Happy belated release!
Thanks to Mulholland Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
THE GIRL ON THE VELVET SWING – Simon Baatz (out now!)
Looking for some true crime?
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars!
When it comes to true crime books I’m always so excited to dive into them. THE GIRL ON THE VELVET SWING was no different. I didn’t know anything about Evelyn Nesbit going into the novel and I think that made it an even more interesting read.
In 1901, Evelyn Nesbit, who was 16 years old at the time, met with 47 year old architect Stanford White. White was a prominent figure and seen as a celebrity – he designed many landmark buildings throughout Manhattan and was highly respected in his field. After dining at his townhouse, Evelyn enjoyed some champagne with him and then woke up the next day without any memory of the night before. She was naked in bed with White and there was blood on the sheets – clear signs that she had been raped.
Now the story doesn’t end there. Several years go by and she told her future husband, Harry Thaw, about the rape. Thaw was determined to get revenge on White for what he did to Evelyn. In 1906, he got his revenge when he gunned down White in front of hundreds of witnesses. The trial that follows kept the nation captive. Was he justified in killing White? Will he be sentenced to the electric chair?
When I saw in the synopsis, “Evelyn Nesbit’s testimony was so explicit and shocking that Theodore Roosevelt himself called on the newspapers not to print it verbatim” I was immediately intrigued. I completely understand why. This topic is so relevant to the issues we are seeing today. High profile men in prominent positions that are taking advantage of younger women and unfortunately its something that’s been happening for centuries.
If you want a true crime novel with an eye-opening trial and relevant topic, then I’d highly recommend picking up THE GIRL ON THE VELVET SWING. I know that this is a subject that is not for everyone – so if you want to stay away from depictions of rape then I would recommend against reading this one.
Check back later for the #CJSReads2018 collective reviews.
–Jess
Jessicamap Reviews 