Historical fiction about the Lizzie Borden case/scandal. It was ok. Thanks to Level Best Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

‘Lizzie’ - Diane Fanning

4 stars

“Lizzie Borden took an ax and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done she gave her father forty-one.”

I grew up hearing this rhyme. I’ve been fascinated ever since. I’ve read several books and watched movies spinning the gruesome tale of the brutal ax murders that took the lives of Lizzie Borden’s father, Andrew Borden, and step-mother, Abby. I was half expecting yet another version of the same books and movies that I’ve seen. I was so very wrong. ‘Lizzie’ by Diane Fanning is a fresh take on this subject.

Diane Fanning’s masterful account includes a new theory as to how Andrew Borden’s coat was found folded/rolled up behind his head as he was said to be fastidious and wouldn’t have done so. This book includes an intriguing possibility of how and why.

This telling also delves deeper into the aftermath of Lizzie’s life following the trial. Ms. Fanning seems to have researched more thoroughly the events surrounding and following the murders.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books - Historia for the ARC I received. This is my unbiased, honest and voluntary review.

This is a very well researched and painstakingly detailed account of the life of Lizzie Borden, through the death of her parents and her murder trial and her life after. I enjoyed this, and this is perfect for a true crime aficionado.

Wondering about the LIzzie Borden case has always been a favorite past-time of mine. She is probably THE reason I love true crime today, so when I saw this gem of a book I knew I had to get into it!

This book is written in third person and goes over the well-researched events of the infamous murder and what life may have looked like for The Borden family beyond that. Women were basically to be seen and not heard in 1892. Lizzie didn't quite fit that mold and you can see her struggle all through the book. The courtroom scenes were very vivid in my mind's eye - you can imagine the stuffy room, filled with bystanders and hushed murmurs. I won't spoil the book for you all, but this was one good read! If you're into historical fiction, true crime, and women's rights ... give it a go!

Diane Fanning presents an in-depth reinterpretation of the infamous Lizzie Borden case in "Lizzie", the story of a woman accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. The novel stands out for its solid historical foundation and meticulous reconstruction of the era, immersing the reader in an America still bound by rigid social conventions and stark gender disparities.

One of the book’s strengths is its psychological portrayal of the protagonist. Fanning paints a complex Lizzie—neither fully a victim nor entirely a perpetrator—highlighting the familial tensions and the suffocating environment in which she lived. The writing is fluid and engaging, particularly in the first half of the novel, where the gradual build-up of tension is well executed. However, this approach to Lizzie's character can at times be slightly misleading for the reader.
That said, the novel has its drawbacks. The narrative loses momentum in the second half, with chapters that seem to stretch the story rather than further develop its themes. Additionally, the decision to reveal certain aspects of Lizzie’s position early on deprives the reader of a true sense of suspense, shifting the focus from an investigation of the events to a contextual analysis. This might disappoint readers expecting a more enigmatic approach or one that leaves room for interpretation.

Overall, "Lizzie" is a well-researched and compelling novel for those who enjoy real-life crime stories adapted into fiction. However, its development does not always sustain the tension it initially promises. It is a recommended read for true crime and historical fiction enthusiasts, with the understanding that it is not a fast-paced thriller.

I thought this book would be super fun because I already knew the story going into it. It was just ok. I liked the fictionalization to an extent because it helped the story not be 100% predictable. Overall, not bad

"As someone who only had a superficial knowledge of the Lizzie Borden case, I was intrigued by the promise of a deeper insight into the murder and the trial that followed. However, this book wasn't what I expected; it was much denser and harder to follow.

Ultimately, while it wasn’t for me, I believe there's a huge audience for it within true crime and history enthusiasts.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

thank you netgalley and level best books for access to this arc.

i know of lizzie borden but wasn't super familiar with her story so i was super excited to jump into this book!

this book read slightly like a history textbook at times (which was not necessarily a bad thing for someone who studied and loves history), but overall it was an easy and interesting read. fanning included LOTS of commentary on the society and the treatment of women during the late 1800's and early 1900s and Lizzie's character shows much disgust at the society she was apart of, which i did find a tad repetitive at times.

i felt that there were a lot of characters introduced at once and i did find it confusing to keep track of them all, especially as they would be mentioned at different times throughout the book and i got confused with who was who. i did find myself getting slightly bored around the 75% mark but overall i thought this was an interesting depiction of such a well known women.

I have mixed feelings. I love historical fiction and was looking forward to what I thought would be a fictionalized account of the Borden murders. This book felt like a rambly combination of a HF book and a memoir. When the author stayed in track- it was an enjoyable story. However, there was so much repetition and fluff, and so many tangents about the evilness of men, that it got frustrating and difficult to follow. At times, I got the distinct impression that the author was simply trying to meet a word count. As a positive, I enjoyed the humanization of a woman who is often reduced to a folk tale. All in all not a bad story, but it could’ve been written much better.

I am fairly interested in the story of Lizzie Borden but I really struggled reading this. The book felt too long and the second half especially at times.

I found the constant expressions of how men are terrible, controlling people a bit tiresome after a while.

I am a fan of true crime books, documentaries, podcasts, you name it, so I started this book with the hope that it would be a fun ride but in all honesty it wasn't what I expected. Although a fresh take that hints to historical fiction, I found the crime and story got dragged down by unnecessary information and a lot of potential was squandered by focusing on the wrong parts of it. Overall the writer was able to convert this real life murder to a story but it just didn't flow as it could have to me. The cover was very well done and I think this could be the first step for Dianne to nail a great book in the future!

This book is a fictional version of the Borden axe murders. Even though it isn’t a true account, it is very well-researched and written. I like how the author takes us into Lizzie’s head and gives hints as to the why of the case. We learn of the societal problems women had at the time (late 19th century) and how these may be the cause behind Lizzie’s actions. Or was it greed?

Even though the mystery surrounding Lizzie Borden has always interested me, my rating reflects the fact that I found some parts of the book a bit of a drag. I didn’t like how much this was a take on women’s issues. This is not a story of who did it but of why and the aftermath of it all. Is Lizzie really just a money-hungry old maid? Did society's expectations of women and marriage decide Lizzie's fate?

The relationships of the characters are well-defined. Especially that of Lizzie and her sister. The court sections were enthralling and informative. However, the book felt as if it had a split personality; is it a biography or a fictional account? I wish the author had chosen one or the other.

The latter part of the book deals with the aftermath and tells what the papers and court case don't. Lizzie is a real person, after all, not just a sensational story. This kind of dragged for me. If you enjoy courtroom drama, then this is the book for you, especially if you’re into historical fiction, too.

Let’s begin with the cover. While not at all unpleasing to the untrained eye, this “Lizzie” is styled more in the Edwardian fashion (1901-1910) rather than the proper Victorian look of the time. The font choice and color, however, I greatly approve of.

On to the actual book itself. While there were some minor points of characterization of the Bordens that I personally disagreed with, this is a fictionalized version of events, and we cannot be sure one way or the other what they were truly like. It is nothing against the author’s skill as a writer, which I found to be quite to my stylistic liking, merely a difference in opinion.

As a self proclaimed Borden scholar —the case has been of special interest to me for nearly fifteen years now— it did irk me that some facts were incorrect, stating Emma was ten years older than Lizzie instead of nine, for example, and the incorrect spelling of Lizbeth as “Lisbeth” when Lizzie officially changed her name.

I will give credit where it is due, however, and say that the author did her best work in making the dialogue feel authentic of both the time period and to what we know was factually said by those involved. And her description of events that we were never privy to made for a compelling narrative that seems, at least for the most part, quite plausible. And the feminist slant, while welcome, and likely how Lizzie must have felt, began to feel a little overplayed at times.

If you read this and are not familiar with the case, I do advise you to remember that this is a fictionalized version of true events, one which does provide some missing context and enhancement to both the town of Fall River and its inhabitants, but should not be taken as a primary factual resource. However, if reading this sparks an interest in the case itself, then it will have done its job well.

I was excited to read this book as I enjoy the story of Lizzie Borden and was looking forward to a fictional account of her story. I began to struggle with the writing almost immediately. It felt very childish and rambling, almost as if the author had written an unedited stream of thought rather than being at the point of publishing. This book was a great struggle and not particularly enjoyable to read, and also did mot seem to add anything at all to my love of the Borden story. Extremely disappointing.

We mostly all know the story of Lizzie Borden..took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks........

This book mixes facts with fiction and gives the reader a new take on the infamous case.
It is well written and brought right up to date.

I couldn't get enough and this is a book that I will defin itely recommend and re read..

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

Now this is the Lizzie Borden story I've wanted since I first found out about her! Getting to be in her mind with thoughts and opinions that she very well could have had made this un-put-downable for me. I understood this fictional Lizzie's thought process and how she may have in fact been driven to do what she was accused and ultimately acquitted of. The perspective of a woman under arrest in the 1890s was unique, and I hadn't previously read anything that described what it would have been like for her in jail at the time. I struggle to find another book to compare this to, it stands alone in the best of ways!

I’m going to be really honest, I did not like this book. It has nothing to due with the book itself, but me. It was not my type of book I was expecting more true crime notions but it was really dragged out. I felt this book could have been half the size and still got the same point across. I realize that the story of Lizzie Bordon is actually pretty boring. This is no hate to the author or the contents, this was just not for me. I recommend this book for anyone who loves excessive detail, true crime, or a historical piece.

I really love historical fiction, and Fanning's retelling in "Lizzie" feels like a sweet spot between historical fiction and true crime. In her book, Fanning is able to make Lizzie Borden a real, tangible antiheroine. There is obviously a lot of violence and agitation in the life of Lizzie Borden, but I really did appreciate all the ways that this book didn't shy away from those facts-- but that they are compounded together with the imagined and probable feelings and emotions of Lizzie herself.

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

The well-known rhyme about the murders gets several things wrong (it was her stepmother & the amount of axe blows are incorrect for a start) but was Lizzie the killer? This book is an uneasy mix of historical fiction & true crime, with the author blending the events & aftermath of Lizzie Borden's trial for the murders of her father & stepmother whilst giving us a look into Lizzie's thoughts, that doesn't quite gel.

The first third was very hard-going, the conversations felt very stilted as if the characters were automatons rather than people, but when we get to the point where Lizzie is first arrested, it vastly improves. I found myself engrossed in reading about the conditions in which Lizzie was kept before the inquest & the lead-up to her being charged & on trial.

The character of Lizzie though was her own worst enemy here, & it felt as if she was just parroting 'feminist' rhetoric at times & needlessly riling people who were on her side. I must say that I don't know much about her character & she may have indeed been very blunt & forthright. Overall it was interesting but treads a fine line between fact & fiction that isn't always work. 3.25 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Level Best Books (IBPA), for the opportunity to read an ARC.