The Double Indemnity Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and New York's Crime of the Century

Few incidents in crime history have been as notorious - yet mundane - as the 1927 murder of Queens suburbanite Albert Snyder by his wife and her lover. Resonant of the foot-loose Jazz Age, it made persistent headlines, led to a sensational trial, spawned a 1920s Broadway play, and two classic film noirs of the 1940s: Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. This book assesses the entire case, from grisly slaying and shabby cover-up to sharp police work and aftermath. Moreover, it explores sociocultural questions that beg to be answered: what effect does news reportage exert upon high profile cases, and why did such a transparent crime earn such an enduring place in the popular psyche. Landis MacKellar lives in Vienna and Paris. His interest in the Snyder-Gray murder began when he taught in Queens College in New York City.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 10/16/2006
ISBN: 9780815608240
Pages: 411
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.04h x 6.04w x 0.89d

Review Citations: Library Journal 10/15/2006 pg. 75
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2007 pg. 174