I like these sorts of true crime books as fill-ins, especially if I've recently read a few hefty fictional tomes.
From the Blurb:
This revised, expanded collection of true crime by Australia's foremost crime writers digs beneath the polite exterior of modern Australian life to expose its chilling core.
Opening Lines:
Australia is a lucky country. By world standards we are safe, secure and affluent. We have been spared widespread racial violence and our crime rate remains relatively low. But there is a thread of violence through the fabric of this seemingly civilised society that began with the arrival of the convicts on the First Fleet.
Outside the Law some of our best crime writers take you on a trip into the shadows of Australian society. You'll meet crooks who just can't help themselves; killers with twisted logic or hearts of darkness; and cops who daily walk the thinnest of lines to keep them at bay, and away from the rest of us.