The shocking story of a weekend lunch laced with a highly toxic mushroom, and a triple murder trial that gripped the world, shattered a family and gave a mother a life sentence.

On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted a family lunch at her home in the small regional Victorian town of Leongatha. She had invited her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, and her husband Ian.

Erin made beef Wellington for her guests, individual beef eye fillets covered in mushroom paste, wrapped in pastry. The following day, all four guests were taken to hospital, and Heather, Gail and Don died. Ian Wilkinson barely survived. A toxicologist found traces of the highly poisonous death cap mushroom in the remains of the meal.

At first, it appeared to be a dreadful accident. As the police investigation continued, the evidence mounted, seeming to point one way. Yet Erin Patterson spun a web of lies, and steadfastly claimed she did not intend to harm her relatives.

Greg Haddrick tells the fascinating inside story of the dramatic murder trial, and the forensic evidence that convinced the jury to convict a suburban mother of a gruesome triple murder. With many details not previously revealed in the media, it is the compelling story of a troubled family, and the world's most poisonous mushroom, which is readily found in parks and gardens.

Praise for Greg Haddrick's In the Dead of Night:

'No one tells a true crime story better than Haddrick.' - John Silvester

'As addictive as the best crime thrillers.' - Matthew Condon

Details

ISBN13: 9781761473661
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 320
Edition:
Publication Date: 07 Oct 2025
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication City, Country: Sydney, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 26(H)x23(L)341
Weight (gm): 341

Author Biography

Greg Haddrick is a Logie Award-winning screenwriter and film and television producer. His credits include the TV series Underbelly, Janet King, and Pine Gap, and he has also won seven AWGIE Awards as a writer, three AFI Awards as a producer, and an International Emmy Award nomination as a writer and producer. He is the author of In the Dead of Night about the Wonnangatta Valley murders, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Danger Awards.

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