The Belle of Bedford Avenue

The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York

By: Virginia A. McConnell

Narrated by: Lee Ann Howlett

At the turn of the 20th century, many affluent Brooklyn teens and young adults were bucking the constraints of their immigrant parents and behaving badly: drinking, having sex, staying out all night, stealing, scamming local businesses, and engaging in other more serious activities.

When 20-year-old Walter Brooks was murdered in a seedy Manhattan hotel in 1902, the ensuing court case was front-page news throughout the country. The hearings featured testimonies about these young people’s secret lives that shocked parents and inspired much editorial commentary in the newspapers. From start to finish, the case was viewed as a cautionary tale for parents, for boys who could be led astray, and for girls who risked their reputations to be popular.

Set against the colorful backdrop of Coney Island, roadhouses, forbidden dance halls, and vaudeville, The Belle of Bedford Avenue follows the young woman at the heart of the case from her trial for the murder of Walter Brooks to her adulthood.

The crime itself, interestingly, occurred in the location of Ground Zero and today’s September 11 Memorial. The trial was conducted by William Travers Jerome, who went on to become a legendary New York City prosecutor.

©2019 The Kent State University Press (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks

Okay but my mind wandered..........

I just couldn't really get into this book. I'm not sure why. It was well written and I like period pieces
but this one didn't grab me.
I feel badly writing a so-so review because I was given it at no charge for an honest review. But that's
what this is.
Narration was excellent.
Thank you!

this book was given to me at my request for review

I enjoyed listening to this book was the narrator did a good job. it all seemed real with the way the rich kids had their own gang and got away with all kinds of things.

Right up my alley.

I was given a copy of this audiobook at my request and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Turn of the century setting and true crime are 2 things I dig, so when I saw this title I immediately got interested.

The flow of the narrative was good. This is not a very well-documented case, and the author had to rely mainly on newspaper reports and editorials of that time, so it is understandable for her to base a lot on speculation.

The narration was also good. Her voice was clear and enunciation perfect and not distracting.

Interesting

I had never heard of the murder mentioned in the title of this book so when I was offered the chance to listen, I hopped on board. I quickly learned that the murder is very little in the information covered. There is a lot in this book about a group of kids from rich parents who were involved in shadier activities around the turn of the century. Definitely an interesting perspective, and I enjoyed learning what this audiobook had to teach. The details within this book considering the dates, people, and even headlines have been researched in depth.

Narration was well done, offering an easy to absorb delivery as the audiobook progressed.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

This girl is scandalous!

The whole time I read this book I kept saying oh my goodness and I can’t believe she did that! This book starts off with the murder, but trust me when I say it gets even crazier. She doesn’t learn the lesson she doesn’t temper her attitude or actions. This is one of the best books I have ever read not to mention that it’s true completely true. If you think teams of today or out of control just know this book will teach you that teams have always been out of control. From Billy the kid to the crazy teen you know personally teenage is a crazy summer just crazier. You have to read this book if you like true crime and being a fly on the wall you’ll love this book. I did the narrator was great the writing was great the book was great!