The Girl from Greenwich Street
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Title: The Girl from Greenwich Street
Published by: William Morrow
Release Date: March 4, 2025
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
ISBN13: 978-0063306110
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.
Praise & Awards
- Library Journal Mystery and Suspense Pick of the Month
- Historical Novels Society Editors' Choice
Add on Goodreads“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)
“For those new to this real-life incident, a noted murder case from early America, 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. For others familiar with the history, it resounds as a well-thought-out dramatization, capped by a long, satisfying author’s note…. [R]iveting fiction.” – Historical Novels Review (Editors’ Choice)
“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
“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
“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 historical fiction is always meticulously researched. If she seems to demonstrate a superpower, it's her ability to draw readers in through her characters. Her novels make reading --- and learning about history --- extremely enjoyable. In THE GIRL FROM GREENWICH STREET, Willig doesn't create her own characters, as the real-life figures are compelling enough for her to work with. She has created a wonderful murder mystery based on an actual trial in which Alexander Hamilton and his nemesis, Aaron Burr, were co-counsel. This is historical fiction at its best.” -- Bookreporter (featured review)