{"product_id":"the-ballroom-murder-by-leigh-straw-9781760990572","title":"The Ballroom Murder","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ballroom Murder\u003c\/em\u003e is a true crime story that gripped Perth nearly 100 years ago, demonstrating the power of the press and privilege in an extraordinary judicial outcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn August 1925, Audrey Jacob shot dead her former fiancé, 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 an 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStraw, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46675080610028,"sku":"9781760990572","price":37.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27292663482814.jpg?v=1752926672","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/the-ballroom-murder-by-leigh-straw-9781760990572","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}