OUTSIDE THE LAW is now a series of 3 books, the first edited / compiled by true crime writer and police beat specialists journalist John Silvester.

I am a bit of a sucker for these sorts of books, I really like the slightly extended chapter format and the way a range of different authors concentrate on a individual crimes. Many of these are cut-down versions of the author's own full book, giving you a chance to see if the author has a true crime writing style that appeals (some readers prefer less sensationalised styles, others are looking for more analysis, sometimes it is just the facts that you're after).

In the first of this series, the breadth of the stories covered is as wide as it could be, from the Donald Mackay disappearance in Griffith NSW and the Mafia connections there, through to the dreadful mass shooting in Queen Street Melbourne, Ivan Milat and the backpacker killings, the Frankston serial killer Paul Denyer, the Snowtown / South Australia multiple killings and a special chapter on the life of the undercover cop.

All of these stories bring a different perspective to a different real-life event in Australia's history and again, it is that glimpse of history that is as illuminating, as the details of the crimes and the criminals themselves. I heard somebody say recently that perhaps the Australian fascination with True Crime is partly because the events, and the people involved are far removed from so many of our own rather quiet, law-abiding, largely uneventful lives. It was an interesting observation. OUTSIDE THE LAW is a really interesting compilation of stories about events that have ramifications for the victims, the families, the perpetrators and everyone involved in the pursuit of justice for years to come. ( )