Arthur Allan Thomas: The Inside Story

It was the crime that shocked a nation, the mystery that made headlines around the world, and which inspired the book and movie, Beyond Reasonable Doubt by British author David Yallop about the Crewe murders.

Now, top investigative journalist Ian Wishart is back on this cold case after 40 years and has uncovered two new suspects.

Was it a policeman who pulled the trigger, then helped steer his colleagues to convict an innocent man?

A gripping detective story that's easy to read, wherever you are in the world.

REVIEWS:
“Undeniably...when Wishart hits he hits big. Arthur Allan Thomas: The Inside Story is a book two generations of New Zealanders have waited for...Wishart...offers an explosive new theory about who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed the Crewes in their Pukekawa farmhouse and theorises about the mystery woman who fed their infant daughter, Rochelle, for days after the murders.

“...With his thorough analysis of the evidence and his generous use of first-person accounts it’s a stellar piece of journalism...” - Southland Times

“Wishart has a brand new prime suspect and he lays out his case in this fascinating and highly readable book. Wishart is painstaking in his investigation, and his interviews with the man at the centre of the case, Arthur Thomas, offer a remarkable insight into one of New Zealand‘s most memorable characters. ” – Kerre Woodham, Newstalk ZB

“Wishart’s report of Detective Sergeant Len Johnston’s brazen arrogance collecting items for later use as evidence from Thomas’s farm - pieces of wire, .22 shells and axle stubs - exposes a dark and scary side to our guardians.

“Through the book Wishart lays the ground for his claim that Johnston was actually the murderer and by his position on the inquiry team and proximity to Hutton, was able to influence an outcome which saw Thomas convicted twice of a double murder. Wishart’s conclusions are disturbingly possible in my view.

“The question of to what extent Hutton had the wool pulled over his eyes by Johnston is moot. Based on Wishart’s debunking of transcripts and evidence previously recorded, I think Hutton could well have been fooled by his best mate. Which means so too were the rest of the team deluded.” - former Det. Insp. Ross Meurant, NZ Herald