How did a father with no criminal history come to be on trial for the brutal murder of his wife? It began with a phone call to Brisbane police on April 20, 2012. Allison, wife of real-estate agent Gerard Baden-Clay, was missing. When investigating officers arrived at the family home, in one of the city’s wealthiest suburbs, a neatly dressed Gerard had been getting the couple’s three daughters ready for school. Scratches on his face were shaving cuts, he told them. Police weren’t so sure and opened one of Australia’s biggest ever missing persons investigations. Ten days after Gerard reported Allison’s disappearance, the body of the former beauty queen was discovered on a creek bank 14 kilometers from home. The Killing of Allison Baden-Clay is written by the investigative journalist who covered the case from the start. It weaves together exclusive interviews and police and court records to explain how a father with no criminal history came to be on trial for a brutal murder. It’s also a story about everyday choices and their consequences.