On August 4th, 1892, Lizzie Borden found the bodies of her murdered father and step-mother, bashed in the head multiple times each. As the only suspect for most of the investigation, Lizzie was put on trial. But what actually happened?

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Why this book?: Normally, I’m no fan of nonfiction, but I’ve always been interested in the Borden murders. Seeing this sitting on my library’s shelf caused me to remember my passion for this case, and I just had to pick it up.

A chilling true story

The Borden murders have always mystified me. From what I knew, Lizzie Borden killed her parents for money, but she was never convicted due to too little evidence. I didn’t realize how little I knew.

Miller’s writing was very to the point, very rarely using words that I didn’t understand or that went around in circles. She also used a lot of quotes from sources, which I found entertaining because it made this book read more like a fictional novel rather than a nonfiction book. But, because I knew this was real, I was really shaken up in the beginning.

You are given the cold, hard facts-what is known, isn’t known, and what is unsure. And yes, all three of those are found within this book. Lots of documents have been hidden from public view, or has been lost. Which makes this book so much more freaky.

The best nonfiction book I’ve read

I haven’t read that many. But this is the best by far.

Everything is in chronological order, starting with the murder all the way to Lizzie’s death. Even though this murder has long been apart of history, I was surprised with how I felt at the end of this book, now unsure but put on edge because of everything.

Miller wrote this book in a way to still make it interesting, while still pumping the pages full of information. I was a little disappointed with the ending, after the drama of the entire book, but I guess that’s how real life is, huh?

Final Rating: ★★★★☆

Overall?

I picked this up on a whim, and was completely blown away with it. It didn’t feel like nonfiction, and read like a story as well. At parts it was a little slow, and the ending was a little disappointing, but I still found this to be entertaining while at the same time being educational.

Would I Recommend?

While it was a very interesting book to me, it was only because I already had interest in this happening. If you have no idea what the Borden murders were, I wouldn’t pick it up. But, if you’re interested in learning what it was, or wanting to know more about it-this book will answer ALL of your questions. Except one.

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Additional Information:

Published: January 12th, 2016

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

Page Count: 304

Genre: Nonfiction/True Crime/Mystery

Synopsis: via Goodreads

Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.

In linear narrative, Miller takes readers along as she investigates a brutal crime: the August 4, 1892, murders of wealthy and prominent Andrew and Abby Borden. The accused? Mild-mannered and highly respected Lizzie Borden, daughter of Andrew and stepdaughter of Abby. Most of what is known about Lizzie’s arrest and subsequent trial (and acquittal) comes from sensationalized newspaper reports; as Miller sorts fact from fiction, and as a legal battle gets under way, a portrait of a woman and a town emerges.