The Ghosts of Eden Park
Books | History / United States / 20th Century
3.7
Karen Abbott
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The epic true crime story of the most successful bootlegger in American history and the murder that shocked the nation, from the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy“Gatsby-era noir at its best.”—Erik LarsonAn ID Book Club Selection • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SMITHSONIANIn the early days of Prohibition, long before Al Capone became a household name, a German immigrant named George Remus quits practicing law and starts trafficking whiskey. Within two years he's a multi-millionaire. The press calls him "King of the Bootleggers," writing breathless stories about the Gatsby-esque events he and his glamorous second wife, Imogene, host at their Cincinnati mansion, with party favors ranging from diamond jewelry for the men to brand-new cars for the women. By the summer of 1921, Remus owns 35 percent of all the liquor in the United States. Pioneering prosecutor Mabel Walker Willebrandt is determined to bring him down. Willebrandt's bosses at the Justice Department hired her right out of law school, assuming she'd pose no real threat to the cozy relationship they maintain with Remus. Eager to prove them wrong, she dispatches her best investigator, Franklin Dodge, to look into his empire. It's a decision with deadly consequences. With the fledgling FBI on the case, Remus is quickly imprisoned for violating the Volstead Act. Her husband behind bars, Imogene begins an affair with Dodge. Together, they plot to ruin Remus, sparking a bitter feud that soon reaches the highest levels of government--and that can only end in murder. Combining deep historical research with novelistic flair, The Ghosts of Eden Park is the unforgettable, stranger-than-fiction story of a rags-to-riches entrepreneur and a long-forgotten heroine, of the excesses and absurdities of the Jazz Age, and of the infinite human capacity to deceive.Praise for The Ghosts of Eden Park“An exhaustively researched, hugely entertaining work of popular history that . . . exhumes a colorful crew of once-celebrated characters and restores them to full-blooded life. . . . [Abbott’s] métier is narrative nonfiction and—as this vibrant, enormously readable book makes clear—she is one of the masters of the art.”—The Wall Street Journal“Satisfyingly sensational and thoroughly researched.”—The Columbus Dispatch“Absorbing . . . a Prohibition-era page-turner.”—Chicago Tribune
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Author
Karen Abbott
Pages
448
Publisher
Crown
Published Date
2019-08-06
ISBN
045149864X 9780451498649
Ratings
Google: 3
Community ReviewsSee all
"I typically don't read a lot of true crime, but I found the synopsis intriguing. I am certainly glad that I read this book! The Ghosts of Eden Park focuses on the career of pharmacist, lawyer, and bootlegger George Remus and his wife Imogene and their relationship as Remus gains notoriety as the "King of Bootleggers."<br/><br/>The success that George Remus has makes him very wealthy, with he and his wife often bestowing very valuable gifts upon the pair's dinner party guests. Remus' operation catches the attention of the federal government and George Remus is ultimately convicted of violations of the Volstead Act and sentenced to prison. <br/><br/>While imprisoned, Franklin Dodge is sent by Mabel Willebrandt, a prosecutor in the Attorney General's office, to infiltrate Remus' criminal enterprise, and an illicit affair begins between he and Imogene Remus. <br/><br/>The prison sentence along with his wife's betrayal lead to Remus' deteriorating mental state, culminating in him taking Imogene Remus' life the morning of their court date for a divorce settlement. <br/><br/>What ensues is a 6 week trial where Remus, who often refers to himself in the third person, defends himself. Alienists have declared him sane, but based on numerous outbursts and breaks with reality between his discovering his wife's infidelity and the trial, referred to as "brainstorms," is he really insane or is it all a show?<br/><br/>You can clearly tell that this book is very well researched and highly detailed. To me, the story never lagged and read more like crime fiction or a legal thriller to me. This story was told in such a way that makes the reader feel as though you were right there as it was unfolding. I really enjoyed it and learned many things about this era in American history. <br/><br/>My thanks to Crown Publishing, Karen Abbott, and NetGalley for gifting me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review."
C H
Chris Hicks
"A crazy story, hard to believe it's a true story. "
Corinne Shimel