Crooked
A Roaring Twenties Tale of spies, Secret lovers, and corrupt politicians
The riveting, forgotten narrative of the most corrupt attorney general in American history and the maverick senator who stopped at nothing to take him down
Many tales from the Jazz Age reek of crime and corruption. But perhaps the era’s greatest political fiasco—one that resulted in a nationwide scandal, a public reckoning at the Department of Justice, the rise of J. Edgar Hoover, and an Oscar-winning film—has long been lost to the annals of history. In Crooked, Nathan Masters restores this story of murderers, con artists, secret lovers, spies, bootleggers, and corrupt politicians to its full, page-turning glory.
“an impressive book debut…a stirring look at a shameful episode that holds distressing relevance for today”
— Kirkus (starred review)
“The Story is as timely now as it ever war, and Masters brings it to pulsing life.”
— Booklist
“One of the wildest stories in american political history.”
— Garrett M. Graff, New York Times bestselling author of Watergate: A New History
“Filled with a cast of colorful characters and crimes and scandals galore, CROOKED is narrative history at its best.”
— Janet Napolitano, former US Secretary of Homeland Security and US Attorney for Arizona
“depicts this fascinating era…with such precision and verve that I couldn’t put it down.”
— Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author (as Karen Abbott) of The Ghosts of Eden Park
“a powerful and thrilling nonfiction debut, packed with larger-than-life government officials and scheming operatives.”
— Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Taking of Jemima Boone
“unfolds like a gripping mystery novel, only the plot and characters are real and the power struggles reach the top levels of Washington's power elite.”
— A.J. Baime, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental President
Upcoming events
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Launch Event at Vroman's
Tuesday, March 28, 7 PM
Nathan will be in conversation with author and critic David Kipen about CROOKED.
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Orange County Launch at Barnes & Noble Irvine Spectrum
Monday, April 10, 6 PM
Nathan will discuss and sign copies of CROOKED.
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Coolidge Library Panel (Online)
Wednesday, June 7, 7 PM Eastern / 4 PM Pacific
I’ll be part of a panel discussing “When the President Dies,” presented by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum.
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Library of Congress Event (Online)
Wednesday, August 23
Details TBA
About Nathan
I’ve hosted and produced the award-winning public television series Lost LA since its inception in 2016. I’m the author of hundreds of articles about Los Angeles history, and my true-life, longform story about America’s first policewoman, “Pillars of Fire,” is currently under development at Amazon Studios as a feature film. I work in public programming at the USC Libraries and lives in the mountains of Southern California with my wife, the author and television writer Kseniya Melnik, and our two children. CROOKED is my first book.
Lost lA
LOST LA is an Emmy Award-winning public television series, now five seasons strong at KCET, with a sixth on the way. A co-production with the USC Libraries, the show explores how rare artifacts from Southern California's archives can unlock the hidden and often-surprising stories from the region's past.
Other Writing
Contact
My literary agent is Samantha Shea of Georges Borchardt, Inc. You can email me directly at nathan.c.masters@gmail.com. Sometimes my response time is not great, especially if we don’t know one other.