Review: The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century by Simon Baatz

Title: The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century
Author: Simon Baatz
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Edition: ebook (251 pages)
Genres:

• Nonfiction
• Biography
• Crime
• History
• True Crime

The Girl on the Velvet Swing: Sex, Murder, and Madness at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century by Simon Baatz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 1901, Evelyn Nesbit, at age sixteen, moved to New York, with her mother, and became a chorus
girl in the musical Florodora. She met and became involved with famous architect, Stanford White. More than twice her age, he drugged her, and after she was unconscious, raped her. Thereafter, they had a complicated relationship, and she told no one what had happened to her until she became involved with Harry Thaw, millionaire playboy who would later become her husband.

Years later, in June, 1906, Harry Thaw shot and killed Stanford White at a theatrical performance in Madison Square Garden. He was taken into custody, arrested, and tried twice for the murder. And the scandal didn't end there.

As a girl, I saw a movie about this crime and was captivated by it. Naturally, I wanted to read this account, as soon as it was published. It did not disappoint. This is one of those cases where the truth is stranger than fiction. This true story is a thriller.