Derek Pedley always aspired to write true crime. That opportunity came in 1997, when notorious bank robber Brenden Abbott escaped from prison. The result was No Fixed Address, which was later adapted into the telemovie Postcard Bandit. After gaining exclusive access to Abbott following his recapture, he wrote Australian Outlaw, a biography chronicling the fugitive’s extraordinary life. His third book, Dead By Friday, explored a chilling suburban contract killing from 2001.

His memoir, Crazy Bastard, detailed his experience of forced adoption and led him to reclaim his birth name, Abe Maddison.

Following a 30-year career as a Journalist at The West Australian and The Advertiser in Adelaide, Maddison now serves as the South Australian correspondent for Australian Associated Press.