Suburban True Crime: Australian cases you'll never forget and some you've never heard of

by Emily Webb

Chilling cases of murder and crime that have happened in the quiet streets of Australia’s suburbs.

Featuring contemporary cases as well as some shocking historical murders you’ve probably never heard of, Suburban True Crime proves you shouldn’t say “it could never happen here”.

This collection of cases that are hard to believe, except they really happened – and all in the streets and homes of the Australia many of us know and live. The suburbs.

These cases range from recent murders to some historical stories that will shock and surprise. Some of the cases you’ll know and there’s crimes you’ve never heard of. These cases will shock and surprise you including the still-unsolved mistaken identity murder of Melbourne mother Jane Thurgood-Dove and the horrifying story of a man who killed in Australia and then was released from prison, only to kill again in the United States.

There’s also some historical crimes that shocked the community at the time but have now faded into obscurity, including cases of child murder in the 1970s. Think nothing ever happens where you live? Think again.

Emily Webb is a journalist, true crime author and co-host of the popular Australian True Crime podcast.

Genres: True Crime, Audiobook, Crime, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2022

About the author

Emily Webb is a Melbourne-based journalist and podcaster.

She lives in suburbia with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Megan Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling, insightful and powerful book which sheds new light on some of Australia's most infamous homicides and explores some equally terrible murders that never made the news.
I love Emily's crisp journalistic newsy style which is balanced with her own personal empathy and understanding of the anguish these sorts of crimes cause to the people left behind. I loved it and highly recommend it as a great compilation of stories that should be on every true crime enthusiasts book shelf. Looking forward to the next one Emily. (less)

[Eve Dangerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, but I’m
a) from Melbourne where most of the crimes went down
b) into that kind of thing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Suburban True Crime by Emily Webb just posted at:

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Suburban True Crime: Australian Cases you’ll never forget and some you’ve never heard of” By Emily Webb is true to its name. This collection of true crime contains some well-known incidents, like the case of the “Brownout Strangler”, and a surprisingly large number of serious and horrific incidents. Webb has done her part to ensure that the victims and survivors of these terrible crimes are not forgotten. Like all true crimes, this is not a read for the faint of heart. These incidents range from the deeply sad, to the completely shocking.
The 35 cases presented, cover a selection of ‘suburban’ crimes which occurred over the last century. Crimes range from random acts of violence, to calculated murders to domestic violence incidents. Most are from Victoria and New South Wales, with the occasional additions from South Australia and Western Australia.
Webb’s journalistic skills are evident in her presentation of the facts. All of the cases are recorded in short chapters, making the book an easy read for those with limited time. The accounts are well researched, with Webb often referencing media releases, newspaper articles, police and court reports, and her own interviews and research with survivors and law enforcement.
Webb has written two other true crime offerings - Angels of Death: Doctors and Nurses who Kill and Suburban Nightmare. With the wealth of available cases (sadly) there is scope for future sequels. Webb is also the co-host of the Australian True Crime podcast for those keen to find out more about her work.
I received a free copy of this book through Sisters in Crime - Australia, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a gritty, dark and for some readers a confronting book. Quite a few well-known cases but there were some that I had also never heard of. This is a surface level look into crimes happening in areas which we assume don't and won't become places of serious crime. A top read for any true crime lover!

Read by Emily

[Otis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Pretty poorly written with a litany of grammar, syntax and factual errors. At times it felt that Webb was pulling information straight off Wikipedia without editing.

Also, the book would have been better had Webb cut out a fair number of stories that weren't interesting or fleshed out at all.

Would not recommend

[Vikki Petraitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Webb from the hugely successful podcast Australian True Crime is a superb writer as well as podcaster. In Suburban True Crime, she gives the reader an insider view into some gripping crime cases from the suburbs.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think this book was particularly well written, my proofreader's pen would have had a field day if I'd started, so I left the pages as they were.
However it was interesting to me that there were quite a few chapters on crimes completely new to me, possibly because they were featured in the Victorian or South Australian press, although there were some Sydney ones there that I'd forgotten.
Considering the 'mad or bad' debate, I was particularly taken with the case of a fourth year medical student who smashed a bottle of milk over the head of a patient, subsequently attacking a nurse in the hospital and going on a rampage in his car which resulted in a child dead and 13 people seriously injured. His methods varied from driving into pedestrians on the road or footpath or attacking people in their gardens with a shovel which he stole after using it to beat a man early in his rampage. There was no verbal outbursts during this time, just the attacks from a man who seemed in a trance.
What wasn't known to his employers or presumably to his university was that he was schizophrenic, at the time was on probation for attempted rape and had previous admissions to psychiatric hospitals. He had decided to cease his medication some time before the attacks.

[Jacquelyn Parnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Webb is renown for her work on Australian True Crime the podcast and her book, Suburban True Crime, is a wonderful collection of stories - some still unsolved - of all things murder and mayhem.

I learned so much from this book, notwithstanding that I have read copious amounts of true crime over the years. Emily is very respectful to the memories of the victims and has made corrections where new information has come to light.

This is easily one of my favourite true crime books and I look forward to reading Emily’s back catalogue.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suburban True Crime is a well-researched, gripping compilation of 35 Australian stories from the past 100 years. Many are naturally heartbreaking to read, and many result in lackadaisical prison sentences that are relatedly heartbreaking as well. Through it all, I did enjoy the author’s methodical storytelling and thought that the book had an even flow. I would recommend it although I won’t be diving any deeper into said subjects because I disagree with how lazily Australian justice reacts to heinous crimes.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My aunt's murder is in this book and I think Emily Webb, did a great job on gathering information for all the correct details on her murder. She reached out to my family and I, as she was writing this book and we were able to help with certain details. Kurt Dumas, was one evil person and I think she did a great job describing him in this book. I enjoyed reading the other stories in this book too. She really goes into good detail and works hard to gather her information on what she writes about. i'd highly recommend this book.

[Nicole Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody knows crime like Emily Webb, and this book is an incredible collection of true tales, many that you've never heard of, but all fascinating. Historic crime to more recent, each case is treated with respect and never sensationalism, and provides an in depth look at the how, who, why what and where. You'll love this book.

[Kalin Stevey]

*no rating because it’s NF*

This was a good read. Well horrible events to read but a well put together book. As someone who’s consumed a lot of true crime I liked that this was all Australian crimes because I’d never heard of any of them before. Obviously this is a gruesome, sad read but if you are interested in true crime it’s worth the read.

[Justin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a ripper. Emily Webb is one of Australia’s best true crime writers and this collection of close-to-home tales makes for a great read. These are stories that are not draped with Hollywood pizzazz — they’re real stories that happened in places we know all too well.

[Any Length]

WARNING: animal cruelty.

I did not appreciate being told details of extensive animal cruelty in this book. I discarded the book immediately. Books should contain warnings of such matter. And I withdraw all stars the book might have received and will not read any other books by this author.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, easy to read and talked about crimes that I knew about and others that were new to me. The research is good and the stories themselves are very easy to follow. The subject matter is not for all but I am interested to read about what goes on behind closed doors.

[Aussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a sucker for true crime books ..


It certainly shed light on some of Australia's most infamous homicides that explores some terrible murders that happen within Australia and some sadly never made it to the news

[Emily Boers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, sad, powerful

[Kate Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

All these crimes I have read about or knew already from the news but still a good read

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written and researched book, some of the stories I had heard before but others were new to me. Very interesting collection of True Crime stories.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

was a very good read, blitzed through it in the second half but the chapter sizes definitely make it feel more manageable to read it. most of the cases were ones I hadn't heard of as well

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

who could have predicted that reading the details of gruesome local murders in rapid succession could leave me feeling scared to walk the streets?