I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short. Like many people, I'm fairly familiar with the story of Lizzie Borden. I love creepy reads, so I was excited to begin this one. Very unique style of writing, but sometimes it actually felt TOO descriptive. My focus started to wane while I was reading as a result. I've never been grossed out so much by simply eating before. It is genuinely creepy though. Getting inside the brain of Lizzie Borden (and others) is very disturbing. The family is painted as being very dysfunctional. Definitely not your average family tiffs happening in the Borden house. The sisters seemed to be both intensely attached to each other and despise each other. Insane family dynamics. Chapter perspectives alternate. Lizzie, big sister Emma, cousin John, maid Bridget, and an original character you'll learn more about as you read.

I'm not going to touch on the plot much because most of us already know the story, which means we know what's coming in the book before it actually happens. There has to be some mystery, so it's best to go in without knowing exactly how the author presents the story.

I was given an ARC copy of this book from Grove Atlantic and Net Galley, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

“Emma threw her hands out in front of her. “Enough,” she said. “I just want them to find the person who did this and be done with it.” Emma’s hideous desire for answers made my heart beat faster. She made my teeth want to sink into her flesh and eat her out of my life, made me want to swarm her mind and sort through all the thoughts she had of me, that I was being stubborn, I was being too secretive, I was being bad. I felt her nastiness crawl over my skin, tiny deaths that made me want to become nothing. Emma sat boulder strong, eyed me like a parent seeing their child misbehave for the first time and not liking any of it.”

Book lovers take note! There is a new historical fiction author in town and her name is Sarah Schmidt. Schmidt’s recreation of the events that surrounded the murder of Lizzie Bordon’s parents is BRILLIANT. The masterful skill she exhibits setting such a disturbing, haunting tone throughout the story while slowly weaving Lizzie’s emotional instability through the pages reads as though it was penned by a seasoned author. This is a story that will get under your skin, that will make you nervously look around as you turn the pages faster and faster, trying to determine who actually swung the ax on that fateful day. I am completely blown away by this stunning talent. See What I Have Done hits shelves tomorrow and this is one that you do not want to miss 4.5 creepy stars. Many thanks to @netgalley and @groveatlantic for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

What really happened in the Borden household in August of 1892? Who was it who took that axe and killed Lizzie and Emma Borden's father and stepmother? Was it Lizzie, or was there someone else in the house? Would you love to find out? 

Sarah Schmidt takes us inside the Borden murder house in her novel See What I Have Done. It's a eerie imagining of the time around the murders through the thoughts and actions of Lizzie Borden, her sister Emma, their housekeeper Bridget, and an acquaintance of their Uncle John. Each character tells their part of the story, so you get to feel the atmosphere in the house, hear about the girls' childhood, piece together the relationships between all the family members, and envision what may have happened that fateful day when Andrew and Abby Borden lost their lives. 

For anyone who doesn't know the story, on August 4, 1892, grown daughter Lizzie Borden found her father, killed with an axe, and called for Bridget to help her. Neighbors were called, the police were called, and eventually Bridget and Mrs. Churchill went upstairs to look for Abby, Lizzie's stepmother, and found her murdered as well. It was Lizzie's confusion about where Abby had been that kept anyone from finding her sooner, and her strange and contradictory answers to police questions that caused suspicion to fall in her direction. Eventually she was tried and acquitted for the murders, but her place in pop culture has cemented her place as an axe murderer anyway. 

The impressive (and creepy) thing that stood out to me about this novel was the way the writing takes you into this house that pretty much everyone deemed strange. There was just something about the house, about the family, that made people uncomfortable. And as you read the novel, there is a growing chilling feeling, like the walls are closing in on you, like you can smell the rot in the home, like you can't trust anyone around you. The tension builds and builds until the end, when you can finally breathe again (and you find yourself so incredibly thankful for indoor plumbing and all the sanitation innovations that have been made in the last 125 years!). 

Anyone interested in the Lizzie Borden story, anyone wanting a chance to see through the eyes of a notorious historical figure, anyone who dreams of spending the night in the supposedly haunted Borden house (now a Bed and Breakfast, and just 50 miles south of Boston) should definitely pick up this book. And do it this week. Friday, August 4, is the 125th anniversary of the murder. 



Galleys for See What I Have Done were provided by Grove Atlantic through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home. Andrew’s daughter Lizzie and their maid Bridget were both home at the time but neither heard anything happen. They called Lizzie’s sister, Emma, home from the friend’s house she was visiting. Their maternal uncle, John, was visiting at the time. John was planning to send a man to see Andrew Borden, and tell him to treat Lizzie and Emma better. This story follows the events that took place on August 3 and 4, as well as Lizzie’s Borden’s trial.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Lizzie Borden. This book is a great portrayal of the events.

I really liked the way that John was also planning to send a man to talk some sense into Andrew. It throws suspicion off of Lizzie for a while. I was really beginning to wonder if this man did it instead.

There were a lot of metaphors in the story that referred to butchering or chopping. This was a subtle way to incorporate the theme of the ax murders.

This was a great, thrilling story.

We all know the story of Lizzie Borden:

“Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.”

This debut novel from Sarah Schmidt describes what seems like what happened the day of the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Borden. This book is told by four people: Lizzie, Emma, Bridget, and Benjamin. Going through each individual part, they each have their own story to tell. There are some things I actually learned from this book. I never knew that Mrs. Borden was their stepmother, for example. I liked this book, but it didn’t do spectacular things for me.

I think that Sarah Schmidt did a great job for her debut novel. This story was pretty interesting, and how she wrote it was pretty cool too. This is what she posted on her Goodreads page:

“I met Lizzie Borden in a second hand bookstore when a pamphlet about the Borden case fell off a shelf and landed at my feet. I wasn’t interested in the case whatsoever. I put it back and left the shop. That night I dreamt of Lizzie sitting at the end of my bed and she told me, ‘I have something to tell you about my father. He has a lot to answer for.’ It was one of the creepiest and most unsettling dreams I’d ever had but I ignored it, tried to go back to sleep. I had the same dream every night for a week. So I decided to write the dream down hoping it would go away. That was the very beginning of See What I Have Done. I had no idea it would take me 11 years to write it.”

This response, the synopsis, and the cover are what interested me in this book in the first place. This seems like she really thought about this book a lot, especially if it took 11 years to write.

First, the characters were all very good. I think Lizzie was the best in my opinion (as she should be). Sarah Schmidt made Lizzie come to life as a young girl who’s living with the explosive personality of her father and the spite of her stepmother. Sarah Schmidt really writes Lizzie like she is crazy, and I appreciate that so much. Emma moved out and receives the news that her father has been murdered. It seems like there is sadness there, but not too much. Benjamin is just a weird, weird guy. Every time I read his parts I thought the same thing over and over again.

I thought that the story was brilliant, but it just didn’t have the pizzazz for me. It didn’t shine like I expected it to. The writing style seemed a little slow at times, especially during the middle section of the book. There were some parts where I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. It definitely felt repetitive at times, but towards the end, it really picked up for me. I was very happy about that because I didn’t have a problem finishing the book. The ending was very, very good and I love the way Sarah Schmidt wrote it.

The last thing that I was confused on were the flashbacks and taking the reader to a different time. I feel like they were a bit out of place, and made me have to stop and go back. It stopped flowing for me a few times, unfortunately.

Overall, I think this book had a lot of potential and was good, but it definitely had it’s flaws. It’s expected from a debut novelist that it will have flaws, but I think Sarah Schmidt did very well. I love the story of how this ended up being written, and the cover makes me have heart eyes. I think this book is a job well done, and Sarah Schmidt should continue writing her dreams into reality!

Thank You to Grove Atlantic for providing me with an advance copy of Sarah Schmidt's novel, See What I Have Done, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- See What I Have Done is Sarah Schmidt's historical fiction retelling of the infamous Lizzie Borden case. Schmidt alternates between the narration of Lizzie, Emma Borden (Lizzie's older sister), Bridget ( a disgruntled Irish housekeeper), and Benjamin ( a stranger hired by Lizzie's uncle to intimidate and possibly kill Andrew Borden). Although Lizzie was arrested, tried, and eventually acquitted of killing her father and stepmother, was she the one with the best motive? Who was really guilty in this still unsolved case?

LIKE- I love both true crime and historical fiction, so I was eager to read Schmidt's See What I Have Done. Like most people, I've heard of the Lizzie Borden story and I know the gruesome school-yard rhyme about her whacking her parents with an axe, however while reading this novel, I realized that I didn't know much about Borden or her family history. For example, I always thought this took place on a farm, but although Andrew Borden had an interest in farming, they were not primarily farmers. The Borden family was wealthy and Lizzie had even been sent on a "Grand Tour" to Europe. I suppose the fact that they were a prominent family, made this case all the more shocking.

I liked how Schmidt focused on the sister dynamic between Lizzie and Emma. It's fraught with tension, jealousy, and even fear. I found it interesting that after such a close relationship, even sharing a house after Lizzie was released from jail, that they became estranged. This twist leads me to believe that Emma felt that her sister likely committed the murder and perhaps felt nervous for her own safety. Schmidt writes Lizzie as someone calculating and unstable. Although other people had motive to murder the Bordens, it seems like Lizzie is the most likely culprit. 

Schmidt's writing style is effortless to read. She is masterful at setting scenes and using rich sensory images. It's quite gruesome when she gets to the details of the murder, specifically the carnage.

DISLIKE- Schmidt overlaps many of the plot points to show a different view with a switch in character perspective, and although this is often effective, it can also feel repetitive. I wish there had been more on the actual trial and Lizzie's perspective when she was in jail. These are minor complaints though, because overall, I was captivated by Schmidt's novel.

RECOMMEND - Yes, especially for true crime and historical fiction fans. If you even have the slightest interest in Lizzie Borden, See What I Have Done is a must read.

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

“Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” So goes the rhyme we all know about the sensational murder of her father, Andrew, and her step-mother Abby Borden. Both had been killed with an axe.
This story is told by four different people, Lizzie, her sister Emma, the housekeeper, Bridget, and a drifter hired by an uncle to do be what we would today call a hit man. While these people are relating the events of the two days this story is set in, we see that just about everyone would not have minded if Andrew and Abby were dead. Anyone could have done it or had reason.
In the beginning, because Lizzie opens the story, it is quite obvious she isn’t quite right in her head. Her story is detached, a bit convoluted, wandering. I thought as I read it that I was glad I wasn’t inside her head. Almost immediately Lizzie is the prime suspect. She was home, she bought an axe and she burned a dress and she was angry enough with her father to be wanting revenge, to teach him a lesson in the manner he deserved. And there was that step-mother who could never live up to her deceased mother. But then, Bridget, too, had cause and opportunity. And there was Benjamin.
In the end, Lizzie is acquitted of the charges. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s history. And this was a very good reimagining about what really happened that day Lizzie Borden took an axe.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for the opportunity to read this great novel.

Although we probably all know the story of Lizzie Borden from the rhyme and her acquittal of the crimes of murdering her father and stepmother, this book takes an extraordinary look at all the parties involved. The story is told in 4 distinct voices - Lizzie (whose chapters really show her immaturity and attachment issues); Emma (the other Borden daughter - older and made to be responsible for Lizzie); Bridget (the Borden family maid, who sees it all and is desperate to return home to Ireland); and Benjamin (a thug hired by the sister of the first Mrs. Borden, the girls' Uncle John).

Creepy, creepy - this book is written in a fabulous way by really getting into the story from these different viewpoints and time periods. You learn more and more as the book goes along from these alternate voices, although there is of course no definitive answer to who-done-it.

I marveled at the way the voices changed and made you feel in each chapter - kudos to the author for this wonderful ability. I love true crime books and this one won't disappoint!

This is an uninteresting book. Moves too slow for my tastes. The most interesting part was the description of the book.

'See What I Have Done' surely has a compelling blurb but it didn't live up to my expectations.
The story is told from four different POVs. There's Lizzie Borden, whose father and step mother are brutally killed in an ax murder at the beginning of the story. Another part of the story is told from the point of view of Emma Borden, her older sister. Their relationship is a pretty wacky one but you certainly get the impression that Emma can't stop caring about her sister no matter what happened. Then there's Benjamin, a stranger who's more involved with everything than you might expect.
The last POV - and probably my favorite one - is Bridget. She's the Bordens's Irish maid desperate to get back home to her family.
As you move on with the story and slowly start to get to know the Borden family I actually related to Bridget a lot. Being gone would have certainly been high up on my list. So many messed up relationships and passive-aggressive people are doomed to end up in a catastrophe.

The story presented is interesting and I wasn't familiar with it before. Unfortunately, the author's writing style, as well as the constant skipping along the time line, made it tedious to follow the story. I believe there's a lot of potential and it might get easier if you read the book for the second time or are already familiar with the story but I got confused a lot.

While the author manages to capture your attention I don't think that switching between different time lines numerous times in one chapter made the story more interesting. It was a good read and I would recommend it to fans of real-live crime stories but it didn't really work for me.

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt is a well-done historical fictionalization of the infamous Borden murders which continue to fascinate people over a century later. This book is not for the faint-hearted, but then I doubt they would select this to read anyway. What it is, is a gritty, absorbing look at a very dysfunctional family. While Lizzie is obviously the most troubled, she is by no means the only one with issues in her family!

Told in 4 points of view, Emma (older sister to Lizzie), Lizzie, Bridget (the maid) and Benjamin (a stranger), Schmidt holds our attention as the characters talk of what happened prior to the murders, the day of the murders and the time after the murders.

A very good read!

My thanks to NetGalley, the author & Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I always loved the story of Lizzie Borden and this made me love it more. Why do things happen the way they do? This was a good explanation well written, and captivating.

I think everyone knows the old rhyme based on Lizzie Borden. You know...

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


Most people know the story surrounding it. It's fascinating. It's something that has fascinated people for over 100 years. Myself included. So I couldn't wait to read this version of the story!

See What I Have Done is told from 4 points of view. Getting the story from Lizzie and Emma Borden, their maid Bridget, and a stranger. Everything is condensed into mostly 3 days skipping back and forth and spanning the day before, the day of, and the day after the infamous murders.

Reading Lizzie's point of view is amazing. Sarah Schmidt wrote her so well. You can really feel the crazy in an almost uncomfortably real way. Some parts were a bit slow and boring, but then ended up making more sense and ties things together later on. It's actually kind of brilliant. I think the worst part was towards the beginning it was difficult to actually get into the different characters heads when the POV changed. Again, it gets easier the more you know as the book goes on.

Overall, this was an interesting take on such a famous story. I would recommend it to those interested in unsolved murders and historical fiction in general.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Relating the tale of Lizzie Borden who was accused, tried and eventually acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother, See What I Have Done is a twisted but compelling drama of a volatile, loveless family. Lizzie is portrayed as a capricious, narcissistic, vengeful woman. Her older sister, Emma, has gone to stay with a friend for an indefinite period of time, wanting to be her own person away from her demanding family and Lizzie cannot stand it. Lizzie obsessively loves Emma and doesn’t want her to have anyone else in her life but Lizzie, scuppering Emma’s every chance of escape. Lizzie wants to subjugate Emma, to enslave her to her sister’s will, while expecting Emma to be the doting motherly figure she has not found (or will not accept, depending on your viewpoint) in her stepmother. This book looks at whether Lizzie, pushed too far by her parents and desperate to force her sister to return to her, snapped and killed Mr and Mrs Borden. It also considers other suspects though – the maid planning her escape, the greedy uncle wanting control of his brother-in-law’s money through his nieces, or the mysterious but deadly Benjamin who is new to town and loiters threateningly near the house.
This is a very impressive debut novel for Sarah Schmidt as she skilfully moves from one character perspective to another. It is a well written look at an infamous case that has never been solved and is the subject of great speculation. The narrative jumps back and forth across time periods surrounding the murders, which should be confusing with all the characters in the same house moving back and forth across the same events but actually works really well. The senses are very important to the novel with strange smells and tastes constantly intruding, bringing the horror further to life. This is a deeply chilling novel – this look into Lizzie’s psyche is very disturbing – but it is a gripping read.

4 Stars.

A family at its most dysfunctional. What happened is therefore, not exactly surprising.. Its retelling is however, brilliantly done. “See What I Have Done” is the historical retelling of the story of Lizzie Borden, by Sarah Schmidt. You’ve all heard the story:

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

As we all know, Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted for her alleged crimes because there was no hard evidence – it was all circumstantial and Lizzie was set free.

This retelling is rather splendid. It embellishes upon the life of Lizzie Borden and those around her. Her sister Emma, her abusive, controlling and difficult father, Andrew; her step-mother Abby (with whom she didn’t get along); and her Uncle John (who almost no one liked). A stranger (and friend of Uncle John) named Benjamin, who made his appearance around the town and in the home the day before and on the day of the murders. And last but not least: the family maid, Bridget - who saw and heard everything. “See What I Have Done” is the story of why Lizzie Borden became the woman she did and the events surrounding that fateful day. And I must say, the story is truly captivating.

“See What I Have Done” starts with the crime. The morning of. The discovery of Andrew Borden’s body; and then the discovery of Abby Borden. Lizzie was questioned. Her behavior was erratic - which to be frank, was expected. First, she discovered her father’s body and second, she was always known as the strange one, the crazy one. Why wouldn’t she be out of it when questioned? Lizzie and her father had a tumultuous relationship and she never got along with her step-mother. She never felt loved, thus she sought out attention and affection any way she could. Further, Lizzie Borden was not in her right mind - but that should not come as a surprise, given the level of familial dysfunction she grew up with and how she was treated. Her sister Emma often tried to comfort her, but they too had their issues with each other. Their family was not an easy one.

In case you did not know, at the time of the crime, Lizzie was not alone in the house. Yet her behavior was singled out. Bridget, was of course, in the house as always and did nothing to garner suspicion of any kind. Yet another individual was in the home and acted crazy suspicious. A man named Benjamin. He was neither seen nor heard - by anyone but Uncle John. He was, however there for a reason. And he was never discovered.

This story then moves forward and backwards at pivotal points, told from the alternating perspectives of Lizzie, Emma, Bridget and Benjamin. This is highly effective in that it gives the reader an idea of each person’s POV and allows us the opportunity to understand how each person felt during specific points in time. You feel what they feel and inevitably can’t help but wonder who was the victim in this story. Sarah Schmidt makes you question this in her retelling. I felt as though I was reliving this with Lizzie herself. For a few moments, I felt her craziness stirring inside of me. It was not a welcome feeling. I am glad it’s gone.

So to be frank, I can’t say for sure if Lizzie Borden actually picked up the axe, but then I work in the legal field and I believe in reasonable doubt. Had I not read this story, I previously would have said I thought she did it. Now, I’m not so sure and that is because of Ms. Schmidt’s brilliant embellishment of Lizzie’s family and her history. While I don’t know how much research went into this book, I can honestly say that Sarah Schmidt breathed life into the story and that’s enough for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery/suspense novels as well as those who enjoy true crime books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.26.17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 8.1.17.

I really, really wanted to love this book. The synopsis sounds so cool, I love hist-fic (especially regarding famous murders), and the cover is gorgeous. I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC!

Sadly... I just can't do it. I tried really hard, but this writing style is horrible. I have never cringed so much in the first chapter of a book as I did in this one. I might try it again someday, but for now, I'm just going to have to DNF this one.

I found this story to be fascinating. After reading it, I went on Goggle and researched what happened. Did Lizzie Borden murder her father and stepmother with an ax? This is a good book based on fact with a little fiction thrown in. The author did a good job letting the reader know what probably happened in this true crime drama. This is not a story for the faint hearted, but if you enjoy reading about historical crimes then this book is for you. I gave it four stars because the end did not seem as well written as the rest of the book. I felt it could have ended a little sooner.

Based on a true story, Sarah Schmidt's debut novel See What I Have Done tells the story of the murders of Andrew and Abbey Borden in 1892. On the morning of 4th August 1892 Lizzie Borden shouts to her maid, Bridget, that someone has killed her father in a horrific attack. The police are called and the body of her stepmother is also found in a bedroom upstairs.

There is no evidence as to who could have committed these atrocious crimes, but Lizzie's behaviour sparks some interest in the police. Could she really be behind the murders? Or was it Bridget, angry at Abbey for hindering her plans to go home to Ireland? Or perhaps it had something to do with the appearance of Lizzie's uncle and the mysterious stranger he has brought with him.

See What I Have Done blends fact and fiction to give an in depth look at one of history's most talked about murder cases. Although, much to the dismay of my true-crime obsessed mother, I didn't know much about Lizzie Borden before reading this book. I'm glad of this in a way as it meant I had no expectations and was able to immerse myself in the story completely without thinking about the facts.

I didn't get into the story straight away, however. Lizzie was a jarring character as I wasn't sure how old she was supposed to be at first. Her behaviour and way of thinking was very childlike so I thought she was just that, a child, for the first few pages. It wasn't until it was mentioned that she was a Sunday School teacher and in her thirties that I realised I was wrong. I guess this could have been a conscious effort on the part of the writer to make the reader see Lizzie's unusual mind-frame, but it took me a little while to get it all straight on my head.

Once you get to know Lizzie however, her childlike and mindset becomes a lot more unsettling. It's unclear whether she is aware just how naïve she comes across, but she more than likely is as she is obviously very manipulative. Her though processes after she discovers her father's body are definitely not what you would expect from a grieving daughter. She is more concerned with looking at the bodies and the pile of vomit in the corner than she is about who could have committed the murders.

Her relationship with her sister, Emma, is disconcerting as well. As we find out more about their past we see that Lizzie is most manipulative of her and everything she does seems to hinge on her trying to make sure Emma doesn't leave her, despite Emma wanting nothing more than to leave the Borden house to live a life of her own. She is one of the characters I actually felt sympathy for as she is forced into every aspect of her life because of Lizzie.

The story is told from 4 different perspectives: Lizzie, Emma, the maid Bridget, and a stranger named Benjamin who is being paid by the girls' uncle to convince their father to treat them better. This way of storytelling always has the possibility to be difficult to follow if not done right, but fortunately, Schmidt does it perfectly. Each character has a unique voice so you always know exactly who it is that's speaking.

Her skills are even more evident in the way she uses the senses throughout the book. The claustrophobia of the Borden house is illuminated in the heat of the summer, the descriptions of the sloppy food, the sickness throughout the house. It all culminates in an oppressive atmosphere that serves to heighten the tension that already exists between all the family members.

See What I Have Done is a wonderfully written take on the Lizzie Borden story. It made me curious to find out more about the true details of the Borden family, and when I book can make you care about the story enough that you want to find out more, then you know it's done something right.