Praise for “Tommy Gun Winter”

“It’s a can’t-miss story…Gorenstein found hidden in his family’s attic. And he pulls it off. The research is meticulous, and the book puts you smack in Depression-Era New England.

 And I’ll warn you against reading Tommy Gun Winter in bed, because as each chapter ends, it pulls you into the next – not the best prescription for a full night’s sleep.” Glen Macnow , The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Nathan Gorenstein’s Tommy Gun Winter is brilliantly written, superbly paced, staggeringly exciting and–above all that–it’s true.”  Mark Edmundson, University Professor,  Department of English, the University of Virginia, and author of Why Read and  Why Football Matters: My Education in the Game.

“A triumph. The narrative crackles with indelible, three-dimensional characters who draw readers into a web of love, jealousy, loyalty and ultimately, murder. Gorenstein writes so vividly that it’s easy to imagine a movie adaptation.”  Wendy Ruderman, Pulitzer Prize winner and co-author, with Barbara Laker, of Busted: A tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Nathan Gorenstein has always been a superb reporter, but he has outdone himself on Tommy Gun Winter. He has poured his heart into this story about Murt, Irv and Abe, ruthless killers – two distant relatives – who terrorized Boston in the early 1930s.

The story is richly detailed and the narrative races along like the black Packard getaway car, careening through city streets, hostage on the running board, Thompson machine gun blasting away.”  Michael Vitez, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Road Back.

“Readers of Tommy Gun Winter—the story of a murderous Depression-era gang that includes two brothers, an MIT grad and a teenage minister’s daughter—no doubt will have to remind themselves, repeatedly, that this is not a work of fiction. With its calculating killers, sweet-faced moll, brazen reporters and cops, it unfolds with cinematic scope, culminating in the longest murder trial in Massachusetts history.

The compelling tale is even more remarkable when one considers the gang’s leader, Murton Millen, was a long-ago relative. Fans of Laura Hillenbrand will appreciate Gorenstein’s surefooted depiction of an era; those of Erik Larson will shiver at the killers’ chilling amorality.”  Gwen Florio, winner of the Pinckley Prize for Crime Fiction, is the author of the Lola Wicks mystery novels.

“Nathan Gorenstein combines meticulous research with a startling tale of true crime to create a fascinating, textured portrait of Depression-era America.  Once you read the story of the Millen-Faber crime spree, you will be amazed these events are not better known. But this book does the story justice.”  Chris Satullo, vice-president for news, WHYY Philadelphia