The First Murderer I Ever Met

Hanging out with criminals and cops

Mark Dapin

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English

Simon & Schuster
01 September 2025

Biography; True crime

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For more than thirty years, Mark Dapin has been hanging out with crooks, and both types of cop. In this gripping, often funny and always surprising book, he sorts the tall stories from the truth about true crime, showing us what some of Australia’s most famous felons are really like.

Mark Dapin was still in school when he met his first murderer – a boy called Ian. In reporting the murder Ian eventually committed, newspapers used the cliché that it ‘shocked even those who knew him best’. But it didn’t shock Dapin, because he knew Ian in real life, not in clichés.

Criminals are sensationalised in the press and mythologised in their own stories. In describing criminals, police and prison officers he’s spent time with, Dapin searches for the real characters and events. How many of Chopper Read’s stories were actually true? What's it like at home with former murder cop Gary Jubelin? Was the biggest art heist in Australian history carried out by one of Dapin’s neighbours, the mysterious Sky Blue? And what happens when you go to visit a prison with celebrated escapee John Killick? These encounters are better than a ring-side seat to the underworld: Dapin gets in the ring.

The First Murderer I Ever Met is the truest true crime – it’s what actually happened.

By: Mark Dapin
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781761635298
ISBN 10: 1761635298
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 01 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Mark Dapin is an acclaimed journalist, author, screenwriter and historian. He is the author of the novels King of the Cross, Spirit House and R&R. King of the Cross won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and Spirit House was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and shortlisted for the Age Book of the Year and the Royal Society for Literature’s Ondaatje Prize. R&R was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award. Mark holds a doctorate in military history. His history book The Nashos’ War was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and won the NIB People’s Choice Award and an Alex Buzo Shortlist Award. He has also written three books of true crime: Public Enemies (shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award), Prison Break and Carnage. He worked as consultant producer on Network Seven TV show Armed and Dangerous, and as screenwriter on Stan’s Wolf Creek 2. His website is markdapin.com.

Reviews for The First Murderer I Ever Met: Hanging out with criminals and cops

‘There are true crime writers and true crime reporters but Mark Dapin is in a league of his own. Essential reading for anyone interested in crime and our often corrupt justice system. The First Murderer I Ever Met is a confronting examination of power and powerlessness, of violence, narcissism and injustice from a writer who knows his subject. Mark Dapin comes to these stories with a writer’s lyrical touch, a journalist’s eye for a yarn and a good dose of lived experience.’ -- Michael Brissenden, author of Smoke ‘I always enjoy reading Mark Dapin’s books. Unlike many true crime writers, he thoroughly researches his subjects and has that rare ability to bring them to life ... Take a walk on the dark side of humanity and look for the occasional bright lights of redemption.’ -- John Killick ‘Only Mark Dapin could write a true crime book like this. His respectful irreverence for the characters who are used to being taken seriously provides the reader with a clearer understanding of what actually goes on in the world of crime. An entertaining and educational read for any true crime fan.’ -- Gary Jubelin, Former NSW Police Homicide Detective