Scoundrel cover art

Scoundrel

How a Convicted Murderer Persuaded the Women Who Loved Him, the Conservative Establishment and the Courts to Set Him Free

Preview

Try for $0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Scoundrel

Written by: Sarah Weinman
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.80

Buy Now for $33.80

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

2023 The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence - The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book, Short-listed

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE CBC AND ESQUIRE

A true-crime masterpiece, this is a story of wrongful exoneration about killer Edgar Smith and the prominent crusaders who fell prey to his charm.


Having spent almost half his lifetime in California's state penitentiary system, convicted killer Edgar Smith died in obscurity in 2017 at the age of eighty-three—a miracle, really, as he was meant to be executed nearly six decades earlier. Tried and convicted in the state of New Jersey for the 1957 murder of fifteen-year-old Victoria Zielinski, Smith was once the most famous convict in America.

Scoundrel tells the true, almost-too-bizarre story of a man saved from Death Row by way of an unlikely friendship—developed in nearly 2000 pages of prison correspondence—with National Review founder William F. Buckley, Jr., one of the most famous figures in the neo-conservative movement. Buckley wrote articles, fundraised and hired lawyers to fight for a new trial, eventually enlisting the help of Sophie Wilkins, a book editor with whom Smith would have a torrid epistolary affair. As a result of these friends' advocacy, Smith not only gained his freedom, he vaulted to the highest intellectual echelons as a bestselling author, an expert on prison reform, and a minor celebrity—only to fall, spectacularly, back to earth, when his murderous impulses once more prevailed.

Weinman's Scoundrel is a gripping investigation into a case where crime and culture intersect, where recent memory begins to slide into history and where the darkest of violent impulses meet literary ambition, human ego and hunger for fame.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Sarah Weinman (P)2022 Knopf Canada
True Crime Feel-Good
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What the critics say

“[A] strange and compelling tale.... [Scoundrel] is a psychologically fascinating must-read for true-crime buffs.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Mesmerizing.... Weinman does a masterly job resurrecting a stranger-than-fiction chapter in American criminal justice.... This instant classic raises disturbing questions about gullibility even on the part of the very bright.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Enthralling.... 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.... An immediately absorbing story.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Featured Article: The Best Non-Fiction Audiobooks That Had People Talking in 2022

For audiobook lovers, nothing compares to the feeling of finding a new story you can't pause. Whether you are a fan of gripping true crime, moving memoirs, inspiring activism, historical deep dives, or anything in between, you can find it all here on Audible. We've compiled an incredible list of the best non-fiction audiobooks of 2022 from some of today's most talented writers. From the most anticipated memoirs of the year to eye-opening examinations of the state of the world, this list has everything you could want from the world of non-fiction. Sit back and discover what audiobooks have critics raving with these 24 moving, eye-opening listens.

What listeners say about Scoundrel

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.