Through a chorus of voices from those who loved, loathed and feared him, Squizzy Taylor's Storied Life paints a vivid portrait of Melbourne's most notorious anti-hero in the early 20th century.
Rising from a junior member of the Bourke Street Rats to the undisputed 'Tzar' of the underworld, he moved through crooked pony racing, petty theft, blackmail, pimping, and ultimately murder, becoming a talented but flawed figure who, through his exploits, captured public fascination.
Often suspected but rarely convicted, Squizzy Taylor was renowned as 'the man who made the bullets for others to fire'... until his own life ended in a hail of bullets in a dingy Carlton house in October 1927.
"Think you know Squizzy Taylor? Think again! Imagine if his associates and enemies could spill the beans. A fascinating take on one of Melbourne's most infamous gangsters."
Tara Olfield, author of Diamonds, Furs and Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes
Written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Squizzy Taylor's death, true crime writers, James Morton and Susanna Lobez draw on the in-depth research from their bestselling Gangland series. The result is an intriguing work of historical fiction set in the gritty underworld of 1920s Melbourne, shedding light on an eventful life from various contemporaneous perspectives.