Former Aylesbury detective releases new book detailing firsthand knowledge of shocking Bucks mansion killing

Prolific Aylesbury author and former Thames Valley Police detective Steve Thrift is releasing a new book detailing a murder case he experienced firsthand.

The former detective’s new book, Telling Lies, A true story of Lies, murder and more lies, is available to order on Amazon tomorrow (19 January).

Telling Lies, offers both a unique and in-depth look at the death of Monika Zumsteg Telling at the hands’ of her husband Michael Telling.

Monika’s remains were found in a woodlands near Exeter Racecourse in 1983.

Her head was later found wrapped up in bags inside the boot of Telling’s car by his Lambourne House mansion in Hazelmere.

A post-mortem revealed she had been shot in the midsection, with Telling later admitting to killing her and subsequently chopping off her head.

It was Steve and Monika’s sister who identified the body which had decomposed over nine months.

Monika was just 27 at the time of her death, Telling was in his early 30s.

Steve is uniquely placed to examine this killing from the 1980s.

He was called out to a disturbance where multimillionaire, Telling, had lost his temper and was acting dangerously while carrying a firearm.

The crime analyst saw just how volatile and threatening the so-called socialite could be.

Another standout aspect of the book is two chapters penned by Monika’s sister, Erika.

She describes her sister in her own words and explains how devastating it was for her family to go through such a traumatic loss in the public eye.

Steve said: “The sister of the murdered girl, she’s very keen on this book, as it is the only one that has told the truth of the story.

"The one that was written before that, tore the family apart.

"It was biased against the girl that was murdered saying ‘she was a lesbian, she was a drug addict’.”

In court, Telling was found not guilty of murder and given a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Steve believes this exemplifies the man’s privilege where he has able to hire the country’s most expensive lawyers to secure a favourable charge.

A jury in Exeter was told Monika tormented her husband and that she was an addict.

Telling was also found to be mentally impaired and was charged with manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Steve found writing the book helped him eradicate some regret and frustration over warning signs of Telling’s behaviour were ignored.

He added: “I disliked him intensely. He was a pathetic individual. He was a fantasist. He was a bully and a coward.

"But I do think writing the book has helped get it out of my system.”

Steve is holding a signing at The Boot in High Wycombe on Saturday (January 21), where some punters remember Monika.

The book has gathered greater interest than Steve’s previous seven works as this one spans three continents.

Monika was American and Steve will be heading to California to speak about Telling Lies.

Interest is also big in Australia where, despite the nation’s immigration laws, Telling lived until his death in 2009 after spending 10 years in jail.

Half the money raised from the book will go to charities Wycombe Women’s Aid and Ride My Road.