Naked City

John Silvester has been reporting on crime from the cop stations, courthouses, back alleys and gangster mansions of Melbourne for forty years. His contact book is a who's who of both sides of criminal justice and the shadowy worlds between. He is the trusted confidant of cops, criminals, lawyers and judges. He knows where the cash is stashed and where the bodies are buried. Naked City is a collection of Silvester's best stories, from sophisticated heists to mindless acts of violence and deeds of pure evil - impeccably sourced, wry, wise and witty. Travel the dark depths of Australia's criminal underworld with our most formidable crime reporter and an icon of Australian true crime. 'Sometimes I feel I am at war with Silvester, that I am a soldier in the trenches with my bayonet fixed.' Convicted murderer, Judy Moran 'Dear John, may the Yuletide log fall from your fireplace and burn your house down.' Standover man, Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read

About the Author



About the Author

John Silvester is Australia's longest-serving crime reporter, covering the beat since 1978. He has won four Walkley Awards, the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year Award, nine Melbourne Press Club Quills, nine Victorian Law Foundation Awards, a Ned Kelly Award for true crime writing, a Ned Kelly lifetime achievement award, an ASEAN Fellowship to study crime and corruption in South East Asia, and has been elevated to the Australian Media Hall of Fame. John narrated and co-wrote true crime documentaries produced and directed by Terry Carlyon, including the Logie-winning ABC documentary, Conviction, on the murder of Jill Meagher. He has written or co-authored over 30 books including the Chopper and Underbelly series, later adapted to film and television. John appeared in one Underbelly movie as himself but was asked to quietly remove himself from the set for overacting. He writes the award-winning 'Naked City' column for The Age, presents the true crime podcast of the same name, and appears weekly on the top-rating 3AW breakfast program as 'Sly of the Underworld'.