The Stolen

Vikki Petraitis

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English

Allen & Unwin
01 September 2025

Crime & Mystery; Thriller & suspense; Australian Crime Fiction

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'Gripping, heartfelt, and intelligent, The Stolen is an emotionally rich thriller that crackles with tension.' Christian White, author of The Ledge

'The Stolen is compelling, down-to-earth Australian crime fiction that delivers on absolutely every page. Vikki Petraitis is the real deal!' Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town and Girl Falling

Senior Detective Antigone Pollard is fearless. Armed with a trained police dog, a black belt in judo and the will to speak her mind, she faces opposition head-on.

After six months, Antigone is feeling more settled in Deception Bay. The summer holiday season is off to a slow start and crime rates are down. But when a distraught mother calls the station to report her baby missing, Antigone and Wozza begin a race against time to find the baby and the person who brazenly took him.

In the middle of the frantic investigation, Antigone's mother, Dr Jilly Pollard, arrives for an unexpected visit and shares a tragic family secret, which she needs Antigone's help to resolve. Antigone takes a DNA test that yields two surprising results.

And just when things at the Deception Bay police station are running smoothly with a new commander, Senior Sergeant Amanda Filipovic, at the helm, circumstances change one stormy night. In the blink of an eye, Antigone's old boss, Bill Wheeler, is back, making the missing baby investigation harder every day.

Once again, Antigone faces the questions: who's protecting the women? And what happens when we don't believe them?

'To read a Vikki Petraitis crime novel is to be let in on the secret of how things really work, both at a procedural level, and in terms of the best and worst ways humans behave. It was a treat to revisit Senior Detective Antigone Pollard as she unravelled another twisty and topical mystery with the help of her authentic and (mostly) faithful support crew. Like The Unbelieved, The Stolen is a clear-eyed, fast-paced take on the reverberating effects of a crime on survivors and their community, making it a must-read for anyone who likes to go beyond the headlines, to where the true story waits.' Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Before You Knew My Name and Leave the Girls Behind

'As well as fantastic storytelling and a gripping crime plot, the author includes important themes of toxic masculinity, domestic violence and gender inequality. Thought-provoking, topical and incredibly compelling.' Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver

'The Stolen blends tense, gritty crime with warm and witty characters - a compulsive combination that will keep you glued to the pages. The premise is utterly chilling, the sharp social observation spot-on. Cut a slice of banana cake and dive in!' Michelle Prak, author of The Rush and Barren Cape

'Vikki Petraitis knows how to draw us into a story and hold us there. She has the gift of making us become emotionally invested in her characters. If you begin The Stolen, you will finish it, and you will have experienced a richly satisfying range of emotions along the way.' Robert Gott, author of The Port Fairy Murders and Naked Ambition

'I couldn't put The Stolen down. Vikki Petraitis has a way of getting under your skin, not just with her tight plotting, but with the emotional weight behind every chapter. Antigone Pollard is such a refreshingly real character: no clichés, no tropes, just a smart, tough, deeply caring cop doing the work. This isn't just crime fiction, it's fiction that makes you feel.' Anonymous Casefile host

By: Vikki Petraitis
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 382g
ISBN: 9781761471667
ISBN 10: 176147166X
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 01 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Vikki Petraitis has written eighteen books, including her bestseller, The Frankston Murders, about Frankston serial killer Paul Denyer. In 2023, she released a podcast of the same name which helped put the case on the international radar. Working as part of a dedicated team, Vikki was in Parliament in November 2023 to witness the passing of the amendment to keep Denyer in prison for life. Vikki has written on topics from Lawyer X to police dogs. She has made several true-crime podcast series with Casefile Presents that have been downloaded eight million times. Vikki's first novel, The Unbelieved, won the inaugural 2022 Allen & Unwin Crime Fiction Prize and the 2023 Readers' Choice Davitt Award. She has just submitted her PhD in Creative Writing and is really hoping she passes.