Vikki Petraitis is an Australian true crime author, podcaster, and educator. She is known for her investigative works on crime and justice, which has contributed to raising public awareness of crime and justice issues in Australia. Petraitis is also known for her 2022 novel The Unbelieved, which was shortlisted for a Davitt Award, and has been adapted for television in a 2026 six-part miniseries starring Anna Torv, titled Dustfall.
Career
Writing Petraitis has written extensively about Australian criminal cases, including infamous murders and police investigations. Her books and presentations often focus on real-life crimes, providing in-depth analysis and firsthand accounts from those involved, including law enforcement officers and victims' families. Some of her notable books include The Frankston Murders, which examines the case of serial killer Paul Denyer, and Once a Copper, a biography of former police officer Brian "The Skull" Murphy.
She has also written fiction, and contributed to various anthologies and crime-related publications. Podcasting Petraitis has gained recognition for her true crime podcasts, where she delves into both well-known and lesser-known cases. She regularly speaks on podcasts, including Australian True Crime hosted by Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb. In September 2019, Petraitis was interviewed by Casefile for their From the Files podcast titled From Frankston to Philip Island.
She was also instrumental in creating the Casefile Presents series titled The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron – a 10-episode podcast released in 2020 covering the case. In 2021, she also created and narrated a 9-episode podcast called Searching for Sarah Macdiarmid. Other activities She has also hosted presentations, workshops, interviews, and true crime events.
Awards Petraitis was nominated for the 2007 Davitt Award for her book Forensics. Also in 2007, she won the Scarlet Stiletto Award for Best New Talent for a fiction piece she wrote called "Side Window".
She won the Readers' Choice Award and was shortlisted for the 2023 Davitt Award in Adult Novel for The Unbelieved.
Adaptations Petraitis' 2022 novel The Unbelieved was adapted for television in a six-part miniseries starring Anna Torv, titled Dustfall, to be released on 11 October 2026 on ABC Television.
Books
References
External links Website Profile at Five Mile Press OzLit Editorial