A brilliant historian turns detective to unravel a Gilded Age crime and cover-up that recasts the origin story of one of the world's preeminent universities. These characters will stay with you for a long time.--Miriam Pawel, author of The Browns of California Something was rotten in the kingdom that would become Silicon Valley, that hydra sprung from the loins of Stanford University. Stanford itself was built with plundered public money, eccentric ideas, and endless hubris by railroad baron and baroness Leland and Jane Stanford. Then someone poisoned Jane. This delightfully sordid story of malice and mendacity is a triumph of historical detective work.--Rebecca Solnit, author of Orwell's Roses Our finest chronicler of the Gilded Age has produced another masterpiece--a riveting true crime tale set in the gaudy era he knows better than anyone else. Not to be missed.

--Geoffrey C. Ward, author of A First-Class Temperament An absorbing history and murder mystery, laced with envy, greed, corruption, vengeance, mysticism--and strychnine. Stranger than fiction, Who Killed Jane Stanford ? will have you guessing and wondering to the last page.--Kevin Baker, author of The Big Crowd Richard White delivers a masterpiece that captivates as he unravels the long-hidden truth behind a perplexing murder.--Harry N. MacLean, Edgar Award-winning author of In Broad Daylight A page-turner that explores the class divides of Gilded Age California and the sordid history of a great university. This is micro-history at its best.--Martha A.

Sandweiss, author of Passing Strange Irresistibly fascinating. Richard White has brought Jane Stanford and her peculiar entourage vividly to life--and also has persuasively figured out who killed her.--Nicholas Lemann, author of Transaction Man.