Broadway Butterfly
Dot King, a flapper, kept woman, and gal around town, is found murdered in her bed in midtown Manhattan on March 14, 1923, by her African-American housekeeper and confidante, Ella. Who is responsible – her extremely wealthy married lover, John Kearsley Mitchell, or Arthur Guimares, another lover with inexplicable cash who has a history of beating his girlfriends?
DiVello, an accomplished true crime writer, takes us on a whirlwind and captivating ride with true historical figures: Julia Harpman, crime reporter with the Daily News, who is laser focused on finding Dot’s killer; Detective Coughlin, who wants to see justice done but is hamstrung by NYC politics; and Mitchell and Guimares, who are the focus of the investigation. The novel, which is a fictionalized account of the infamous Broadway Butterfly murder, is chock full of historical figures and events, the smell and intensity of a big city newsroom, and the politics of an easily manipulated police department. Through Harpman’s unrelenting and courageous investigation—where her very life is threatened—is revealed the extent of corruption and the level of absolute rot to the very pillars of “nice” society and the seats of government.
This isn’t just about a “loose woman” being murdered. DiVello also frames the murder investigation around the issues of racial and class prejudice which become stark reminders of how deeply imbedded these social ills are in our society.
In her epilogue and additional materials, DiVello provides an expansive overview of her process during the nine-year journey to uncover the unadulterated story of Dot King’s unsolved murder. It is clear that DiVello doesn’t want us to forget her. I certainly won’t—and I’ll be looking forward to DiVello’s next novel. Highly recommended.
