Dirty Girl

Juliet Wills

The State Sanctioned Murder of Brothel Madam Shirley Finn

In June 1975, dressed to impress in her finest ball gown, dripping with expensive jewellery and driving a limited edition luxury car, socialite and brothel madam Shirley Finn was invited to the grounds of the Royal Perth Golf Club for a special occasion – her own modern day public execution.

The killers knew they wouldn’t be caught. Their power reigned supreme in one of the most remote and gold-rich cities on earth, during an era of police protection or ‘containment’ of organised crime.

As one of Perth’s best-known socialites, Shirley Finn hosted fabulous parties for the who’s who of Western Australia and beyond. But her downfall was fast and furious, beginning with a tax debt and fears she might expose high-level corruption in ‘The Wild West’ of the seventies.

In spite of repeated threats against life and safety, Juliet Wills has spent twenty-five years gathering interviews and ‘lost’ witness reports relating to Shirley’s life and murder. The evidence points to direct involvement by many of Perth’s well-known police detectives, business owners and politicians.

 

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Review

Dirty Girl by Juliet Wills - book review, The West Australian, 24th April, 2017