The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century

The Devil’s Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial That Ushered in the Twentieth Century by Harold Schechter is a gripping true-crime history that examines one of the most sensational murder cases of late-19th-century New York. When poison arrives by mail in a package of Bromo Seltzer, killing a society woman and nearly taking the life of her cousin, the case ignites a media frenzy fueled by Hearst and Pulitzer tabloids and cutting-edge forensic science.

At the center of suspicion is Roland Molineux, a handsome socialite and son of a revered Civil War general, whose personal grudges, romantic entanglements, and written words place him under intense scrutiny. Schechter vividly reconstructs the investigation and explosive trials that followed, revealing how privilege, scandal, and emerging science collided at the dawn of the modern age. Richly detailed and meticulously researched, The Devil’s Gentleman brings the Gilded Age to life while probing the darker motives behind a shocking crime.

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