Inspired by one of the great, unsolved murders in mob history, this novel tells the sweeping story of Charlie O'Kane, a poor Irish immigrant who works his way up from beat cop to mayor of New York at the city's postwar zenith. Famous, powerful, and married to a fashion model, millions of local citizens look up to him, including his younger brother, Tom-until he is accused of abetting a shocking crime.
The charges stem from his days as a crusading Brooklyn DA, when he sent the notorious killers of Murder, Inc., to the chair-only to let a vital witness fall to his death while under police guard. Now out of office, Charlie is hiding from the authorities in a Mexico City hotel. To uncover what really happened, Tom must confront stunning truths about his brother, himself, and the secret workings of the great city he loves.
"Baker takes an all-but-forgotten crime-the William O'Dwyer case-and builds a novel as big and as blustery as the city it portrays. This sprawling saga traces the spectacular rise and fall of two Irish immigrant brothers during the course of the first half of the twentieth century ... Baker takes another juicy bite out of the Big Apple, demonstrating once again that nobody does old New York-in all
Booklist
"A compellingly imagined world."
Scott Turow, The New York Times
"[This] thought-provoking, page-turning book gives all the good, old pleasures: if you read it on the subway, be prepared to miss your stop."
Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life A New York Times Editors' Choice
