Empire of Sin

by Gary Krist

True Crime

History

American History

432 Pages

"Krist transforms New Orleans' vice-soaked history into a gripping narrative where jazz, crime, and moral crusades collide—Empire of Sin reads like the best crime fiction but it's all spectacularly true."

Synopsis

From bestselling author Gary Krist comes a vibrant and immersive account of New Orleans' other civil war—a time when commercialized vice, jazz culture, and endemic crime defined the battlegrounds of the Crescent City. Empire of Sin recreates the remarkable story of New Orleans' thirty-year war against itself, pitting the city's elite against its powerful and long-entrenched underworld of vice, perversity, and crime. At the center of this early twentieth-century battle stands 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 flamboyant prostitutes, crusading moral reformers, dissolute jazz musicians, 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. Krist brings this tumultuous era to life with meticulous research and cinematic storytelling, revealing how New Orleans became the epicenter of a cultural and moral struggle that would reshape American cities forever.

Our Take

Gary Krist, author of the acclaimed City of Scoundrels, brings his signature narrative flair to the spectacularly corrupt world of early twentieth-century New Orleans. Empire of Sin reads like a sprawling crime novel but delivers meticulously researched history about Storyville—the legal red-light district that became synonymous with vice, jazz, and the cultural ferment that made New Orleans legendary. Krist's genius lies in his ability to weave multiple storylines into a cohesive narrative: Tom Anderson's desperate efforts to maintain control of his vice empire, the Progressive Era reformers determined to clean up the city, the birth of jazz in the brothels and dance halls, and the terrifying presence of the Axeman serial killer who terrorized the city. The book never romanticizes the era's brutality—the exploitation of sex workers, racial violence, and political corruption—while still capturing what made this moment culturally explosive. Krist writes with the pacing of Erik Larson and the eye for colorful detail of David Grann, making historical figures leap off the page. Readers who loved Karen Abbott's Sin in the Second City or Luc Sante's Low Life will be captivated by Krist's portrait of a city at war with itself. For true crime fans and history buffs who appreciate narrative nonfiction that transports you to another time and place, Empire of Sin is irresistible.