I’m usually a huge fan over everything Lauren Willig writes - her Pink Carnation series is a perennial favorite of mine - but this one wasn’t it for me. I ended up DNFing it about halfway through, I just couldn’t get into it. I get trying to fictionalize and write true crime into a novel (this is mostly a true story) but the writing itself was just not it. I felt very flat and rambling and little boring to be honest. I still love the author and her other work immensely, but this one was a dud for me.

The Girl from Greenwich Street was a super interesting read. I loved the history and it was well-researched. I'd read more from this author.

I love everything Lauren Willig writes and her latest is no exception. The Girl From Greenwich Street gives you a front row seat at a famous murder trial at the dawn of American history, filled with Willig’s brilliant signature prose, beautifully rendered characters, and page-turning suspense. Fans of crime novels and historical fiction will be entranced!

This was an interesting tale of the new republic and the two historic figures Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton trying to outwit each other. The author did extensive research on the trial and included many notes at the end giving us what became of each of the main characters. The author was able to give us insight into both Burr and Hamilton allowing us to see them as real people. The story holds your interest and is neither dull nor trite in the telling sticking to the facts as much as possible.
4.5 Stars

If you love historical fiction, true crime, or find yourself wondering “what was that 1st murder trial they mention in Hamilton?” Then this is the book for you. There is a ton of detail and research was clearly done well.

# The Girl from Greenwich Street
# 3/29/2025 ~ 3/31/2025
# 4.0 / 5.0

I really liked this book! There was so much detail and history in this novel. I learned a lot and I entertained at the same time. There were some slower parts, but overall I really liked this book. So interesting!

The vast majority of this book worked for me. However, there were times where it felt a little too much like a court transcript (said as a lawyer) that could get a bit monotonous.

Willig’s latest is based upon a real murder mystery set in early America. It’s 1799 and a young girl living with her Quaker relatives is found dead at the bottom of a well. There are suspicions that she ran off to elope with the young neighbor Levi. Townsfolk are quick to jump to the conclusion that Levi is responsible and the case against the young man seems doomed.

Levi is represented by Aaron Burr and another famous attorney. But Aaron is busy with his political aspirations and his colleague is not vested in the young man’s defense. Alexander Hamilton is Burr’s nemesis and it’s a surprising turn when Hamilton offers to assist in Levi’s defense. Alexander recognizes that the trial has garnered a lot of public attention and he’s determined to outshine the other defense attorneys with his brilliant oratory and sleuthing skills. He will find out the truth and get Levi acquitted.

Reading this brings back the excellent story from the play <i>Hamilton</i> by Lin Manuel Miranda. The rivals are at each other’s throats, each wanting to outdo the other. The conflicting court testimony comes from the actual trial and the author does an excellent job of portraying the differing versions of events from the neighbors. Hamilton and the other two attorneys disagree on the strategy for the defense and Hamilton’s rivalry with Burr becomes a key factor in the trial.

The prosecutor is another important figure who sees the trial as a means of promoting his own career. Willig explains in her notes at the end how she included facts from the actual trial and how she made some assumptions based upon her research. Fascinating and also illuminating, Willig portrays early American jurisprudence and the mystery surrounding the death of a young woman and the famous lawyers who became involved in the court case.

Revisiting the competitiveness between the two attorneys offers new evidence of the feud between the men. Willig's early American setting feels authentic and showcases how a girl's death became a sensation, stirring up rumors and gossip. Knowing this is based on real events gives further validation of the story and will provide greater appeal to lovers of history.

Going into this, I expected more of a historical mystery but ended up with what read like a courtroom transcript. I really thought I would love this one, but it wasn't an enjoyable or compelling read for me.

This historical fiction, The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig, tells of a cold case set in 1800 and the lawyerly skills of rivals Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. The two must come together to solve a murder.
Based on true events and court documents, Willig has done her research!

Enjoyed this one!

This was a fascinating historical fiction crime/ trial novel. It covers the murder trial of Elma Sands, a young woman who was mysteriously murdered in 1799. I was fascinated by this book. The case is famous because Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were both lawyers for the defense. The author clearly did her research and the end notes are fantastic.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The description of this novel had me intrigued from the beginning: "A novel of Hamilton, Burr and America's first murder trial". It was all that and a whole lot more.

Elma Sands has never quite felt like she belonged in her cousin's Quaker Manhattan home. She can't wait to escape the restrictive environment and it seems all her plans are falling into place, when just before Christmas 1799, she disappears to only later be found dead in a nearby well.

Hamilton and Burr jump in to defend the man accused of her murder and their investigations seem to only reveal more questions. Who killed Elma Sands and what was their motive? Who can be trusted to tell the truth and who might not be telling all that they know?

I couldn't believe this was based on a real life story and after reading the author's note at the end, I was even more intrigued. I appreciated how true to the facts the story was, while keeping my interest throughout. Reading historical fiction set in this time period was refreshing and I enjoyed this suspenseful book.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a slow, slow burn that may not really be worth your time. Hamilton has found popularity thanks to the musical, but if you're looking for similarities, look elsewhere.

I was super interested in this topic. Although I ended up feeling like I wanted to read nonfiction instead. The author did a great job in making me want to learn more, though.

I had a difficult time reading this; the language was very different, and it flipped back and forth and wasn't consistent. I think it would have been easier for me on audio vs. print.

This was such a compelling book. A fictionalized account of "the woman in the well" which is a true crime committed in New York in 1799 and widely noted as the first Murder trial of the United States. Defended by both Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, this account not only explores all of the different issues that arose during the murder, investigations, trial and aftereffects for each of the main players of the historical record but also the political games between Hamilton and Burr. As usual, the highlight of what's been done and how can we do it better push and pull between Burr and Hamilton was visible but also the thought process and diplomacy, or lack thereof, influenced the trial. However, at it's heart was Elma Sands, the murdered woman. The ability to make a full woman from the hearsay of other people is a beautiful feature.

To me, this book was just okay. It felt too long and I didn't really get enough emotions towards a murdered girl. I do know that it is based on real events, it just kept going on.

In 1799 New York City, a young woman is killed, and everyone assumes it is her would-be groom. When he goes to trial, he is defended by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

I liked this book, especially the premise and the plotline, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. The true case plot was engaging, and I liked hearing about life and the court system in colonial NY. I was interested in the little call outs to the musical Hamilton, mostly in what the two men thought about each other and their personality traits. I hated the old English speech of the murdered girl's Quaker family- lots of the word 'Thee', etc. It would have been fine if it wasn't used so much and the wording was completely different that the rest of the book's language. It really stuck out and took me out of the story.

I did enjoy the surprises in who else might have killed her along the way, but I wondered if those things were true or completely fictional and that was never addressed (at least in the version I had). Overall, Hamilton fans might like this one but be ready for a book that is more historical fiction about colonial New York rather than a legal mystery or courtroom thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

My girls love the musical Alexander Hamilton so it didn’t take much to convince me to read this one. This was an enjoyable slow burn historical fiction murder mystery based on a true story. Courtroom dramas are my cup of tea! The amount of research that went into this book seems overwhelming but author Lauren Willig did a fantastic job of sharing a comprehensive historical note on how she came to tell this story and all her sources. This is my second book by the author and so far The Girl from Greenwich Street is my favorite!