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31 Bond Street: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 879 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
“The skill with which Ellen Horan has braided true crime with thoughtful novelizing is pure pleasure.… Caleb Carr meets Scott Turow. What could possibly be better?” — Beverly Swerling, author of City of God
“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
31 Bond Street, an unforgettable literary debut from Ellen Horan, is based on the true story of a brutal murder, a desperate mother and mistress, and the vicious constraints of 19th century society. Fans of Caleb Carr’s The Alienist, Edith Wharton’s The House of Myrth, and John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will love the stunning prose and beautiful imagery of 31 Bond Street.
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"Good historically based mystery takes place in NYC in 1850's just prior to civil war. Not only interesting array of characters, but gives a great feeling for city and politics of the era. Get a feel for how the area developed, especially having lived in NY metropolitan area for long time."
— Janet (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“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 -
“This is a gripping, elegantly written, and brilliantly researched legal thriller…31 Bond Street illuminates a critical period of our history with sharp insights into sex, class and politics.”
— Joe Conason, New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting of the President -
“This unique look at history and the private lives of those affected by it makes for captivating reading.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“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.”
— Beverly Swerling, author of City of God -
“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 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 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.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
Awards
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Selected for the April 2010 Indie Next List
31 Bond Street Listener Reviews
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" A piece of NYC history I found captivating. While the book sometimes felt a little tedious to get through, the story held my attention enough to make it through to the end. "
— Emily, 2/12/2014 -
" A novel hung on the bones of a real muder case that happened in NYC in a time prior to the Civil war. Dr. Burdell has been murder in his home and the prime suspect is the womnan who kept house for him. It's hard to seperate fact and fiction and the ending got a little muddy. Interesting how the rights of women have changed since then. It is also the story of the young lawyer that signs on to defend Emma Cunningham. "
— Nancy, 2/9/2014 -
" Not exactly sensational, but a solid story. It concentrates more on the trial than the murder and I think a little more suspense around that event would have juiced the tale up more. Still, the writing provides a vivid sense of pre-Civil War New York (with sinister Jack-the-Ripper-esque overtones) and the characters are engaging and intriguingly opaque. Plus, I am a sucker for fiction based on fact, and I think the author made a pretty admirable attempt at imagining a true historical event. "
— Caitlin, 2/4/2014 -
" Great story, well written with just enough NYC history included. "
— Kathy, 2/3/2014 -
" This does take a few chapters to get going, but then I ripped though it. It's based on truth, but the author has taken lots of liberties to "solve" the case which was never solved. "
— Ti-Leigh, 1/7/2014 -
" A good mystery with great pictures of downtown NYC in the mid 1800s. "
— Maureen, 1/5/2014 -
" Liked it better than I expected. "
— Louise, 12/26/2013 -
" A murder mystery, based on an actual case in old NY. What's not to like. Well written. A good read. "
— Msbossy, 11/27/2013 -
" I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book--as well as not knowing who to trust as the reader. "
— Liza, 7/19/2013 -
" This story was very intriguing. I don't often read murder mysteries, but since one of the main character's was a dentist, I thought I would give it a try. I enjoyed most of the book until the end. I didn't enjoy the way it played out. "
— Nicole, 6/9/2013 -
" I really like historical mysteries. The back cover has "It's Caleb Carr meets Scott Turow." and I had really enjoyed Caleb Carr's The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness! "
— Sharon, 4/3/2013 -
" sort of boring. hoped for more. "
— Leslie, 1/19/2013 -
" This was a fast read historical fiction. It was hard to put down. "
— Kodiaksm, 9/30/2012 -
" This historic mystery starts off strong, weakens mid-way and then fizzles at the end. At first the author kept me guessing about whether the protagonist was completely evil or utterly innocent, but later I simply didn't care. "
— Laura, 8/27/2012 -
" Ok, I only got 60 pages in and I have to return it to the library. I'd pick it up again I think. When I'm in the mood for a slow, detailed, historical novel. "
— reed, 8/20/2012 -
" The author did a really great job of building suspense. I enjoyed this historical novel very much. "
— Anndee, 2/16/2012 -
" I enjoyed this historical mystery, which is a novel based on a real 19th C murder case in NYC. The setting and characters are compelling, though aspects of the plot proved a bit mysterious...even after finishing it. "
— Alison, 1/22/2012 -
" A book I picked off the shelf at the library. Just a "read" while at the cottage. "
— B.j., 5/27/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book until about the last 60 pages, and then it seemed like it was in such a rush to wrap everything up. And at the same time as wrapping everything up, leaving everything a little unfinished. "
— Kelly, 5/3/2011 -
" A wonderful book. Well written and a can't put it down read. Would highly recommend it. "
— Susan, 4/27/2011 -
" Ok book...not as good as The Alienist. <br/> "
— Cindy, 4/18/2011 -
" <br/>This was suggested by my wife. A good historical mystery, well researched. A little bit like Erik Larson's work. A good escape for a lazy weekend. "
— Bill, 4/17/2011 -
" Good read, realistic. Everything is not tied up perfectly with everyone having a happy ending. "
— Michfont, 4/17/2011 -
" interesting crime mystery based on the actual murder of Dr harvey burdell in 1850's New York at 31 Bond Street and the author gives us the background leading up to the events to the murder and also the trial of Emma the widowed suspect.. well worth reading though "
— Stephen, 3/20/2011
About Ellen Horan
Ellen Horan, a photo editor for books and magazines, has worked on staff and in a freelance capacity for many publications, including Vanity Fair, Vogue, House & Garden, Forbes, and ARTnews, as well as for a number of book publishers.
About Adam Grupper
Adam Grupper, award-winning narrator, has garnered honors from AudioFile magazine, Publishers Weekly, iTunes, the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, and the Audio Publishers Association. He has been in eleven Broadway productions, including the acclaimed revival of Fiddler on the Roof. His film and television credits include The Rebound, Homeland, Master of None, Music and Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice, Elementary, and Allegiance.