Saving Sin City

“‘What is the chief end of man?’ Mark Twain asks. ‘To get rich. In what way? Dishonestly if we can, honestly if we must.’ Add sex and ego as two more goals and the self-destructive means to those ends (lusted after by women, too) are re-examined in Ms. Cummings’s Saving Sin City. Ms. Cummings focuses on Jerome, the Manhattan district attorney, in a methodical, but engrossing account.” * New York Times *“A story of a time not unlike our own, when New Yorkers were swept up in a ‘contagious lust for riches.’ A fabulously entertaining tale, well told—and sobering” * NPR *“This work of narrative nonfiction offers a richly detailed plunge into the excesses of the Gilded Age, as revealed in one infamous love triangle. Journalist Cummings adds a new dimension to a case thats often been written about, that of the murder of famed New York society architect Stanford White by Harry K. Thaw, a psychopathic millionaire playboy. Cummings gift for the odd detail and for describing physical settings make this latest account of the Stanford White murder a standout.” * Booklist (starred) *“Cummings brings the Gilded Age to vivid life, with the barest suggestion of connections to today’s click-bait news culture and epidemic of ‘affluenza.’ For popular history buffs as well as true crime fans.” * Library Journal *“Like the public at the time of the murder, I craved fresh details. Indeed, I thought I knew it all, which is why Saving Sin City is so much fun. The fine reporter that she is, Ms. Cummings sets a scene with an economy of words and sly metaphors. Cummings shifts from ballrooms, to louche art studios and restaurants, to crime scenes and courtrooms. Not only do those scenes convey a strong sense of this extraordinary bygone era, they crackle with authenticity.” * The East Hampton Star *“Provocative and enthralling.” * Dan’s Papers *“A timely, provocative, and stylishly written book.” – James Presley, author of THE PHANTOM KILLER“What an entertaining and exhilarating read. Deeply researched and thought-provoking, this book is a joyride through the history of New York.” – Brad Ricca, author of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes and Super Boys“Saving Sin City is The Age of Innocence meets Dominck Dunne. Mary Cummings is a wonderful storyteller and brings to life a rich, fascinating era at the turn of the last century, from ballrooms to courtrooms, with a fascinating cast of characters, high and low.” – Steven Gaines, author of Philistines at the Hedgerow“An excellent history.” * Popular Culture Association *

Mary Cummings is a writer and historian. She has been awarded by the New York Press Association for her obituary of Joseph Heller and a “Best In-Depth Reporting” Award for “Troubled Waters,” a series on Long Island’s threatened groundwater supply. She has written for The New York Times, Newsday, Time Out New York, and more, and was the arts editor and principal feature writer at The Southampton Press. She is a graduate of Smith College with a master’s degree from Stony Brook University. She lives in Southampton, New York.

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