I’m a true crime fanatic, so I was surprised I’d never heard of the case Tanya Bretherton’s latest book The Killing Streets focuses on.

In December 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, the body of a murdered woman is found in broad daylight. In the space of months, two more women are found, murdered in the same brutal way and with one occupation linking them – they were sex workers.

The media run with the case, dubbing the killer Sydney’s ‘Sex Slayer’ and terrifying the city with. Meanwhile, the police find themselves in over their heads, without the means to tackle a crime of this nature. Trying to protect both their image and the city, they arrest a man named Eric Craig and charge him with the murders. But did he really do it?

The way Tanya weaves this story together is nothing short of intoxicating. She does a fantastic job of establishing the context in which the crimes happened – how the Great Depression affected the city, how cars forever changed the sex work industry – to give you a greater idea of how and why these crimes occurred. Everything comes across in a slow burn, making each twist and turn so impactful. It’s a case that’s as fascinating as it is infuriating; as much as I wanted to keep reading there were times I wanted to throw the book out a window. The police corruption, the behaviour of the media, and society’s attitude towards women and particularly sex workers of the time is appalling. More frightening than the murders is the fact that things really haven’t changed that much.

Reviewed by Max Lewis