ARC Review: The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig

The Girl from Greenwich Street
Author: Lauren Willig
Publication: William Morrow (March 4, 2025)

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: 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. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.