CHICAGO, 1924.

THERE WAS NOTHING SURPRISING ABOUT MEN TURNING UP DEAD IN THE SECOND CITY

BUT A PAIR OF MURDERS THAT SPRING HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL.

More than a dozen murderesses preened and strutted in Cook County Jail as they awaited trial, but two stood above all the rest.

Thanks to the efforts of an intrepid ‘girl reporter’ named Maurine Watkins, ‘Stylish Belva’ Gaertner and fellow inmate ‘Beautiful Beulah’ Annan captivated the city during a bloody, sex-charged spring and summer at the height of Prohinition.

Douglas Perry vividly captures the sensationalized circus atmosphere that popularized the concept of the celebrity criminal-and years later inspired the iconic musical Chicago.

Fueled by rich period detail and characters who seemed destined for the stage, this crackling social history that simultaneously presents the freewheeling spirit of the Jazz Age and its sober repercussions.

‘Juicy and compelling.’ - CHICAGO TRIBUNE

‘For true crime buffs, history fans, or anyone interested in the roaring 1920s, this one’s a sure-fire hit.’ - MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

‘Entertaining … Savvy, flamboyant.’ - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

‘A fascinating look at the women who literally got away with murder because they looked too good to hang.’ - THE HERALD-DISPATCH