? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

If The Great Gatsby was a murder mystery, you’d get The Bishop and the Butterfly. Michael Wolraich, author, journalist and biographer, recounts the true murder of the Broadway Butterfly, a case that not only captivated the public, but also sparked investigations exposing rampant corruption within New York City and state leadership. Set in 1923, Vivian Gordon, a stage mother, is mixed up in New York City's corrupt legal system, framed on vague charges of " vagrancy."

Despite protests of innocence, she is sentenced to two and a half years in the New York State Reformatory for Women. Her murder in 1931, after threatening to expose corruption, sparked investigations that shook the foundations of the city's political establishment. Even with the revelations unearthed by the investigations, justice remained elusive, with Gordon's killers escaping punishment.

Enter former judge Seabury. Wolraich suggests that the eventual success of the investigations was not solely due to Samuel Seabury 's principled leadership but also the timing of the investigation. By 1931, public discontent over rising crime and poverty fueled demands for accountability, making Seabury's integrity a beacon of hope during the Depression era.

You can find the book on Amazon.

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