The 19th of March 2020: Just prior to the Covid pandemic Russell Hill and Carol Clay disappear from the remote Wonnangatta Valley in Victoria’s High Country. They were having a secret affair, the couple were reported missing by Russell’s wife and Carol’s sister and Russell an ex logger knew the area well and it's only accessible by four wheel drive.

The police have to look at all the possibilities, one being did they fake their own deaths and to start a new life together? It didn’t take long for them to rule this out, the police were sure they were victims of foul play, but they had no bodies and the only evidence a burnt campsite and a damaged white Toyota Land Cruiser.

The investigation begins, involved are the Missing Persons Squad and a team of detectives from Victoria Police Force and Inspector Andrew Stamper was present from the beginning and later Brett Florence and Dan Passingham. They had to locate anyone who had stayed at the Bucks Camp around the time, any cars that were seen in the location, then thoroughly check everyone's stories and alibis and a hermit who frequented the area. Over a year had passed, they had one main suspect a Jetstar captain Greg Lynn, a married man and father and who liked to spend his down time camping and hunting.

I won’t spoil what the lengths the investigating team went to and did to get enough proof to take Greg Lynn in for questioning and formally charge him and for the case to go to trial and the complexities of the Victorian legal system and the time frame.

I received a copy of In the Death of Night from NetGalley and Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. Greg Haddrick looks at one of the most puzzling and odd crimes committed in Australia, the police investigation is full of setbacks, twist and turns and remember it started when Covid hit and Victoria was placed into lock-down and they had to abide by these rules.

Using details that haven’t been revealed before, Mr. Haddrick writes an unbiased and informative account of what happened to Russell Hill and Carol Clay in March 2020 and while being very respectful of the feelings of their families, especially Russell’s widow Robyn and his daughters.

This is told mainly from the detective’s points of view, these men did a remarkable job of joining the dots to find a lying, controlling, narcissistic predator and the court case was long and complicated and if you like reading about true crime I highly recommend In the Death of Night and five stars from me.

Could not put it down. In the Dead of Night had me hooked from the very first page. A fascinating true crime story written in the most compelling way. I felt like I was walking alongside the detectives, feeling their anxiety, frustration, elation and emotion every step of the way.

Impeccably written and so compelling. Well done, Greg.