Saint Mudd: A Novel of Gangsters and Saints

by Steve Thayer

A classic gangster novel. Saint Mudd is the haunting story of a dying columnist for a dying newspaper in city wallowing in the Great Depression. St. Paul during the 1930s is home to gangsters like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker s boys thriving on a booming economy of prostitution, kidnapping, and robbery. Grover Mudd, the city's premier reporter, wants nothing more than to put them away forever. But in a city that has the best politicians and police money can buy, Mudd suspects his efforts will lead to a big fat zero. But even a seasoned pro like Grover Mudd, who is certainly no saint, can t get used to all the dead bodies. With the reluctant help of the FBI, and the conflicted loyalty of a beautiful blond, Mudd targets the sociopathic killers with his own brand of terror. It is a high-stakes, high-risk gamble for the soul of a city, and the odds keep piling up until Mudd finds out what unimaginable horrors human beings are capable of including himself. Grover Mudd could end up a saint or maybe a corpse.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Crime

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

STEVE THAYER is the New York Times best-selling author of Saint Mudd, Silent Snow, and The Wheat Field. He lives in Edina, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Ed]

I was compelled to read this book mainly because Steve Thayer's "The Weatherman" was an unforgettably original thriller/mystery. Unfortunately, I don't believe Thayer has published in years. "Saint Mudd", his first book, originally published in 1988 is the life & times of one Grover Mudd, a mustard gassed World War One ex-marine writing a muck-raking column in 1930's St. Paul, Minnesota a "haven for criminals and a citadel for crime". Grover Mudd's cynical view of St. Paul in the 1930's was due to a sort of open door policy for crooked cops, politicians, aged madam's and assorted machine gun toting bank robbers and kidnappers in the pre-Herbert Hoover FBI days. Snappy dialogue and Thayer's uniquely memorable characters make this 800 page trip down St. Paul's memory lane the wild ride it is. I thank Steve Thayer for narrating the journey so adroitly.

[Jon P.]

Good novel on the old gangsters and bank robbers Dillinger, Nelson Carpis etc. Depression era St. Paul scene.
Reverent to the history yet colorful with the fiction. I read this book years ago and I still can't get the image out of my head of Creepy Carpis coming to the Thanksgiving party dressed as a pilgrim. Ding Dong, "Oh Alvin, Happy Thanksgiving! come on in".

[Jeff Solei]

One of my favorites books of all time. The characters were great and easily identifiable. The best part of the book was that it took place during the gangster era in St. Paul. Being from there I was able to not only picture what it was like back then, but also picture present day St. Paul.

[Jennifer]

Mr. Thayer drops the "F-bomb" on you in the first sentence. Prepare yourself for the delicious wickedness of this novel. Extremely entertaining. You'll haul this thing around with you and read it every chance you get.

[David]

Entertaining, though a bit rough as writing goes and the story dragged at times - it feels like a first time effort, similar to George Lucas's Star Wars, if you've ever read that. As a history buff, I was impressed with the accuracy of the accounts of the Twin Cities mob days, especially the St. Paul side of the river. I liked the main character and the supporting main woman character, which helps when the story slows down. I was satisfied with the ending.

[Mike]

For lovers of Saint Paul and or to those who love an old fashion crime story, Saint Mudd is your book. Set in the days of prohibition, Thayer brings to life a seedy era of St Paul and weaves a wonderful tale!

[Roger Scherping]

This is a great story on the history of St. Paul. Everyone knows about St. Paul's gangster history, but no one seems to understand the terrible impact that it had on the city and the entire state. I had no idea how deep the corruption was or how badly it affected the city and its people or how important St. Paul was in the FBI's struggle to wipe out the gangsters. All of the landmarks I've always taken for granted mean so much more to me now. I need to visit Swede Hollow Park, the Lincoln Center Apartments, and Indian Mounds Park and see the monument where Fr. Galtier's first church was!

[Clifford Wollum]

There was much research conducted in order to write this novel in a span of four years. The feeling that the main character was some kind of superman with all the physical pain endured throughout this story left one to question the durability of one human being. Otherwise a good work of fiction with the setting, plot, storyline, characterization, and dialogue.

[Angela]

I really don't have a valid opinion because I didn't get past page 14 and the author had lost me on page 1. This book is the equivalent of the Saturday night bro with too much to prove. There's really no need for such explicit vulgarity before I even get pulled in by the story. Back to the library with you!

[Joseph Johnson]

One of the best books I have ever read. I'm just mad at myself for taking all these years to finally read it. I love the fact that I know all the places in this book from Mounds Park where my Father lived to South Saint Paul where my Mother lived. I knew of Saint Paul's gangster past but it never came to life as in this book. This one goes in my top five books.

[Dave]

Thayer manages to make dull the exciting real life history of the gangster heyday of old St. Paul. Saint Mudd? More like Saint Dud.

[Carrie]

good if you like local fiction. Takes place on the streets of the twin cities in the gangster era.

[LuAnn]

Growing up in St. Paul meant lots of stories of gangsters and the mob - this story is both fun and full of St. Paul history.

[D.]

If you love history with drama, dreams and excitment this is a good for you.

[Lori Shafer]

I loved this book because Mudd appears in his Weatherman series. He is referred to in one of the books and I was happy to get a chance to read Mudd's story.

[Annabelle]

Grover Mudd is a newspaper columnist in St. Paul, MN, in the 1930's, working for a newspaper that is being taken over by the competition. St. Paul is a cesspool of political & police corruption, prostitution, alcohol & drugs, famous gangland characters. His columns are cynical & report the truth of what is really going in - which does not make him a popular figure in town. He stubbornly continues his crusade.

[Sarah Mckeen]

The good: I enjoyed the historical references in this book and loved reading about the neighborhood I am now living in.
The bad: the book had some slow spots.
The ugly: the unapologetic abuse of women. Women were treated as objects and the author even had the audacity to write about a women getting so much pleasure from her rapist that she seeks him out for more!

[Julia Judson]

One of my favorite books I’ve ever read. A fantastic historical novel. The characters are compelling, and the storyline is interesting to follow. The imagery allows you to literally imagine the streets of St.Paul where the gangsters are hanging out.

[Julie]

What a wild ride through the gangster age in St. Paul! I loved this book and hated for it to end.

[Kirsi Dahl]

I really liked the depiction of St. Paul in the early 1930s. Gritty. I’m from the area, so I enjoyed reading about places I’m familiar with and people I’ve heard of.

[Ed]

A stand-alone novel from 1992. Historical novels are not usually my favorites; a rounded up a 3.5 rating and I feel that someone who was more attuned to this style would have given it a 4.0-4.5 to start with.
My feelings for Minneapolis-St. Paul are developed from reading the Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford.

"A Novel of Gangsters and Saints" - shows St. Paul, MN in 1933-34 through the eyes of newspaper columnist Grover Mudd. The St. Paul of the Depression was a haven for gangsters, prostitutes, and gamblers, protected by a corrupt police force. The status quo is attacked by a newspaper campaign and the recently empowered FBI.

[Kathy Schulstad]

Good

[Lacey]

This book was so horrible and offensive I almost threw it into a fire. The only reason I didn't was because it wasn't mine--someone had lent it to me. I might have done the lender a favor by burning it though. Seriously. Terrible.

[Tom Smart]

I recently bought a condo near downtown St. Paul and was interested in the history that this novel introduces. It inspired me to research places and events, but it is not a very good read on its own.

[Chuck]

Can you go lower than one star?

[MissSusie]

This was just ok.I love Film Noir and old 30's & 40's gangster movies so I thought I'd enjoy this book more but it wasn't very good.

[Dann]

A history of the Gangster Era in St. Paul, Minnesota. Enjoyed it.