"Murder Ballads" tells the history behind the morbid songs that have been recorded by artists such as Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley. Many of the songs featured in this collection are based on actual events and continue to evolve with each generation. As I read the history behind the crimes that inspired the songs, I took a deep dive into the recorded versions by Jerry Garcia, Harry Belafonte, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Sammy Davis Jr., Bon Iver, Kate Bush, Ma Rainey and Shovels and Ropes. The true stories and the songs tell the tale of centuries of misogyny, racism, and classism. The illustrations are hauntingly beautiful.
I have already added many of the recommended reading from author to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-galley.

An entertaining an gorgeously illustrated look at a divers array of murder songs. A recommended purchase for collections where music titles are popular.

I could not put this down!

The bits of history and folklore were great, as were the lyrics. But what makes this book a five star read for me is the artwork. It's creepy and disturbing and beautiful - just like the ballads themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for an ARC of this book!

It’s honestly SO RARE to see an original take on retelling true crime stories but this book does a really good job of incorporating artwork, music and folklore into each story. The collection features stories that while brief, are still captivating and not competing with the illustrations.

Overall a super cool concept and would make a really good coffee table book to keep going back to.