Empire of Sin re-creates the remarkable story of New Orleans' thirty-years war against itself, pitting the city's elite 'better half' against its powerful and long-entrenched underworld of vice, perversity, and crime. This early-20th-century battle centers on one man: Tom Anderson, the undisputed czar of the city's Storyville vice district, who fights desperately to keep his empire intact as it faces onslaughts from all sides. Surrounding him are the stories of flamboyant prostitutes, crusading moral reformers, dissolute jazzmen, ruthless Mafiosi, venal politicians, and one extremely violent serial killer, all battling for primacy in a wild and wicked city unlike any other in the world.
"In the vein of Erik Larson's best seller The Devil in the White City, Gary Krist's expose of New Orleans at the turn of the century...proves that truth really is stranger than fiction by detailing the prominent figures within Storyville, the Crescent City's red-light district...Fans of Boardwalk Empire would enjoy this crime thriller as well."
Library Journal Top 10 Editors' Picks BEA 2014.
"[A] rich, well-structured story more vivid and twist-filled than most crime fiction...Armed with both well-placed primary sources and an addictive, climactic narrative, Krist leads a perfect trip into the short-lived societal experiment aptly named 'Storyville.'"
Publishers Weekly Starred review.
"A colorful account...richly detailed...lively...A wild, well-told tale."
