Under Siege

Belinda Neil lived and breathed her high-octane job. She relished her roles as a homicide investigator and hostage negotiator with the NSW police force, but she never knew what her work day might bring. She could be investigating brutal murders such as the De Gruchy killings or, in her negotiator role, persuading the murderous and suicidal to drop their weapons, stop terrorising their families, step back from the ledge.It was hardly surprising that over time the horrors she saw began to take their toll. After years of broken sleep, traumatic crime scenes and death, one disastrous weekend brought everything to a head. The next morning when she awoke, Belinda found she was shaking so badly she could not get out of bed. A short time later, Belinda found herself contemplating jumping off a cliff in the Moreton Bay National Park. She had even written the suicide note.Under Siege shows us the remarkable job homicide investigators and hostage negotiators perform, and their endurance and courage in impossible circumstances. More than that, this brave memoir reveals how the daily trauma and stress affected Belinda’s roles as wife and mother and how she fought against the terrifying post-traumatic stress disorder that resulted to come back from a very dark place.

'Her extraordinary journey juggling the roles of police negotiator, homicide investigator, wife and mother shines a light on this little-understood limb of law enforcement.' -- Fairfax Newspapers

Belinda Neil joined the NSW Police in 1987 and over an 18-year career worked as an undercover operative, and as a major crime squad detective investigating illicit drug operations, organised crime and homicide. After being promoted to the rank of Inspector in 2002, she retired in 2005 due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Belinda is passionate about raising awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, especially after having learnt so much through research and therapy. Belinda Neil joined the NSW Police in 1987 and over an 18-year career worked as an undercover operative, and as a major crime squad detective investigating illicit drug operations, organised crime and homicide. After being promoted to the rank of Inspector in 2002, she retired in 2005 due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Belinda is passionate about raising awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, especially after having learnt so much through research and therapy. Rebecca Macauley is a talented and award-winning narrator. She has appeared in a variety of television programs, including the internationally popular series Neighbours and the Australian drama Blue Heelers. Her work includes the US feature film Darkness Falls and the children's television series Wicked Science. Rebecca has previously narrated Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta and Ursula Dubosarsky's Abyssinia.

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