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It all started with a ruthless murder. An ex-boxer and petty police informer was efficiently disposed of, sending a ghastly warning to others. That would have been the end of it, had not a shark, in a million-to-one chance, vomited up the victim's arm in an aquarium and shone an unwelcome light into some very dark places. With so much at stake, the guilty closed ranks and gradually, with intimidation, money, and the murder of a mate who they feared would betray them, they re-imposed their control and the light was turned off again. The memory of those events, and the terrible fear they inspired, kept those who knew the truth silent unto the grave. Others have written about the Shark Arm murder, and it has even been the topic of an episode of
My Favorite Murder. Now the authors, having digested the entire cold-case police file, reveal an extraordinary tale of high-class smuggling, a frantic cover-up and the truth behind one of the most infamous cases in Australia.
About the author
Phillip Roope and Kevin Meagher are former high school English and History teachers. After Phillip left teaching he worked as location manager on feature films and television series ranging from Blue Murder for TV to Baz Lurmann's The Great Gatsby. Kevin completed his career in public education securing corporate and philanthropic support for visual and performing arts programs.
Summary
It all started with a ruthless murder. An ex-boxer and petty police informer was efficiently disposed of, sending a ghastly warning to others. That would have been the end of it, had not a shark, in a million-to-one chance, vomited up the victim's arm in an aquarium and shone an unwelcome light into some very dark places.
With so much at stake, the guilty closed ranks and gradually, with intimidation, money, and the murder of a mate who they feared would betray them, they re-imposed their control and the light was turned off again. The memory of those events, and the terrible fear they inspired, kept those who knew the truth silent unto the grave.
Others have written about the Shark Arm murder but Phillip Roope and Kevin Meagher, having digested the entire cold-case police file, reveal a very different story: an extraordinary tale of high-class smuggling, a frantic cover-up and the truth behind one of the most infamous cases in Australia. Except there were actually two gruesome murders . . .
Foreword
Truth can be stranger than fiction. In a Coogee aquarium in 1935 a shark coughed up a man's tattooed arm. The authors of Shark Arm have unravelled an extraordinary tale of high-class smuggling around Sydney Harbour and police collusion that has eluded many investigations into this famous cold case.
