The Slaying Of Joseph Bowne Elwell

From Publishers Weekly One of the most famous unsolved murders of jazz-age New York was the slaying of Elwell, bridge expert, horse owner, boulevardier and ladies man par excellence. From a lower middle-class family, he married into the social register; his wife was instrumental in helping him capitalize on his skill at cards, and he became the nation's ranking authority on bridge-whist and auction bridge. Among his pupils was Harold Vanderbilt, who later often played as his partner; association with Vanderbilt gave Elwell entree to wealthy clients and his position was enhnaced by the publication of several books, a couple of them ghost-written by his wife. They separated, and he gave free rein to his womanizing. One June morning in 1920, Elwell was shot and died soon thereafter. British crime historian Goodman offers a convincing theory as to who committed the crime, an act of passion most likely caused by Elwell's philandering. Photos. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal In 1920, Elwell, a well-connected member of New York society, was a debonair man about town, an accomplished gambler, and a noted Lothario. One hot day in June, he was fatally shot at home. His murderer was never apprehended. By first tracing Elwell's life, and then describing in detail the mismanagement of the criminal investigation, Goodman attempts to convey the intrinsic fascination of this crime. Unfortunately, the book, first published in England, was not sufficiently edited. The style is choppy and difficult to follow; the reasoning, labored an unpersuasive. Sandra Lindheimer, Middlesex Law Lib., Cambridge, Mass.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.