Swamp: Who Killed Margaret Clement?

Biography & Memoir History True Crime

Swamp: Who Killed Margaret Clement? by Richard Shears revisits one of Australia's most haunting true-crime cold cases, the 1952 disappearance of the reclusive heiress amid the marshlands of Victoria. In this 2008 flexi-bound hardcover, Shears blends biography, geography and investigative reporting to trace how wealth, isolation and local gossip turned a lonely swamp into the perfect setting for an unsolved mystery.

The 208-page narrative walks readers through police files, court transcripts and fresh interviews, mapping the swamp's shifting landscape against Clement's eccentric life. Geography buffs will appreciate how the author charts the wetlands' drainage and development, while true-crime fans get a front-row seat to a decades-long whodunit that still sparks debate.

This second-hand copy is clean and tidy: light edge wear on the cover, no writing, dog-ears or smoke odours, ready for immediate reading or gifting. Its compact 220 mm height sits comfortably on any Australian history or crime shelf.

Collectors and newcomers alike will value the rare flexi-bound hardcover edition, now out of print from New Holland Publishers. Secure this piece of Australian true-crime history before it slips back into the swamp.