The Ballroom Murder

(Paperback)

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Description

The Ballroom Murder is a true crime story that gripped Perth nearly 100 years ago, and demonstrates the power of the press and privilege in an extraordinary judicial outcome. In August 1925, Audrey Jacob shot dead her former fiance, Cyril Gidley, in full view of hundreds of guests at a charity ball in Perth's Government House. When she was arrested, she still held the gun in her hand. It was a open and shut case of wilful murder - that is until Jacob assigned prosecutor Arthur Haynes to her defence. His ability to play the press and the jury for sympathy would lead to a sensational result. Not only did Jacob escape the gallows, she was found not guilty of Gidley's murder. Straw, the author of a number of books about notable Australian female criminals, tells a story that is rich with first-hand newspaper accounts from the day.

Reviews

"Leigh Straw uses extensive research and her unique skills as a writer to bring to life the characters involved." -- Writing WA
"This an absorbing novel filled with romance, suspense and intrigue. The Ballroom Murder is a book to spend your evening with. I highly recommend it." -- Beauty and Lace
"A story of high drama, crisis and tragic outcome." -- History West

Author Bio

Leigh Straw is an academic, historian and writer. She is the author of true crime biographies of Australian crime figures Kate Leigh and Dulcie Markham, and Australia's first female detective, Lillian Armfield. Leigh was the joint winner of the 2018 Margaret Medcalf Award for her book After the War- The Mental and Physical Scars of World War I. Leigh is Deputy Head of the National School of Arts and Sciences and Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Notre Dame Australia.