Broadway Butterfly

Broadway Butterfly by Sara Divello 432 pages

 

And here’s yet another book that I picked up because of its cover. It is set in Manhattan from 1923-29 and is based on a true cold case that still lingers in the NYC police’s files. Author Divello does not solve the crime, but she brings its sordidness to the page.

 

Divello wastes no time in getting to the murder; it’s the first thing we learn in this juicy tale. Twenty-three-year-old Dot King enjoys life. Although it was never clear if she was a Broadway star, it was clear that she did enjoy the attention of several, shall we say, gentlemen (in the voice of the book.). She also made the papers so often that she became known throughout the city as “The Broadway Butterfly.” One morning when her housekeeper reported for duty, she found Dot dead on her bed with an exceptionally large bottle of chloroform next to her rapidly stiffening body.

 

The cops were called in and the list of possible suspects is rather large but is quickly whittled down to four:  A “volatile a politically connected Philadelphia socialite, Atlantic City bootlegger, Dot’s dicey gigolo lover, a sultry Broadway dancer, and a cagey sugar daddy guarding secrets of his own.” Sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight.

 

In an interesting use of character and structure, Divello uses a girl reporter, Julia Harpman of the Daily News, to cover the case and help keep the reader on what’s happening with the investigation. Julia is the lone woman in an otherwise male-dominated industry, but she is ambitious, strong, and follows the trail…and her suspicions…in the search for justice for Dot King.

 

As I mentioned sometimes it was hard to keep the cast of suspects and Dot’s friends straight, but it makes an interesting read. Also, Divello takes readers behind the scenes of the murder investigation and the world of news reporting that keeps readers glued to the story.

Broadway Butterfly gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Veil of Doubt

Veil of Doubt by Sharon Virts 410 pages

 

Set in Virginia in 1872, “Veil of Doubt” tells the story of Emily Lloyd, a widow who is accused of murdering her youngest child, three-year-old Maud. Her death is gruesome and hard to watch. And what’s even more ghastly is that Maud’s autopsy takes place on her deathbed, right in front of Emily. (I admit I gagged a couple of times.)

 

Unfortunately, Emily is no stranger to death. Her other three children, her aunt and her husband have all mysteriously died. Maud’s death is the last straw. The authorities, and indeed the entire town, are convinced that there is something deeply wrong with the woman.

 

Her lawyer is Powell Harrison, a family who has recently returned to help his brother run his father’s law practice. When Powell is approached to defend Emily, he initially declines. He wants no part of it. But he relents, believing his strategy will be insanity. But as the investigation dives deeper and deeper, Powell is not so sure that she is insane. He believes that a prior traumatic event muddled her brain. It’s a slippery slope, but as his brother tells him, “you promised to defend her. You made no promise to defend the truth. It's not up to you to prove she is responsible for the deaths of her children or not.” 

 

“Veil of Doubt” got off to a slow start for me. Watching Maud die and Emily’s time in prison made for some difficult reading. But as the book progressed, I found it harder and harder to put down. As facts and the truth are uncovered, it’s obvious that Emily is not in her right mind. Or is she? I’m glad I was not one of the jurors; I vacillated between guilty and innocent from one page to the next. There are shocking and more shocking revelations as the story progresses. A shocking surprise ending made this novel worth the read. I think I gasped at least once every page of the trial. So many surprises and twists. And it was worth it!

 

“Veil of Doubt” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

 

NOTE: “Veil of Doubt” is based on a true crime.