Title: Still Missing – more unsolved missing persons cases in New Zealand
Author: Scott Bainbridge
Publisher: Penguin
Price: $37.00
It’s grim to read in the introduction of “Still Missing” by Scott Bainbridge that New Zealand national police statistics show that 14,000 kiwis go missing every year, whether run aways, misadventure or by foul play.
And grimmer still to learn that around 70 of those missing 14,000 are still unaccounted for one year later.
“Still Missing” is investigator, freelance journalist and PR advisor Bainbridge’s follow up to his successful 2005 book “Without Trace.”
It covers 16 cases of missing persons in New Zealand, from modern day mysteries like the disappearance of Iraene Asher in Piha in 2004 which brought about radical changes to the police 111 system to long forgotten whodunits such as the 83 year old case of Nellie Mouat. Contradictory evidence suggests the missing Nellie was either killed at the hands of her husband or disappeared voluntarily after discovering he was writing bad cheques all over Christchurch.
Some of the cases will be familiar and readers will remember the publicity surrounding them, but this book goes deeper, giving insider information into the case’s background, the searches, suspicions, police theories, photos and other evidence not made public before.
It’s a fascinating read into the saddest of situations which leaves those left behind with the agony of not having a body to bury and grieve over and forever asking questions: where is the missing person? Are they dead? How did they die? Could that person on the street with the same eyes be your missing loved one?
The release of Still Missing ties in nicely not only with New Zealand book month, but also the hugely popular and controversial telly series Sensing Murder which has covered some of the cases in Still Missing.
And hopefully it will jog people’s memories to come forward with any information, no matter how long ago the cases were, to help end the constant questioning of the grieving families.
And grimmer still to learn that around 70 of those missing 14,000 are still unaccounted for one year later.
“Still Missing” is investigator, freelance journalist and PR advisor Bainbridge’s follow up to his successful 2005 book “Without Trace.”
It covers 16 cases of missing persons in New Zealand, from modern day mysteries like the disappearance of Iraene Asher in Piha in 2004 which brought about radical changes to the police 111 system to long forgotten whodunits such as the 83 year old case of Nellie Mouat. Contradictory evidence suggests the missing Nellie was either killed at the hands of her husband or disappeared voluntarily after discovering he was writing bad cheques all over Christchurch.
Some of the cases will be familiar and readers will remember the publicity surrounding them, but this book goes deeper, giving insider information into the case’s background, the searches, suspicions, police theories, photos and other evidence not made public before.
It’s a fascinating read into the saddest of situations which leaves those left behind with the agony of not having a body to bury and grieve over and forever asking questions: where is the missing person? Are they dead? How did they die? Could that person on the street with the same eyes be your missing loved one?
The release of Still Missing ties in nicely not only with New Zealand book month, but also the hugely popular and controversial telly series Sensing Murder which has covered some of the cases in Still Missing.
And hopefully it will jog people’s memories to come forward with any information, no matter how long ago the cases were, to help end the constant questioning of the grieving families.
2 comments:
Hi Kelly - thanks for commenting! I have spent a pleasant half-hour reading through your blog, and have really enjoyed it.
Nice to (virtually) meet you! :)
I need to own this book! I will have to buy it when I hit the shores of home.
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