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.*

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!