SARAH BAILEY

THE AUTHOR EXPLAINS WHY WE CAN’T RESIST THE ALLURE OF A COLD CASE

There is a special kind of fascination that people have with a violent crime that has gone unsolved for years. “I think we are all taught from a young age to be uncomfortable with un nished business or things that don’t have a clear outcome,” crime writer Sarah Bailey tells WHO. “Our brains crave closure and we’re led to believe that knowing what happened, even if it’s awful, will bring us some form of peace,” she explains.

In The Housemate, Bailey tells the story of Oli, a Melbourne journalist who became obsessed with the case involving three housemates – one died – in her local area that was never solved. Nine years later, she teams up with crime podcaster Cooper to investigate what really happened. “I had an idea about three housemates hosting a dinner party that turned deadly for a while,” Bailey adds of her inspiration. (Out now)