I got this softcover at a local Savers thrift shop. It's about a sensational murder in New York in 1836, in which Jewett, a prostitute, was allegedly murdered in her sleep by one of her clients, a young man from a respectable family. The trial became a media sensation at the time, and the book includes contemporary illustrations and news items as well as additional information. The setting of the stage, describing the social and political climate of the time as well as of the principal characters, is quite effective, and the way in which media coverage may have affected the trial sounds all too familiar in these days of instant social-media exposure.

What I found most jarring in the entire story was the youth of the principals: Jewett was only 22, and accused killer Robinson was 19...

I left this book in the Little Free Library near the Church of the Good Shepherd on Main St.; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]