Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder and the Battle for Modern New Orleans

This well-researched book captures an exciting chapter in the history of Louisiana’s most vibrant city. During the late Victorian era, New Orleans reformers hoped to confine the city’s notorious vices to one officially sanctioned district, Storyville, in order to protect the wealthier neighborhoods from seediness. Brothers, saloons, and jazz halls filled the lively, violent neighborhood, from which larger-than-life figures emerged, such as Tom Anderson, the “major of Storyville,” jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton, and the “Axeman of New Orleans,” a serial killer with a penchant for grocers. Narrator Dean excels in delivering this rich look at the birth of New Orleans and the struggle over its morality. His voice, a deep clear baritone, delivers the countless stories of shootings, seductions, and crime lords with enough solemnity to underscore the historical evolution of the city, but inflects the perfect touch of wryness while relaying the scandalous events and outrageous characters. An entertaining, educational listen. A Crown hardcover. (Dec.)