"From the author of The Real Lolita and editor of Unspeakable Acts, the astonishing story of a murderer who conned the people around him-including conservative thinker William F. Buckley-into helping set him free"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

From those he deceived, including the American people, this book follows Edgar Smith, a charismatic and manipulative murderer, as he is set free, only to attempt murder again, uncovering a psychopath who slipped his way into public acclaim.100,000 first printing. - (Baker & Taylor)

A Recommended Read from: The Los Angeles Times * Town and Country * The Seattle Times * Publishers Weekly * Lit Hub * Crime Reads * Alma

From the author of The Real Lolita and editor of Unspeakable Acts, the astonishing story of a murderer who conned the people around him—including conservative thinker William F. Buckley—into helping set him free

In the 1960s, Edgar Smith, in prison and sentenced to death for the murder of teenager Victoria Zielinski, struck up a correspondence with William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review. Buckley, who refused to believe that a man who supported the neoconservative movement could have committed such a heinous crime, began to advocate not only for Smith’s life to be spared but also for his sentence to be overturned.

So begins a bizarre and tragic tale of mid-century America. Sarah Weinman’s Scoundrel leads us through the twists of fate and fortune that brought Smith to freedom, book deals, fame, and eventually to attempting murder again. In Smith, Weinman has uncovered a psychopath who slipped his way into public acclaim and acceptance before crashing down to earth once again.

From the people Smith deceived—Buckley, the book editor who published his work, friends from back home, and the women who loved him—to Americans who were willing to buy into his lies, Weinman explores who in our world is accorded innocence, and how the public becomes complicit in the stories we tell one another.

Scoundrel shows, with clear eyes and sympathy for all those who entered Smith’s orbit, how and why he was able to manipulate, obfuscate, and make a mockery of both well-meaning people and the American criminal justice system. It tells a forgotten part of American history at the nexus of justice, prison reform, and civil rights, and exposes how one man’s ill-conceived plan to set another man free came at the great expense of Edgar Smith’s victims.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Award-winning crime writer Weinman (The Real Lolita, 2018) weaves a strange and compelling tale about murder, deception, fame, and friendship. On March 5, 1957 in Ramsey, New Jersey, Edgar Smith is arrested for the brutal murder of 15-year-old Vickie Zielinski. In short order, he confesses and is convicted. Once in prison, Edgar begins a campaign of innocence, naming another suspect and claiming police coercion, catching the eye of National Review founder William F. Buckley who has little doubt he is innocent. Buckley introduces Edgar to Knopf editor Sophie Wilkins who helps him publish a book while carrying on a torrid letter-writing relationship. In 1971, it is determined that his confession was coerced and he is released. Weinman makes it clear from the beginning that Edgar is guilty and a conman but that is the success of the book, the reader can see the long game while Buckley and Wilkins (and several other women he carried on with while in prison) are drawn into his lies. Weinman makes great use of the many letters that exist between all three of them. This is a psychologically fascinating must-read for true-crime buffs. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

With this enthralling book, Weinman (The Real Lolita) details the twisted, extraordinary story of a murderer who manipulated his way to freedom and fame. In the 1960s, Edgar Smith, on death row for the murder of teenager Victoria Zielinski, began corresponding with William F. Buckley, the prominent conservative who founded the National Review. Weinman contends that Buckley's advocacy and friendship helped Smith to get a book deal, a release from prison, and a welcoming reception from the public. Weinman thoroughly covers Smith's deception and his eventual return to crime. She writes with empathy for Smith's victims, including those left in the wake of his lies, and a critical eye toward the systems that allowed him to continue committing offenses. The book is a must-read for true crime fans, but it will appeal to nonfiction readers across genres for its thrilling blend of crime, media, and politics in mid-century America. Readers looking for similarly page-turning true crime may be interested in Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar's At Any Cost: A Father's Betrayal, a Wife's Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice. VERDICT An immediately absorbing story of crime, manipulation, and influence.—Kate Bellody, SUNY New Paltz