Book Nook - Murder on Skid Row

Now a bustling, prosperous area with upscale housing and trendy businesses near Greektown, the intersection of West Madison and Halsted streets in Chicago was, just decades ago, the epicenter of Chicago’s Skid Row. A downtrodden community occupied by lost souls — mainly veterans from the war nobody wanted to recognize — Skid Row’s 12-block stretch was home to winos, addicts, the destitute and the occasional well-meaning “do-gooder” hoping to help.

In August 1966, Mel Greenberg, a young, naïve and optimistic dentist chooses this area for his dental practice. Immersed in a world for which his working-class upbringing never prepared him, he finds himself a suspect in a double murder.

Based on a true story, Murder on Skid Row from Chicagoan Charlene Wexler is told from Dr. Greenberg’s point of view and takes readers back to a place that was an integral part of Chicago for decades — but one today’s public officials and city-beautiful boosters would rather have people believe never existed.

Woven with both humor and pathos, Murder on Skid Row is not only a murder mystery but also an exploration of human tragedy with a twist no one will see coming. Did Dr. Greenberg do it? Or was it one of Skid Row’s infamous swindlers or hustlers?

Chicago’s Skid Row may be long gone, but Wexler brings it back to life in this gripping historical thriller, and everyone, it seems, has a secret.

About the Author

A native Chicagoan, Charlene Wexler has been a teacher, wife, dental office manager, mother and grandmother. In retirement, her lifelong passion for writing has led her to create several essays, short stories and novels. Her other books include Farewell To South Shore, Milk and Oranges, Murder Across the Ocean, Lori and Elephants In The Room. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Black Tie Magazine, JUF magazine, NPR Europe Travel Guidebooks Worth Reading, Reader’s Digest, North Shore Magazine, the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry’s Vision magazine, Alpha Omegan magazine, Hey Day Magazine UK, the Gazette Chicago and several blogs. She lives in Illinois with her dentist husband. Her three adorable grandchildren live out of state but visit often.

For more information, please visit https://charlenewexler.com/.