Overview

Mostly it only took a trumped up charge to ruin a reputation and silence a person, but sometimes the rat pack that ruled Perth in the 1970s would have to resort to murder. Not the back room, needle in the arm, overdose kind of murder that could so easily be written off, nor the disappearance altogether of troublemakers like antidrugs campaigner, Donald Mackay and publisher, Juanita Nielsen on the east coast of Australia. Away from prying eyes in one of the remotest and richest cities on earth, there was no need to hide your crime. A public display, a theatrical performance, murder in the west was a bit of a joke. Dressed to impress in her finest ball gown, dripping with expensive jewellery and driving her limited edition luxury car, society madam Shirley Finn was invited to the busiest spot near town for a very special occasion - a kind of modern day public execution - her own murder. They knew they wouldn't be caught. Their power reigned supreme.

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Reviews

An important historical document that reveals the secrets and lies of powerful interests, criminal and political. <em>- David Whish-Wilson</em></p> </p> Once I started reading the book I found it, and the revelations it contains, hard to put down. It should be read by all those working in law enforcement agencies, lawmakers, prosecutors and everyone with a concern for justice, and interested in the history of this state, which in the times of which Juliet has written, was (perhaps deservedly) referred to by some as The Wild West. </p> <em>Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC - Governor of WA 2011-2014</em></p> </p> This is a shocking book. As the cover proclaims, it is all about what is alleged to be a state sanctioned murder. Perhaps we might expect such allegations to involve tales of intrigue or dirty dealings in some obscure part of a foreign country many years ago. Instead, it involves the relatively recent activities of the police and associated agencies in Perth, Western Australia in the 1970s. </p> The author has provided a valuable service to all of us who live in Australia by having held as it were a mirror up to nature, and allowed us to see an important aspect of our society for what it is. It is a great achievement on her part--and a terrible disgrace on the part of others.</p> <em>Dr Robert Moles LLB (Honours) - Author and Retired Associate Professor of Law - Adelaide University</em></p> </p> <em>Dirty Girl</em> challenges the notion that a justice system can function with the policy of 'containing' certain crimes as opposed to seeking eradication or legalization. The policy of containment leads to inconsistent application of the law, favoritism, corruption, and cover-ups. And, in the case of Shirley Finn, likely resulted in her death. </p> Corruption can only end when individuals within the law enforcement community stand up against the system when it fails to serve the community.</p> There is much to learn from <em>Dirty Girl</em>. Juliet Wills should be congratulated for spending years researching and writing this important book.</p> <em>Professor Justin Brooks - Director, California Innocence Project, California Western School of Law, San Diego, CA</em></p> </p>

An important historical document that reveals the secrets and lies of powerful interests, criminal and political. - David Whish-Wilson Once I started reading the book I found it, and the revelations it contains, hard to put down. It should be read by all those working in law enforcement agencies, lawmakers, prosecutors and everyone with a concern for justice, and interested in the history of this state, which in the times of which Juliet has written, was (perhaps deservedly) referred to by some as -The Wild West-. Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC - Governor of WA 2011-2014 This is a shocking book. As the cover proclaims, it is all about what is alleged to be a -state sanctioned murder-. Perhaps we might expect such allegations to involve tales of intrigue or dirty dealings in some obscure part of a foreign country many years ago. Instead, it involves the relatively recent activities of the police and associated agencies in Perth, Western Australia in the 1970s. The author has provided a valuable service to all of us who live in Australia by having held as it were a mirror up to nature, and allowed us to see an important aspect of our society for what it is. It is a great achievement on her part--and a terrible disgrace on the part of others. Dr Robert Moles LLB (Honours) - Author and Retired Associate Professor of Law - Adelaide University Dirty Girl challenges the notion that a justice system can function with the policy of 'containing' certain crimes as opposed to seeking eradication or legalization. The policy of containment leads to inconsistent application of the law, favoritism, corruption, and cover-ups. And, in the case of Shirley Finn, likely resulted in her death. Corruption can only end when individuals within the law enforcement community stand up against the system when it fails to serve the community. There is much to learn from Dirty Girl. Juliet Wills should be congratulated for spending years researching and writing this important book. Professor Justin Brooks - Director, California Innocence Project, California Western School of Law, San Diego, CA

"An important historical document that reveals the secrets and lies of powerful interests, criminal and political. - David Whish-Wilson Once I started reading the book I found it, and the revelations it contains, hard to put down. It should be read by all those working in law enforcement agencies, lawmakers, prosecutors and everyone with a concern for justice, and interested in the history of this state, which in the times of which Juliet has written, was (perhaps deservedly) referred to by some as ""The Wild West"". Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC - Governor of WA 2011-2014 This is a shocking book. As the cover proclaims, it is all about what is alleged to be a ""state sanctioned murder"". Perhaps we might expect such allegations to involve tales of intrigue or dirty dealings in some obscure part of a foreign country many years ago. Instead, it involves the relatively recent activities of the police and associated agencies in Perth, Western Australia in the 1970s. The author has provided a valuable service to all of us who live in Australia by having held as it were a mirror up to nature, and allowed us to see an important aspect of our society for what it is. It is a great achievement on her part--and a terrible disgrace on the part of others. Dr Robert Moles LLB (Honours) - Author and Retired Associate Professor of Law - Adelaide University Dirty Girl challenges the notion that a justice system can function with the policy of 'containing' certain crimes as opposed to seeking eradication or legalization. The policy of containment leads to inconsistent application of the law, favoritism, corruption, and cover-ups. And, in the case of Shirley Finn, likely resulted in her death. Corruption can only end when individuals within the law enforcement community stand up against the system when it fails to serve the community. There is much to learn from Dirty Girl. Juliet Wills should be congratulated for spending years researching and writing this important book. Professor Justin Brooks - Director, California Innocence Project, California Western School of Law, San Diego, CA"

Author Information

Juliet Wills has choppered into crocodile breeding grounds, been chased by rioting armed gangs, and jumped from a civilian plane with the 13th load at 13,000 feet on Friday the 13th. She has also pursued the story of brothel madam Shirley Finn's state-sanctioned murder with fearless obstinacy. Born in Sydney, Juliet has lived and worked throughout Australia. She has been awarded for her Excellence in Television Journalism, written for major newspapers, and lectured in broadcast journalism at two universities. The mother of three lives in Perth and now works in real estate. David Whish-Wilson was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia in 1984 to live in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig. During this time he began to publish short stories in Australia (anthologised in Pascoe Publishing's Best Fifty Stories Collection) and had a longer piece short-listed for the Vogel/Australian Literary Award. His first novel The Summons was published in 2006 (Vintage - Random House.) His second novel Line of Sight was published by Penguin in September 2010, and was short-listed for a 2011 Ned Kelly Award (see reviews.) The sequel to Line of Sight - Zero at the Bone was released with Penguin Australia in August 2013. David's most recent publication is the Perth book for the New South Publishing city series, which was short-listed for the 2014 WA Premier's Book Awards (see reviews) David has taught in the prison system in both WA and Fiji, where he started the country's first prisoner writing program, which now operates in all Fijian prisons. He currently lives in Fremantle, Western Australia, where he teaches creative writing at Curtin University.

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