THE GIRL FROM GREENWICH STREET

Willig explores a real-life unsolved murder case from early U.S. history.

December 1799: Vivacious Elma Sands leaves her cousin Caty Ring’s boardinghouse for a secret assignation; her body is later found in a well. Suspicion immediately falls on Levi Weeks, another boarder, who’s been romantically linked to Elma for several months, and the young man is quickly brought up on charges. His wealthy brother, Ezra, enlists the help of lawyers Aaron Burr and Brockholst Livingston, exhorting them only to ensure that Levi is acquitted. Enter Alexander Hamilton. Struggling under the weight of recent political disappointments and unable to stop himself from meddling in Burr’s affairs, Hamilton joins the defense team. To his mind, it’s not enough to sow doubt about Levi’s guilt—he must ensure that the young man’s reputation survives the ravages of trial. Hamilton discovers that there is at least one person with a motive for murdering Elma: her cousin Caty’s Quaker husband, Elias Ring. Willig follows the investigation and its immediate effects on Caty and her sister, Hope. As Hamilton uncovers domestic secrets, his counterpart for the prosecution, Cadwallader Colden, is rather buffoonishly preparing his case by racing sleds and racking up an incredible number of possible witnesses. The novel culminates in Levi’s trial, where the lawyers’ battling egos threaten to undo their good work. 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.

True crime for Lin-Manuel Miranda fans.