Murder at St. Mark’s

(Book Blurb)

In the spring of 1859, a beautiful, young, society woman is bludgeoned to death in the churchyard of St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery. It is a shocking murder, even for crime-ridden New York. Investigating police officer Michael O’Shea soon discovers that Miss Maddie Van Eyck’s social position and family wealth didn’t protect her from a life of turmoil and abuse.

Leads regarding suspects come from many sources, including the Van Eyck’s maid, their elderly neighbor, and O’Shea’s love interest, as well as a treasure trove of diary entries and letters hidden in Maddie’s room. The issues of sexual identity, mental illness, and abortion rights color the investigation. From early interviews of the innocent through suspect interrogations, culminating in the conviction and hanging of a suspect, O’Shea’s investigation is affected by the influence of Tammany Hall, the Union Club elite, and the gangs of New York.

Setting the context of Maddie’s life and her murder investigation, Murder at St. Mark’s depicts the patriarchy, classism, hypocrisy, and corruption that characterized pre-Civil War New York. The political and social context of the investigation prompts questioning of whether justice was truly served, a question that is addressed as well as raised in Murder at St. Mark’s.