Horrible Man

Book excerpt: It is one of Australia’s worst unsolved crimes. On a Friday afternoon as the wind down to the weekend begins, two women are held hostage in a hairdressing salon. They scream and fight for their lives, but they face a killer’s frenzied rage. Two unlikely victims and an unlikely crime scene at an unlikely time of day. No motive, no weapon found, no known offender; but, someone, somewhere, knows the truth. It is a long time to keep such a shocking secret – it has now been more than 20 years. Former journalist Leonie Wallace overcomes her own fears to examine in depth this heinous crime, tracing the lives of those closely connected, including members of the victims’ families, witnesses and suspects, to present some important and surprising revelations. This is a disturbing account, however, it is not just a book about murder. Many more layers exist. It is also a story of great courage and love as those at its epicentre continue their quest for justice and closure.