From true crime to petty crime - this is the memoir of one of Australia's most experienced court reporters. Longlisted in the True Crime category for the 2019 Davitt and Ned Kelly Awards. As a seasoned court reporter, the ABC's Jamelle Wells has filed thousands of stories on murderers, sex offenders, thieves, bad drivers, family feuds and business deals gone wrong. In more than 10 years, Jamelle has witnessed many of Australia's most notorious and high-profile court cases. In the line of duty, she has sat next to criminals and their families, been chased, spat on, stalked and carted off by ambulance for emergency surgery after an accident outside ICAC. Every day in courts across Australia the evidence, facts and theories are played out in a kind of theatre, with their own characters, costumes and traditions. But ever-present is the human tragedy of ordinary people's lives disrupted, destroyed and forever altered. The judges, the lawyers and barristers, the witnesses and the victims -- all striving to play their part in the quest for fairness, justice and always, the truth of what really happened. From the calculated and cruel, to the unfair and unlucky, from pure evil to plain stupid -- Jamelle Wells has seen it all. The Court Reporter is a tough and fearless journalist's memoir that looks at the cases that have shocked, moved and never left us. Praise for Jamelle Wells: 'Jamelle Wells has put justice in the dock. The Court Reporter raises important questions about the administration of the criminal justice system, not only in NSW but nationwide.' Michael Sexton, The Australian 'Frank reporting.' Steven Carroll, The Sydney Morning Herald 'Vivid and gripping. I had to read it in one go.' Richard Glover, ABC Drive 'The Court Reporter is a great read and will be quickly devoured by anyone with an interest in journalism and true crime.' Dr Rachel Franks, Academia Review 'A brilliant book with amazing stories.' Sarah Harris, Studio Ten

First ed: Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University Press, 2000.

"Gilgamesh in the Outback" is a science fiction novella by American writer Robert Silverberg, a sequel to his novel Gilgamesh the King[ as well as a story in the shared universe series "Heroes in Hell." It won the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1987 and was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1986. Real-life writers Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft feature as characters in the novella.

For college friends Jake Norris, Matthew Chatowski, Paul Palatka, and George Bowie, a visit to the tiny hamlet of Cedar Key, Florida, for a weekend of fishing and fun turns deadly after an innocent trip to the L and M Saloon. Jake gets in a fight with a drunken patron over an attractive blonde, and knocks the man out with a powerful but defensive punch. After being thrown out of the bar, he and his buddies make a hasty departure from the town. Unbeknownst to them, the man dies as a result of that one blow. Officer Steven Riles undertakes an investigation into the killing and seeks to arrest Jake for the murder but can't because neither he nor anyone at the bar knew who he was. Through credit card receipts and a license plate number, Officer Riles discovers the identity of the other three-but not Jake's. When Paul denies any knowledge of the incident, or that he was even in Cedar Key at the time, he, too, is charged with a crime because he helped Jake avoid detection and arrest. A family secret, known only to Jake's mother, provides the key to resolving the case.

Having grown up on the massive Killarney cattle station near Katherine, NT, Toni Tapp Coutts was well prepared when her husband, Shaun, took a job at McArthur River Station in the Gulf Country, 600 kilometres away near the Queensland border. Toni became cook, counsellor, housekeeper and nurse to the host of people who lived on McArthur River and the constant stream of visitors. She made firm friends, created the Heartbreak Bush Ball and started riding campdraft in rodeos all over the Territory, becoming one of the NT's top riders. In the midst of this busy life she raised three children and saw them through challenges; she dealt with snakes in her washing basket; she kept in touch with her large, sprawling Tapp family, and she fell deeply in love with the Gulf Country. Filled with the warmth and humour readers will remember from A SUNBURNT CHILDHOOD, this next chapter in Toni's life is both an adventure and a heartwarming memoir, and will introduce readers to a part of Australia few have experienced.

What is going on in the often troubled town of Alice Springs? Trouble goes into the ordered environment of the courtroom to lay out in detail some of the dark disorder in the town's recent history. Men kill their wives, kill one another in seeming senseless acts of revenge, families feud, women join the violence, children watch and learn from the sidelines. Journalist Kieran Finnane follows the stories through witness accounts, recognizing the horror and tragedy of violent events, and the guilt or innocence of perpetrators. She draws on a 25-year practice of journalism in Alice Springs, as well as experience of its everyday life, to add fine grain to the portrait of a town and region being painfully remade.