Horan brings to life a sensational 19th-century New York City murder trial in which a woman is accused of viciously killing her husband. Emma Cunningham, a widow with two daughters, has recently settled at 31 Bond St. as head housekeeper to the mysterious Dr. Harvey Burdell, a dental surgeon with a penchant for making crooked real-estate deals. Her "housekeeping" duties are fairly light and disguise the fact that Burdell occasionally summons her to his bed and that he intends to marry her, or so he says. When one morning a young lad-of-all-work discovers Burdell's body, with numerous gashes and an almost-severed head, District Attorney Oakey Hall, hoping to grandstand his way to the mayor's mansion, wastes little time in accusing Emma. Motive is supplied by a recently discovered wedding license testifying to Harvey and Emma's marriage some two weeks before the murder, so it looks as though his land holdings will go to his wife rather than to his venal siblings. Emma, however, is just as startled as anyone about the existence of this document, which seems an obvious forgery, especially since the minister who performed the ceremony has a hazy memory of the bride and groom. (Perhaps Harvey has done this to give himself legal custody of the dowry of Emma's 18-year-old daughter Augusta and thus to consummate a large and illegal transaction involving potentially valuable swampland in New Jersey.) To the rescue comes Henry Clinton, an up-and-coming defense lawyer, a kind of 19th-century Atticus Finch. He's convinced of Emma's innocence and disgusted with Hall's smarmy and politically motivated prosecution. Another mystery involves the disappearance of Samuel, Burdell's black servant, and theappearance of Katuma, a Native American who feels resentful that his tribe's land has been appropriated by whites. An engaging mix of fact and fiction, with a juicy trial, sensationalistic reporters and lots of local urban color.
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
“Ask your local bookseller for a smart, well-crafted and sophisticated story. Then bring home your copy of 31 BOND STREET, a most-satisfying first novel by Ellen Horan. . . . Like E. L. Doctorow and Caleb Carr, Ms. Horan has written a fine, historical novel based on fact. . . . 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
Scandal, social climbing, and corruption in Manhattan during the 1850s come alive in Horan’s historical mystery. . . . 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.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Opening 31 BOND STREET was like taking the lid off a box of chocolates. I found it impossible to resist the urge to read ‘just one more page,’ and devoured it in a couple of blissful sessions. The skill with which Ellen Horan has braided true crime with thoughtful novelizing is pure pleasure. The mystery tantalizes until that satisfying aha! moment, and the evocation of the period is breathtakingly immediate—Caleb Carr meets Scott Turow. What could possibly be better?” — Beverly Swerling, author of City of God
“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
“A real-life New York City murder case provides the basis for Horan’s impressive fiction debut. . . . Horan alternates deftly between the present and flashbacks to Cunningham’s past, capturing both the complex inner lives of her characters and the feel of the times. She also creates exciting courtroom scenes.” — Publishers Weekly
“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
“Horan’s use of historical trial testimony and newspaper articles add a layer of depth to this thriller.” — More Magazine
“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
“Horan’s novel is a fascinating look back at a forgotten time in history. Set in 1857 New York, it has historical detail that provides the perfect setting for a grisly murder and ensuing courtroom battle. Horan starts with the murder, then writes about the circumstances leading up to it. She keeps readers guessing as new clues and motives come to light.” — Romantic Times (Four Stars)
“Horan’s descriptive writing immerses the reader in mid-19th century New York. From descriptions of the harbor and chill, drab housing of the poor to the structure of an affluent home, Horan nails the details with a minimum of needless exposition. The gruesome murder of the dentist-owner of the house at 31 Bond Street propels the plot from the start. . . . Her fascinating glimpses into mid-19th century society and a few key characters keep the plot moving at a rapid enough pace to make 31 BOND STREET well worth the read.” — BlogCritics.org
“Horan painstakingly reconstructs the Manhattan murder case that saw Emma Cunningham go on trial for the murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell. The result is a novel that paints a vivid picture of a bustling port city awash with the currents of commerce and politics that presaged the Civil War, and of a society that hobbled women almost as much as it did black Americans, free or not. . . . The fully realized story makes for enthralling fiction.” — Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
“Ellen Horan masterfully takes the reader back to mid-nineteenth century Manhattan with her rich details of the dichotomy between the wealthy and poor, government corruption and the impact of the Fugitive Slave Acts on the Underground Railroad. . . . Ellen Horan does an outstanding job weaving together historical facts with a dramatic legal thriller and murder mystery that I most highly recommend.” — New Mystery Reader
“The real main character here is the city itself, contradictory, infuriating, violent, striving, and endlessly fascinating, and Horan does very well by it.” — Reviewing the Evidence
“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.” — Historical Fiction Online
“Part murder mystery, part courtroom drama, Horan’s novel whisks you back to old Manhattan and its colorful characters, high and low.” — Coastal Living Magazine
“Combining fact and fiction in a most engaging manner, Horan incorporates scenes and issues from historical New York to explore the law, politics, and society—both high and low—of the day. The result is a gripping legal thriller. . . . A most remarkable debut!” — Mystery Scene
“The story races along, shifting between the developments of the trial and revelations about the events leading up to it. It kept me in suspense right up to the end. . . . The many surprising revelations and the illustrations of intriguing historical figures make this book worth reading.” — The Book Book
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
Ask your local bookseller for a smart, well-crafted and sophisticated story. Then bring home your copy of 31 BOND STREET, a most-satisfying first novel by Ellen Horan. . . . Like E. L. Doctorow and Caleb Carr, Ms. Horan has written a fine, historical novel based on fact. . . . 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!
Horan’s novel is a fascinating look back at a forgotten time in history. Set in 1857 New York, it has historical detail that provides the perfect setting for a grisly murder and ensuing courtroom battle. Horan starts with the murder, then writes about the circumstances leading up to it. She keeps readers guessing as new clues and motives come to light.
Romantic Times (Four Stars)
Opening 31 BOND STREET was like taking the lid off a box of chocolates. I found it impossible to resist the urge to read ‘just one more page,’ and devoured it in a couple of blissful sessions. The skill with which Ellen Horan has braided true crime with thoughtful novelizing is pure pleasure. The mystery tantalizes until that satisfying aha! moment, and the evocation of the period is breathtakingly immediate—Caleb Carr meets Scott Turow. What could possibly be better?
Scandal, social climbing, and corruption in Manhattan during the 1850s come alive in Horan’s historical mystery. . . . 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.
Booklist (starred review)
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.
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.
Horan’s use of historical trial testimony and newspaper articles add a layer of depth to this thriller.
The story races along, shifting between the developments of the trial and revelations about the events leading up to it. It kept me in suspense right up to the end. . . . The many surprising revelations and the illustrations of intriguing historical figures make this book worth reading.
Horan painstakingly reconstructs the Manhattan murder case that saw Emma Cunningham go on trial for the murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell. The result is a novel that paints a vivid picture of a bustling port city awash with the currents of commerce and politics that presaged the Civil War, and of a society that hobbled women almost as much as it did black Americans, free or not. . . . The fully realized story makes for enthralling fiction.
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
Part murder mystery, part courtroom drama, Horan’s novel whisks you back to old Manhattan and its colorful characters, high and low.
Combining fact and fiction in a most engaging manner, Horan incorporates scenes and issues from historical New York to explore the law, politics, and society—both high and low—of the day. The result is a gripping legal thriller. . . . A most remarkable debut!
The real main character here is the city itself, contradictory, infuriating, violent, striving, and endlessly fascinating, and Horan does very well by it.
Ellen Horan masterfully takes the reader back to mid-nineteenth century Manhattan with her rich details of the dichotomy between the wealthy and poor, government corruption and the impact of the Fugitive Slave Acts on the Underground Railroad. . . . Ellen Horan does an outstanding job weaving together historical facts with a dramatic legal thriller and murder mystery that I most highly recommend.
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.
Historical Fiction Online
Horan’s descriptive writing immerses the reader in mid-19th century New York. From descriptions of the harbor and chill, drab housing of the poor to the structure of an affluent home, Horan nails the details with a minimum of needless exposition. The gruesome murder of the dentist-owner of the house at 31 Bond Street propels the plot from the start. . . . Her fascinating glimpses into mid-19th century society and a few key characters keep the plot moving at a rapid enough pace to make 31 BOND STREET well worth the read.
