The Mad Sculptor

The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation

By: Harold Schechter

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Beekman Place, once one of the most exclusive addresses in Manhattan, had a curious way of making it into the tabloids in the 1930s: SKYSCRAPER SLAYER, BEAUTY SLAIN IN BATHTUB read the headlines. On Easter Sunday in 1937, the discovery of a grisly triple homicide at Beekman Place would rock the neighborhood yet again - and enthrall the nation. The young man who committed these murders would come to be known in the annals of American crime as the Mad Sculptor.

Caught up in the Easter Sunday slayings was a bizarre and sensationalistic cast of characters, seemingly cooked up in a tabloid editor’s overheated imagination. The charismatic perpetrator, Robert Irwin, was a brilliant young sculptor who had studied with some of the masters of the era. But with his genius also came a deeply disturbed psyche; Irwin was obsessed with sexual self-mutilation and was frequently overcome by outbursts of violent rage.

Irwin’s primary victim, Veronica Gedeon, was a figure from the world of pulp fantasy - a stunning photographer’s model whose scandalous seminude pinups would titillate the public for weeks after her death. Irwin’s defense attorney, Samuel Leibowitz, was a courtroom celebrity with an unmatched record of acquittals and clients ranging from Al Capone to the Scottsboro Boys. And Dr. Fredric Wertham, psychiatrist and forensic scientist, befriended Irwin years before the murders and had predicted them in a public lecture months before the crime.

Based on extensive research and archival records, The Mad Sculptor recounts the chilling story of the Easter Sunday murders - a case that sparked a nationwide manhunt and endures as one of the most engrossing American crime dramas of the 20th century. Harold Schechter’s masterly prose evokes the faded glory of post-Depression New York and the singular madness of a brilliant mind turned against itself. It will keep you riveted until the very end.

©2014 Harold Schechter (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

amazing true crime

a great story about a forgotten tabloid murder mystery. very entertaining and easy to hear.

Tabloids gone wilder!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was a great view into the history of journalism and what tabloids used to be able to get away with. It was also interesting to learn about how criminal investigations were conducted in the 1930's. I could easily see how investigators could be influenced by journalism and how people could be wrongfully convicted because of the lack of forensic science for crime scene analysis.

What does Peter Berkrot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings personality and life to the era that I may not have applied on my own. I probably would have read those sections to myself in more of a textbook tone and that would have done injustice to the overall story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughing or crying but a couple of cringe-worthy moments. Graphic retelling of crime scenes and some of it was especially hard to listen to just because of the nature of the crime.

Great , interesting story!!!

What did you love best about The Mad Sculptor?

I was amazed at the mind of the Mad Sculptor, Bob Irwin and how it operated and managed to stay free and untouched for years.

What other book might you compare The Mad Sculptor to and why?

I really don't think a comparison is possible. This is a unique, stand alone novel.

Which character – as performed by Peter Berkrot – was your favorite?

Bob Irwin, of course.

If you could give The Mad Sculptor a new subtitle, what would it be?

Totally Gone

Too long

What did you like best about The Mad Sculptor? What did you like least?

can't remember

What do you think your next listen will be?

I don't know

Which scene was your favorite?

So long I forgot

Do you think The Mad Sculptor needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, there couldn't possibly be more to this story

Any additional comments?

No

Interesting, but can be confusing

I have the Kindle version and will have to use it the next time I listen to this. You have to pay attention or you miss something.

As other reviewers pointed out, he does go off on a little bit of tangent, talking about other crimes. I'm guessing that was for context. I have another book from this author on serial killer Belle Gunness so I knew what to expect. This book differs from that one in that he went deeper into the killer's psyche to offer us a glimpse of his disturbed mind. Not bedtime reading!

If true crime is your thing, I recommend this book and the one on Belle.