Unbalanced

Based on a true story. Murder. Marriage. Mystery. It's not an easy juggling act.

In May of 1903, Thomas "Anglo" Horton was the cover story for London's influential and immensely popular Magic Magazine.

One year later he was dead.

Then in 1907, Hamley's of London publishes The Art of Modern Juggling. It's the world's first book on the subject and Anglo is cited as the author.

Not only was "Australia's Greatest Juggler" rotting away in an unmarked grave by the time the book came out, it was widely known that Horton, 24 at the time of his death, couldn't "spell a word of four letters".

How does an illiterate juggler, three years gone, author a ground-breaking book about a timeless tradition? According to a local bookseller and Horton's one-time promoter, there's only one possible explanation.

Only he doesn't believe in ghosts.

As an appendix to this true crime novel, you will be able to read Thomas' origin book "The Art of Modern Juggling" that's included as a free bonus after the main story.

On May 11, 1904, Anglo wrote the following letter to the Hamley Brothers.

"Dear Messrs. Hamley:

I thought that I would just drop you a line to tell you of my misfortune. Since I left London, I have had varied luck. The first thing on landing at Adelaide I was greeted with the news of my wife's death, which took place two days before. A few months after I married again, and then my troubles commenced afresh.

My second marriage was in every way a complete failure. I had no idea what sort of a woman I was taking for my wife. Everything that I could do to try and live with her in happiness was futile. She so worried me that I hardly knew what I was doing. She left me after we had been married 3-1/2 months and went home to her people. Had she been satisfied and contented with leaving me, all would have been well, but unfortunately for me such was not the case.

She used to carry on with other men and one Saturday night I met her in the street. I got wild and shot her dead. You may quite imagine my position then. I, of course, was put on trial and the jury brought in a verdict against me. So tomorrow, the 12th, I die. I do not think that I have any more to write about, so will thank you in anticipation and wishing you all success and a long farewell, I am,

Yours Sincerely, T. Horton."

Thomas Horton was hanged the next day.