Spokane's dark and fascinating history is loaded with shocking murders, bootlegging mischief, and devastating drama. The beautiful city by the Spokane River was once considered a millionaire's paradise as well as a hobo's playground, but danger lurked beneath the surface. The Black Hand gang, police hot on its trail, stalked the streets looking for local mobster Frank Bruno. A cannibal sought fresh victims, and a teenage boy picked up an ax for nefarious purposes. McNeil State Penitentiary housed notorious characters Charles Manson and the Birdman of Alcatraz, while Herbert Niccolls Jr., locked up at twelve years old, made history as the youngest inmate at Walla Walla Penitentiary. Join author Deborah Cuyle as she uncovers the Lilac City's violent past.

Originally from Upstate New York, Deborah Cuyle loves everything about small towns and their history. She has written Ghosts of Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley, Ghosts and Legends of Spokane, The 1910 Wellington Disaster, Wicked Coeur d'Alene and Murder & Mayhem in Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley . Her passions include local history, animals, museums, hiking and horseback riding. Together with her husband and her son, she's currently remodeling a historic mansion in Milbank, South Dakota.