Hollow Saddle: The Unsolved Murder of Mick, Polly, and Nora Murphy, The Gatton Tragedy, Australia's Christmas Night Massacre

Author:   Graham A Mercer ,  Colin J Mercer
Publisher:   Independently Published
ISBN:  

9798267502665


Pages:   400
Publication Date:   28 September 2025
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Available To Order   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Our Price $43.53 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Hollow Saddle: The Unsolved Murder of Mick, Polly, and Nora Murphy, The Gatton Tragedy, Australia's Christmas Night Massacre


Overview

Three siblings. One riderless horse. A paddock that still won't speak. On the morning of December 27, 1898, the bodies of Mick, Nora, and Ellen Murphy were found in a triangular arrangement in Moran's Paddock near Gatton, Queensland. What should have been a swift, careful investigation became a cautionary tale: a compromised crime scene, a cursory first autopsy, and a belated second post-mortem that uncovered a bullet wound in Mick's skull. This is the definitive narrative of Australia's Christmas Night Massacre-and the silence that followed. What you'll read: A cinematic reconstruction of the siblings' last ride; a step-by-step forensic walkthrough of what the grass revealed; the investigative failures that erased footprints as surely as the crowds that trampled them; and the suspects who haunted the margins-William McNeill, the O'Brien brothers, and the drifter known as Theo Farmer-woven against the parallel of young Alfred Hill's murder weeks later. Inside the book: case file and chronology, character map, forensic tracker, interview excerpts, suspect overviews, red-herring map, legal documents, alternative theories, and a Reader's Detective Index to guide your own deductions. This book contains no images-only cinematic narrative written in the style of a detective-investigator. The reader's promise: You'll gain a clear timeline, forensic insight into the blows and bindings, the significance of the left-handed attacker hypothesis, and the legal and social forces that kept the truth from court. You won't find a neat verdict-but you will find clarity. This Book Is For Readers Who... - trace unsolved murders and cold case timelines step by step - crave historical true crime with modern investigative rigor - follow forensic analysis over rumor - want Australian true crime grounded in primary sources - compare suspects, alibis, and motive without sensationalism Perfect For Fans Of... Michelle McNamara, Helen Garner, Gregg Olsen, and Erik Larson-writers who fuse human stakes with investigative depth.

Full Product Details

Author:   Graham A Mercer ,  Colin J Mercer
Publisher:   Independently Published
Imprint:   Independently Published
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.531kg
ISBN:  

9798267502665


Pages:   400
Publication Date:   28 September 2025
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

NOV RG 20252

 

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List