The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

William Morrow
Pub Date: 3-4-25

Thank you @netgalley, @williammorrowbooks, and @laurenwillig for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Hamilton, Burr, a murder, a trial - and lingering questions more than 200 years later. Who was responsible for the death of Elma Sands? I found the Historical Note fascinating and will likely start with this before doing a re-read of the novel.

"It had been nearly two weeks since he had chosen to interest himself in Levi Weeks’s affairs, two weeks in which good intentions had bowed beneath the weight of obligation. What with planning a military academy, sorting out the shape of hats for his soldiers, berating James McHenry by letter, and plotting Burr’s political downfall, there had been very little time to hunt down witnesses to establish the innocence of Levi Weeks."

"Hamilton was useful— in his way. When he wasn’t carried away by the charms of his own voice."

"Hamilton always spoke as though his conclusions were the only conclusions and all other possibilities delusions."

This book was a bit slow to get into. 2025
Great history but not written for the 2025 reader. Of course people used different words and speech in 1800 but the author is writing for the present day audience and should attempt to make the dialogue easier to read. Got quite bogged down to the point where you skip over parts of it.

This book didn’t have the power I wanted to see from a novel this historic. I struggled to get into the plot and the characters feel flat and too one sided.

First, thank you to William Morrow via Netgalley for the ARC. This book was inspired by court trial of Levi Weeks for the murder trial if Emma Sands n NYC during the 1800s. I love Lauren Willig but this books of hers did both woo me as much as the others. Have to admit, the modern convenience of technology certainly made a difference in a court trial compared to how things are done back in the days! The research is remarkably impressive on this one.

This is a historical fiction book based on the trial of Levi Weeks who has been accused of murdering Elma Sands. It is New York in the 1800s. There are many historical figures in this story- Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr (as the defense attorneys), and many more. This case was unknown to me. I found it fascinating that the author used the transcript from the actual trial in writing the story.
The questions that arise in the trial center around whether Elma took her own life? Was she involved with multiple men, or was it a jealous lover? The story is told through 5 POV's- Hamilton, Burr, the prosecutor, and the victims 2 cousins. There is a lot of information given, and the beginning drags a bit- but stay with it because it gains traction! I truly enjoyed this book!!!
And I really learned a lot about the judicial system at the time (glad we have evolved a bit!).
I highly recommend this book to readers that like history in their stories, a good mystery, and the possibility of doing your own detecting!
I also loved the author's notes at the end- this led me down a rabbit hole as I began looking up all the figures involved! If you decide to read this, please read the author's notes as they detail how the story evolved!!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

A Historical Fiction Mystery based on a true story, The Girl from Greenwich Street tells of a famous murder trial in the year 1800. Elma Sounds is found dead in the Manhattan Well. It's up for debate as to whether she's been murdered or if it was suicide. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are on one side together to prove that carpenter Levi Weeks, who has been charged with her murder, didn't do it.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. I found myself putting it down quite frequently, because it didn't hold my attention. Everything felt very dragged out and all throughout, the book suffers from a lot of telling vs showing. I guess if you're familiar with the trial, you would know why that is. I wasn't familiar with this case/trial prior to reading, so I think I was expecting more from the story. I didn't find myself particularly attached to any of the characters, except maybe Hamilton. But that's probably because in my head Hamilton = Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Miranda is a national treasure.

If I never have to read a book with Quaker plain speech in it again, it'll be too soon. No really, those parts were painful to me.

Recommended for those who like mysteries, historical fiction, trials, and don't mind more tell than show.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I have been SO excited to post this book review ahead of its release next month on March 4th. This was a historical retelling of a famous 1800 trial, in which a young woman was found murdered and dumped in a well in Manhattan. One review referred to it as “Law & Order: 1800,” and that description could not be more apt. I loved the multiple viewpoints, and especially the tense rivalry between defense attorneys Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr (especially given what we know about how their relationship ended). I found that the book rang as really accurate: though I don’t profess to be a historian, the extensive notes at the end of the book really are a testament to how much work @laurenwillig put into this story. Keep your eyes peeled for this one - an absolutely fantastic blending of historical fiction and police procedural that will definitely keep you hooked until the end!! Thanks so much to Lauren Willig, @williammorrowbooks , and @netgalley for my free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!


SYNOPSIS: Elma Sands slips out of her cousin’s boardinghouse one cold winter evening in December of 1799, and isn’t seen again until her body is discovered at the bottom of the Manhattan Well. The streets are calling for the head of her presumed suitor Levi Weeks, but his wealthy builder brother Ezra has a few favors to call in. Aaron Burr could really use some good press to help him win the 1800 election, and shrewdly agrees to represent Levi. Political rival and Major General Alexander Hamilton sees right through Burr’s supposed good will, and immediately joins Levi’s defense team to counteract Burr’s bid for power. Hamilton, however, soon becomes convinced of Levi’s innocence, and ramps up his defense in earnest. But can Hamilton and Burr set aside their hatred to save Levi, find the killer, and avenge Elma? Or is mutual destruction the only thing on the horizon?

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin’s boarding house—and doesn’t come home. No one knows what happened to her until her body appears in the Manhattan Well. Her family insists they know who killed her. Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma. Levi’s wealthy brother calls in a special favor, asking Aaron Burr to defend Levi. Aaron Burr’s legal practice can’t finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. If he were to defend Levi it would be a double win: a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines. Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn’t going to let Burr monopolize the public’s attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man’s life—and destroy each other.

This book was fascinating. It is part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime. I had never heard of this murder case before, so I had to do a deep dive on the internet and read everything I could find on the subject. I have had a fascination with Alexander Hamilton ever since the Hamilton musical came to Disney, where we watched it over and over. The animosity and competitiveness between Burr & Hamilton was highlighted in the musical and it was prevalent in this as well. I did, at least already know the backstory of why they had such animosity towards each other. If you love historical fiction, then you should definitely check this out.

There were parts of this book that I LOVED and parts of this book that just did not work for me. I loved the history - Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr - sign me up! The murder mystery, true crime, history, it was all done incredibly well. Based on a true story of a young woman who was found murdered. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are working together to keep the man her family is convinced killed her from the gallows. I did not love the language used, I felt that although important and factual, actually detracted from the storyline. I also found that there were too many opinions and characters, that at times were hard to keep track of. I thought that the characters were incredible, well developed, described and realistic. I thought that although some parts were slow, the pacing of the book was overall really well done. If you are interested in history and true crime - this is a great one.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

3.5 Stars

The story of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is well known but this part of their history was not known to me. Hamilton and Burr had to work together but the difference in their styles was evident.

I enjoyed the history in this book and how true to the time the author stayed. The story is a slow read. There were parts that were repetitive but that may be just how things were in the time. The trial of Levi Weeks appeared chaotic that may have been typical for that time.

The history of the story pulled me in but it was a book that I could put down and walk away from without any urgency to pick it back up.

At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.

The historical research is outstanding. And I loved reading about Hamilton and Burr. This is also a versatile read as well. It is part mystery, historical fiction and true crime. This is why I kept reading. I really wanted to see how it turned out.

There is a lot that I enjoyed about this book. I loved the history and the great atmosphere of New York during this time periodof 1800. But the story itself moved very slow for me. It is just a bit too wordy, with long chapters and lots of dialog.

My favorite by this author is Band of Sisters. Still, hands down the favorite!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

An intriguing historical true crime fiction story that captivated me from the beginning.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.
The well-developed character pulls you into the story immediately and keeps you glued to the pages.

I was excited to read this book. The description was intriguing, and I was not disappointed. The rotating point of view helped give a well-rounded picture of the events leading up to the trial. Nearly everyone was keeping secrets, so there was a good bit of suspense regarding who had actually committed the crime. The court case really came to life, and it was interesting to see the differences between investigations and trials then and now. I also appreciated the historical notes. I would recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially centering on early American history or true crimes.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the early read.

I was super excited about the premise of this book being centered around the first murder trial in the United States. But, for whatever reason, I could not get sucked into this book. I enjoyed learning about how the legal process worked in the early days, though. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a chance to read this one early in exchange for an honest review.

I was given The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig in exchange for my honest review by the publisher through NetGalley.

The story follows the trial of a murdered girl, Elma Sands. The book is based on the real life trial and its lawyers, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr along with many other characters that have been lost to time.

The book is an engaging read that transports you to the time period and the convoluted judicial system of the nineteenth century,

Late in 1799, Elma Sands leaves her cousin’s boarding house and doesn’t come home. Questions abound about what happened, but no one knows for sure until her body is found. Although her family insists they know who the killer is, the brother of the accused calls in Burr to defend his brother. Hamilton can’t stand to see his enemy get all the attention, so he joins the defense team as well. Not always working together, they race against the clock to save the life of the accused – and do whatever damage they can to the other’s reputation.

This book is based on a true story pitting Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr against each other in the courtroom. Both men have expensive political aspirations, and it seems that both took the case to advance those dreams rather than to defend a man who proclaims his innocence. Although they both had their moments, I really didn’t like the behavior of either of them, but there weren’t many other characters in this book that I liked either. It was gratifying to learn that some of those who seemed devious to me actually deserved that suspicion. The culprit was on my short list, but I wasn’t sure about my accusation until just before it was revealed in the book. The motive annoyed me but made sense.

The historical details in the book often seemed to overpower the rest of the story, leading me to give the book a lower rating than I might otherwise have done. That said, I have read and enjoyed many of this author’s books, so will keep an eye out for her next book.

Summary:
Read of America's first murder trial. Who was the victim? Who was the accused? How did it end? What happened in between the murder and the verdict? And how does Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr figure into it all? Go back in time to see it all unfold.

Lauren Willig is one of my favorite authors! She's one of my auto-buy authors who I just know is going to take me on a journey along with her characters. I discovered her The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and haven't looked back since. I eagerly anticipate her releases and am excitedly counting down the days to when her books will be in my hands.

Having said all that, The Girl From Greenwich Street wasn't my favorite of her works. It wasn't a story I couldn't put down like I'm used to with other Lauren Willig books. However, I still enjoyed reading of how everything unfolded. Seeing how the case was tried back then was in many ways both similar and different to how they are tried now. Plus, it was fun to see Hamilton get under Burr's skin again.

Elma Sands isn't a wealthy young woman by any means. The surprise product of her unmarried parents, you find Elma living with her cousin's family. You find out quickly she is preparing for an important night that she expects will take her life in a very different direction. She was focusing on a bright and happy future. However, while she leaves for her evening, she never returns. A couple weeks later, her body is found in a well. Questions abound. Theories float around as fast as the gossip version of events do. It doesn't take long for Levi Weeks to become the only one accused- despite his firm stand that he had nothing to do with her death. But, times being what they were, the court of public opinion made it's own ruling.

Alexander Hamilton sees this case as a way to get in with Levi Weeks's brother, who is an expert builder of homes. Not only that, it's also a chance to bug the daylights out of Aaron Burr who had recently screwed Hamilton over in a well deal- the very well Elma is found in. While the two butt heads, you learn the background of all the people involved with the case. Elma's cousin Caty and her husband have a less than perfect marriage- which comes into play with Elma. Caty's sister, Hope, had a blooming romance with Levi that comes to an abrupt halt. As Caty's marriage is tested to the brink, Hope is forced to look at the truth through her own eyes, not Caty's filter.

Like I said, this wasn't a book I couldn't put down, or was gripped with. But I did enjoy learning about the people involved and seeing how things played out back then. I enjoyed the interaction between Burr and Hamilton. I'm glad I read it. It was interesting and informative to get the behind the scenes look at everything as it unfolded.

I snatched this book up solely based on Hamilton and Burr. But when reading, H&B were actually the worst parts of the book. I was super into the murder. I wanted to know about this community. But the rest of it moved slow and felt a little crankier than necessary. I am sure that history tell us that they were all cranky, but I wanted to read something a little more enjoyable with a side of Hamilton to it.

The historical note and the "where did they end up section" are not to be missed.

A historical true crime fiction book based upon an actual murder trial in New York city in the 1800s. The historical notes from the author at the end of the novel are enlightening and we learn where she got the materials for the trial in the novel. The writing was good , but the story was a bit of a slow burn for the first half but once the trial got started it become more intriguing for me and with the evidence produced one can form their own opinion clearly of the guilt or innocence of Levi Weeks, accused murderer of Elma Sands — with many famous historical names in the courtroom. We also get a clear imagine of how the justice system and trials were conducted in that time period. I would recommend this book to historical fiction and true crime book lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC . This is my honest review.

A very cool work of historical fiction based on the murder of a young woman in 1800. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr didn't get along more times than not, but worked together on this real life murder case of The People versus Levi Weeks.
Just before Xmas, of 1799, Elma Weeks left her cousin's boarding house, saying she was meeting her intended. Her body was later discovered in the Manhattan well. Levi Weeks is quickly fingered as the perpetrator of the crime. His brother calls in a favor to Aaron Burr for this defense. However, Alexander Hamilton cannot let Burr take the credit for this defense. He inserts himself into the case, determined to save Levi and find the real murderer.
This was a super interesting work of historical fiction. I'd never heard of this case, nor was aware that Hamilton and Burr ever worked together after the Revolution. Very enjoyable read. As we all still seem to do, you'll be routing for Hamilton.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this digital e-arc.*