This book was pretty good, I’ve heard the original story and was interested to read this version. I enjoyed it but wasn’t amazed. 3/5⭐️

Any story that builds off the eery and terrifying Lizzie Borden story is exactly what I need in my life. Absolutely loved this one and definitely have plans to purchase a copy for my shelf!

This book blends fact and fiction about the infamous Lizzie Borden in a wonderful way!

Having always been intrigued in the the case, I couldn't wait to pick up this book. It did not disappoint.

A fictional look at a real person, and a real crime. '

Did she do it? Or didn't she? Guess you'll have to read this book and see what you think!

I’ve heard about Lizzie Borden’s ax murders my entire life. While doing my dad family tree my mother discovered we were ancestors, so I was so excited to get this arc and read this book. However, I found it a little slow and at some points hard to get through, it wasn’t a “bad book” it just wasn’t what I had expected .

As a lover of mysteries, I have somewhat heard of the Borden axe murders, whilst also realising while reading this book that I actually didn’t know much about it. The book takes us on a somewhat fictionalised journey through the case and the potential suspect, innocent until proven guilty, and what happens when she is accused and spends time in prison during her trial, as well as what happens after.

Once Lizzie is acquitted we see more glimpses into her head, her thinking process, and if any of us had an inkling she was a great actress we’d be right, whilst also feeling like we missed something. I felt she was both acquitted in the court of public opinion as well as in the actual court, whilst the shadow of this followed her throughout her existence regardless.

It’s a very well researched work of fiction, taking us through all the steps of solving the murder and making and breaking a case in the late 1800s USA. It felt a lot like Victorian Britain, and yet it wasn’t, it felt like it covered sapphic love briefly, living against the usual societal standards also briefly, and somewhat of a suffragette movement, but again, briefly.

To me, as much as it kept me enthralled, my spidey senses felt that something was missing, and that missing piece was not entirely solved to me until the end. It felt like the first part of the book covered things in minute detail, whilst the end it was all a brief blur and a somewhat of an explanation of what happened and it all ends with the two main characters kind of seeming to make amends on their death bed. It just felt rushed, while also a bit long. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, and I still can’t, but I think I found the reaction maybe predictable whilst also dismissing it as predictable.

Overall, it’s an interesting, well researched, very appropriate for the time story, but I felt it was missing some interesting plot twist to prove me wrong.

I was really excited for this, but it was not at all what I expected. This was fiction that read like nonfiction. It was very dry and hard to get through because I wasn’t trying to read nonfiction.

Such a fascinating story! I have been intrigued in the Lizzie Borden axe murder since Ghost Adventures did an episode about it years ago. Very eerie and unsettling.

I really enjoyed this book. Being British I wasn't at all familiar with the case, however I didn't feel that really mattered as Fanning really brought the events surrounding the case to life so well. She also gives a real sense of the humanity of those involved, something that is often lacking from books in this genre. The historical research is really first rate, and although slow and meticulous I found the book gripping. I would highly recommend this book.

Lizzie by Dianne Fanning was an okay read. The subject matter—delving into the mind and story of Lizzie Borden—was definitely intriguing, and Fanning does a solid job of presenting the facts and theories. However, the book didn’t quite grab me the way I hoped it would. The pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and while the research was thorough, it occasionally leaned too much into exposition without enough narrative drive to keep it really engaging. Still, if you’re interested in true crime and the Lizzie Borden case specifically, it’s worth a read. Just don’t expect it to be a page-turner.

This one was a big no for me. I didn’t like the writing style at all and had such a hard time investing in any part of it. I didn’t know much about Lizzie Borden before reading this book, and as a person I still feel in the dark about her.

I was initially excited to read this based on the premise, but the very dry and simple wikipedia-retelling writing style made it impossible to go beyond 20%. Have to mark it as DNF.

This book is a fictional version of the Lizzie Borden Case, and her life after the murders. It is well researched and well written. I enjoyed the different perspectives as well as the thoughts and hints from Lizzies own mind.
I am a big true crime and history fan, so I was incredibly excited to read this one. I found that some parts of the book dragged on and took a lot of time to get through, though I do appreciate the way Diane Fanning included the way people talked in that time as well, brought a really nice authentic touch to the book.
I do feel maybe the author couldn't decide whether she wanted to do a biography or a fictional account of Lizzie's story. Some parts just seemed like she could not decide. I also was not a big fan of how feminism was such a big theme, It was so heavy on the women's rights.

Thank you NetGalley, The author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC of "Lizzie".

I remember hearing the story of Lizzie Borden when I was probably a little too young to know, and I have always been fascinated by the “did she do it or not.”

Diane did a really good job at portraying the times, and she has clearly done extensive research. Overall I did enjoy it but my main points of criticism is that the characters just didn’t really come to life much for me, and I personally think the book would have benefitted from it being exclusively from Lizze’s POV. It does read somewhat as non fiction too.

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

Growing up in the Midwest, I always heard about the Lizzie Borden axe m*rders. My mother told me the story when I was quite young, and I knew the rhyme by heart. Despite my familiarity with this m*rder mystery, I have never read about, fictional or otherwise about Lizzie Borden, so when I saw this book on NetGalley, I wanted to give it a try.

On the morning of August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abbey Borden were brutally attacked in the comfort of their home with a hatchet. The only two people who were home during the crime were Andrew's daughter, Lizzie, and their live-in servant, Bridget Sullivan. It was Lizzie who found her father and called for help. Not long afterwards, the police suspected Lizzie as the perpetrator of the crime, despite a lack of evidence. A week later, she was arrested and spent nearly a year in jail before being acquitted. Although, sometimes the court of public opinion cannot be swayed.

Did she do it? Or was she innocent the whole time?

This book was a fun and informative read. The author does a really good job of bringing to life the real historical people these characters were based on. They never once felt out of place, and I really believed they were those people. The dialogue was also really well done. Although this was a fictionalized retelling of these events, each character's speech and dialect felt realistic for not only the characters but also the time period.

However, my biggest hang-up is that I personally wanted the characters to feel a little more real. They never really came off of the page for me, unfortunately. I just wanted the author to push the fictional aspect a little further, and I kind of got what I was looking for towards the end with the author's take on Lizzie's big fight with her sister, Emma, years after the trial and acquittal before she moved out. I just wish more of the book had been like that.

I also felt like the book might have been better served if it was written in first-person POV, instead of third. This is something I normally don't say, but in this instance, the third-person POV detracted from the story. It was told from almost a top-down POV, starting the day of the crime and leading up to Lizzie's death. It felt as if I was watching it like a movie, and there were multiple perspectives that the narrative followed as well.

Additionally, there was an underlying theme about women's rights, our place in society, and suffrage that was a main focus of the narrative, which also took away from the main story.

I think a narrower focus, solely on Lizzie's perspective, might have really pushed this over the edge for me. But I also haven't read any other Lizzie Borden stuff, and maybe a lot of them already do that. I commend the author for the attention to detail and creativity that gave this story new life and has reinvigorated my interest in it.

This novel is perfect for those who know about Lizzie Borden, as well as for those who might not be as familiar. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is a fictional retelling. I give this 3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4). Thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books - Historia for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In Lizzie wirft True-Crime-Autorin Diane Fanning einen fesselnden Blick auf den berüchtigten Mordfall Lizzie Borden, der bis heute Rätsel aufgibt. Mit einem klaren, sachlichen Stil schildert Fanning die Geschehnisse rund um die grausamen Axtmorde an Lizzies Vater und Stiefmutter im Jahr 1892 – ein Verbrechen, das die amerikanische Öffentlichkeit schockierte und bis heute polarisiert.

Fanning gelingt es, sowohl die Fakten als auch die psychologische Tiefe der Hauptfigur sensibel darzustellen. Sie beleuchtet nicht nur die Beweise und das Gerichtsverfahren, sondern geht auch auf die sozialen und familiären Spannungen ein, die Lizzie umgaben. Dabei bleibt sie stets nah an den historischen Quellen, ohne in Spekulationen abzudriften.

Lizzie ist ein spannendes, gut recherchiertes Werk, das True-Crime-Fans ebenso begeistert wie Leser, die sich für historische Kriminalfälle interessieren. Diane Fanning stellt keine einfachen Antworten bereit, sondern lädt dazu ein, sich ein eigenes Bild zu machen – und genau darin liegt die Stärke dieses Buches.

I have always been fascinated by Lizzie and the Borden family. I thought this was a nice wee introduction to the story and Diane Fanning has clearly done her research. A good easy read for those interested in historical crimes. Well covered without being too fact heavy. A good interesting read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fascinating novel about the Lizzie Borden murders, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I am a true crime fan and the Lizzie Borden case has always been fascinating. This fictional novel by Diane Fanning was well researched and gives another perspective on what may have happened that morning in the Borden household.

I really enjoyed this book. I've had a fascination with lizzy Borden for a while and have read lots on the subject. This is one of the best books I've read about her

Late one summer morning in 1892, a prominent businessman and his second wife were brutally murdered with an axe in their own home. One of the man’s two daughters was charged with his murder. The trial was a circus. The outcome was controversial. What actually happened in that home? This work of fiction imagines the thinking and fear that drove the killer to that extreme act of cruelty.

I love reading about murders and Lizzie Borden is one of my favorites to read about. This book was so so so good.