Saints, Sinners, and Cyanide

The 1916 Chicago Poison Murders

AvAlec Banks

Inbunden, Engelska, 2027

Del i serien Rowman & Littlefield

598 kr

Kommande

Beskrivning

The electrifying true story of two simultaneous poisonings in 1916 Chicago—one a cold-blooded killing, the other an audacious mass assassination attempt. Found lifeless in a frozen forest preserve, a vial of cyanide nearby, a question lingered like a ghost in the pines: Did 18-year-old Marion Lambert die by suicide, murder, or something more diabolical? Did she take her own life in despair, believing herself pregnant and without escape? Or did William Orpet—her high school sweetheart—slip her the poison to silence a scandal? As the trial unspooled in a suffocating courtroom packed with socialites and ghoulish pressmen, the line between victim and villain blurred.That same winter, a saboteur calling himself Jean Crones infiltrated a lavish banquet at the University Club, where Chicago’s most powerful men gathered to honor the newly appointed Archbishop, George Mundelein, the rising star of American Catholicism. As wine flowed and toasts rose, Crones poisoned the soup intended for the Archbishop. Authorities insisted no one died, but the truth was much darker: Mundelein may have escaped, but Jean Crones was as serial killer who left a trail of bodies in his wake.In Saints, Sinners, and Cyanide: The 1916 Chicago Poison Murders, Alec Banks weaves these entwined fates into a pulse-pounding narrative of jealousy, forbidden love, anarchist fury, and public spectacle—reviving a true crime saga eerily modern in its obsessions with scandal, class warfare, and the corrosive allure of power. Detailed, vivid, and fast paced, this is a gripping tale that uncovers the dark secrets behind two mysterious poisonings in 1916 Chicago, where intrigue and betrayal collided in the shadow of a bustling city.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2027-04-15
Mått:152 x 229 x 14 mm
Vikt:349 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Rowman & Littlefield
Antal sidor:256
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN:9798216395362

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Sanna berättelser inom Biografier
True crime inom Samhälle och politik
Organiserad brottslighet inom Samhälle och politik

Mer om författaren

Alec Banks is an accomplished journalist and author. He is the co-author of the 2023 memoir Poison for Rats: Six Kilos that Changed Everything with Dr. Arthur Rapkin, named one of the best Narratively Magazine stories of 2023. He is also the co-author of The Streets Win: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Greatness (2023) with LL Cool J. Throughout his career, Banks has explored compelling stories ranging from cocaine smugglers to Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, aiming to enrich cultural understanding rather than retread familiar histories. Alec resides in Los Angeles, California.

Recensioner i media

Alec Banks’ masterful Saints, Sinners, and Cyanide weaves together two nearly simultaneous poison cases in Chicago: one, a private tragedy that unfolded on the outskirts of the Gilded Age estates built north of the city; the other, a public scandal, a mass poisoning of the city’s elite at the University Club where death very nearly came for the archbishop. Banks illuminates the lives of power and privilege and those of the uneasy strivers who live in the shadow of great wealth. Banks tells his story with the clarity of a historian, the compassion of the novelist, and the verve of a sportswriter. Along the way, he unmasks a serial killer.Saints, Sinners, and Cyanide is a gripping historical thriller, a meticulous examination of the frays in the social fabric as the Gilded Age runs headlong into the Progressive Era. It is true crime at its best.

Innehållsförteckning

Chapter 1: SnowChapter 2: SoupChapter 3: Yellow DaffodilsChapter 4: 370 GrainsChapter 5: LettersChapter 6: DilutionChapter 7: 15 Cents & A Malted Milk DrinkChapter 8: TauntsChapter 9: “Vengeance is the Lord’s”Chapter 10: SightingsChapter 11: The Other GirlChapter 12: Mark 16:18Chapter 13: Death PenaltyChapter 14: Death ComesChapter 15: A JuryChapter 16: Preparedness DayChapter 17: Boomerang WitnessChapter 18: “Missed Me That Time. I’m Not Hurt a Bit.”Chapter 19: A Spectacular ExhibitionChapter 20: The One PercentChapter 21: The State RestsChapter 22: HarlequinChapter 23: The BottleChapter 24: Poison CandyChapter 25: Liquid or PowderChapter 26: More Liquid…More DeathChapter 27: “The Natural Thing for a Boy of 19 to Do”Chapter 28: “It Is Truly Magnificent!”Chapter 29: The VerdictChapter 30: The Axe MurdererChapter 31: GoodbyeChapter 32: CardinalChapter 33: Moving OnChapter 34: Nestor DondoglioEpilogueNotesIndexAbout the Author