The Girl from Greenwich Street - by Lauren Willig (Hardcover)

About the Book

Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone--and no one--seemed to know.

Book Synopsis

"This is historical fiction at its best." --Book Reporter

Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone--and no one--seemed to know.

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.

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin's boarding house--and doesn't come home. Has she eloped? Run away? No one knows--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.

But privately, quietly, Levi's wealthy brother calls in a special favor....

Aaron Burr's legal practice can't finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. To defend Levi Weeks is 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.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history--with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale.

"A real triumph! In Lauren Willig's brilliant retelling of one of the most famous murder trials in American history, she brings to poignant life its most forgotten figure -- the high-spirited young woman whose killing was used by the trial's lawyers, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, for their own political ends. Willig gives us a masterful portrait of the many perils of being a woman in this country's earliest years." -- Lynne Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of Empress of the Nile

Review Quotes

"A real triumph! In Lauren Willig's brilliant retelling of one of the most famous murder trials in American history, she brings to poignant life its most forgotten figure -- the high-spirited young woman whose killing was used by the trial's lawyers, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, for their own political ends. Willig gives us a masterful portrait of the many perils of being a woman in this country's earliest years." - Lynne Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of Empress of the Nile
Lauren Willig just keeps getting better. Readers have come to know and love her work for its assiduous research, complex characters and vivid prose, and THE GIRL FROM GREENWICH STREET delivers on all of that and more. This historical whodunnit has it all: a cast of giants coming to life on every page, a haunting leading lady finally pulled from the shadows and footnotes, and a masterful telling of America's first murder trial. No wonder the Manhattan Well Murder was the great scandal of its day and continues to capture imaginations with its elusivity and mystery. Probing, penetrating and utterly engrossing--Willig's latest is a stunner from start to finish. - Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Margaret Fuller
"Willig offers a gripping dramatization of the proceedings as well as a comprehensive historical note that delves into the real-life case, the primary sources, and titles about the sensational trial. A perfect tale for fans of courtroom dramas and for lovers of historical fiction."
- Booklist
"Lauren Willig's latest book reads as an edge-of-your-seat crime novel, with sharp, panoramic characterizations and twists seemingly too fantastic to be true." - Historical Novels Review
"Historical personalities bring this real story to life in a riveting account of the first U.S. murder trial for which there is a transcript. The author of the "Pink Carnation" series leans on that transcript for the trial testimony in a gripping novel that will appeal to true-crime buffs, those interested in Hamilton and Burr, and historical mystery fans." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Willig has clearly done her research; the world of the fledgling 19th century leaps from the page in sensory detail, emphasizing the casual suffering of women, in particular, and the ever present threat of violence--and childbirth. Hamilton and Burr are not reduced to caricature, but held up with a loving eye on the pride and intransigence that would ultimately lead to their legendary downfalls. Above all, we witness the birth of a young nation's legal system, and are left, perhaps, feeling better about the course of justice in 1800 than in 2025." - Kirkus Reviews
"Filled with vivid details, shocking truths, and two sly, strong women who bring panache and humor to every scene. I'm simply in awe of the masterful, magical way Lauren Willig makes history come alive." - Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace, on Two Wars and a Wedding
"Lauren Willig delivers a winning epic of war and friendship. Readers will devour this riveting tale." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Two Wars and a Wedding