Three stars: A true account of the Lizzie Borden trial. It gets a little dry, and there is no clear conclusion on Borden’s guilt or innocence.

One of the most famous trials in American history is the trial of Lizzie Borden. Ms. Borden was put on trial accused of the grisly murders of her father and stepmother. Borden supposedly committed these gruesome murders with an ax. The trial in 1893 was one of the most followed trials of the era. Hundreds of people flocked to the courtroom eager to catch a glimpse of Lizzie Borden. Was she a cold blooded killer capable of chopping up her parents with an ax, or was she a wrongly accused woman? This is a book that presents the real life transcripts from the trial as well as photographic evidence, letting the reader decide. Was Lizzie guilty or innocent?
What I Liked:
*Who hasn’t heard of the infamous Lizzie Borden? Many know the childhood rhyme about Lizzie, or have seen movies or plays, or even read books about the murderess. I was curious to learn more about Ms. Borden so I eagerly snatched up this latest account to see if I could glean more information about one of the most famous trials in U.S. history. If you have interest in the case, this is a well researched book full of information.
*I appreciated the author’s extensive research. You could tell that she spent many laborious hours gleaning the archives to present the case. In fact, so much research was done that the book ends at the 65% mark, and the rest is all notes and bibliographic information.
*The author refrains from making any assumptions about the Borden’s case. The book is a straightforward narrative of the facts. Most of the trial portion is quoted from the historical text and notes. There isn’t any story telling or embellishment of the case, it is just the cold, hard facts. There are no opinions offered by the author on Borden’s guilt or innocence, it is up to the reader to decide.
*I liked all the pictures that the author included, there are even pictures of the bodies.
*The trial itself was fascinating. I was pulled along with each and every witness, mulling over the facts and forming my own opinions. I can see why so many people are fascinated by this case even a hundred and twenty years later.
*The book ends with a brief account of Lizzie’s life after the trial. It was interesting to see how she lived her life after the acquittal.
And The Not So Much:
*Even thought the subject matter is fascinating, at times the text is dry and hard to wade through. There are a lot of terms and vernacular that are pertinent to the era, which makes it a little difficult to understand everything. I could only read this in short spurts as I found my mind wandering.
*There are many photos included, I found them hard to see on my Kindle. I think this book might be better as a physical copy or on a device where the pictures can be blown up for viewing.
*I do know, I finished this one feeling a bit disappointed. Even though the author kept to the facts and let the reader decide, I was left wanting to know whether she felt Borden was guilty or innocent. I honestly couldn’t decide.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden is a well researched, true fact book that presents the Borden case without embellishment. If you have any interest in this famous case, this is the book to read. The author uses the court notes, legal documents, court transcripts and photographs to reconstruct the famous case. Read and experience the trial of the century and decide for yourself whether Lizzie Borden was a cold blooded killer or a wrongly accused woman.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

It was amazing to read such in depth research about one of the most famous murders of all time! I appreciated that it lets you decide, did she do it or was she wrongly accused?

I’ve read quite a bit of True Crime, but most of it had been about more recent crimes. The case of Lizzie Borden is one of the most famous cases in U.S. history and one of the few high profile cases with a female suspect. Despite how often this case gets referenced, clearly there was a lot I didn’t know about it. This case wasn’t nearly as straightforward as I’d thought.

I have mixed feelings about the book overall. The research is extremely thorough. Apparently the author spent twenty years compiling everything for this book. It’s comprehensive and detailed. The sources are meticulously explored. And I truly wish I could say I loved it…

But although the book is exhaustively researched, it lacks that dynamic edge. The second half starts to drag. It was hard to keep track of the tertiary people involved. I had to flip back to the list of people and the floorplans of the house quite frequently. But things were still muddled for me.

Also, the blurb mentions the use of “recently unearthed evidence,” but I must have missed exactly what that was. It seemed more like a matter of compiling and organizing information from every possible source. But there didn’t seem to be any big reveal of new, critical information.

Part of my vexation while reading this book wasn’t due to the author. It was the fact that this case happened during frustrating times and the inept handling of the case. Although I tried to avoid falling victim to presentism, it was so hard not to groan in frustration. In 1892, women didn’t have the right to vote let alone sit on a jury. So much of the investigation and trial was biased by men’s preconceived notions about women. All the references to female hysteria and the alleged physical and mental weakness of women really drove me insane. And both the prosecution and defense ignored a line of inquiry because it involved talking about menstruation. Aside from that, unfortunately at that time one of the main voices in criminology was Cesare Lombroso – whose work could politely be called scientific racism. Someone should raise him from the dead just to high five him… in the face… with a chair. Regrettably, Lombroso’s theories were highly influential at the time as is evidence in the handling of the Borden’s murders.

From a legal standpoint, it was hard to keep in mind that a lot of modern precedence had not yet been established. I was surprised to find out that the U.S. constitution did not actually apply to all of the states (including Massachusetts – where this case took place), so the case could not be tried federally. There were various other loopholes and chicanery that muddled this case.

It is clear that nearly everyone involved in the investigation and trial had a definite opinion about whether Lizzie Borden was guilty or innocent. People on both sides lied and obscured evidence in order to manipulate the outcome of the case. It’s hard to imagine investigating without the tools that modern people take for granted such as fingerprinting, DNA analysis, databases, and other scientific and technical advances. But they didn’t have any of that in 1892. Even bloodsplatter analysis was a relatively new and unrefined process. Most of the testimony about the blood evidence boiled down to, “Well, there was a lot of blood.” Like I said, frustrating! And there were other aspects, such as the crime scene not being sealed, evidence lost or destroyed, and false stories ran in the newspapers.

Something I did greatly appreciate was the author’s objectivity in writing. Clearly, a person does not spend twenty years researching it without being passionately interested in that topic. So Robertson must have an opinion on whether or not Lizzie Borden killed her family. But the book leaves it up to the reader to decide. I’ve read so many biased nonfiction books that it was a breath of fresh air to have one present the fact then let the reader draw conclusions. And if you didn’t already know the outcome of the trial, then you’d probably be guessing up until the end. Even with the outcome of the trial, clearly there is still doubt about what really happened all those years ago. Unfortunately, the ambiguity that starts out interesting also leaves the reader guessing too much. Afterall, who can definitively and undeniably know the truth about what happened all those years ago? The Trial of Lizzie Borden will probably frustrate anyone who likes clear-cut closure. But I think hardcore True Crime fans will enjoy it.

The truth of this case has been obfuscated by lies and too much time. But the book does offer hope that someday new information will come to light or through scientific advances. After all, we have more information about Jack the Ripper than was previously available. But until then, this case remains a fascinating (and frustrating) enigma.

I'm rating this book on what others have said even though I didn't enjoy it myself. The two people I know who are huge fans of Lizzie Borden (is that a thing?) really enjoyed this book. So I think if you are fascinated by the history of Lizzie Borden, you will like this story. I just couldn't get into it.

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

2.5 Stars

Sadly, my knowledge of Lizzie Borden was basically the rhyme above. As a true crime aficionado, it was always on my list to read about the Borden murders. Obviously, I should have read about them sooner as I believed that she was a child when the crimes were committed and that she was found guilty. (Neither are true, and my ignorance shames me, I must say.)

The Trial is Lizzie Borden is literally that: an almost ad nauseam account of her trial. At first it was interesting but after a while it became a bit cumbersome. I found many of the details, evidence, and trial oration a sign of the times. I wonder what the result would have been if the trial had taken place today, at a time where we didn’t see women as fickle creatures incapable of the same evil as men.

In the end, I can’t say whether or not Borden was actually innocent of these crimes. Lawyers then seem pretty much the same as today where they twisted circumstances and words to create the narrative they wanted. (No offense to lawyers, I know there are also great ones out there.) But everything was so skewed one way or the other that it was difficult to see the truth in it all.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
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In “The Trial of Lizzie Borden” by Cara Robertson we are led through the before and after of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. You are told the jury’s decision but are left to make your own decision on guilt or innocence with all the evidence that is presented.

I received a copy of this book through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

I have always been a true crime junkie and that didn't change when I moved to America back in 2002. The first American true crime story I ever read about was the Borden Murders when I finished watching all of the crime tv and history channel shows, I was firm in my conviction that Lizzie was innocent and that was that. Fast forward to 2019 and back in February suddenly my Instagram was flooded with images of a book that I knew in a heartbeat I had to read...The Trial of Lizzie Borden.

If you are unaware of the story, I will give you a brief run through. On August 4th, 1892 in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts there was the horrific murders of wealthy businessman Andrew Borden and his second wife Abby. The only ones in the house at the time of the attack was Andrew's youngest daughter Lizzie and the family maid Bridget, who was washing the outside windows. Lizzie Borden was accused of the murder of her father and stepmother and was held until her trial when she was later found not guilty.

Cara Robertson started looking into the trial of Lizzie Borden as the subject for her Harvard undergraduate thesis. By using the trial transcripts, newspaper accounts and even recently discovered letters written by Borden herself, the author writes a compelling and detailed account, presenting the evidence as only a lawyer can, Without giving away her feelings, and leaving it to us the reader, as the modern-day jury to weigh the facts and to rule judgement.

This book really forces you to use your brain and for a true crime junkie (as I am), this book is literal gold. I really enjoyed the clear cut timeline (minus the magical missing hour). And I have to say it was completely eye-opening because despite my many tv shows and podcasts I had watched and listened too, there were many details left out, from the poisoning, the arguments and the burglary, which was a complete eye opener! And really changed my viewpoint of the murder.

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
I remember singing this song while jumpingrope as a child. I have read alot about Lizzie, and heard a Humanitites Council program on this topic. fascinating.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
This book brought out a lot of information about Lizzie Borden who was accused of killing her dad and step mother. Although the facts brought forth were informative, the details were a little too detailed for me.
Sadly, the mystery of who brutally murdered the couple is still unsolved.

If you ever wanted to get away from all of the fables of Lizzie Borden definitely read this. I went into thinking that she possibly didn’t do it and my mind was changed. This is very eye opening and includes everything that happened in the trial. I am a sucker for these kinds of books. Definitely informative.

This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.

Cards on the table, first: I've always been fascinated by the Borden case and I've read a lot about it. This may frame my discussion of this book.

Why? Because "The Trial of Lizzie Borden' is largely a step-by-step walk through of the actual trial transcripts for the Borden case, with slight detours for press coverage and other details (contemporary attitudes toward the female body, for example). I can't say it is poorly researched, because it isn't, but I don't believe it gave us anything particularly new.

There is one exception, though--the author notes a file of defense records that remain sealed. That's a tantalizing point on which to close the book and I wish we had more discussion of the author's pursuit of those records. Right now, there doesn't seem to have been much of an effort. (Although again, there might have been more energy applied to this than was shown in the text.)

So, overall--if you are new to the story of Lizzie Borden, have a go at this. If you've read anything about it before, I doubt you'll find it revelatory.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance.


The story of Lizzie Borden has been one that caught my interest since I heard of it, because of that when I saw the book on NetGalley I requested it, and thankfully I got accepted. This book begins with the early life of Lizzie and her family and then on the murder mystery, what she did before, during and after. But the main focus of this book is, as the title says, the trials. Is a really good book if you want to learn more about the story behind most of the things that went on with that case, you can enjoy pictures of them and the places. You can get more in-depth with the trials, mainly. And even though we may expect a little more (just because of the movies and shows) I think is a really good book to read if interested in the story.

If you are interested in the case of Lizzie Borden you'll find this book interesting as well. There are photos, but it is full of details about the incident around the death of Lizzie Borden's parents then the trial of Lizzie Borden. Many details are included with some if you have read about it before you have heard, but you might learn some new elements in this book too. Overall, if it well done and interesting. If you have any interest in this subject I recommend this book.

I'm not sure what I was thinking agreeing to do a book discussion on this topic? I had nightmares for a week after reading the graphic description- my discusson group was aptly titled "Hacking Away at Lizzie Borden". This is a detailed retelling of the murders of her parents and her subsequent trial. The book left me feeling intensely disturbed with more questions than answers. If you're a fan of legal drama, history and/or true crime stories, this one told by a lawyer voice, is right up your alley. Just not mine, ha!

Beyond the rhyme that most of know, I didn't know much about Lizzie Borden. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot. It was well researched and well written. It reads like non-fiction but I found it compelling.

This was a very dry, very cold telling of the time period from Lizzie Borden's stepmother and father's death through the trial. It talks about a great deal of people and includes pictures, including the trial judge, prosecution, other lawyers involved, and the actual family and friends. I understand when telling a non-fiction such as this you don't want to guess or sensationalize, but this item was fairly dry and not extremely interesting.

Very well researched and engrossing, this was a book that would be great for book clubs. I learned things I never knew and it was very good.

This book seems to be very well researched. It is extremely informative and can be a bit technical at times. The court proceedings are described in great detail and gives the reader a very explicit view of the trial. I found the book to be slightly repetitive at times repeating much of the same information.

Fascinating in-depth exploration of one of the most mysterious cases in modern history. Not only did it show the trial in-depth, but it also painted a compelling portrait of the time and place in which it occurred. I had a wonderful conversation with Cara on the Secret Library and thoroughly enjoyed discussing her research process and the huge effort and several false starts it took to finish this book.

I have always held a fascination for the story of Lizzie Borden. She and this awful murder of her parents were the headlines across the country with everyone having their own ideas as to Lizzie's guilt or innocence.

In this book, through courtroom transcripts, accounts in the newspapers and even letter written by Lizzie herself, we see not only a picture of Lizzie but also one of the times. Lizzie was eventually acquitted, but even to this very day, there are many who still believe in her guilt.

This was an interesting book but at times I found myself a bit disinterested in the telling.

Thank you to Cara Robertson, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.