31 Bond Street [Hardcover]

Ellen Horan (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 30, 2010

Who killed Dr. Harvey Burdell?

Though there are no witnesses and no clues, fingers point to Emma Cunningham, the refined, pale-skinned widow who managed Burdell’s house and his servants. Rumored to be a black-hearted gold digger with designs on the doctor’s name and fortune, Emma is immediately put under house arrest during a murder investigation. A swift conviction is sure to catapult flamboyant district attorney Abraham Oakey Hall into the mayor’s seat. But one formidable obstacle stands in his way: the defense attorney Henry Clinton. Committed to justice and the law, Clinton will aid the vulnerable widow in her desperate fight to save herself from the gallows.

Set in 1857 New York, this gripping mystery is also a richly detailed excavation of a lost age. Horan vividly re-creates a tumultuous era characterized by a sensationalist press, aggressive new wealth, a booming real-estate market, corruption, racial conflict, economic inequality between men and women, and the erosion of the old codes of behavior. A tale of murder, sex, greed, and politics, this spellbinding narrative transports readers to a time that eerily echoes our own.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Scandal, social climbing, and corruption in Manhattan during the 1850s come alive in Horan’s historical mystery. Emma Cunningham, a widow with two teenage daughters, becomes financially and emotionally involved with Harvey Burdell, a wealthy dentist and land speculator. Without witnesses, he is murdered brutally in their Bond Street townhouse, and Cunningham is accused of the crime. An ambitious lawyer, Henry Clinton, risks his reputation and livelihood to defend her and solve the crime. Meanwhile, Horan describes living conditions in mid-nineteenth-century Manhattan: government corruption is rampant, Tammany Hall is coming to power, the Fugitive Slave Acts threaten to undo the work of the Underground Railroad, and poverty and wealth run equally rampant. Horan’s characters, like Edith Wharton’s, are motivated by social class and survival in a world ruled by wealth and national uncertainty. This unique look at history and the private lives of those affected by it makes for captivating reading. --Heather Paulson

Review

“31 BOND STREET is an impressive blend of imagination and history as it vividly brings to life one of New York’s City’s most notorious crimes. Ellen Horan has written a novel that, once begun, will be difficult for any reader to put down.” (Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of Serena )

“Horan brings to life a sensational 19th-century New York City murder trial in which a woman is accused of viciously killing her husband. . . . An engaging mix of fact and fiction, with a juicy trial, sensationalistic reporters, and lots of local urban color.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“This thrilling book becomes not only a murder mystery, but a Wharton-esque examination of the mores and customs of antebellum New York society. . . . Rich with historical detail, 31 BOND STREET is one of the best debut novels in a long while.” (BookPage )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1st edition (March 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061773964
• ISBN-13: 978-0061773969
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

http://www.31BondStreet.com
Ellen Horan was raised in Philadelphia and New York. After graduating from college, where she studied painting and history, she lived in France for a year while working as an au pair and studying studio art. She remained abroad for a second year and was offered a grant to live and paint in the South of France. She returned to New York City and worked for many years with photographers and photo agencies. She maintained an art studio and worked as a freelance photo editor for magazines and books. She turned her attention to writing after becoming intrigued by the Bond Street murder case. She lives in downtown Manhattan, the setting of her first novel, 31 Bond Street.

Praise for 31 Bond Street
CHECK OUT 31 BOND STREET:
http://tinyurl.com/4j55ex9
REVIEWS--Here's what they are saying!
It's not easy to breathe life into real-life characters, especially when quoting their words extensively from reported sources, but Cunningham and Clinton live on the page as freshly as if they had stepped, newly minted, from Horan's vivid imagination." --Washington Post

"This is a gripping, elegantly written, and brilliantly researched legal thriller, but it is more than that: 31 Bond Street illumi-
nates a critical period of our history with sharp insights into sex, class, and politics. Don't miss it." --Joe Conason, New York Times bestselling author of
The Hunting of the President and Big Lies

"31 Bond Street works as both historical fiction and courtroom drama. Add in the actuality of the event, and you have a trifecta
of a historical crime story in the hands of a skilled writer." --San Francisco Book Review

Ms. Horan deserves a following. You won't regret any time spent in the easy chair
reading this book. So, I repeat. Go visit your bookseller. Get 31 Bond Street. Go now!" --GalleyCat

"Horan brings to life a sensational nineteenth-century New York City murder trial in which a woman is accused of viciously killing her husband. . .An engaging mix of fact and fiction, with a juicy trial, sensationalistic reporters, and lots of local urban color." --Kirkus Reviews
"Set in 1857 and based on true events, this is a deft and highly readable book, much recommended..." The Daily Mail
"Horan begins her tale with a bang ... Having literally done her homework, Horan's efforts pay off in a spectacular debut novel." The Post and Courier

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "It's Caleb Carr meets Scott Turow"... March 2, 2010

By Jill Meyer TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

That is not my quote, but rather one by Beverly Swerling on the back cover of Ellen Horan's marvelous novel, "31 Bond Street".

Horan's novel is a remarkable combination of history and crime, centering on the real life murder of Dr Harvey Burdell, in New York City in 1857. Dr Burdell, a dentist and businessman, was smitten - to some degree, at least - with Emma Cunningham, a widow with two teenage daughters. The story of the grim murder by person or persons unknown was brought to life daily with lurid details in the tabloids of the time. Mrs Cunningham was arrested and brought to trial for Burdell's brutal murder in his own home.

Horan's story - she takes the four or five main characters in the real murder and subsequent trial and gives them all a back story and blends them together to come up with what might have happened in January, 1857. What was true and what was fictional come together in a beautifully written saga by Horan that never failed to hold my attention. She is quite well versed in the New York City politics and the national politics of 1857, both of which contribute to her story.

One of the historical tidbits I picked up from the story was the origin of the New York Times' claim to be "The Paper of Record". I had always just assumed it was an advertising boast, but evidently, in the 1800's, the New York Times actually sent court reporters to trials and hearings and wrote the official trial transcripts. Hence, "The Paper of Record"

Horan's novel is quite a read.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars un-put-down-able April 1, 2010

By J. Thomas

Format:Hardcover

bought this book yesterday and simply could not put it down until I finished... a compelling story and well-told tale with impeccable historic detail and extensive research..loved it and can't wait to get to the city to walk down Bond Street today just to imagine what it was like then. Don't miss this must read!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Stars -- An Entertaining Debut Based On A Famous 19th Century Murder Case! May 15, 2010

By bobbewig TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Ellen Horan's first novel is based on what was considered to be one of the most famous murder trials in pre-Civil War New York City. Without going into detail, the plot involves the brutal murder of a prominent dentist found dead in his town house at 31 Bond Street in lower Manhattan. All the evidence points toward the murderer being his lodger and housekeeper, Emma Cunningham. At the backdrop of the investigation and trial that ensues is the rich historical perspective of 1857 New York, including the weaving in of interesting information about the sensationalist press, the booming real estate market, corruption, rampant vice, racial conflict and the inequality between men and women. For me, this historical perspective was more interesting than Horan's handling of the plot itself, which was entertaining but not great. While I wasn't disappointed in any way in Horan's first book, I would have given it a higher rating if she: (1) created a stronger sense of tension throughout the murder investigation and subsequent trial, given it was considered to be one of NYC's most notorious crimes; and (2) if she provided more depth to her characters' physical attributes and psychological motivations, which would have helped me to feel I knew them better. Overall, 31 Bond Street is an entertaining read, but it is not a book that you need rush out to buy.