"Lizzie Borden took an axe...gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done...gave her father 41" ~Playground chant

In August 1892, the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, MA created a media frenzy. Their daughter, Lizzie, was arrested for the crime and put on trial. The murder trial was an instant sensation. At the time, nobody could believe a woman would hack her father and stepmother to death with an axe.

After more than 120 years, many still wonder.....

Did she? Or didn't she?

Cara Robertson has spent 20 years researching the murders and the trial. The Trial of Lizzie Borden is her first book.

This book is so interesting! The Borden case is one of the most interesting and intriguing unsolved mysteries in American history, in my opinion. I don't believe the case was really solved by the investigation or outcome of the trial because at that time nobody could believe a woman was really capable of such a violent crime. Lizzie was found not guilty (as we all know) but faced public scrutiny until her death in 1927 because nobody was sure. The question hung in the air for the rest of her life....was she really guilty? Or innocent? And...if she was innocent....who killed the Bordens?

After reading this book, I can't really sway my opinion one way or the other. The evidence in the case is long gone. If such a murder occurred today, there would be DNA analysis, fingerprint evidence, and the investigation would not be impeded by the sex of the accused. A person is assumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. In my opinion, the trial did not prove her guilt so she was freed. Did she actually murder her parents? After 127 years any proof is just dust in the wind...there is no way to know.

Awesome book! Obviously well researched, and definitely well-written. Awesome debut book. I will be looking for more from this author! I will be running over the facts of this case in my head now for days I'm sure.....did she? Maybe she did. But maybe she didn't. That's the rough beauty of an unsolvable mystery....it can be pondered, but never really brought to a satisfying conclusion. Brain candy. Things for me to mull over in my head. Love it!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I literally could not put this down! Even though i kind of knew the story. I did but realise how massively focused on it purple were at the disclosure time (and still are). Lizzie's infuriating testimony combined also with balanced commentary from legal author about the empty and tedious lives such women of her class had to live was a winning combination. We have a mix of mind and soul tracking the ways of this trial, the awful oppression Lizzie and her sister (and their unfortunately victimised stepmother) suffered balanced out the almost impossible-to-deny guilt that seems obvious. She outwitted inadvertently the prosecutor as the c authored account v seems to demonstrate. Fascinating discussion of legal ins and outs ground the story down into 'reality'. Superb job.

"The remarkable new account of an essential piece of American mythology - the trial of Lizzie Borden - based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden tells the true story of one of the most sensational murder trials in American history. When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone - rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars and laypeople - had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she?

The popular fascination with the Borden murders and its central enigmatic character has endured for more than one hundred years. Immortalized in rhyme, told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror, but one typically wrenched from its historical moment. In contrast, Cara Robertson explores the stories Lizzie Borden’s culture wanted and expected to hear and how those stories influenced the debate inside and outside of the courtroom. Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden offers a window onto America in the Gilded Age, showcasing its most deeply held convictions and its most troubling social anxieties."

So people might say there are too many books on Lizzie Borden saturating the market right now. These are not my people. BRING IT ON!

Really liked the illustrations and the break down of thr book into the different sections. This book was great to be the author's debut book. She seems very credible to be writing the book since she work(ed) as a supreme court law clerk. I was very fascinated with the subject and this shed alot of light on it for sure. I loved it!

I thought this was a very informative book on Liz Borden and her family. I really enjoyed the pictures and all of the research that was done. Liz Borden is an interesting woman and story if you want to know more about her I would recommend this book.

For anyone new to the story of Lizzie Borden, this book pretty much tells it all. For those who already know about it, there are plenty of courtroom details and other information surrounding the murders that may be of interest.

I found some of the courtroom details fascinating--especially how women were treated and their views of what women were or were not capable of. The fact that Lizzie was a well-to-do, church-going woman almost cleared her of any possibility of being a murderer.

With all the information cited in the book, I felt sure I was going to solve the mystery. Did Lizzie commit the crime or did someone else? Maybe someday the mystery will be solved, but in the meantime readers can play armchair detective.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy and offer an honest review.

The book is very well researched. With historical context, the murder investigation, the trials, and state facts. It's an interesting read for anyone interested in the Lizzie Bordin case. At time though the read came across dry and I found myself scanning paragraphs. Overall I was reminded of reading a text book in high school. Would recommend to Lizzie Bordin fans. Thank you Netgalley for the copy

Everything a reader could possibly want to know about the trial is included in this book. After many books and movies, this author still enlightens readers about life during this time period, Lizzie's trial and jail time. True crime enthusiast will enjoy this book but will we ever know the truth?

We all know the rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 wacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41”. We’ve all heard the story. Some of us have even seen the movie. Now we have a detailed account of the crime, the investigation and the trial.

This book was very well researched and written. At times it did become stagnant and boring but later ramped up the pace.

This definitely made me look at the case and crime with a whole new look. Definitely a must read for true crime buffs.

I have read quite a few books on the trial,life and circumstances surrounding the murders that Lizzy Borden was accused of. This book surrounds the trial.
It was very intriguing.
If you re looking for a definitive answer as to whether Lizzy Borden committed the murders of her father and step mother you will but get them here. I like that ! You get to make your own conclusions based on the evidence... just like you were a juror yourself.

This book is a highly readable account of the case against Lizzie Borden and her famous story. This is told from the perspective of the author, who is a lawyer by training and therefore, more attuned to the subtleties of how a prosecution occurs. For anyone with an interest in true crime and historical crime, this is a great choice.

Highly recommend.

#TheTrialOfLizzieBorden #NetGalley

Lizzie Borden is a must read. The author did such a wonderful job researching for this book. Very informative and so well detailed. If you are interested in the Lizzie Borden murders, then look no further this book is for you. You really get the feel of what the court room drama must have been like. I highly recommend for all the true crime fans out there.

I personally found that this has been the best telling of this case then anything else I have read or saw relating to Lizzie Borden.
Loved it. Thank you so much NetGalley for this wonderfully written arc.

Everyone knows the story of Lizzie Borden and her subsequent acquittal for the murder of her father and step-mother. This book goes beyond the lore to focus on the evidence and trial against her. Well researched, the author utilized court records, newspaper accounts, and local accounts to paint a picture of what truly happened in the court room. Overall, a well written and fascinating book. Highly recommended.

This book was interesting and jam-packed with lots of information. It covers the events leading up to the vicious murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. As well as the investigation afterwards, which resulted in the arrest of Andrew's daughter Lizzie for the crimes. I did learn a lot from this book (more than I ever thought I'd learn about the Borden murders and also the culture and society of the times in which they lived). My only complaint would be that this book was very dry and lacked the storytelling quality that I enjoy. I felt as if I was reading a research paper rather than a novel and it got quite boring at times.

Overall, I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn everything there is to know about the Lizzie Borden Trial (this book covers everything and then some!), but for the average reader who's looking for a murder mystery type book, I would recommend looking elsewhere because you're likely to get bored.

I had always heard of Lizzie Borden but honestly never really read into the story at all so I thought this book was very detailed, well researched, and gave a very thorough account of the murders, investigation, etc. However, the writing style just didn’t suit my preferences and I found myself skimming large chunks of the book. Would recommend for true crime fans looking to learn more about the case. 3.5 stars.

I have read a few books and articles that focused on the Lizzie Borden trial. Did she do it or not? This book by Cara Robertson, like the others, does not answer that question. We do not know definitively whether she is the murderer of her father and stepmother. However, this book lays out the trial, the attorneys and their cases are detailed, and the atmosphere in which the trial took place is superbly drawn out. I think the author did meticulous research and while the trial can be tedious to read about at times, I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn about the Borden murder trial.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

You could probably call the 1893 trial of Lizzie Borden the "trial of the century," much as O.J. Simpson's trial was the focus of the 1990s. When Lizzie's father and stepmother were found murdered in their home, Lizzie and a female servant were the only ones in the house, and they became prime suspects for the double homicide.

Author Cara Robertson's accounting of Lizzie's trial gives the reader a chance to decide for himself whether she was guilty, although her jury found her innocent. Robertson is a lawyer, and her book shows the depth and detail of her research and scholarship.

The book also shows us a lot about society in the 1890s, especially in its treatment of women. Considered "hysterical" and weaker than men, they were hardly thought capable of wielding an ax with force, much less able to commit violent crimes. Unmarried, middle-class women like Lizzie weren't expected to have careers or accomplish important work, but to stay home and manage domestic affairs. At 32, Lizzie was described as an "old maid" and a "spinster."

After reading Robertson's book, I think Lizzie was acquitted because the male jurors were sympathetic to her (although the public was said to believe in her guilt, and she was ostracized in later years). I'm also convinced she was the murderer.

I would have liked more insights into Lizzie's personality, but she was an enigmatic person who kept to herself, I don't think the author was able to tell us more about her because there wasn't much more. More than a century later, the crime has gone unpunished.

Recommended for true crime and social history fans.

As someone who has read just about everything I could about Lizzie Borden I still found this book to be a well-written account of the times, the murder, the trial and its aftermath. The author has done a fine job of placing the in Victorian Falls River in the middle of an oppressive heat wave. Even better, I’m still left with the feeling that while she probably did commit the murder, it also seems impossible that Lizzie could have done it.

As someone from the Boston area I was extremely excited to read this take on the lizzie Borden trials. This is such a huge part of Boston history and I loved being able to read historical fiction style about this event. This is also something I had researched during school so I had knowledge of the events and this was a very well written story.

It is fascinating to me that Lizzie Borden has remained in the public consciousness all these decades. Why the many books, movies, and other art forms dedicated to this one individual? Very odd, but then again I also find myself reading more than my fair share of books about her so I guess I should be asking myself that question, eh?

Anyway, this book is takes an in-depth look into her trial, with detailed information about the witnesses, the attorneys, the judge and to Lizzie's demeanor throughout. It's very interesting and well-written and makes the reader feel as if you are sitting right there witnessing the events as they happen.
I'm sure everyone that reads it will come to their own conclusions about the verdict, but I for one am astounded that they found her innocent. There is no doubt in my mind that she did it, I always come to that decision and this book with all the evidence spelled out only confirms my opinion.
Very good book.