The Reviews Are In

An Amazon Editor's Pick: Best History

A New York Times Mother's Day Pick

A New York Post Buzz Book

A Washington Post Summer Reading Pick

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“Krist’s gripping book explores the scandal that led to the killing and the trials that ensued, while also delving into the social history of 19th-century Northern California as it underwent dramatic change.” –The Washington Post
 

“From its dramatic opening, Krist’s book backtracks to chart San Francisco’s astonishing growth…The author’s evenhandedness and scrupulous adherence to the documentary record are worthy qualities in a writer of nonfiction.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[The book] uses a love triangle gone wrong to tell a wider story about 19th-century San Francisco. . . . Krist has mined a rich vein of material…Trespassers at the Golden Gate also folds in portraits of vibrant and less-famous characters roaming San Francisco during the city’s explosive periods of growth, bust and reinvention… Krist helps us understand San Francisco’s evolution—a city described by one of its early residents as ‘an odd place . . . not created in the ordinary way, but hatched like chickens by artificial heat.’”—Wall Street Journal

“[A] masterful work of true crime…This top-shelf blend of history and entertainment is as edifying as it is exciting.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“After writing about Chicago, New Orleans and Los Angeles, Gary Krist turns his pen toward another great American city, San Francisco, and the murder that rocked the 19th century. The ensuing trial introduces readers to a diverse cast of characters, who provide keen insight into historical views on society and gender in a city that’s long been a queer mecca.”—San Francisco Chronicle

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“A tale of mad love, murder, and the rough-and-tumble mores of early San Francisco . . . [and] a lively, richly detailed social history that ably brings together many narrative strands.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 “A thrilling true-crime story [and] a lens through which to explore San Francisco’s transformation from chaotic frontier town to modern metropolis.”—New York Post

“Readers will enjoy the literary morsels as well as historical references such as the building of the first transcontinental railroad. . . . Krist writes vividly and engagingly.”—Washington Examiner

“A vivid and dramatic retelling of a shocking story of betrayal and murder . . . Trespassers at the Golden Gate is a triumph of historical true crime writing . . . [and a] gem of a book.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

“Krist gives us many incredible moments in Trespassers at the Golden Gate: You’ll learn how San Francisco went from a muddy pit of grifters and gamblers to one of the biggest cities in the country and what it was like to live in an era when the journey from Texas to California took six months over rough terrain.”—Clarion-Ledger

“A scrupulously documented tale of passion, ambition, and social mores set in San Francisco in the early 1870s . . . Krist elucidates a thoroughly engaging slice of history.”—Booklist

“An amazingly rich and detailed work of nonfiction of keen interest to anyone interested in the history of the development of San Francisco . . . [Trespassers at the Golden Gate] is much more than a crime story.”—Bay City News

“Gary Krist, peerless chronicler of our great urban landscapes, brings this all to life…The book is a marvelous tour de force culminating in a trial that riveted the nation and exposed the sexual double standard even in this freewheeling town. The nation hung on every word, and believe me, you will, too.”—Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls and The Sisterhood

“In Trespassers at the Golden Gate, Gary Krist accomplishes what good nonfiction does best, offering readers a fusion of murder, intrigue, and solid research that shines a light on the dark corners of society.”—Kate Winkler Dawson, author of American Sherlock and The Sinners All Bow

"The Wild West in all its glory: the gold rush, adultery, and, ultimately, murder. Krist draws an indelible portrait of the United States' tumultuous post-Civil War history."--Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder