Book Review: See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Shelly's Book Corner received a review copy from NetGalley and voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.

In this riveting debut novel, See What I Have Done, Sarah Schmidt recasts one of the most fascinating murder cases of all time into an intimate story of a volatile household and a family devoid of love.

On the morning of August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden calls out to her maid: Someone’s killed Father. The brutal ax-murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts, leaves little evidence and many unanswered questions. While neighbors struggle to understand why anyone would want to harm the respected Bordens, those close to the family have a different tale to tell—of a father with an explosive temper; a spiteful stepmother; and two spinster sisters, with a bond even stronger than blood, desperate for their independence.

As the police search for clues, Emma comforts an increasingly distraught Lizzie whose memories of that morning flash in scattered fragments. Had she been in the barn or the pear arbor to escape the stifling heat of the house? When did she last speak to her stepmother? Were they really gone and would everything be better now? Shifting among the perspectives of the unreliable Lizzie, her older sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and the enigmatic stranger Benjamin, the events of that fateful day are slowly revealed through a high-wire feat of storytelling.

My Review: 

I wanted to read this book because I remember hearing about the murders when I was in high school. Plus, there are so many documentaries and television movies about the murders. This was my first time reading this author I enjoyed the story very much. At first I was a tad bit confused because there are several points of views and that was a little overwhelming. Once I got the hang of it I could NOT put this story down. I loved the way all the points of views paralleled towards the end of the story. I know my review is rather vague but I feel its best to go in blind for this story and draw your own conclusions. When its all said and done, this story was gripping and thoroughly entertained me and now I have a renewed interest in the case and some more theories of my own!