Broadway Butterfly

A Thriller

By: Sara DiVello

Narrated by: Jordan Cobb

New York in the Roaring Twenties—a riveting true-crime novel, based on one of the most notorious unsolved murders of the era, where power, politics, and secrets conspire to bury the truth.

Manhattan, 1923. Scandalous flapper Dot King is found dead in her Midtown apartment, a bottle of chloroform beside her and a fortune in jewels missing. Dot’s headline-making murder grips the city. It also draws a clutch of lovers, parasites, and justice seekers into one of the city’s most mesmerizing mysteries.

Among them: Daily News crime reporter Julia Harpman, chasing the story while navigating a male-dominated industry; righteous NYPD detective John D. Coughlin, struggling against city corruption; and Ella Bradford, the victim’s Harlem maid, closest confidante, and keeper of secrets. Adding fuel to the already volatile crime: a politically connected Philadelphia socialite, an Atlantic City bootlegger, Dot’s dicey gigolo lover, a sultry Broadway dancer, and a cagey sugar daddy guarding secrets of his own.

From Broadway’s glittering lights to its sordid underbelly to the machinations of the country’s most powerful men, Julia embarks on a quest for justice. What she discovers, twist after breathtaking twist, might be even more nefarious than murder.

©2023 Sara DiVello (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Jordan Cobb offers a smooth, rhythmic narration of this compelling historical mystery, providing a variety of character voices and capturing the frustration of those seeking justice. Readers of true crime will be hooked by this intriguing and atmospheric tale. A winner for fans of Beatriz Williams's The Wicked City and Kate Belli's Deception by Gaslight.”—Library Journal

“DiVello maintains a breakneck pace from one brief, datelined chapter to the next. Her pulpy, over-the-top prose credibly evokes the era’s crime magazines, while her fidelity to the characters and the well-documented facts surrounding the unsolved murder give the story extra interest.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Based on a confounding, never-solved true crime and featuring real-life figures, DiVello's latest offers readers all they need to reach their own verdict…DiVello will delight readers with this foray into fiction highlighting Julia Harpman and her remarkable career.”—Booklist (starred review)

Long-winded

I listened to this book on a long drive and though it started off promising, by half-way through it became very, very long-winded. In my opinion, the book should have been more thoroughly edited so that the story of the murder remained the main focus and the action moved along. Instead, even towards the end, the author would put in long text about a character's "development." I had high hopes for this one, but really can't recommend it to anyone.

Fascinating premise, poor execution

I love true crime even when there is no resolution. This book sounded like it should be fascinating - early female reporter, murder of a 1920's showgirl, political intrigue, domestic tensions, racial conflict, socialite scandals, corrupt police. What more could an old gal want? I'll tell you - better organization, 100 fewer pages or 2 hours shorter listen, better editing to correct redundant descriptions and a less melodramatic presentation. Supposedly, the author fully investigated this story, but someone dropped the ball in delivery.

Not a page turner

I was hoping for more as I kept listening but “more” never appeared. It all fell flat at the end.
Narration was good but story lacked depth & development.

This is not a thriller.

Loved the cover, loved the idea, this is not a thriller. I kept waiting for the thrill because people loved this. It is a historical crime drama not a thriller. Disappointed.

Not a page turner

Started out ok but then dragged on and on. Lost interest and returned the book