Never to be Released was a very interesting look at some of Australia's worst crimes. Many of them I hadn't heard about before. Others, such as the Anita Cobby murder, were so famous I couldn't help but know something about them, though not all the facts presented here. This book is presented in an easy-to-read journalistic style that keeps it from becoming too heavy, but it is certainly not for the squeamish. The crimes described are particularly heinous - the kind that make you wonder if the death penalty ought to be brought back, after all - and few details are omitted.

The term 'Never to be Released' is actually only a recommendation tacked onto a criminals file, not an official sentence, so let us hope that none of these vicious men and women ever leave their cells to walk Australia's streets again. I feel a lot safer with them behind bars.

Never to be Released is a great introduction to the 'True Crime' genre, but it is detailed enough to hold the interest of old pros. ( )