Second City Sinners - by Jon Seidel (Paperback)

About the Book

Countless criminals have made their mark on Chicago and the surrounding communities. Chicago Sun-Times journalist Jon Seidel takes readers back in time to the days when H. H. Holmes lurked in his "Murder Castle" and guys named Al Capone and John Dillinger ruled the underworld....

Book Synopsis

Countless criminals have made their mark on Chicago and the surrounding communities. Chicago Sun-Times journalist Jon Seidel takes readers back in time to the days when H. H. Holmes lurked in his "Murder Castle" and guys named Al Capone and John Dillinger ruled the underworld. Drawing upon years of reporting, and with special access to the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times archives, Jon Seidel explains how men like Nathan Leopold, Richard Loeb, and Richard Speck tried to get away with history's most disturbing crimes.

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Review Quotes

"If I'm reading about Chicago's most notorious crimes and criminals, I'm looking no further than veteran journalist Jon Seidel, the go-to writer if you want to delve deep into the Second City's most violent and fascinating true-crime stories. We've heard of these sociopaths and read their stories before, but Seidel captures the era, vibe, and forgotten nuances in each case with the finesse of a novelist and verve of a journalist who knows his business. Exciting and fresh. A page-turner of high merit."

--New York Times bestselling investigative journalist M. William Phelps

"Jon Seidel has covered Chicago crime long enough to know where the bodies are buried and, in most cases, who put them there. He's the perfect guide for this bloody, smartly written history, which helps explain why the Second City has so often been first in crime."

--Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Get Capone

"Jon Seidel takes us on a rollicking journey through Chicago's annals of infamy. Second City Sinners is mesmerizing reading for those drawn to true-crime stories or tales of the Windy City. Thrills and chills await on almost every page."

-Tom Stanton, New York Times best-selling author of Terror in the City of Champions

"Jon Seidel delivers an exquisitely written, detailed account of some of the Windy City's most notorious mobsters, infamous murderers and malevolent malcontents--a must read for all fans of true crime and true Chicago."

--J. North Conway, author of King of Heists: The Sensational Bank Robbery of 1878 that Shocked America

"In this gripping thrill-ride through the back alleys of Chi-Town, Jon Seidel utilizes the archives of the Chicago Daily News - and his keen sense of prose - to chronicle the stories of infamous killers H.H. Holmes, Richard Speck, Al Capone and many more. As thorough as it is captivating, Second City Sinners deserves a spot on every True Crime aficionado's book shelf. Highly recommend!"

- Jesse P. Pollack, author of Death on the Devil's Teeth and The Acid King.

About the Author

Jon Seidel has written about many of Chicago's most notorious crimes and criminals as a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. He joined the newspaper's staff in 2012, and he was assigned in 2015 to cover the federal courthouse in Chicago's Loop. He is a winner of the Peter Lisagor award. Seidel was born in Pennsylvania but has spent the majority of his life in the Midwest, graduating from Indiana's Ball State University in 2004 before moving to Illinois.