This is the dark and delicious account of the infamous story of Lizzie Borden. I've heard this story several times but but all the focus was on Lizzie herself. In this account we learn about Lizzy's father and stepmother, her older sister and other characters that contribute greatly to the whole of the story. This book was a homerun all the way.

Sarah Schmidt has done the unthinkable - she has made a novel about Lizzie Borden not only unsettling and atmospheric, but suspenseful. People have been writing novels and making movies about Borden for a long time and most are unsuccessful. With someone who is so infamous, there is a tendency for fictitious accounts to become full of wild, unlikely accusations or theories. See What I Have Done breaks the mold. It's mainly based in historical fact and is wonderfully written. It's hard to put down. If you're interested in the case of Lizzie Borden or just looking for a delightfully disturbing novel, highly recommended.

“Someone’s killed Father”

Someone indeed! Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home on August 4, 1892 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m in Fall River, Massachusetts. Abby was killed first and then Andrew. Their bodies were found in different rooms - Abby upstairs and Andrew in his office. Lizzie Borden was arrested for the murders and spent 10 months in jail and after an hour and a half deliberation, the jury acquitted her of Murder.

Most people have heard the rhyme:

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

**In reality Abby was only hit 19 times and Andrew hit 10 or 11 times.

In this debut Novel, Schmidt paints a picture of the not-so-perfect Borden family. Andrew Borden was a wealthy man but was extremely frugal and his family lived without indoor plumbing or other comforts he could have easily afforded. His relationship with his daughters was tenuous at best due to him getting re-married after their Mother's death. He also gifted his new wife's family with real estate which further angered his daughters. There were also issues surrounding Mr. Borden killing Lizzie's pigeons. Lizzie appears to be quite immature and at times I felt she came off as a 13 year old girl versus a grown woman. Was she immature due to living a sheltered life? Did she have mental health issues?

The Borden family comes off as quite dysfunctional with both sisters locking up parts of the home at various times. Both adult daughters spent time in Europe after arguments with their father. When home, they rarely ate meals with their father and step-mother. The book also paints the sisters as having a love/hate relationship with each other. Emma was away at the time of the murders but only by 15 miles or so. Did she suspect her sister of killing their father and step-mother?

"I looked at my sister, looked at blood. That grief inside the heart."

What is interesting is that Bridget and Lizzie were both home at the time of the Murders. Bridget was quoted as hearing Lizzie say "Quickly. Someone has killed father." Lizzie burned a dress several days after the deaths were committed. An axe with a missing handle was found in the basement but the handle was broken off and the blade was clean. Could this have been the murder weapon? Why did Lizzie give conflicting statements? Was the door in the basement unlocked? Could someone have committed the murders without anyone in the house knowing?

This book is told through the point of view of various characters: Bridget (the housekeeper/maid), Emma (the oldest daughter), Lizzie, and Benjamin (hired by Uncle John). Their POV's jump around a little so one has to keep track of when they are giving their perspective (pre-Murder vs. post murder)Who had a motive? Was Lizzie the real killer? What was going on with the food? Why was the family getting violently ill before the murders? This family does a lot of vomiting in this book! There is also a lot of talk of blood - maybe the squeamish may have an issue with it. If you are reading a book about murder it is to be expected IMO.

I thought this book was a very good fictionalization of the real life murders of the Borden family. It is evident that the Author did a lot of research and wove her tale around the real life time frame of the important events in this book. These murders are very famous - at least in the United States. The murders have never been solved and many people could have had motives for the killings. Most people believe that Lizzie did commit the murders. I believe the fascination with this "cold case" is that at the time, it was "shocking" that a woman could or would commit such a crime. I think crime and/or history buffs will really enjoy this book.

I was torn between a 3.5 and a 4 so I rounded up to a 4. I wish the ending would have been a little more exciting. I found it to fizzle rather than to end with a BOOM. Yes, I realize that the Author cannot re-write history but I would have liked to have seem more of Lizzie and
Emma's perspectives at the end. Maybe a blow out fight between them. I was left wanting something more.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5
See What I Have Done is a solid reimagining of the Lizzie Borden story. Schmidt's narrative construction was completely on point for this story-- perhaps unusual, but effective. It kept me guessing the whole way through, questioning my previously held beliefs and offering alternative points of view or possibilities about what might have actually happened. I love that it defies expectations and generally held notions of what happened.
The cover art is also a highlight-- how beautiful! And I think it's great that they took a seemingly minor element of the story and drew attention to it.
For me, I felt like it didn't quite live up to the drama it could've employed. The idea of a Lizzie Borden historical fiction piece, written with a literary hand, sounds juicy, but I don't think it hit the mark completely. I struggle to think of who I might recommend this to-- my more advanced literary fiction friends/Master's classmates would be the first people that come to mind, but I'm not sure it's quite intellectual or unique enough for them, while I feel like it's not paced properly to suggest it to fans of female-driven psychological thrillers, like Gone Girl. While I like that it defies traditional genres and storytelling, it's not one of those books where I could easily say "fans of ____ will love this."

I had high hopes for this fictionalized account of the murder of Andrew Borden,whose daughter Lizzie was eventually tried for the crime, as well as the murder of her stepmother. To this day the murders remain unsolved and Sarah Schmidt uses this to her advantage to create a very tense read. The bulk of the action is set on the day of the murder and the following day, with some flash backs to illustrate periods from Lizzie's childhood, and a final few chapters dealing with the later lives of Lizzie and her sister Emma. Both women are given voices in the book , with chapters told from each of their perspectives, as well as Bridget, the household maid, and the enigmatic Benjamin, a violent hobo like man hired by the girls uncle to teach their father a lesson, who finds himself caught up in the gruesome events in the Borden house on that fateful day.
While the use of different narrators was clever in terms of obfuscating what actually did happen, and who was guilty of the crime, it did make the book rather choppy to read, as did the somewhat abrupt writing style. However that said, there was a really earthy quality to the writing that I found compelling, every description bringing the sights and particularly the smells vividly to life.

Although I have heard the rhyme, Lizzie Borden Took an Ax…, a thousand times, I have never read anything pertaining to this horrific crime. Then I found this book and the description intrigued me and I wanted to know more. Lizzie was never convicted of this crime, although the evidence strongly supports her guilt. This story looks at all possible suspects and tries to show evidence that someone else could have done it. It shows that there was a steady rift growing between Lizzie and her father and stepmother but it also introduces her sister, the maid, an uncle, and a mentally disturbed gentleman that her uncle hired to do harm, all as suspects.

The author told this story from many different views. It follows Lizzie and what she saw and thought and also gave her reasons for animosity towards her parents. It also does the same for the maid, her sister, and the uncle. We also heard the prospective of the man that her uncle has hired and his background. For me, this made the story harder to follow. I had to go back a few times to insure I knew exactly what was going on.

This story is more for the late teen to adult reader. It is dark and deals with a gruesome subject from the murders to everything that leads up to them. After reading, I was compelled to dig more into facts surrounding the murders, which, in my opinion, is what good historical fiction should induce you to do.

I have requested and received this book for review from NetGalley.

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Lizzie Borden's story continues to fascinate me the world.


This is probably one of the better tellings of her story that I've read. Who cares if this book is fiction? It takes you there..in so many ways.

Way One: The author doesn't just shine a spot light on Lizzie. She takes the time to flesh out all the surrounding characters. You get a feel for the whole household. (And it ain't pretty)

Way Two: I thought the author had an unhealthy obsession with food at first. There are so many descriptions of food in this book that I kept wondering why the heck she was throwing so much in. I did know if they ate that damn mutton soup one more time I was going to take the axe to them my damn self. And the pears.......


Way Three: Everybody in this book had some kind of smell associated with them through out the story. And most of them stunk.

(Yes, I know that hygiene has changed Mr. Troll Ass..so back off before you even start)

Way Four: There are not really any redeemable characters in Lizzie's life. Including herself. I can totally see why SOMEONE took out the old ax.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review
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This was such a gritty engrossing read that I kept forgetting I was reading fiction. The author was so adept at inhabiting the minds of Lizzie, Emma, and the others that I felt that this for sure had to be the exact way things happened. There were some nice twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters were very layered and fascinating. I particularly appreciate the way the author sketched out Lizzie in such a way that, while I didn't like her very much, I still was able to feel sympathy for her. I think any mystery reader or anyone with an interest in the Lizzie Borden case will love this book, as I did.

‘See What I Have Done’ by Sarah Schmidt is based on the true story of Lizzie Borden who was accused of killing her father and stepmother Andrew and Abby Borden in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century. The case is still well known today with many theories circulating about what actually happened that August day at Fall River in 1892. Schmidt’s take on the story is told through four different voices: Lizzie, her sister Emma, Bridget the family’s Irish maid, and a mysterious stranger named Benjamin. The narrative moves back and forth before and after the murders and as you might expect, the result is fragmented with no real sense of who is the most reliable narrator. There is a lot of tension between the two sisters which heightens the claustrophobic atmosphere. Overall ‘See What I Have Done’ is a sinister tale and deeply unsettling in places but as with a lot of fictionalised true crime, I think those who are interested in the real case might enjoy this book the most.

See What I Have Done, the debut novel by author Sara Schmidt, re-imagines the 1892 murders of Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother. This is a difficult book for me to review, because I found the prose simply astonishing. Schmidt is an incredible writer who makes the characters in the Borden household come alive. She recounts the smells of the home, the gritty feel of dirt in your eyes and the "tick tick" of a mantle clock, until the reader is using all his senses to become immersed in the story.

But the details are brutal. The smells are foul and sour (rotting meat, decaying bodies, fresh vomit). The sights are horrific--Mr. Borden chops the heads off pigeons, and, after the murder, he's found with his eye dangling on his chest. This is not a book for sensitive readers, and the characters are so disturbed, and their lives so twisted, it was difficult for me to finish. I wondered the author was able to sustain such darkness as she wrote.

I wish the author had done more to differentiate the voices. All of them use Schmidt's distinctive, innovative words and phrases--and while they are stunningly good, they tend to make all the characters sound alike.

I recommend this book for readers who are interested in true crime/mysteries/psychological thrillers, but be forewarned: it may be too intense for some, and it will trouble those who hope to find explanations or understanding for the worst acts humans are able to commit.

A totally mesmerizing read of the infamous Lizzie Borden accused of murdering her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts 1892. The story line told by various family members, a drifter and Lizzie herself using their own voices explain the culmination of events leading up to the murders. While Lizzie Borden was acquitted, the author does an excellent job of the possible madness that may have led her to commit this crime while also staying close to the facts of this case. Filled with gruesome details this read also focuses on the strained relationship Lizzie may have had with her family as a possible reason for the murders mentioned during the trial. This was a riveting lesson in history for me, one that I would quite honestly like to continue to read about.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for this ARC courtesy of NetGalley for an honest opinion of my review.

Lizzie Borden was a fun and interesting person to be the center of a book. I only knew the basics of the Lizzie Borden story to begin with, so I didn't really have many expectations going in. The book jumps through different narrators at different times in the story. That being said, I wish certain elements of the story had been fleshed out more, it felt quite vague at different points.

"See What I Have Done" is a retelling of the Lizzie Borden murder case, with at least four or five perspectives at play (including Lizzie's). It's a compelling read and as a contemplation of the murder case, plants a lot of seeds throughout the text, as it takes on various known suspects--why and who, and what other crimes happened at the Borden house. The reason this gets 3 rather than 5 stars is that the book teases various suspects in a seemingly unnecessary way. (There's at least one character I'd remove altogether, as I don't see his purpose.)

I hate to do this with a book from NetGalley, but I am going to put this book in my DNF pile. I have never done that before, but I have been chipping away at it for several weeks in my spare time and there is nothing to grab me, even at 25% of the way through. It just isn’t for me.
Here are my reasons: I love the way that it was written. The way that the author chooses to portray ideas and characters to you is excellent. I think that the parts that move the book along and make it exciting for readers was missing.
It was hard for me to match the characters actions to their individual narratives in the small part that I read. Lizzy seemed so out of it, timid, shy, unknowing, in the beginning, but so sure of herself and her actions and voice in peoples memories. The sister, there was too much skipping down memory lane for me to be paying attention to what is going on there.
I love to read about the Lizzie Borden murders, so I thought that this would be a must read for me. Maybe I will have to revisit it when I have a little more time.

I did think that the cover was beautiful, and that is what made me want to select this book in the first place.

The author does a good job at making you feel an eerie sense when reading, her descriptions almost put you on edge.

What happens when the creative writing class goes wrong...

I freely admit it – I'm pedantic. There are 171,456 words listed as being current in the Oxford English Dictionary, plus over 40,000 obsolete ones, and I feel that should be enough for most novels without the author feeling the need to create her own, or to use them in 'innovative' ways. So I quivered when, on page 1, Schmidt comes up with 'My heart beat nightmares, gallop, gallop...' When she repeats the sentence 'The clock on the mantel ticked ticked.' three times in the first few pages, it merely annoyed me three times instead of once. When she describes the maid as bringing with her 'the smell of decayed meaty-meat', I seriously considered turning vegetarian.

'...strange feelings popped across my bones', 'My teeth were cold against my teeth', 'I shooed her along, my wrist a flick and crunch', 'Her chest heaved, soft, child-suckled breasts.', 'Her lips parted, a sea.' But the clincher was 'I went to the pail of water by the well, let my hands sink into the cool sip sip...'

Since the book is unaccountably garnering positive reviews, clearly plenty of people like this kind of writing. But not me. Abandoned at 2%, since I can't begin to imagine that the story could possibly compensate for the awfulness of the prose. I shall go off now and have some cakey-cake and a mug of coffee-flavoured sip sip in the hopes of heating up my teeth...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Grove Atlantic.

There are no words to describe how good this book is. Dark, atmospheric and chilling, this book is an intense read, and one amazing debut. There are so many things I want to say about this book. It’s exquisitely written, the claustrophobic setting, the uncomfortable feelings you get all the way through the story. This is one book that has stuck with me long after I’ve finished reading it, and I’ve recommended it to just about everyone I know.

The novel is based on the real life story of Lizzie Borden, a young women who was accused of murdering her father and step-mother. Her case went to trial but she was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The story mixes the facts of the case with a narrative that switches between before the murders occurred, and the aftermath.

The book differs in point of view between that of Lizzie, her sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget and a stranger named Benjamin. The different perspectives are really fascinating because they give such differing views of the messed up Borden family. Each scene in the book is laced with familial tension, and Schmidt’s writing oozes with a sense of dark heat and atmosphere.

The thing that stands out most is the writing style of this book. Schmidt writes in such a fascinating way, often slightly poetic, every word adds another layer and the readers senses are continually assaulted by the descriptions of the tastes and smells of the Borden household. The story is certainly a vivid one, and it is completely unlike anything I have ever read. I think I read See What I Have Done in maybe two sittings, purely because I was completely sucked into the story.

I knew very little about Lizzie Borden prior to reading this book, bar of course the famous rhyme:

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

But after finishing the book I found myself spending a large time googling Lizzie and the case, it’s such a fascinating story. The family being sick the day before the murders, Lizzie’s contradicting story and lack of remorse over the whole thing. Did she murder her father and step-mother? We’ll never know. I loved this book from start to finish. The characters were well constructed and fleshed out, the writing impeccable and the story probably one of the best I have ever read. This is easily my favourite book of 2017. I cannot wait to see what Sarah Schmidt writes next.

I have to admit that I really struggled with this book. The idea behind See What I have Done is brilliant. However...there are repetitive phrases that served no purpose (the mantel ticked ticked). I realize the author was making a point; demonstrating the character's frame of mind. But for me, it was just annoying. I finished the book and thought, "hmm...nothing really happened." I would have preferred the story told was more of what the idea behind the story was.