Murder played out in the spotlight of maximum publicity

Does celebrityhood preclude a fair trial? Can the famous get away with behaviour off limits to most ordinary mortals? Here in a fascinating diagnosis of the shifting nature of high-profile justice is the fullest ever analysis of infamous and celebrity murder cases that have come to trial. This A-list selection looks in depth at 25 notable murders involving those who live their lives in the full beam of press and media headlights, including film starlets, tv actors, music legends, comedians, fashion moguls, movie directors, playwrights and aristocracy from the start of the twentieth century to the present day. All, from Fatty Arbuckle to John Lennon, are well known, and in each instance the story of their death is retold and the degree to which fame and its entourage played their part in death's final outcome examined. Among the cases included are:

o The investigation surrounding the death of American film and TV star Robert Blake's wife, shot in his car after they dined together in a restaurant

o The murder of silent-film star Ramon Navarro in his own home by gay lovers

o The death of soul legend Marvin Gaye, shot by his own father during a family row

o TV personality Jill Dando's shocking and untimely murder, gunned down on in broad daylight on her doorstep

o Italy's trial of Patrizia Gucci for the murder of her husband, Maurizio, inheritor of the fashion family's fabulous fortune.

The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murder provides the clearest analysis yet of murder played out in the spotlight of maximum publicity.