Short Synopsis
From renowned true-crime historian Harold Schechter comes the riveting exploration of a notorious New York City murder in the 1890s, the fascinating forensic science of an earlier time, and the grisly court case that became a tabloid spectacle.

Full Synopsis
The wayward son of a revered Civil War general, Roland Molineux enjoyed good looks, status, and fortune—hardly the qualities of a prime suspect in a series of shocking, merciless cyanide killings. Molineux's subsequent indictment for murder led to two explosive trials and a sex-infused scandal that shocked the nation. Bringing to life Manhattan's Gilded Age, Schechter captures all the colors of the tumultuous legal proceedings, gathering his own evidence and tackling subjects no one dared address at the time—all in hopes of answering a tantalizing question: What powerfully dark motives could drive the wealthy scion of an eminent New York family to murder?

"A riveting tale of murder, seduction and tabloid journalism run rampant in a New York not so different from today's." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"Skillfully captures a colorful mishmash of New York characters caught up in a moment of extreme public anxiety." ---Kirkus

Publishers Weekly Review