Ellen Horan (1)

Centered on the trial of Emma Cunningham, accused of murdering Dr. Harvey Burdell, 31 Bond Street is an intriguing blend of murder-mystery and historical fiction.

Horan blends historical fact with clever imagination in this mystery novel. The murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell was touted as the crime of the century back in 1857, and the mystery surrounding his death captured the imagination of a New York embroiled in corruption and on the brink of Civil War. With such a scandalous crime at its show more core, 31 Bond Street could easily be nothing more than a murder-mystery, but Horan doesn't shy away from the corruption, race issues, and gender issues of the day.

The complex weaving of these ideas mirrors the plot structure. Alternating between the time after the murder and the time leading up to the murder, the story really kept me interested, the pace keeping me on my toes. Both stories were well constructed, offering just enough doubt about the actions and motivations of characters to keep things interesting but not annoying. And the characters themselves are a varied blend of 19th century New York from middle class lawyers to rich white politicians to Native Americans.

All that being said, I'm not without a few complaints. I admit that from time to time I yearned for a bit more scandal. The original case was extremely colorful, more sensational than what Horan has chosen to portray in her novel. I do wonder why since dirt such as was thrown about during the real trial tends to sell. My only guess is that Horan wanted time to focus on the more intellectually-ponderous issues instead of spending all her time on the spectacle of the situation. My other meh moment occurred at the end - no worries, no real spoilers here. The way the mystery wrapped up didn't feel right considering all which had come before in the novel. This too could have been the result of the secondary issue presented in the text - racial tension.

Despite my qualms, I really enjoyed reading this, and I have a niggling wish for it to be made into a movie. The setting is wonderfully atmospheric and the characters are so compelling that I really think it would do well on the big screen. show less

Amidst a horrendous winter storm in February, 1857, prominent New York dentist Harvey Burdell is violently murdered in his room at his home. The doors and windows were all locked and suspicion immediately falls on Emma Cunningham, a pretty widow with two teen aged daughters who had recently become Dr. Burdell's housekeeper. When she produces a marriage certificate dated two weeks prior to the murder which shows that she secretly became Dr. Burdell's wife, the suspicion is only heightened.

As show more the coroner begins what seems to be a completely biased inquest, Emma finds an ally in defense attorney Henry Clinton. He is inspired to help Emma when he sees that the powerful district attorney is set upon prosecuting Mrs. Cunningham despite nothing but circumstantial evidence.

However, nothing and no one is what they seem in this complicated case. Dr. Burdell is far from the upstanding citizen that he appeared to be and practically everyone involved has an ulterior motive of some kind. Unravelling the tangle reveals an exciting and absorbing tale.

The detail of nineteenth century New York and the excellent trial depiction made this one of the most enjoyable crime novels that I have read. Ellen Horan does an superb job of capturing the flavor and turmoil of the years just before the beginning of the Civil War. show less

With 31 Bond Street, Ms. Horan presents the reader with historical fiction at its finest. It is a story that is quite literally "ripped from the headlines", with those headlines first printed in the 1850s. A real-life murder mystery, Ms. Horan does an excellent job of filling in the blanks, imagining the story behind the headlines and fleshing out characters that have long since been forgotten. Through her skill, the reader gets the pleasure of enjoying a well-written of literary fiction show more with enough fact interspersed to make the story truly compelling.

The story unfolds methodically, switching narrators to allow new evidence to come to light. As a result, the reader never gets the chance to understand the full story until late in the novel, at which point in time the reader has become fully absorbed in the story. This switching of narrators, the back and forth battle for information, and the methodical "follow the evidence" approach to solving the mystery enhances the power of perception, which in turn leaves the reader waffling back and forth in one's sympathies for the various characters. Enhancing the overall story is the addition of photographs of the real headlines from the actual murder. This drives home the fact that this is one story in which the historical aspect of the story outweighs the fiction.

Ms. Horan does an excellent job of bringing to live long-dead characters - Henry vs. Harvey, Elisabeth vs. Emma. Her descriptions are breath-taking and exact, allowing the reader to clearly understand what it was like to live in 1850s New York. The political undertone behind the murder itself remind the reader the tension that existed before the Civil War erupted. These all combine to create characters that pull a reader's sympathies in various directions, rooting for one character versus another. Emotional involvement is always the hallmark of a well-written book, and 31 Bond Street meets that mark.

One of the most appealing aspects of the story are the questions remaining at the end. Did Emma, and all of the characters, get their just rewards for their actions? Where did each character go wrong? Could this entire situation have been avoided under similar circumstances? Ms. Horan could easily have addressed some of these questions in her novel but rather leaves them for the reader to ponder. As with the emotional involvement, this is an added benefit that enhances the entire novel.

Murder, mystery, intrigue, politics, a lush backdrop and rich setting combine to create an amazingly vivid, compelling novel. However, 31 Bond Street is not just for historical fiction lovers. Its study of criminal investigations and pre-Civil War detective work makes it a novel for fans of detective and suspense stories. Its mass appeal will make 31 Bond Street a story for the summer and beyond. show less

This book is a wonderful blend of mystery, courtroom drama and historical fiction. It’s based on the true story of Dr. Harvey Burdell’s grisly murder in 1857. I enjoyed it immensely from start to finish. Horan takes a very clever approach to unveiling the events leading up to the murder and revealing the outcome of the trial. She narrates the book from two perspectives and at the same time moves back and forth between the past and the present. The format flows beautifully, one time line show more fills in the history of the relationship between Dr Burdell and Emma, his accused murderer and divulges their character traits and background information. The other discloses the details of the murder, it’s aftermath, the roughshod legal process and the trial. Although the author does provide for several likely suspects, the looming question is the guilt or innocence of Emma. The story brings pre-civil war NYC to life, explores the role of women, exposes the flaws of the legal system and presents fascinating historical information on the prevailing corruption, greed, and political power struggles. In short a fabulous story for those who love historical fiction, mysteries, or crime novels and a marvelous debut. I am looking forward to more from this author. FYI, Rumor has it, there is a movie in the works.

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