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.

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.

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

"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.

Murder Ballads is a unique book combining beautiful illustrations with the lyrics of classic murder ballads as well as written and researched explanations on the origin stories of each song. The artwork throughout this book is exceptional. Not only the full-sized pieces that act as portraits for each song, but the page details and illustrations filling in-between spaces are perfect. A warning that some of the art is, however, gruesome, as the topic is murder after all.

The book also features lists of notable performances of each song which is very cool. Now that I have read through the book a first time I plan to read it again while listening to the music.

I'd recommend Murder Ballads to those interested in illustration artwork, poetry, music, or music history.

Nice little folklore-book about a bunch of different murder ballads. Like the author, my interest for folk music started with a version of The Twa Sisters, although one of the version of the ballad in my native Swedish. Nicely illustrated,

“Everyone who hears a song and repeats it…also recreates it.” “While early collectors of ballads drew from manuscripts and broadsides, other folklorists wandered through both Europe and America, ‘collecting songs from the actual folk responsible for the folk tradition…such as twentieth-century musicologists John and Alan Lomax.” The movie “Songcatcher” (2000) describes a musicologist’s journey into the most isolated mountains of Appalachia to record and document ancient Scottish-Irish ballads that had been orally passed down for generations.

Katy Horan, illustrator/interdisciplinary artist has meticulously researched the stories behind 20 murder ballads of both “Black America and Renaissance Europe, and songs based in myth as well as tales of real murders…Murder ballads almost always chronicle a transgression, a trust betrayed.”

A murdered sweetheart ballad often describes a killer’s desire to avoid marriage. A woman might be “drowned, battered or murdered by men”. “Delia’s Gone” relates the true murder of a 14 year old Black girl killed by her boyfriend in Savannah, Georgia. In some renditions of the ballad, Delia is described as “worthless” while other balladeers express love and mourn for her.

“The Twa Sisters” is a jealous-lover ballad. Two sisters love the same man. When he chooses the prettier, younger one, the elder sister drowns the other in the river. A passing fiddler discovers the girl’s body and constructs a magic fiddle from her bones and hair. The killer is revealed when the magic fiddle is played.

“Frankie and Johnny” is a song addressing domestic violence. “Frankie was a Black woman who-walk(s) free after killing a dangerous man in self-defense…when Hollywood capitalized the story (Frankie) was ‘erased’ as it was co-opted for entertainment.”

“The Cruel Ship’s Carpenter” describes revenge beyond the grave/spectral revenge. A young girl, promised marriage, was instead lured into the forest, killed and buried in a shallow grave. The culprit fled aboard an ocean going vessel only to see an apparition-the ghost of his beloved and his baby. He confessed! This ballad started as a broadside in London, became a broadside in Boston, later to become prominent in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada. The song title eventually evolved and the song was renamed “Pretty Polly.”

Brought to mind are two murder ballads, not in this read, but for consideration. “The Queen and the Soldier” written and recorded by Suzanne Vega concerns a soldier who knocks on the queen’s door telling her he will not fight for her “fun” anymore. He asks why there must be a battle? She summarily orders his execution. A contemporary murder ballad “Goodbye Earl” is sung by The Chicks. A song of domestic abuse…perhaps her friends will help her dispose of Earl’s body!

Badman ballads arguably written in the “ragtime tradition” have elevated the bad-ass killer to folk hero stature; songs such as “Stagolee” and “Big Bad Leroy Brown”, continue to maintain their popularity.

In 18th Century England “when British ballads were traveling en masse to America…variants occurred when a song’s geography changed as singers personalized the lyrics…lyrics that often shift over the course of a song’s recorded life.” Author Katy Horan’s totally enjoyable read contains a Catalogue of Notable Recordings for each of the 20 Murder Ballads discussed as well as an Extensive Bibliography. The song lyrics and magnificent artwork complete the package!

Highly recommended.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations in this were a highlight for me. There is a poetic cultural relivence throught the reading that itches for more. There is a lot to consider in review of the information Murder Ballads has offered and Katy Horan has created a space for a lovely piece of history to be locked away for safe keeping.

Thought provoking analysis on a variety of murder ballads. As an amateur folklorist and a devourer of true crime, it was an enthralling read. Beautiful artwork that really brought the book together as a whole. Highly recommend.

Beautiful collection of historical ballads. I'm in no way an expert on the genre, but I am an enjoyer of media where music and literature come together. Beyond the beautiful ballads themselves, I loved reading about the historical and sociological context from their earliest iteration to present day interpretations. The book is very accessible to novices, so you can absolutely jump into it with zero previous knowledge.

The highlight for me however were the illustrations. Just like the cover, they are dark, ominous and eerily beautiful, accompanying the texts perfectly and enhancing the atmosphere.

This one is for fans of folklore, music and true crime - an interesting combination for sure.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading about the history of these murder ballads and learning if there was any truth behind the story. I didn’t realize how much history was behind some of these ballads and how long they have been around. This was super interesting topic and a pretty fast read.

Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I grew up with murder ballads because my grandmother is Irish and my grandfather is English so I've always loved learning the songs and the stories behind them. This was an interesting read. It goes into the history behind the ballads while also providing the lyrics and the artwork is gorgeous.

As posted on Goodreads:

This book is a brilliant combination of history, folklore, lyrics, and beautiful artwork that I absolutely loved. Murder ballads are not something I knew a lot about going into this book, but the concept was intriguing and the book cover is gorgeous - and before I even finished the foreword I was hooked.

I took my time reading through this book, enjoying the artwork and even making a playlist of the songs mentioned (when I could find them), and listening to them from start to finish.

If you, like me, enjoy folklore/folk art, music and true crime (kind of a bizarre combination, but it works), this is a beautiful coffee table book that you’ll actually want to read, and that will spark plenty of interesting conversations.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! Admittedly anything illustrated gets an extra star in my book, but this one didn’t need it. It was already at five stars! The format kept a quick pace, combined with interesting stories and beautiful art, I read this whole thing in one sitting. I just couldn’t stop!

The illustrations were great but what really made this one stand out for me was how original the idea was. It reminds me of one of those wikipedia-rabbit-hole nights where you become obsessed with a specific topic and wanna know more and more. When we're following one random story, graphic novels tend to get a bit boring for me; this stopped that form happening. Instead of one story that doesn't get enough time to be explores, we get a collection of well researched mini-stories and enough information to never get bored.

This is the kind of book you can get as a gift for a book lover, not having to worry about if maybe they already read/have it, or if it will fit their taste exactly, because as long as they're into creepy stuff, good art or graphic novels, this will be fun and original.

What an interesting concept. I really enjoyed the collection. Each piece really was enjoyable. It's something different.

What a stunning mix of history, folklore, music and tragedy. The folklore and events behind the beautifully written lyrics are about tragic and heartbreaking events but they remain alive and passed down through the generations due to the music and stories shared.

The art work by Katy is so hauntingly gorgeous! Its absolutely mesmerizing to look at the detail in these simple pictures 🥀

There’s a recommendation for addition reading and the known recordings of the ballads at the end of the book 🎶

This was well put together and would be amazing as an audiobook where you could listen to each of the ballads!

Thank you to the author and artist, Katy Horan, publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book. I received an epub and am leaving my review voluntarily.

This book will be published 4/29/25.

I really enjoyed this book, and will probably invest in a physical copy for the illustrations. I have enjoyed this author/artists Literary Witches deck, and as a fan of murder ballads, folklore, folk horror, & passed-diwn songs, this title was right up my alley. It's an easy read, with enough history to give you the meat of the story, accompanied by a gorgeous illustration of the ballad, and then the song itself. I could easily see this book being a podcast, because I'd love to hear these songs with an audio of the lore. Each chapter is easy to read & then put down, so I enjoyed it over a few evenings. Highly recommend for fans of musical history & folklore.

5⭐/5 - An eerily fascinating exploration of the history of macabre songs, each complemented by the author's captivating illustrations.

I want to thank NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and the author/illustrator Katy Horan for providing this e-ARC for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Katy Horan offers a unique history of twenty murder ballads. Each ballad's origins and lore are explained in great detail, including various adaptations. The author pairs the lyrics of these ballads with hauntingly beautiful folk illustrations that would make an excellent addition to any coffee table book!

This work was a delightful surprise. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in the historical perspective of true crime as reflected in folk music.

4/5. Thank you to Ms. Horan, the publisher, and Netgalley for the beautifully illustrated ARC.

This was a very interesting read. I know some of these songs from my own childhood, but to trace back the origin of them (and the many, <i>many</i> variations) is an adventure. I can't say that as a child I noticed the rampant misogyny and racism, but the way Ms. Horan has laid it out really does begin to tell the tale.

Murder Ballads are exactly what they sound like: ballads that deal with gruesome crimes. Sometimes, they're from a single event that has been twisted through years of oral tradition. Sometimes they get changed from place to place to suit the local traditions. They can come from the UK, Ireland, America, Scandinavia - anywhere.

What Ms. Horan does is trace these songs from their origin (or as near as can be found) to modern day, where artists continue to sing and adapt these songs. Accompanying the historical perspective and lyrics are illustrations that I adore. That was one of the big reasons I wanted to read this ARC: I love her style. And each piece had so many lovely little details to admire.

I don't know if this is a book one will read over and over again, but it is certainly a fun addition to a library that loves musical history, true crime, or folklore.

I'd happily read several volumes of this, an interesting look behind some old folk songs/murder ballads


I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

Filled with background on some of the most popular murder ballads, including potential historical inspirations and different versions and accompanied by Horan’s gorgeous folk horror illustrations, Murder Ballads is a must-have for any fan of this song style (or music history or folk horror in general).

This is genuinely so cool and would be the perfect addition to any home in Appalachia, or anyone into a darker side of history and music. Not only is it informative, but the illustrations are beautiful. I will likely be ordering a copy to have in my home. This was awesome.

My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advance copy of this illustrated guide to the history of songs about love and betrayal, hate and murder, and why these songs serve as warnings to us all, for the heart will almost always overwhelm the mind, leaving the soul to deal with the consequences.

My parents were big music lovers before I was born. My father was a little bit of a taper, recording shows that he would see with my Mom when they were courting, and later when they were married. Having a child meant they put away their childish things, and music was sadly one of these things. However they had a big collection of records, and lots of reel to reels that I was able to explore as I got older. This was later, as my first music was AM sounds, but as my taste evolved, and my brother began to like songs outside of the mainstream also we would listen to these old songs. Many were Irish and folk tunes, and a sadder lot of music one couldn't find. I don't mean the performances, these were songs about the dead. Dead fighting in wars, fighting for freedom, of dead by a lovers hand. I was enthralled, especially listening to these songs as my parents heard them live. So much sadness, so much evil. And yet full of beauty. I like story songs, and my goodness did these tell a story. A story that seems to keep touching ears and hearts even in some cases hundreds of years later. Murder Ballads: Illustrated Lyrics & Lore by Katy Horan is a history of select songs, complete with lyrics and illustrations by the author that try to track down the truth behind these songs that even now have the power to shock and awe listeners.

The book begins in one of the best places on Earth Brooklyn. An artist, Katy Horan is at a pub listening to a friend's band when Horan hears a song about two sisters, one of which killed the other in a fit of jealousy. Horan was an artist finding their way in art, and this song spoke to Horan, and began an interest in songs known as muder ballads. Popularized by many folk acts from Boiled in Lead, Steeleye Span, roots rockers like the Grateful Dead and goth gods like Nick Cave these are songs usually based on violent acts, acts that seemed beyond the usual muder. Most of these songs deal with women getting into trouble, as they would say, and murdered by the father of the trouble, who didn't want to marry. Or a woman who just had enough and shot a man to stop him from taking revenge on her. These songs are poetic in nature, sad, violent, and sometimes weird. Horan looks at many of the popular ballads, tracks down the history of the song, and the participants involved. Horan also includes lyrics, usually to the most popular version, as many ballads have been adapted and altered to fit moods or cultural times.

I was going to write this is a fun book, and for a certain segment this will be. I really enjoyed it. I love to read about how art is created, and how many of this songs had real counterparts in the world. These songs are sad in many places, but to read about the real victims, those who were murdered, and those who had to life with the legacy of the song they were the basis of give listeners even more of an emotional punch. Also the art that Horan has created is amazing. Many are as disturbing as the songs. A violent beauty in a way that explains why these songs are still so popular. Horan also adds a nice listing of different versions of the songs, so one can hear how these songs changed, or were adapted over the years.

This is a book that will appeal to many different readers. True crime fans will love the history, music fans will like the creation of the songs, and the playlists. Artists will enjoy the pictures inside, and maybe gain some inspiration for their own work. And all will enjoy all the work that Horan has done. I look forward to what Katy Horan has planned next.

1. That forward by Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson is *everything* !
2. I loved seeing a quote from Hurray for the Riff Raff’s “The Body Electric” on the first page <3

Clearly I did not read the synopsis of this closely, because I was pleasantly surprised by Murder Ballads being so much more than a thoroughly researched and BEAUTIFULLY illustrated non-fiction book about the musical storytelling tradition found across genres and cultures (although it is that also).

Murder Ballads is incredibly interesting and so much more than the “Gift Book” I imagined it might be (Read: a Gift Book is a sub-genre I made up that includes coffee table books and any book compelling enough in premise to warrant gifting to someone you know, like books about bartending and certain Boss Girl self-help novels). I think it masterfully achieves what it sets out to do, offering a new sense of agency amongst the misogyny-laden tropes and a “safe space in which to grieve for the women in the rivers.”

Thanks for the ARC <3

5/5