Historical Crime Fiction with Laraine Stephens

Writing historical crime fiction requires a lot of research to create authentic and accurate depictions of the times. Laraine sets her "Reggie da Costa Mysteries" in the aftermath of the Great War and during the heady days of the 1920s, when gangs, sly-grog and gambling dens inhabited the back streets of Melbourne.

Laraine will talk specifically about the Brighton storm of 1918; the effects of the Great War, including ‘shell shock’; and the Police Strike of 1923. Drawing on her time as a volunteer guide at the Old Melbourne Gaol, she will reveal the fascinating and bizarre background to the pseudo-science of phrenology and the making of death masks.