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Sep 27, 2019 By Frank Valish

On October 6, 1927, notorious bootlegger George Remus shot and killed his wife Imogene in Eden Park in Cincinnati. Remus had amassed a fortune buying up distilleries and profiting off the illegal sale of alcohol during Prohibition, and he and his new wife lived in grand style. That is until Franklin Dodge, one of the investigators for U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutor Mabel Walker Willebrandt who was chasing Remus, had an affair with Remus’ wife and the pair decided to bilk Remus of his fortune while he was behind bars.

Karen Abbott’s The Ghosts of Eden Park tells this remarkable true story with crime novel zest and pacing, and a furious attention to detail. Abbott’s tale begins with Remus immigrating from Germany and eventually quitting his law practice for the liquor game. He amasses a fortune before finally being caught, and that’s when the drama begins, ending in Remus’ killing Imogene at point blank range.

Interspersing narrative with chapters taken directly from the testimony in Remus’ trial, The Ghosts of Eden Park is a fascinating and engrossing read. The ending won’t be spoiled here. But at nearly 400 pages, with punctilious notes, the book seems to spare no detail and, in doing so, creates a brilliant portrayal of ambition, greed, madness, and the ultimate downfall of one of Prohibitions most infamous characters.

(www.crownpublishing.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10