The Trial of Lizzie Borden - by Cara Robertson - Book Review

 

Time for a #60secondbookreview that feels very fitting for October - "The Trial of Lizzie Borden" by Cara Robertson. This is a non fiction book, and it covers exactly what you think, and it does it in a really informative way. The author did an outstanding job completing this research. It is definitely one of those books where when you're done you just want to invite everyone to your TED Talk about this new topic you've learned so much about. But this book did make me realize just how much personality is part of my enjoyment of murdery things ( can i get a hey hey, fellow murderinos?). Most of the time, but especially when a case happened over 200 years ago, I'm not here for the outcome, I can Google that - I am here for the personality of the individual telling me the story. So while the research was top notch, I do think it fell short on that aspect. 

As you're reading "The Trial of Lizzie Borden", whether you think she is guilty or innocent - it's hard not to become angry for her. One of the arguments for why the murder couldn't have been completed by Lizzie, was that, "Abbie Borden was killed not by the strong hand of a man, but by the weak and ineffectual blows of a woman." huh. Because they both looked pretty dead to me - the pictures are gruesome, guys, don't Google it - plus, the story isn't that she could barely muster a whack, it's that she did 40 and 41 whacks! My favorite parts of the book explored this obvious sexism and how frequently it came up in the trial, as well as the at the time burgeoning field of forensic science. It was super interesting!

Have you read "The Trail of Lizzie Borden"? Comment down below and let me know what you thought of the book! Or let me know your favorite book about murder! Thanks for reading. Have a great day!

The Last Child by Jon Hart - Book Review

Have you heard of this book? Because I had not heard of it before reading it, but it has 28, 000 reviews on goodreads - isn't it weirdly shocking when I book is super popular and you've *never* heard of it!? "The Last Child" is a mystery novel that follows teenage main character, Johnny. Johnny's twin sister went missing over a year ago - no one can find her, the case is growing cold, there are no leads, so Johnny decides that he is going to launch his own investigation. The book also follows a character named Detective Hunt, he is the lead on the case - and in my opinion, a stand out character. The twists in this book are GOOD, the plotting is really good, the pacing is great - I can totally see why "The Last Child" has over four stars on goodreads. But this was more of a plot read for me, I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters and I wasn't overly fond of the dialogue. I really did get a kick out of Detective Hunt though, he is one of those no nonsense, overly committed to his job kind of cops, who is also constantly breaking the rules, and probably has a thing for your mom. If you're looking for a new twisty mystery to read, this is one to check out. If you've read "The Last Child" let me know what you thought of it in the comments, but of course, no spoilers!

The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr - Book Review

"The Sinner" by Petra Hammesfahr
Book Review and Discussion

This book gets *super* weird - lets go ahead and start with that - and it was a buddy read for me, so sorry buddy. BLERG lol you can pick next time! Okay, so it gets weird, but the premise is still pretty neat, and it's why I read the book, so lets discuss. "The Sinner" by Petra Hammesfahr follows a woman named Cora, she is a wife and mother, and she goes to the beach with her family one day and while she is there having a wonderful time with her family - she stabs a man, to death. When the investigators ask her why she did it, she claims that it is completely random, she doesn't know why. The rest of "The Sinner" follows Cora and the investigators as they try to unpack her life and find out exactly what her motivations could have been that day. This is one of those rare times when the the adaptation is better than the book. The narration style of "The Sinner" was just completely chaotic and really took away from the suspense that the mini series was able to successfully build.

goodreads // amazon // library

Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith - Book Review

"Follow Me Down" by Sherri Smith is set in the fictional town of Wayoata, North Dakota. In typical small town USA fashion, Wayoata likely has five or six traffic lights, a local grocery store,  and a high school sports team for everyone to rally around- and rarely, a serious crime. The town is shocked when a beautiful high school senior girl is murdered, and one of her teachers, the lead suspect, goes missing. Like Mia, the main character, I was equally charmed and wary of Wayoata - never knowing who to trust, or what might happen next. And just like a good small town rumor mill, "Follow Me Down" sucked me in....

My Husband's Wife - by Jane Corry - Book Review

"My Husband's Wife" is one of the twisty, turniest books I have read in a long time! No joke, by the end of the book  I had completely lost count of all of the unexpected surprises along the way. "My Husband's Wife" is told from the perspective of several characters, including Lily and Carla. When the book begins, Lily is a new lawyer as well as a newlywed wife to her husband Ed. Carla, a nine year old girl who lives with her mother, lives down the hall from Lily and Ed. Sixteen years later when their paths cross again, Lily and Carla are challenged by their circumstances, lies, and loves - past and present. And just how will things end, well...

Everything You Want Me To Be - by Mindy Mejia- Book Review

"He's not an evil man. Evil is simple. It's a child's explanation for why people do bad things. The truth is always more complicated and worth pursuing..." - Everything You Want Me To Be

I absolutely love books that keep me guessing - not just who did it, but why, and how and when! This book had me on my toes until the very last page! "Everything You Want Me To Be" is an amazingly twisty page turner, that is insightfully written, and I completely loved it!

Cover Me In Darkness - by Eileen Rendahl- Book Review

I got sucked in for this read you guys! "Cover Me In Darkness" was a total back cover read. You know that feeling- you read the synopsis and then hook, line, and sinker - you have to read the book, like now. I saw the synopsis for this book - hmm, murder mystery meets cult escapee? - um yes, sign me up, please!