Dirty Girl is an exceptional read. The truth that evil flourishes when good men do nothing will haunt those who know that the past is never irrelevant to the present. The West Australian

Buy Dirty Girl - The State Sanctoned Murder of Brothel Madam Shirley Finn

Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC
Governor of WA 2011-2014
Juliet has written a thoroughly researched and fascinating story about the murder of a well-known “madam”, Shirley Finn, and the circumstances surrounding it.  As one who lived and practised law in those times, I was aware that there was some police corruption, which pessimists believed to be almost inevitable, given the huge profits made in the drug trade, and by illegal brothels which police permitted to operate under a so-called “containment policy”; but until I read “Dirty Girl” I did not know the full extent of it, or the levels it reached.  Once I started reading the book I found it, and the revelations it contains, hard to put it down.
 
It should be read by all those working in law enforcement agencies, lawmakers, prosecutors and everyone with a concern for justice, and interested in the history of this state, which in the times of which Juliet has written, was (perhaps deservedly) referred to by some as “The Wild West”.
 

Professor Justin Brooks
Director, California Innocence Project
California Western School of Law
Juliet Wills' excellent book Dirty Girl tells the sad true story of the life and death of Shirley Finn.  Wills beautifully details Finn's childhood and her journey from a bright young student, to a mother and wife who supports her family with strip shows, and ultimately as a central figure in the Western Australian brothel scene.

 While telling Finn's story, Wills reveals a tragic tale of a woman whose difficult life ended in a brutal murder, but also a story of a corrupt political machine plagued with scandal. Through interviews and meticulous research, the reader learns about all of the players who contributed to the flourishing sex trade of Western Australia--the prostitutes and brothel owners-- but also the police and government officials who supported the business. 

 Dirty Girl challenges the notion that a justice system can function with the policy of "containing" certain crimes as opposed to seeking eradication or legalization.  The policy of containment leads to inconsistent application of the law, favoritism, corruption, and cover-ups.  And, in the case of Shirley Finn, likely resulted in her death. 

This book should be mandatory reading for law enforcement everywhere. Corruption can only end when individuals within the law enforcement community stand up against the system when it fails the community.

There is much to learn from Dirty Girl .
Juliet Wills should be congratulated for spending years researching and writing this important book. 
Professor Brooks

DR ROBERT MOLES (LLB- honours) - Author and Retired Associate Professor of Law - Adelaide University
Book review - 9 Sept 2015

This is a shocking book. As the cover proclaims, it is all about what is alleged to be a "state sanctioned murder". Perhaps we might expect such allegations to involve tales of intrigue or dirty dealings in some obscure part of a foreign country many years ago. Instead, it involves the relatively recent activities of the police and associated agencies in Perth, Western Australia in the 1970’s.

The importance of this book is not in the recording of a successful outcome to the resolution of this tragedy, but the fact of its recording.

The author has provided a valuable service to all of us who live in Australia by having held as it were a mirror up to nature, and allowed us to see an important aspect of our society for what it is. It is a great achievement on her part – and a terrible disgrace on the part of others.

David Whish-Wilson - Author
​Juliet Wills' Dirty Girl is a clear-sighted, tough-minded and courageous examination of a long-standing culture of graft, secrecy and intimidation managed by corrupt Western Australian police officers. More than that, by writing into the long-enforced silences around the murder of Shirley Finn, Dirty Girl works as an important social history by exploring the world of brothels, madams and clients; the policy of containment and the politics of protecting reputations, and ultimately the consequences for one woman, the mother of three dependent children, because of the fear that she might speak out.

​Amanda Ellis - The West Australian

Wills is taking a risk in evaluating a crime for which key players may still be alive, both in terms of her security and potential liability, but it's a bold move that will perhaps help bring hope to Finn's surviving children that they can finally see justice for their mother.

DR MOLES FULL REVIEW HERE

Reviews from readers 


The author has set herself the difficult task of uncovering the truth behind this mystery. Well written and well researched, a good read, Highly recommended. - History buff Perth

A fantastic piece of investigative journalism. A page turner, a must read. - DJ Perth

 I started this at my lunch break yesterday and finished it this morning.​
I haven't been able to get this out of my mind - how much longer does Bridget has to wait before the truth is revealed??? Simona Tobin.