This is a great piece of nonfiction. It read so much like a novel, with great pacing and almost dialogue, which is rare for non fiction. I learned so much and remained interesting the entire time.

I am particularly curious about the documents that have still not been released to the public yet

This is such a good book, especially the first 25% and the last 25%. The narrative gets a little muddled and slow in the middle. It’s apparent the author did an amazing amount of research and had a lot to share with readers. Sooo interesting and captivating..

A thorough account of Lizzie Borden's trial deeply imbedded in the time period. Robertson offers background on the Borden family, Lizzie's life, and what came after the trial, but the primary focus is the trail, which was THE spectacle of its day.

This book will appeal to readers of American history and women's lives in general, as well as those curious about Borden's life and her trial. Robertson's detailed description of each day of the trail and the hive of activity around the courthouse was fascinating if at times a little dry. She really brought the 19th century to life, particularly how news was reported.

It would make a good book club pick for non-fiction groups.

I discussed The Trail of Lizzie Border on Episode 73 of the Book Cougars Podcast.

I often struggle to get through non-fiction, and while it did take me a long time to get through this particular book, it did not feel like a struggle. This is a fascinating, in depth look at the court procedings surrounding the Borden family murders (whether you consider them the Lizzie Borden murder's or not is up to you). I found this to be well written and utterly compelling.

"Lizzie Borden took an axe,
Gave her mother 40 whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41."

We all know the story of Elizabeth Andrew Borden. Or do we?

This book was a culmination of 20 years of dedicated research, and it shows. The vast amount of information included about each person involved with the investigation of Lizzie Borden led this chunkster to be quite the slow burner. At times, it was difficult to get into. Others, I flew through pages and chapters. There are so many more questions brought to light about the case. Why was Bridget Sullivan (or Maggie, as the family insisted on calling her) not further investigated? What was the true nature of Lizzie's relationship with the good doctor? These are just a couple. This case is one of the most infamous unsolved murders that we will never truly solve. Robertson brought a refreshing new look at the case, and I highly enjoyed it.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating! I really enjoyed this author's writing.
Thank you for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this took me forever to get through. I enjoy reading and exploring true crime, but this was a little too monotonous and long to keep me interested.

However, Cara Robertson did an excellent job researching the entire story and the town of Fall River. We don't have a lot about the actual trial, mostly just speculation about how the murders happened. At the end, she mentioned some hidden trial files, and hopefully we will get that one day.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

An intricate and detailed look at one of history’s most notorious crimes and the court case which resulted in the prime suspect walking free. Fascinating!

This was a really fascinating look into Lizzie Borden's trial. I love how it explored how the community impacted the ultimate results of the trial and went through Lizzie's life in great detail. It read like a biography in many ways. It's great for people who love true crime and history, but it's not really a true crime book in and of itself.

***I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

I had high hopes going into this and was slightly disappointed. Although I commend the author for her meticulous research and passion for this project, I can’t help but feel it was a huge missed opportunity.

The Borden murders have always fascinated me. While I did learn some things reading this, it was a slog to get through. It’s basically a very dry recitation step by step of the trial of Lizzie Borden. It did not keep my interest and took me almost ten months to finish.

I would recommend this for die-hard Borden fanatics and those who enjoy straightforward non-fiction accounts of true crime. Otherwise this might not be your cup of tea.

I enjoyed this historical story of Lizzie Borden and it filled me in on all the details! Written from a very legalistic point of view - I found the courtroom scenes too long and drawn out although I think they certainly conveyed the reality of the drama that unfolded.

I would recommend the book for history and courtroom fans!

I honestly could not get in to this book and I really wanted to. It was a DNF for me and I hate that. I do thank the publisher and author for the copy though.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have been obsessed with this trial for a very long time. I think this is because it has never been solved even with all of the information over the years. This was a place to have all of that information in on place. I know it was brutal murder of two people but with all the facts and background of those involved or assumed involved it does paint a very dark and strange picture that the world will not soon forget.

Extremely detailed and researched novel about the facts and interviews associated with the Borden family murder. Great for history buffs.

After twenty years of research Robertson has written an intricately woven narrative of Borden's day's before and during her trial. I'm just saying she's guilty, but so many people disagree about this crime even readers of this book. There is no doubt that Lizzie held great animosity toward her stepmother. She also had a taste for the highlife. But how angry does one have to be to whack her parents to death with an axe!? How indifferent to suffering?! Robertson 's book gives us readers an inside look into Lizzie's life and desires. You be the judge.

This book wasn't what I was excepting I was looking an non-fiction true crime but this one read more like a novel than anything.

This was a very interesting book on Lizzie Borden and the murders of her father and stepmother. This one looks very closely at the investigation and the actual trial. There has not been much written on the trial and the people involved in it. The author did a wonderful job of putting in to context of what went on during the trial. Most information that people have are about the murders and the investigation and not about the trial procedures and testimony. The background information on the lawyers, and other that gave testimony is very interesting. The author also gives a very insightful picture into Lizzie Borden herself during her time of incarceration and the trial. The information about what happened after the trial is also insightful. This is a great book for anyone that is not only interested in the case of the Borden murders but also into the way the law as used and trials were conducted at that time. There still isn't a clear yes she did it or no she didn't because of the era in which it happened, if it was in today's modern world it this case would have been solved and not such a mystery.

This account of the "Fall River Tragedy" - the gruesome murders of Andrew and Sarah Borden - and the subsequent trial of the now-infamous Lizzie Borden is more scholarly than salacious in tone. Cara Robertson worked on this book for many years, and it shows. Her major sources are the inquest and trial transcripts, as well as contemporaneous newspaper coverage of the crime. This has the effect of placing the Borden case in the context of late 19th century New England's views of femininity, criminality, and family life. It's a great way to view the case as a cultural touchstone rather than the worst kind of American tabloid gore. Robertson does not indulge in much speculation, thought she discusses various rumors about Lizzie and the case that have endured, and leaves it to the reader to determine if the Prosecution's flawed case got closest to the truth of the famously unsolved crime. The book ends with the tantalizing detail that Lizzie Borden's lawyer (former Massachusetts Governor George D. Robinson) locked up his research, notes, and trial journals after Lizzie's acquittal. He died 4 years after the trial, but his law firm still exists and the Borden files still exist - yet are still protected by attorney-client privilege even now. No one has access to them, until the law firm who holds them decides it is ethically allowable to do so. Now I REALLY want to know what's in there!

Like most people I knew of Lizzie Borden and the events surrounding her trial. I also had the same interest as most others. It intrigued me so selecting this book was easy.
We all know the story and the rhyme. Lizzie Borden reported her father and step-mother had been killed. Rather violently killed. We’ve read (or seen int he movies) the murders as well as the aftermath. The autopsies that were done on the dining room table. The skulls that were brought into court. Lizzie Borden was tried for both murders and acquitted.

This book is much more academic than story. There are a lot of footnotes and that is one of the reasons I gave it four stars. The footnotes are important but this honestly felt more like a book you would read for a college course or maybe someone interested in the case itself. It is all about the facts.

That was something that I enjoyed. I loved really reading more about the events of the trial and learning some things I didn’t know. I knew that the members of the home had been ill but I didn’t realize it was rather a lot. I knew they made mention of being poisoned but other accounts I had read thought it was because the meat had gone bad that they ate. Mr. Borden was known to be frugal to the point of eating meat several days in a row. All in all this was an interesting read.

I wanted to like this one but it was a miss for me. I could not get into this book, I sadly found it a bit boring. This was a DNF for me.

I usually struggle with reading nonfiction but this book read very well. Despite being one of the most infamous murder cases, the author kept the reader engaged with mystery and intrigue. It was obviously thoroughly researched and I loved the pictures throughout the book. They gave it a more tangible and realistic perspective. Overall, a great read for those that love true crime and mystery.