Gripping Historical Novel of America's First Recorded Murder Trial

CITY OF LIARS AND THIEVES
Eve Karlin
Random House Alibi
January 13, 2015

Eve Karlin's debut novel, City of Liars and Thieves, takes us back to New York City at the turn of the 19th century, the winter of 1799-1800. Quakers Catherine and Elias Ring are recent transplants from up the Hudson and are waiting at the docks for Catherine's cousin, Elma Sands, to arrive. Elias has opened a store with accommodations upstairs. He plans to take in boarders until the store becomes a success. It's clear that Elias is not enthusiastic about Elma coming to live with them but the cousins have been close since childhood. Elma's background is unfortunate and Catherine is determined to give her cousin a chance for a new life.

The New York City of the day is yellow fever-ridden, fire prone and suffers from a chronic shortage of water. It is just the sort of situation that the unscrupulous love to capitalize on and when Elma runs afoul of rich and powerful men involved a plot to defraud the city in a scheme to build a water system tragedy is inevitable. Elma leaves the Ring home, saying that she is going to be married to Levi Weeks, brother of one of the powerful men of the city and fellow boarder. Several days later she is found, beaten and drowned in the bottom of the "Manhattan Well", one of the fraudulent wells. Her lover is arrested and the first recorded murder trial in the United State ensues. Weeks is defended by none other than the team of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The trial itself foreshadows the sort of "celebrity" trial that we see today with fierce partisans on both sides, victim blaming and unequal justice for the poor when up against the rich. 

City of Liars and Thieves is a fictional reconstruction of a real murder case, meticulously researched and entirely plausible. One can almost smell the noxious odors of the city filled with filth and squalor. The first person telling by Catherine Ring makes the tragedy immediate and almost unbearable at times. Not only does she lose her much loved cousin but her trust in her husband, her fellow man and almost, her Quaker faith. The author's notes on the history of the case are as compelling as the novel itself. I highly recommend City of Liars and Thieves to readers of historical fiction and crime fiction. I don't know whether Levi Weeks really did kill Elma but I won't soon forget her story.

Thanks to Random House Alibi and netgalley.com for an advance digital copy.

RATING- 5 Stars