A McKeesport Murder Mystery: The Death of La Roux Soles - Hardcover

by Lisa Speranza (Author)

Explore a true crime mystery from the Tube City.

Local socialite La Roux Soles' hometown of McKeesport spoke her name in whispers. She and her husband Bob, a charming war hero and successful businessman, lived it up with boozy prohibition parties in their mansion perched high above the National Tube Works, the industrial heart of the gritty town. Behind the façade, Bob harbored secrets that shattered them both, drove her mad, and pushed her to commit the ultimate act of desperation--or was it murder? Like grime from the steel mill cloaking their mansion windows, the real story of that warm June night in 1933 was obscured. The mysterious events left a scar upon McKeesport that never quite healed and soon captured the nation's attention.

Local author and historian Lisa Speranza exhumes the heart of the scandal, unraveling an almost century-old story that time nearly forgot.

Author Biography

Lisa Speranza writes with a focus on Western Pennsylvania's overlooked histories, illuminating the humanity of the stories behind the official records. Influenced by her background in psychology and sociology, she is particularly interested in the ways grief, perception, and justice shape a life's legacy. The story of La Roux Soles resonated deeply with her, not only as a matter of record, but as a reminder of how easily suffering can be reframed by time. Lisa has authored several local history publications and lives in Western Pennsylvania, where she dedicates herself to researching the region's untold narratives.