This was an interesting and quite unique read. However, I guess I was expecting more of a true crime sort of thing, instead of a drama. The character development is remarkable, but at times it felt very slow. I enjoyed this book although I couldn't understand why were many characters eating pears all the time or picking up stuff from the ground and keeping it in their pockets... definetely not a book for everybody. This was one of those out of my confort zone reads for me.

This is a historical fiction about a famous crime from 1892, an interesting mix of truth and creativity in a highly dysfunctional family. It is very descriptive and highly vivid, Sarah Schmidt doing an excellent job depicting tastes and smells, disgust and claustrophobic feelings.

« ‘I can keep the best secrets.’ I hadn’t even told Emma that I loved our new mother. »

There are 4 PoVs (the two sisters - Lizzie and Emma, Bridget - the maid and Benjamin), the voices being well done and quite distinct from each other (the anoying thing was in Lizzie’s PoV, and sometimes even in Bridget’s, some words and onomatopoeias kept on being repetead) and the plot jumps between past and present events. Even though the story is pretty much static, it reads quickly, as you are engrossed in the story.

The relationships between family members are very strange, sometimes even creepy: between the two sisters there’s a mix of codependency and the need to escape the other one, of love and jelousy, of duty and own wishes/needs.

« Nobody knew me, didn’t expect anything from me. I wanted to stay like that forever. »

Also, there's clearly something strange in the relationship between Lizzie and John, but this is just hinted at, never more than a peculiar reaction or a thought from Bridget.

The ending is not very clear, but that is normal, as the real murder also has not been solved, there are just suppositions and theories...

I would recommend this book ONLY to those who like this kind of genre (historical real crime), because it is very dark and creepy and gruesome.

This seemed as if it could have been a good tale, however, it was so dark that I had a hard time picking the book back up. I really struggled to get through this one.

Inside the house on 92 Second Street...

The dark heart of See What I Have Done is a brutal double murder that still horrifies and strangely fascinates the world. You could say the acts on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts are laid out as one of the ultimate locked room mysteries that may never be correctly solved. Many are convinced of the final answer and even a few brave souls retrace steps taking an electronic recorder to interrogate the shadows but nothing is certain but perhaps this: the case will never be forgotten because of film, literature and the prying natures of the public. It is also one of those iconic tales that can easily become a cautionary legend that writes itself. It takes a special touch though to fully immerse the reader into the pages and luckily we have Ms. Schmidt as our unflinching guide who has a distinct way with her pen that is sure to appeal to the morose unpleasant side we all try to hide.

I bet you thought this was going to be one of those uncomplicated stories that are presented one way and then romance and whimsy makes an appearance. Sorry to disappoint and however lovely that would be but this isn’t that kind of novel. This is laudanum induced dream that feeds off of the reader’s morbid curiosities and taps at our most paranoid fears of what can go wrong behind locked doors. We think we are safe at home but we also can’t deny we have those times we feel shivers of doubt when we hesitate in a doorway and rethink what is lurking behind a smile or a sweaty handshake. Is the heavy greasy rancid meal you forced yourself to eat last night the real reason you are so ill this morning? In this feverish admission of events four views offer the base facts of the case but also challenge our most basic instincts as we follow the daily routines and repeated thoughts of key personalities that all have something to contribute to the reader’s suspicions. To heighten the senses (and twist even more with your final judgments) Ms. Schmidt has prepared for her guests to this collaboration of history and imagination all the tastes, sounds, blurred visions, raised neck hairs and of course scents of the sweltering summer day. I think it would be cruel not to warn any gentle reader at this point, you may not want to look under the table or in the pot.

As much as I found See What I Have Done a creepy though bizarrely interesting read (especially the claustrophobic tension of the Borden household but also the deep jealous thoughts and complex bonds that can occur between sisters), I still thought this novel a bit paced in the beginning and very frantic at the end where voices of the characters just faded out or future events were simply related from newspaper recounts. One or two times I caught an odd afterthought on the modern leaching into the story (a few details for the era seemed just “off”). There were also the final missed opportunities in this title that I really wanted to see re-imagined like the lesser important scenes. To be specific, I was hoping for Bridget’s narration to continue after August 4, 1892 (her chapters I couldn’t wait to find more of), the infamous trial to be remembered or told from anyone’s point of view that was there and finally a creative passage dedicated to one of the final gnawing mysteries of this case concerning a swift departure in 1905 or even one cryptic whisper from 1948 that just begs for a creative wave of the pen. Such a shame to see those scenes forgotten in the mad shuffle to get to the end, still I think See What I Have Done a book to recommend. It may take a certain persistent type of the curious who enjoys history, sensory reading and the unexplained sides of human nature but I know they are out there and they have one unique book waiting for them.

*I would like to thank Atlantic Monthly Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy See What I Have Done

A very creepy but fascinating book. Incredibly atmospheric, dark and unpleasant. It reminded me a lot of In Cold Blood, actually.
I had never heard of the story but it gripped me right from the start. The writing is so wonderful that it felt like I was there for most of it - though I'm glad I wasn't!
I only wish Sarah Schmidt had included notes explaining which characters and events were real. I always think those are very interesting.

This novel is what historical fiction based on real lives should be but often isn't: not just a fictionalized retelling of real events but a true and fearless re-imagining of them. Schmidt honors known fact about Lizzie Borden, her family, and the crime that made her infamous, as well as accurately capturing the small details of 19th=century life. From this foundation she builds a genuinely memorable novel that stands on its own merits as art. Bold, compelling, and suspenseful—no mean feat given how much is known about the subject—the book creates its own strange and vivid world, a place at once familiar and alien. The striking voice, the elegant shaping of narrative, the striking and convincing characterizations: it's all gorgeously done. This novel will not be to everyone's taste: it is, obviously, a very dark tale and one touched by violence at many points even beyond the famous murder. But it is an extraordinary, and memorable, read, and I recommend it with high praise.

The writing was great but I did not like the book. I put it down for several days at a time before I picked it up again. Schmidt's writing appeals to al, of the senses. I will probably attempt another book by her in the future. I think I just could not relate to this story which made it hard to enjoy.

I live in RI about 45 minutes from the Lizzy Borden House and have always wanted to learn more about what happened in this doomed home. This book give excellent insight into the minds of those that were there and told the story well. Being a therapist, I still wonder what Lizzy's mental condition was. Over 100 years later, we still are left wondering if she did it or not and the story is very compelling!

An incredible re-imagining of one of the most gruesome and famous murders to ever excite the tabloid press. This book explores all the questions that were never satisfactorily answered by the original investigation, and provides some deeply chilling answers. This is an entirely fictional account, but there are many times when you become so immerse in the story that it feels incredibly real.

3.5/5
I loved the multiple narratives. It was a great story but I truly wanted more on the trial and how Emma and Lizzie really got though it all. The ending seemed rushed.

I find the story of Lizzie Borden fascinating but this version not so much. The introduction of the arbitrary characters, John and Benjamin, really don't add to the story. If anything, they lend to a more disjointed story.

Writing about real events can be such a trap--the writer has to decide how far into historical detail she wants to go. How far into the thoughts and perceptions of the world at the time is she willing to go? Because no matter how detailed and accurate your historical portrayal may be, the twenty-first century will always slip in somehow.

I recently finished watching The Lizzie Borden Chronicles on Netflix and couldn't believe my luck when I was approved on Netgalley for See What I Have Done.

Having watched the mini series with Christina Ricci (Lizzie Borden) and Clea DuVall (Emma Borden), I found this book to be an accurate depiction of the dysfunction in their relationship with each other and their parents as well. For those who need something to fill the void until this book is released in August, I'd highly recommend watching this show!

See What I Have Done brings us a little closer into the Borden household by alternating chapters narrated by several different characters: Lizzie, her sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and a man named Benjamin. I'm particularly drawn to character studies and this is a novel that doesn't disappoint in that area. As the reader gets an intimate look into the thoughts and daily lives of all these people, it's easier to see why things ended in the murder of Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby Borden.

While Lizzie ceases to terrify me, I particularly appreciated the opportunity to hear from her older sister, Emma. There was something heartbreaking about Emma's wish to escape, but her unwillingness to leave for fear of abandoning her sister. The dysfunctional relationship between the two sisters is clear from the very start and there were several times where I just wished I could reach out and shake Emma and tell her to run as far as she could.

Lizzie tucked her chin, couldn't quite look me in the eye. 'Do you still love me?' I hardened: ribs ached, fingers tired, shriveled. It always came down to love. I wanted to say, 'No.' Then, 'Not always,' then, 'Sometimes I wish you were dead.' 'Yes,' I told her. 'I do.'

Schmidt does an amazing job of highlighting the unhealthy relationship between not only Lizzie and Emma, but between both girls and their father as well. Despite being grown women, Lizzie and Emma are ruled by Mr. Borden and at times, it seems more a sense of ingrained responsibility towards him than anything he dictates aloud. Regardless, the feelings of discomfort and unhappiness in the household are palpable and Schmidt's prose makes those uncomfortable feelings even more visceral.

Spikes grew along the back of my ribcage, made me cough, and I took her hand. It was soft like mine. There we were, me and my sister, our bodies inseparable. There is nothing that escapes blood.

For those who like suspenseful, somewhat gruesome plots with a cast of both likable and despicable characters, be prepared to get a copy of this book as soon as it is released in August! Even those who don't know the historical background of the Borden family would easily become absorbed in the novel since it does not require a prior knowledge of the murders. Either way, this is definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys an unsettling, psychological thriller regardless of their interest in history.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for an honest review!

This is a work of fiction about a real life event. It is about the brutal murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Taking her cues from the actual crime timeline, Schmidt weaves a story creating a possible scenario about the events in 1892.
We are told the story from four points of view. Lizzie, whose memories are scattered, jagged and unreliable. Her older sister Emma who seems to surrender to her sister on anything of importance, Bridget, the servant who gives shaky testimony because she is so afraid and a stranger to the whole event, Benjamin, who drifts into the Borden sisters lives at the time of the murder and then years later.
This book is a strange mix of truth and creativity. Sometimes the writing is a confusing mix of madness, but that might just be the writing style used to convey the confusion of the story itself. It is like looking through a keyhole to a mystery and imagining all the possibilities. Going back and forth in time can make it difficult to keep track of everything at times.
Schmidt has written a book that swirls with vividness and assaults the senses. Language twists and turns, creating a storm, making it easy to lose your equilibrium. But in the end there was something so off kilter it threw the whole novel off balance. Some of the possibilities created by Schmidt left me disagreeing vehemently. For someone who knows nothing about this event in history, it wont leave you any clearer about the events that took place and parts of the events were covered in a perfunctory manner and others were overly laboured.
This is sure to be a hit because of the actual topic but it remains to be seen if it has longevity.

SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE BY SARAH SCHMIDT
The storytelling is captivating and riveting. The writing style is different and depending on if you can get used to it or not will determine whether you like the book. It was a little choppy and awkward for me at first, but I was able to get used to it. I thought I knew all the details to this story, but there are a few character's that I did not know about that figure into the story. It reads pretty fast paced.

It is August 4, 1898 in Fall River, MA. It is a loveless household. Abby Borden is Emma and Lizzie's stepmother. Abby is cruel to her stepdaughters. Father whose name is Andrew is also cruel to his two daughters with an explosive temper and a critical voice. Emma is away visiting a relative in Fairhaven. She is the eldest. Lizzie is very dependent on Emma, pathologically dependent. Bridget is their maid who is from Ireland. She has been saving her money in a little box so she can return home. Abby, Lizzie and Emma's stepmother has found Bridget's money and confiscated it.

John is the brother of the first Mrs. Borden, Andrew Borden's first wife who has died. John meets a character named Benjamin who he hires to sort out Andrew Borden. John is Lizzie and Emma's Uncle and he doesn't seem to care for Abby and Andrew Borden and when he shows up the night before (with Benjamin hiding in the barn) he is not treated as a welcome guest. Uncle John tries to get an extra house key from Bridget, but she doesn't have one to give to him. The Borden's keep the doors and windows locked. This retelling of this famous crime is spellbinding and had me questioning what I thought I already knew.

Thank you to Net Galley, Sarah Schmidt and the Publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I wasn’t that familiar with the Lizzie Borden case until I read this book. This made the reading all the more enjoyable to me. While reading the book, I did a lot of research about the fateful day Lizzie Borden took an axe, and separating fact from fiction was fun! What has made this case fascinating over the years is that while Lizzie had the motive and the means, the murder weapon was never recovered. She was acquitted later because of this and went down in history as the heroine of an unsolved murder case. Schmidt also includes a fictional character, Benjamin, into this compelling story, to shed some clarity on what really happened on August 4th.

The writing is grade A. The characters are wonderfully weird. I love me a story about a dysfunctional family and the one in this book is as dysfunctional as they come. Behind closed doors, within the stifling heat of 92 Second Street, is a volatile family. A father who is controlling and a miser, a stepmother who just wanted a normal family, an elder daughter who wants to live life her way, and a younger daughter for who’s craziness no adjective will do justice. The sisters have a codependent, weird relationship. Oh, the things they say to each other!

I’ve had a pretty hectic week, traveling between 3 states for work, and I was only able to read while on the flight. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the book even more if I had been at home–it’s a page-turner and you will not be able to put it down! See What I Have Done is a riveting tale that weaves fiction into a true story. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime novel.

In this ambitious imagining of the Lizzie Borden case of 1892, Sarah Schmidt fleshes out the conclusion, which was always assumed, but never proven. The case was a national obsession, when a 30 year old live-at-home daughter from a nice town in Massachusetts axed down her father and step-mother, because famously, the jury decided, a woman was not capable of such a crime.

Looking back at the story from a true crime angle, there was very little for Schmidt to build on. Facts like Lizzie owning pigeons, burning her dress, her considering purchasing Prussic Acid the day before etc. are oft repeated in the Lizzie Borden files but there’s only so much you can do with these bones without creating melodrama. So it was a pleasure to read Schmidt’s take on the emotional and mental state of the presumed killer.

In a Venn diagram of the Lizzie Borden of this book and the real Borden, the circles are probably a good mile apart. The Lizzie we find here is a bouncy woman-child, manipulative and psychopathic and doesn’t ‘look’ much like the black and white photos of the frizzy haired Borden. I always imagined Borden as a cold and calculating killer, someone at the end of her tether, who had just enough distance from herself to hope she wouldn’t be suspected. This is Borden re-loaded, licking droplets of blood off her hand like a cat, laughing hysterically within sight of her murdered step-mother and without much mention of the trial, getting away with it.

As a psychological thriller, it certainly delivers. Schmidt makes Lizzie easy to hate and despise while we root for her sister and the maid throughout. The story is really well built up to include possible motivations for murder from both the maid and a hit-man, but of course, the reader never entertains these as prospects unless we consider that Schmidt intends to derail the story. Of course, Schmidt doesn’t need to tell us, Lizzie did it, but she did need to land the story and she does this well and as stylishly as would be possible. However, because a few ‘red herring’ threads were started to build the story, it would have been nice to have seen these land satisfactorily too. I was a wee-bit miffed that Bridget didn’t get her tin back or than the story ended before the hit man gets into Lizzie’s new house.

One word of advice, don’t let the awkward first few pages distract you. I didn’t know if the maid was meant to be Italian, Caribbean or what when I first started reading and I assumed she was around 60 and that Lizzie was meant to be 14 (for some reason). I did nearly close the book but I’m so glad I didn’t.

This is well-written, meaty, authentic feeling, page-turner of a book and I lost a few hours to it when I should have been sleeping. I imagine, if you knew nothing about Lizzie Borden, then this book would be an even better read. But either way it is a good one.

5 STARS!!
I absolutely loved this book! This was just the kind of weirdness I would want out a story like this. The writing was fantastic and utterly atmospheric. Schmidt captures the senses in such a way that I felt like I was in the sickly hot rooms of the Borden house watching this catastrophe unfold. FANTASTIC!

The idea behind this book was very appealing but the execution needed some work. The characters were well developed - all the characters. It was odd - I knew so much about the maid's history but not so much about Mrs. Borden. The pacing of the book was not so good. In places it really dragged and the abrupt changes in narrators didn't always work for me. At times it was almost distractive which I felt really hurt the flow of the story. I did like the author's writing. Her descriptive scenes were terrific! I had a very clear idea of the house and the characters and the town.

The premise of this book was so intriguing, I was certain I'd love it and was so chuffed when I got an ARC from Netgalley (thanks!), but my gosh, what a slog. To begin with, I loved the beautiful prose but as I got further into the book, it felt like wading through treacle. Nope. Not for me.