I loved this unique and fresh look at a classic historical moment and true crime. The Girl from Greenwich Street centers the murder of Elma Sands and the following trial of Levi Weeks in 1800. It’s part murder mystery, part family drama, part political intrigue! I enjoyed how this story took me into a deep dive on the Hamilton and Burr relationship, their personalities, and larger political goals. I liked how the women in this story were messy and able to be realistic. Overall, I had a great time trying to unravel the mystery with the author doing a fantastic job of casting doubt on various characters. I would highly recommend

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.

If you can't get enough of Hamilton & Burr, by all means read this historical novel!  

But I wanted to read a mystery novel based on true events in historical NYC, and I found myself frustrated by all the extraneous details of what else Hamilton and Burr were up to at that time.  I only wanted to read about their research and the trial.  I wish this book had been more focused on the mystery of who Elma was and who murdered her.  

In the afterword, Willig has a lot more to say about Elma, and I assume she was reluctant to include it in the novel since it's hearsay and guesswork, with  no facts to back up the ideas.  But this is a novel, and I'm fine with plenty of fiction in my novels.  With WIllig's insistence on sticking only to the known facts, this book lacks the usual delight and animation that can be found in most of WIllig's novels.  Overall, it felt quite flat.

I'd never heard of the Manhattan Well Murder, but apparently it really happened, Levi Weeks was accused of murdering young Elma Sands.  I avoided reading any online articles about the real murder, so as to not spoil myself.

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were both defense attorneys in this murder trial.  This is billed as a novel about America's first murder trial, but there is A LOT of day-to-day detail of Hamilton and Burr's lives included in here that has NOTHING to do with the murder trial.   If you are a fan of Hamilton and/or Burr and want to read more about them, you will love this book.  I was looking for a mystery, and I was frustrated.  

I  didn't find it fully believable that Levi, on trial for murder and in danger of hanging, refused to speak plainly for fear of harming Elma's reputation, but since this is based on real events and actual testimony, apparently that's really the way it happened.
Caty Sands is portrayed as the villain of the story (but not the murder) which I thought was an odd choice on Willig's part.

The story is told from multiple POVs:  
Elma - the murder victim 
Catherine (aka Caty) - Elma's cousin & Levi's landlady 
Hope - Catherine's younger sister, who also lives in the boardinghouse
Alexander Hamilton - Levi's defense attorney
Aaron Burr - Levi's defense attorney
Cadwallader Colden - the prosecuting attorney

I enjoyed how well Willig showed Hamilton's disdain for Burr in Hamilton's POV, and Burr's disdain for Hamilton in his POVs (although it became clear to me that Willig prefers Hamilton).  Burr sees Hamilton as a gullible and naïve hothead who is so taken up with his principles that he fails to see the facts in front of him and alienates people that he should be allied with.   Hamilton sees Burr as a deceitful and manipulative narcissist.

<b>words I looked up:</b>
coffee biggin - a two or three part enamelware contraption that allows steeping and drip brewing of coffee, looks like a convoluted combination of a french press and pour-over - apparently these things are still available, although I've never heard of them.
cherry bounce - a liqueur or brandy, cherries, and spices, from North Carolina
carter - the driver of a cart or coach (somehow I never knew this!)
warm posset -  warmed milk with wine or ale added, often with sugar and spices also added.

<b>TW for rape.</b>  A second trial is described in this book, after the murder trial there is a rape trial, and the defense uses the usual "the girl is lying she clearly wanted it" line, which will be quite triggering for many.

I was given an ARC of this book in return for a review.

Another good read from Ms. Willig.

In this story we investigate the death of Elma Sands, a twenty-two year old lady found dead in the Manhattan Well. Elma has been living in her cousin's (Catherine Ring) house, along with several other boarders. Levi Weeks, another boarder in the house, is accused of the murder. It was believed that Elma and Levi were eloping the night she disappeared. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are both lawyers for Mr. Weeks. Read this great book to find out what happened to Ms. Sands and if Levi is truly the guilty party. Book publishes in March 2025.

“Aaron refused to compare him to a phoenix from the flame—the man would enjoy that far too much—but it was undeniable that Hamilton had a remarkable capacity for emerging scarred but undaunted from conflagrations that ought to have reduced him to ash.”


Only a Harvard Law graduate with 25 historical fiction novels under her belt would take on a trial featuring both Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, and she does it with the brilliance of a candle in a dark revolutionary era courtroom. Willig’s latest could be categorized as Historical True Crime and those looking for a non-WW2 mystery will celebrate.

The Manhattan Well murder trial in 1800 features some of the most compelling figures of the time, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, alongside a group of supporting, never heard of characters, whose lives were changed forever. 22 year old Elma Sands was found murdered in a well and the narrative plays out to reveal a behind the scenes look at what a courtroom drama in New York City might look like. The family at the center of the case is Quaker, so the thees and thous take a bit of getting used to, but patient readers will be rewarded with a race to the finish ending - Guilty or Not Guilty.

Ms. Willig’s extensive author notes will serve as proof of the impeccable research devoted to the novel and left this reader gobsmacked by all the players who actually existed (nearly all). In a time where the court of public opinion is a key player in our justice system, The Girl from Greenwich Street shows how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Many thanks to William Morrow and Net Galley for the early copy in change for my honest opinion.

I will admit it: I almost DNF'ed this because I really struggled in the beginning with the fruity language of the Sands's and with the pacing. But I'm really glad I stuck with it! The pacing picked up pretty quickly, I got used to Hope and Catherine's thees and thous, and the story hooked me in! The author did a great job examining Burr and Hamilton's rivalry all while they were on the same side of a very high profile court case. I really grew to feel for Hope especially as a character. Given the popularity of Hamilton, I hope there's lots of interest and hype around this fun historical mystery!

I love a good legal mystery/historical fiction and this one did not disappoint. I do not recall reading a Willig book before and I really enjoyed the story and the work she put into this with the information needed for the trial/history. I will be sure to look into what comes next from her.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book.

I was super excited to be approved for this book as I have enjoyed other books by Lauren Willig. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this story. I am thinking I may try the audiobook when it is released but for now this is a no for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I was excited when I heard about Lauren Willig’s next book, The Girl from Greenwich Street, and that it would focus on a murder trial in 1800 that Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr served as co-counsels for the defense. I was further intrigued to find there was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to this trial in “Non-Stop” in the Hamilton musical. But while the idea of the book appealed to me, the execution fell very flat.
I respect Willig’s attempt to read between the lines of not just the records of the trial transcripts, but other historical records, to dig into these people, a lot of whom exist in the margins of history. But I think this does them a huge disservice, even if it wasn’t intentional. There’s a lot of salaciousness to this story, and it is well conveyed, but without really knowing or caring who Elma or Katy or Levi and so on were, I just found myself bored, especially when the text didn’t give me further reason to care. And when you’re also working with such legendary figures as Hamilton and Burr, and trying to balance the narrative between them all, the others that are less well-known need to stand out just as well, or the story just doesn’t interest me as much. The only reaction I had once I got to the epilogue about any of the people beyond Hamilton or Burr was a “Good riddance” when finding out about Levi’s fate. I feel natural empathy for any murder victim and their family, but the connection to anyone beyond that was sorely lacking.
I had mixed feelings about the writing too. On the one hand, I do feel like it added to the atmosphere and the “historical” feel with the use of the period-accurate language, but it also contributed to the distance I felt between the reader and the characters, something that is not typical of a Willig novel. Respect to her for trying something new, but this book was missing her typical sparkling charm and wit, even if some of it would be a little out of place, given the subject matter.
The plot was a mixed bag for me. There were a few vaguely connected threads that all got tied up in an increasingly convoluted legal drama, from the initial Elma murder to some other murder to the conflict between Hamilton and Burr, and as a result my interest fluctuated. The second half was a bit better than the first, being much better paced and engaging, but it was also a lot more complex, with a lot of it going over my head.
While I didn’t care for it as much as I had hoped, I do like what this book is trying to do. And given that, in addition to her background in history, Lauren Willig studied law, it is fascinating to read a book that marries the two topics in such a relatively creative way. I imagine someone who is equally passionate about both and not just a casual consumer of mystery/thriller books and police procedurals might get a lot more out of this than I did.

I love Lauren Willig's books and have for years! To me, this was a departure from her usual writing and seemed more of a retelling of a true crime story in fiction format. I missed her usual snarky and fun writing and felt this was too much of a straightforward retelling. It was obvious she did a lot of research into the murder and the characters at the time, which is great and really brought the story to life! I learned a lot about Hamilton and Burr and especially NYC during this time. There was also a lot of mystery and suspense around the trial and murder as well that propelled the story. Great choice for true crime aficionados and Hamilton fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

This is a well researched novel about America’s first sensational murder trial. The girl in the title is Elma, the murder victim. The main characters are her family, the accused, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as the defense lawyers. I had never heard of this trial so knowing it was well researched was a definite plus. In addition, Lauren Willig uses the epilogue to give you some information on what happened to these people after the trial. She also has extensive notes at the end. These notes give you additional information as well as letting you know where she stuck to the facts and where she made minor changes. I always love Lauren Willig’s historical fiction and this one is no exception. Great story written by a master in her field.

This historical fiction story pairs up Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr on the same side in a sensational murder trial in 1800 New York City. Elma Sands leaves her home one evening saying that she is going to be married and is found a few days later in the Manhattan Well.

The main suspect is young Levi Weeks who lived at the boarding house where Elma lived with her cousin and her family. Public opinion is immediate and firmly of the opinion that Levi murdered Elma.

Burr is hired by Levi's wealthy and influential older brother to defend Levi. Hamilton pushes his way onto the defense team because he and Burr are political rivals, and Hamilton doesn't want Burr to get the positive publicity when an election is in the offing. Burr is interested in getting Weeks off which is what his brother has demanded. Hamilton would like to find the guilty party in order to restore Weeks reputation.

They are opposed by a younger and less successful prosecutor named Cadwallader Colden who has a history of failing to convict a number of previous cases.

All of these characters are viewpoint characters as is Catherine Ring who is Elma's cousin and the proprietor of the boarding house where they live. This is a twisty story that stays as close to the truth as Willig can manage. Elma's murder hasn't been solved to this day. The many characters, all with their own agendas and biases, get a chance to tell their stories.

I didn't form particularly good opinions of either Burr or Hamilton, but seeing what things were like for those patriots after the American Revolution was something of a revelation. I might be the only English-speaking person who has never seen the musical Hamilton or heard the recordings which means that I went into the story knowing almost nothing about Hamilton. I had some vague recollection of a Burr-Hamilton duel but had to visit Wikipedia for the details.

I particularly liked the notes at the end letting me know what happened to the main characters of the book and how Willig researched the case to try to tell the story that was closest to the truth of what happened.

Fans of Willig's work, mysteries, and early American History will enjoy this one.

3.5 stars rounded up for a historical fiction book based upon an actual murder trial in New York city in 1800. The author read the trial transcript and the dialogue during the trial is taken from the transcript. In her author note at the end of the book, she explains that she had to reconstruct parts of the trial, since the transcript did not identify which of the 3 defendant lawyers asked which questions. She also explains that Hamilton and Burr were political rivals, and that this trial was a means of publicizing their legal and oratorical abilities. While most Americans are familiar with Burr and Hamilton, only students of NYS history would recognize the name Cadwallader Colden, the prosecutor. Colden had a distinguished career, serving as NYC mayor, NYS Senator and president of the New York Manumission Society.
I would recommend this book to historical fiction fans and legal mystery fans. It did drag a little in the beginning.
Some other characters:
Levi Weeks, accused murderer:
Emma Sands, murder victim
Brockholst Livingston, 3rd defendant lawyer, in addition to Hamilton and Burr
Thank You William Morrow Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#TheGirlFromGreenwichStreet #NetGalley

Pub Date Mar 04 2025

I love a well-researched historical fiction novel, especially when it ends with extensive details and sources in the Authors Note! Fans of the Hamilton musical may recall the lyrics of Non-Stop include:

"Gentlemen of the jury, I’m curious, bear with me
Are you aware that we’re making hist’ry?
This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation"

Lauren Willig's newest novel The Girl from Greenwich Street is part murder mystery, part courtroom drama, delving into the murder of a young woman and the subsequent court case against Levi Weeks. Political rivals Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton both served as defense lawyers for the trial which added additional tension. It was fascinating to get this look into the early American legal system and 18th century crime solving tactics as they tried to determine what happened to poor Elma Sands.

Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy of a very anticipated book. I've been reading Lauren Willig since her Pink Carnation days and love her books but The Girl From Greenwich Street fell short for me.

Based on the true story of a famous trial where rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr work together to investigate the murder of a young woman as the defense council for the man accused of the crime. This was the first recorded murder trial in the US and was the talk of NYC the spring in 1800.

Willig's research was impressive and I loved the author's note at the end along with her focusing more on Elma but I just couldn't get into this book. I don't know if it was the 1800s language, especially the Quakers use of thee and thou, along with so many characters and a lot between Hamilton & Burr that I never really got into the story and was bored.

I wanted to love this book and i think fans of Hamilton might really liked it and those who want a 19th century Law and Order sensational trial.

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig is a historical fiction. Easy to read with unexpected twists and tragic events.

Releases Mar. 4th . I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Elma Sands was the unfortunate relation who no one wanted, shunted between relatives and born in shame. For two years she had been living with her cousin Caty Ring, a good Quaker, who ran a boardinghouse and millinery at 208 Greenwich Street. On December 22, 1799, Elma was giddy, trying to decide which kerchief suited her best, never mind that one belonged to Peggy, who worked in the millinery. That night when Elma left the house on Greenwich Street she thought it was for a better life. Because her rendezvous at Lispenard's Meadow was the first stop on the way to the church, because she meant to be married that night! Well, the second stop, after she went next door to borrow Beth's muff. A muff that would be found two days later near the Manhattan Well. Her body was recovered from that very well on Thursday, January 2nd, 1800. Everyone assumed that the "groom" had to be responsible for Elma's death and the blame landed on Elma's supposed beau, Levi Weeks, who was arrested. The arrival of Levi Weeks at the Ring's boardinghouse was the first of several momentous events in Elma's life in 1799 that culminated in her death. The second was an outbreak of yellow fever which sent Caty and her children to the country and left Elma in charge of the boardinghouse. The third was Elma becoming ill and her cousin refusing to send for a doctor. Speculation being that Elma miscarried. Which begs the question, who was the father? And could this man also have been her killer? While Levi Weeks was nothing more than a carpenter, his brother, Ezra Weeks, who laid the pipes for the Manhattan Well, was one of the most sought-after builders in the city and was going to make sure his brother's defense was the best. To that extent he retained Henry Brockholst Livingston and Aaron Burr as defense attorneys. And then Alexander Hamilton offered himself up as part of the defense. Hamilton personally knew that it wasn't enough to create doubt, one must leave no doubt when a man's honor is at stake, and possibly another man's dream home. Because Hamilton desperately wanted Ezra Weeks to build him a house and when he exonerated Levi that dream would become a reality, and thwarting Burr was just an added bonus. When the trial began on March 31st Hamilton brought the drama and Burr brought his methodical destruction of the prosecution's evidence, point by point. They were often at odds in their defense of Levi, but at the end of the unheard of two day trial history would be written with the verdict for the first recorded murder trial in the United States.

This is the book that Lauren was born to write with her background in law, history, and historical fiction. She brought to life a murder trial, which, while sensational, could have felt too much like a weighty tome read for a history class if not handled this deftly. She has done what few are able to do in true crime and historical fiction, I felt that all the people were real, not just mechanisms to solve an unsolved mystery. Elma wasn't just a victim, as Lauren has Alexander discover when looking into the case. You get a sense of Elma, the forceful young lady who was restless and unable to break out of her circumstances. Trapped by religion, family, and sex, she has been lost to history as just the victim and not remembered as a complicated woman. And who she was was informed by who she lived with and the day to day life of Caty and Elias Ring's boardinghouse adds that extra human dimension that is so necessary to really connect to history. What's more, she captured the city of New York in 1800. I felt like it was it's own character, and I kept thinking that in that regard it reminded me of The Alienist. The city was alive and had a pulsing heart and it just swallowed up Elma whole. I almost felt as if the city killed her more than any one real person. Lauren also hones in on weird details that make everything feel more real. Like the Manhattan Well project thought that wood would work well for pipes. Wood. And I'm not talking about the kind you smoke. And yes, I get that this did happen going back in history, I just feel that by 1800 they should have known better. But it's not just the weird little quirks of the city that Lauren captures, but weird shifts in law that we, used to watching Law and Order and a million other procedural shows, might not know. Like Levi Weeks couldn't take the stand in his own defense. That. That is just wild. I mean. I feel like that is the basis of a defense case and yet they were not allowed to use it. Also the fact that two days for a murder trial was unheard of. Were they just looking for the jury to convict or acquit quickly because they wanted to go home? And yes, there were murder trials before this one, despite what some reviewers would have you believe, this is the first recorded murder trial, and by recorded, that means we have a transcript thanks to William Coleman, who himself had a storied life. But speaking of the most storied lives, Burr and Hamilton. Because of Lin-Maniel Miranda's musical we have a kind of propitiatory air when it comes to these two. Lauren taps into that but also you feel that they're real people. Not just people dancing and singing to entertain, but putting on a show to free a man. If this book has one fault it's that seeing as this is historical fiction I felt that Lauren would have been justified to take the extra step and say straight-out that Caty Ring's boarder Richard Croucher was the real killer. Perhaps the historian in her wouldn't let her do that except in the "Historical Note." For me though, I think I needed it. I needed that moment of Elma facing Richard at the well. I needed the story to come full circle back to her.

The Girl from Greenwich Street is an unputdownable historical mystery. I was riveted from the first chapter. Elma Sands had been murdered, and a young man's life is now at stake. Upon Elma's body being found in the Manhattan Well in 1800, young Levi Weeks who lived at the same boarding house as Elma, is accused of her murder. There is a cast of shady characters, all who have motive to do away with Elma. Throughout the novel I wasn't entirely certain who was to blame. I even questioned Elma herself. The author does a good job of getting the reader to examine the case from all sides. I want to put this five-star book into the hands of my fellow readers as soon as it comes out. I think this book will make an excellent book club pick.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this incredible ARC.

In THE GIRL FROM GREENWICH STREET, written by Lauren Willig, the body of Elma Sands is found in a Manhattan well. Elma leaves the boarding house, owned by her Quaker cousin, to meet her lover, Levi Weeks. She is found dead in the well. Levi is accused of murdering Elma. Aaron Burr is hired to represent Levi, and Alexander Hamilton also assists with proving Levi’s innocence. I am intrigued and read on.
This historical mystery is well-written. Lauren Willig easily moves the plot between present and past and seemlessly weaves facts from her research into the story. There are times during Levi’s trial when I am completely mesmerized. I have read books in Willig's Pink Carnation Series, but this is the first stand-alone novel of hers I am experiencing. I hope to read more of her historical fiction mysteries. Thank you, William Morrow and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of THE GIRL FROM GREENWICH STREET.

What a great who done it. The research done by the author of life in the 1800’s, and the Quaker speech along with trial protocol during that time was well done, or since I don’t know any better, I believed it is well done, worked for me.

The story is based upon a true happening, is completely believable, and the timeline was easy to follow. I listened to this via voice view on my Kindle and I backtracked several times just because I wanted to listen closely and not miss anything, especially during the actual trial. The author did a wonderful telling and I always love when they take the time in the epilogue to tell us “the rest of the story” by giving us a rundown of afterwards.

I also really liked the many twists and turns the book takes, it adds depth to the story, well done, Ms. Willig, well done. Comes in with high 5 stars from me.

I received an ARC from William Morrow and NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Set in Manhattan, The Girl from Greenwich Street is a historical fiction novel based on true events. It presents the trial in 1800 of Levi Weeks, accused of murdering Guilielma (Elma) Sands on December 22, 1799.

Elma, 22, lived with her Quaker cousin Catherine Ring, Catherine's husband Elias, and their children in the boarding house that the Rings owned. Levi Weeks, a carpenter, was one of several boarders at the house. Elma left the house the evening of December 22nd and never returned. Her body was found twelve days later on January 2, 1800.

I found it particularly interesting that political rivals Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton both served as defense lawyers for the trial (along with Livingston Brockholst) as an important election neared. Burr strictly wanted a "not guilty" verdict for his client so that he could focus his attention on the upcoming election. Hamilton not only was after the "not guilty" verdict, but wanted to delve deeper, identify the true murderer, and give Elma the justice owed her.

The author's extensive research into the case is evident throughout the novel. She does a very good job of placing readers into the time period and scenes, and in bringing the characters and the trial to life. I enjoyed not only the book, but also the author's notes at the end of the book. I much appreciate that she informed readers as to what happened to each of the main characters following the trial.

The novel is a wonderful mix of genres (mystery, crime, politics of the day, historical fiction, legal drama) which kept me turning pages from beginning to end. I highly recommend The Girl from Greenwich Street!

Many thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to access a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 3/4/25. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.