31 Bond Street

First time novelist Ellen Horan has written a great book. Action, romance, mystery and some moral attitude all make up the book that is 31 Bond Street.

31 Bond Street is about love, deception, slavery, murder and power mongers in New York City in the years before the Civil War. Based on the story of the actual murder of a man named Harvey Burdell, the book starts with the murder and then moves back in time. The arrest of Emma Cunningham, who was either the most conniving woman who ever lived or an innocent woman caught up in horrific circumstances makes for a very good read indeed.

Emma gets arrested for the murder after she was placed under house arrest by a corrupt coroner and a prosecuting attorney out to make a name for himself. She is a widow who is living in Burdell's house as the "housekeeper." The corner and the prosecutor are trying to make new careers as New York politicians.

The book alternates between the murder investigation, the events leading up to the pairing of Cunningham and Burdell and the thoughts of defense attorney, Henry Clinton. These three characters were actual people involved in the murder trial. The book is factual and contains small reprints from newspapers of the time.

The book was an interesting read. They way the book is written, starting with the murder and then backtracking leads to a few surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, mainly because I was surprised at the actual events that led up to the murder.

31 Bond Street By Horan, Ellen 2010-04 - Harper 9780061773969 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title The sensational murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell in his lower Manhattan townhouse was the biggest news story in the U.S. before the Civil War. Deftly interweaving fiction and fact, "31 Bond Street" is a clever historical narrative that blends romance, politics, and intrigue. …More