who is hiding from her the truth about her parents’ deaths a decade previously. Declared a murder-suicide, the facts just don’t add up.
‘The Unbelieved’ illustrates the gruelling struggle faced by female victims of DV and rape. As Wozza calls it, not the justice system but ‘just a system’. Told with great perception, heart and touches of humour this a compelling debut novel. I especially enjoyed seeing one of the villains at the Deception Bay Fair’s scone judging event getting his just desserts.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
August 12, 2022
'So you believed the alleged rapists over the alleged victim?' Jane's voice took on an indignant pitch. 'Girls lie sometimes.' I nodded. 'And rapists lie all the time.'
I feel certain that the above quote from this book will give many people pause to reflect on the full gravity of its truth.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard was convinced that the young man she had finally arrested and charged with the rape of a young woman in Melbourne would be convicted and locked away for a long time.
When the young man’s silver tongued legal representative managed to not only overturn the conviction but set in motion a legal counter attack, a lengthy battle ensued which ended badly for all concerned, and ultimately cost Antigone her relationship with her then partner also.
Antigone was left so devastated and disillusioned, that she applied for a transfer to the country police station in Deception Bay on the coast of Victoria. The hometown where she spent growing up time with her grandmother.
Her grandmother had left her huge country property and home vacant since moving into a retirement home where she now resided, and was happy to have her granddaughter move into her beautiful old homestead and care for it again.
No sooner had Antigone settled into her new job and her new home, with her trusted companion Waffles…a trained police dog…when she was targeted herself whilst having an off duty drink at the local pub. While she was distracted by the guy at the bar who offered her a drink and then spiked it, Antigone was astute enough to realize her condition and hurriedly escaped further harm.
This was a very close call and set Senior Detective Antigone into investigation mode where she soon discovered that there had been a spate of similar incidents in the surrounding districts which had not been fully investigated and/or had been dismissed without further queries.
Apparently it was generally accepted that the girls in question had either asked for it or consented in some way, leaving them no room for recourse…or respect.
It seems that a lot of the men in the small town of Deception Bay have questionable ethics and agendas.
Vikki Petraitis is the 2021 winner of the Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Award and has a lot of previous experience as a True Crime Writer.
She brings a lot of experience and credibility to her writing of this book, and it shows in the way she approaches some very sensitive issues.
Understanding what she must know from her (career) experience, gives this book even more gravitas as you see these victims in a more convincingly real setting.
This was a very good read which I would recommend, and I look forward to more from this author…hopefully with the same team of detectives, and of course Waffles 🐕 from Deception Bay.
4⭐️s
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin and the author for my copy to read and review.
I feel certain that the above quote from this book will give many people pause to reflect on the full gravity of its truth.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard was convinced that the young man she had finally arrested and charged with the rape of a young woman in Melbourne would be convicted and locked away for a long time.
When the young man’s silver tongued legal representative managed to not only overturn the conviction but set in motion a legal counter attack, a lengthy battle ensued which ended badly for all concerned, and ultimately cost Antigone her relationship with her then partner also.
Antigone was left so devastated and disillusioned, that she applied for a transfer to the country police station in Deception Bay on the coast of Victoria. The hometown where she spent growing up time with her grandmother.
Her grandmother had left her huge country property and home vacant since moving into a retirement home where she now resided, and was happy to have her granddaughter move into her beautiful old homestead and care for it again.
No sooner had Antigone settled into her new job and her new home, with her trusted companion Waffles…a trained police dog…when she was targeted herself whilst having an off duty drink at the local pub. While she was distracted by the guy at the bar who offered her a drink and then spiked it, Antigone was astute enough to realize her condition and hurriedly escaped further harm.
This was a very close call and set Senior Detective Antigone into investigation mode where she soon discovered that there had been a spate of similar incidents in the surrounding districts which had not been fully investigated and/or had been dismissed without further queries.
Apparently it was generally accepted that the girls in question had either asked for it or consented in some way, leaving them no room for recourse…or respect.
It seems that a lot of the men in the small town of Deception Bay have questionable ethics and agendas.
Vikki Petraitis is the 2021 winner of the Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Award and has a lot of previous experience as a True Crime Writer.
She brings a lot of experience and credibility to her writing of this book, and it shows in the way she approaches some very sensitive issues.
Understanding what she must know from her (career) experience, gives this book even more gravitas as you see these victims in a more convincingly real setting.
This was a very good read which I would recommend, and I look forward to more from this author…hopefully with the same team of detectives, and of course Waffles 🐕 from Deception Bay.
4⭐️s
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin and the author for my copy to read and review.
December 17, 2023
The Unbelieved is about grief, support, and forgiveness by Vikki Petraitis. After the suicide of a rape victim in Melbourne, Senior Detective Antigone Pollard moves to the coastal town of Deception Bay to grieve. She was attached outside the local pub on her first month at Deception Bay, and no one believed her, especially her boss. However, the more she investigates, she realises a serial rapist in Deception Bay who has been hiding under the radar for too long. The readers of The Unbelieved will continue to follow Vikki Petraitis to discover what happens.
The Unbelieved is the first book I read by Vikki Petraitis, and I was impressed with this book. I usually do not read books that are winners of prizes, like the inaugural A&U Crime Fiction Prize. However, The Unbelieved changed my mind, and I will give another winning book a chance. I love Vikki Petraitis's portrayal of her characters and how they intertwine throughout this book. The Unbelieved is well-written and researched by Vikki Petraitis. I like Vikki Petraitis's subscription to the settings of The Unbelieved, which allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Unbelieved will understand the issues that rape victims have to ensure that law enforcement and courts believe them. The readers of The Unbelieved will also learn about living in small rural communities.
I recommend this book.
September 4, 2022
i haven’t read a book by vikki petraitis before reading the unbelieved. based on this book alone, i don’t like i’ll read another book by this author.
reading other reviews, i’m surprised i didn’t like this one. everyone else is highly rating it and has nothing but positive things to say.
for me, the struggle is with the writing style. it’s very basic (like, i’ve read wattpad and fanfiction books better than this). the writing is stiff and doesn’t flow nicely. i struggled to read this book so much that i put it aside two times as a ‘dnf’, only to feel bad and start reading it again. (i don’t like to dnf books, and i was holding out hope that things would improve if i gave it time.).
the characters were alright. they felt too much like “this is a stereotypical aussie man”, and less like an actual man (/woman/whatever). while i didn’t hate the characters, i also didn’t care if anything happened to them.
as for the plot, it was strong at first. (the historical murder thing was really interesting). but things dipped quickly, becoming boring. we’re given loads of statistics about rape/assault on women (including how many lead to convictions, how many go unreported, etc), but it felt out of place. this is a fictional novel, not a scientific article.
that being said, the ending was very uneventful. everything is revealed, and i found myself asking: “is that it?”. i was expecting more.
all in all, i don’t believe i’m the intended audience for this book. i’m assuming it’s targeted towards middle aged white women who don’t read many books like this.
reading other reviews, i’m surprised i didn’t like this one. everyone else is highly rating it and has nothing but positive things to say.
for me, the struggle is with the writing style. it’s very basic (like, i’ve read wattpad and fanfiction books better than this). the writing is stiff and doesn’t flow nicely. i struggled to read this book so much that i put it aside two times as a ‘dnf’, only to feel bad and start reading it again. (i don’t like to dnf books, and i was holding out hope that things would improve if i gave it time.).
the characters were alright. they felt too much like “this is a stereotypical aussie man”, and less like an actual man (/woman/whatever). while i didn’t hate the characters, i also didn’t care if anything happened to them.
as for the plot, it was strong at first. (the historical murder thing was really interesting). but things dipped quickly, becoming boring. we’re given loads of statistics about rape/assault on women (including how many lead to convictions, how many go unreported, etc), but it felt out of place. this is a fictional novel, not a scientific article.
that being said, the ending was very uneventful. everything is revealed, and i found myself asking: “is that it?”. i was expecting more.
all in all, i don’t believe i’m the intended audience for this book. i’m assuming it’s targeted towards middle aged white women who don’t read many books like this.
March 1, 2025
Brilliant, loved this one, the writing is so good. Rec by a friend, happy I picked this one up
December 18, 2022
Well-respected Australian true crime writer Vikki Petraitis turns her hand to crime fiction with The Unbelieved, and it's a great read!
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has recently relocated to her childhood home of Deception Bay on Victoria's southern coastline (I imagine it somewhere in the vicinity of Westernport Bay). She's dealing with some significant professional and personal pressures, after a sexual assault prosecution in the city - which appears to have been inspired by the notorious failed rape trial of Luke Lazarus - has gone disasterously wrong.
In addition to an investigation into a series of brutal abduction-rapes that have occurred in and around Deception Bay in recent months, Antigone becomes fascinated with an old case, closed years ago as a murder-suicide, but whose circumstances raise several doubts in her mind as to who may actually have been responsible.
As she contends with Deception Bay's misogynistic "old guard", lead by her senior officer, she reconnects with several contacts from her past, and forms new bonds with several locals with whom she comes into contact in the course of her inquiries.
The Unbelieved is a compulsively readable, entertaining and occasionally confronting read, featuring great characterisations, an evocative rural-coastal setting and not one, but two, twisty and satisfyingly concluded mystery-thriller plotlines.
Senior Detective Antigone Pollard has recently relocated to her childhood home of Deception Bay on Victoria's southern coastline (I imagine it somewhere in the vicinity of Westernport Bay). She's dealing with some significant professional and personal pressures, after a sexual assault prosecution in the city - which appears to have been inspired by the notorious failed rape trial of Luke Lazarus - has gone disasterously wrong.
In addition to an investigation into a series of brutal abduction-rapes that have occurred in and around Deception Bay in recent months, Antigone becomes fascinated with an old case, closed years ago as a murder-suicide, but whose circumstances raise several doubts in her mind as to who may actually have been responsible.
As she contends with Deception Bay's misogynistic "old guard", lead by her senior officer, she reconnects with several contacts from her past, and forms new bonds with several locals with whom she comes into contact in the course of her inquiries.
The Unbelieved is a compulsively readable, entertaining and occasionally confronting read, featuring great characterisations, an evocative rural-coastal setting and not one, but two, twisty and satisfyingly concluded mystery-thriller plotlines.
November 6, 2025
3.25 stars
What I liked:
- The dog
- The dog's name (Waffles)
- Antigone Pollard - she's a strong, determined, focused, fearless, courageous, kind, loving, empathetic woman
- The story, the writing, the straight-fordwarness, the lack of inner dialogs for chapters on end.
What I liked less:
- most (a worrisome majority of) men in this book are despicable human being. Almost all of them are absolute human trash. I don't like it when a book takes things to an extreme. I do not believe all men are like that (yes there are some, but not THE majority).
The book is intriguing and has a very clear agenda. Topics like rape, gang rape of teenagers are explored in depth. A good read.
What I liked:
- The dog
- The dog's name (Waffles)
- Antigone Pollard - she's a strong, determined, focused, fearless, courageous, kind, loving, empathetic woman
- The story, the writing, the straight-fordwarness, the lack of inner dialogs for chapters on end.
What I liked less:
- most (a worrisome majority of) men in this book are despicable human being. Almost all of them are absolute human trash. I don't like it when a book takes things to an extreme. I do not believe all men are like that (yes there are some, but not THE majority).
The book is intriguing and has a very clear agenda. Topics like rape, gang rape of teenagers are explored in depth. A good read.
October 3, 2022
‘You new in town?’
After opening with a brief scene involving a ten-year-old crime, Ms Petraitis introduces us to Antigone Pollard, having a quiet drink in a local pub in the Victorian coastal town of Deception Bay. One of the locals tries to chat her up, and then another man comes to her rescue. Or so it seems, briefly.
Antigone Pollard is a senior detective who has transferred to Deception Bay after one of the cases she worked in Melbourne results in the death of the victim. Antigone feels guilty and as well as being haunted by the memories, her relationship has broken down. Deception Bay is where Antigone grew up and moving into her grandmother’s farmhouse (now vacant as her grandmother has moved into residential care) with her dog Waffles seems like a new beginning.
But after being targetted at the pub, Antigone is not so sure. Her attacker is backed by the witnesses in the pub, and Antigone’s boss is not supportive. This is just the beginning: there are other cases of rape and sexual assault, as well as of domestic violence, and no-one seems to believe the women involved. After giving a talk to the Country Women’s Association, Antigone encourages the women of the town to stand up against abusers and is willing to teach self-defence. But neither her boss nor the town’s mayor are happy.
As Antigone works with the women of Deception Bay, she become aware of a series of events which have her reinvestigating the ten-year-old crime that opens the novel. But Antigone herself is in danger, and not just from disgruntled locals.
This is a terrific debut novel which raises several problems with the way in which the legal system currently deals with sexual assault. Antigone also exposes some of the other toxic secrets in Deception Bay as well. And Waffles the dog is a star!
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
After opening with a brief scene involving a ten-year-old crime, Ms Petraitis introduces us to Antigone Pollard, having a quiet drink in a local pub in the Victorian coastal town of Deception Bay. One of the locals tries to chat her up, and then another man comes to her rescue. Or so it seems, briefly.
Antigone Pollard is a senior detective who has transferred to Deception Bay after one of the cases she worked in Melbourne results in the death of the victim. Antigone feels guilty and as well as being haunted by the memories, her relationship has broken down. Deception Bay is where Antigone grew up and moving into her grandmother’s farmhouse (now vacant as her grandmother has moved into residential care) with her dog Waffles seems like a new beginning.
But after being targetted at the pub, Antigone is not so sure. Her attacker is backed by the witnesses in the pub, and Antigone’s boss is not supportive. This is just the beginning: there are other cases of rape and sexual assault, as well as of domestic violence, and no-one seems to believe the women involved. After giving a talk to the Country Women’s Association, Antigone encourages the women of the town to stand up against abusers and is willing to teach self-defence. But neither her boss nor the town’s mayor are happy.
As Antigone works with the women of Deception Bay, she become aware of a series of events which have her reinvestigating the ten-year-old crime that opens the novel. But Antigone herself is in danger, and not just from disgruntled locals.
This is a terrific debut novel which raises several problems with the way in which the legal system currently deals with sexual assault. Antigone also exposes some of the other toxic secrets in Deception Bay as well. And Waffles the dog is a star!
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 14, 2023
A solid plot with a strong message. But the message was hammered home in such an unsubtle way that parts felt like a worthy lecture rather than a crime fiction novel. Too often a character would quote a set of (horrifying) statistics or circumstances in a way that stood out from the flow. Unsubtle.
October 8, 2022
The characters didn’t develop for me . I felt the author was trying too hard to make it ‘Australian ‘ . Every time I read Wozza I just couldn’t take it seriously .
June 13, 2025
Loved the main character, she was a bad ass. But just felt like there was too many sub plots/stories going on, frazzled me to keep up. Enjoyed the ending but also felt it was a little rushed. Super made me hate men xo
September 3, 2024
4.5 ⭐️! A gripping thriller/Aussie crime novel! Especially loved the POV of a female detective. A must read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews