• Home
  • About NRB
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Get the books
    • Quoting from NRB
    • Contribute
    • Get reviewed
    • Support the NRB
  • Fiction
  • Non-fiction
  • Crime Scene
  • SFF
  • Giveaways
  • Extracts
  • Flashback Friday
  • The Godfather
  • Contact
MICHAEL ADAMS They’ll Never Hold Me. Reviewed by Tom Kelly

MICHAEL ADAMS They’ll Never Hold Me. Reviewed by Tom Kelly

by NRB | 4 Sep 2025 | Crime Scene, Non-fiction | 1 comment

A charismatic criminal, corrupt cops, and the brutality of Grafton Gaol – the story of Kevin John Simmonds is more than compelling true crime.  In 1959 most people in Australia would have known the names ‘Simmonds and Newcombe’. They were the two prisoners who...
JOHN KERR The Big Folbigg Mistake: extract

JOHN KERR The Big Folbigg Mistake: extract

by NRB | 25 Nov 2022 | Crime Scene, Extracts, Non-fiction | 0 comments

Did Kathleen Folbigg kill her babies? John Kerr makes the case for taking another look. In 2003 Kathleen Folbigg was convicted of killing her four children: Caleb, 19 days old (1989); Patrick, 8 months old (1991); Sarah, 10 months old (1993); and Laura, 19 months old...
Crime Scene: MATTHEW CONDON Jacks and Jokers: The extraordinary true story continues. Reviewed by Annette Hughes

Crime Scene: MATTHEW CONDON Jacks and Jokers: The extraordinary true story continues. Reviewed by Annette Hughes

by NRB | 12 Jun 2014 | Crime Scene | 0 comments

The saga of Queensland’s notorious decades of police corruption continues with Matthew Condon following the lives of key players as they seize control. The searing and sensational sequel to Three Crooked Kings will only further stoke the fire of the average...

Crime Scene: MICHAEL DUFFY Call Me Cruel. Reviewed by Karen Chisholm

by NRB | 28 Mar 2013 | Crime Scene, Non-fiction | 0 comments

This true crime account attempts to explain the mind of a manipulative killer. It’s a cliché, but in this case it’s apt; if you came across a scenario like this in crime fiction you’d be hard pressed to stop your eyes from rolling. As is often the...

Crime Scene: MATTHEW CONDON The Toe Tag Quintet and Three Crooked Kings. Reviewed by Annette Hughes

by NRB | 12 Mar 2013 | Crime Scene, Fiction, Non-fiction | 0 comments

History, mystery, truth and fiction; these two books expose the underbelly of south-east Queensland. In complete control of the genre, Matt Condon adds his own secret herbs and spices to his collection of murder mysteries: an uncanny knack for writing great...

THE NRB QUIZ Answer ten Australian true crime questions to win The Waterlow Killings

by NRB | 6 Feb 2013 | Giveaways | 3 comments

For a copy of Pamela Burton’s The Waterlow Killings: A Portrait of a Family Tragedy – or just for fun – do this quiz and send us your answers by email. The earliest correct entry wins. Good luck! 1. Who wrote Mad Dog Moxley? 2. What was the name of the book that...

Join us!

             

Subscribe

Add your email address and we'll be in touch when new reviews are published.


Support NRB

Help us keep the Newtown Review of Books a free and independent site for book reviews.
Click to Donate

Abbey's Bookstore

Sister Kate by Jean Bedford.


Recent Posts

  • Image of cover of book Rebirth by Antoun Issa, reviewed by Sandra Hogan in the Newtown Review of Books.ANTOUN ISSA Rebirth. Reviewed by Sandra Hogan
    10 June 2026
    As Lebanon is again torn by war, Antoun Issa recounts his mother’s experience [ … ]
  • Image of cover of book Demagogues and Despots by John Keane, reviewed by Braham Dabscheck in the Newtown Review of Books.JOHN KEANE Demagogues and Despots: Democracies on the brink. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck
    9 June 2026
    Political theorist John Keane’s description of how demagogues and despots [ … ]
  • Image of cover of book Bella Donna by Jill Johnson, reviewed by Karen Chisholm in the Newtown Review of Books.JILL JOHNSON Bella Donna. Reviewed by Karen Chisholm
    4 June 2026
    In Jill Johnson’s new novel, Professor Eustacia Rose is done with murder [ … ]
  • Image of cover of book Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler, reviewed by Robert Goodman in the Newtown Review of Books.RAY NAYLER Palaces of the Crow. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
    2 June 2026
    Ray Nayler shows his versatility in his latest novel, a historical fantasy [ … ]

  • NRB Home
  • About the NRB
  • Support the NRB
  • Contribute
  • Get Reviewed
  • A-Z
  • Contact
© 2012 - 2026 Newtown Review of Books / ABN 99 488 002 007 / Manage / Site by Leumesin Design
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}