This is wonderful! I love the format of the book and the history. I can tell our author did a lot of work researching this. I had a blast reading it.

This was a very interesting read! I am a big fan of history and this did not disappoint. The illustrations were also very beautiful and Interesting. I will probably invest in a copy!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read "Murder Ballads".

"In this unique, illustrated collection, Literary Witches co-creator Katy Horan unearths the true and fictional stories behind twenty traditional murder ballads, exploring the beauty and horror of the art form through stories, lyrics, and original illustrations.

Murder Ballads is a guide to the origins and cultural impact of murder ballads as a music genre, covering its roots in patriarchal violence and white supremacy, as well as its contemporary relationship to true crime.

From "Delia's Gone" to "The Death of Queen Jane," each of twenty carefully chosen ballads is accompanied by one of Horan's beautifully macabre illustrations and a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution. At the back of the book, readers can browse a list of essential recordings for each ballad.

Mysterious and alluring as the songs themselves, Murder Ballads will delight history enthusiasts, armchair musicologists, true crime fans (and critics), as well as anyone who appreciates the darker side of folk music."

I really need to do more of a deep dive on murder ballads.

This book tells the background stories of 20 chosen Ballads and gives the reader general information on murder ballads. Illustrations inspired by them accompany the stories and lyrics of the ballads.
The events that inspired the ballads were well researched, and the illustrations perfectly fit the book's theme. I will definitely check out her recommended reading, as this book piqued my interest.
Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing, for providing me with this book to review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

As someone who enjoys the spooky side of folk music, this dive into the historical sources of various murder ballads was very satisfying. It addressed the dark, complex, and often prejudiced ways that the stories of real people are transformed into folk songs, without taking away from the enjoyment of them, and recommending certain iterations both classic and modern. The illustrations were a nice little bonus as well.

This was very insightful to read. I haven’t heard most of these ballads and I did love the history and perspective about them.

Personally I would have loved to read the ballad first and then about the history about them. That just personal preference.

The art in this book is perfect! I loved the illustrations and they were so beautifully fitting for the theme and vibe of the book.

Recommended for anyone that likes read background story for old murder ballads and true crime history.

I loved the illustrations and theme of this book, which I don't think can be done justice digitally. I would love to have this in places where my house guests could easily pick it up and read it.

I guess I expected this to be more in depth. It is more of a short history of each ballad, mainly so the artwork has more context. This may have been more effective if I had really enjoyed the art. However it all felt a bit samey to me. Also...does Katy Horan even like murder ballads?? Like, I don't know. It just didn't seem like she was that into the subject, and it definitely didn't feel like she wanted the reader to get too interested either. I am just a little disappointed. I was curious to learn more about murder ballads. I feel like there is a lot to be said on the topic. But it didn't make it into this book.

This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning about the history of the ballads. The artwork was interesting as well. I ended up researching several of the ballads. However, I was a little disappointed because some of the information in the book was a bit repetititve. I also wish that there was more information on the ballads and the stories behind them.

A perfect primer for anyone wanting to understand what a murder ballad is.

I recently read The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, which is described as a retelling of a 17th century murder ballad. I'd never heard of a murder ballad before and then saw this book. This is a perfect introduction to the history of murder ballads, including a high-level introduction to the culture, music and real-life events that were happening at the time.

The illustrations also done by Katy are gorgeous and really add to the creativity and art behind the stories. I was surprised at how short murder ballads actually are, and thought it was so interesting to follow how the ballads change from musicians in the UK and then the US.

Just like any oral tradition there are multiple versions of the same story, so we trust Katy to pick one to represent a specific story and then provide us with the history behind each ballad.

I recommend this for anyone who loves retellings, mythology or creative storytelling. These stories have everything.

This book is best read before picking up The River Has Roots!

Wow murder ballads is just a blast from the past.

Delightfully gothic and dreary. The illustrations are ve try fairytale like but dark and gruesome.

I love the explanation of the songs( ballads before hand ) really give an insight to the time and how they are based on imfamous people from around the world.

It made me think of nick cave and the bad seeds and Jack white singing similar songs which I adore.

I deep love of folk story’s and song would be excellent for those who had not heard of them before.

Great collection thank you I enjoyed it thoroughly

Murders Ballads is a very cool book. Katy Hordan gives you an example of a Ballad, a unique and enrapturing portrait (done by the author), and the history of each ballad and also includes notable covers of said ballad. Each story has some kind of basis in true crime at some point but like every ballad became something much more than itself. And learning about these was something fascinating for a true crime aficionado like myself. These ballads look at how women were treated studying how the patriarchy and racism ran amok.
This would make a great gift for the woman in your life who loves the macabre.

A fascinating, delightfully morbid collection of murder ballads and their origin stories. Some you may have heard, others not, but I find the common thread so amazing: people simply telling/singing a story that continues to remain in the popular culture for centuries. It was interesting to learn which iterations of the ballads seem to endure the most, despite their grisly nature and (perhaps unsurprisingly) misogynistic themes.

Accompanied by folky, evocative art, this book is sure to leave you with a creepy, uneasy feeling -- and the urge to YouTube some old folk tunes.

(The *only* downside to this book is that I fell down the rabbit hole of Google after reading about all of the ballads based on true stories!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is beautifully written and powerfully described, offering wonderfully detailed accounts of the stories behind each individual murder ballad. These tales will intrigue you and evoke strong emotions, making you feel deeply connected to the narratives. The writing is straightforward and easy to read, allowing you to leisurely turn the pages. However, it is also interesting and captivating enough that you could easily read it in one sitting, as I did. It is an absolutely gripping collection, and I plan to own a physical copy when I get the chance.

The text is insightfully written and provides detailed information about each ballad. It includes data on the various artists who have recorded each ballad, specifying when they recorded it, which album it appears on, and the title of the song under which it was released.

Each ballad provides different versions of the backstory for each character. Since there are various interpretations depending on where you grew up, it’s interesting to see the version of the story you were told alongside those of others.

“Murder Ballads” explores the history and significance of morbid songs recorded by artists like Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley. Many of the featured songs are rooted in real-life events and have evolved through the generations. The book delves into the stories behind the crimes that inspired these songs, bringing attention to notable recordings by musicians such as Jerry Garcia, Harry Belafonte, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Sammy Davis Jr., Bon Iver, Kate Bush, Ma Rainey, and Shovels and Rope. The narratives and music highlight ongoing themes of misogyny, racism, and classism over the centuries.

This unique book combines stunning illustrations with the lyrics of classic murder ballads, along with researched explanations detailing the origins of each song. The artwork is exceptional, featuring not only full-sized illustrations that serve as portraits for each song but also intricate details that fill the pages. It is worth noting that some of the artwork is quite graphic, reflective of the subject matter.

Additionally, the book includes lists of notable performances for each song, adding another layer of interest. After an initial read-through, the plan is to revisit the book alongside the music for a deeper experience.

Katy Horan, the illustrator and interdisciplinary artist, has thoroughly researched the narratives behind 20 murder ballads from both “Black America” and Renaissance Europe, covering mythological themes as well as real-life murders. Murder ballads typically document transgressions and betrayals of trust, providing a gripping lens into societal issues.

Not being a native English speaker I didn't know any of the songs presented here, so that was culturally interesting.

Each one presents what the song is about and then goes into the roots of it. Where it comes from and what was changed to make the song more palatable. Then there are lyrics of a version of the song and an art piece. My favorites art pieces were the full page ones that told the story in it.

I found some of the stories very interesting, with the different ways dehumanization happens depending on the race, gender, or sexuality of the people involved, and how their stories are twisted to fit a narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book was absolutely brilliant. The thoroughly researched and documented history of twenty murder ballads was fascinating to read about. The combination of literary analysis, history and folklore was only enhanced by the art accompanying the different chapters.
I already had an interest in violence against women in nursery rhymes, but as a French native, I discovered some ballads I didn’t know anything about with a keen appreciation. The reading is neither too dense, nor too long, making it the perfect way for beginners to dive into this specific lore.

4/5 ⭐️

A well researched and nice addition to the growing works on murder ballads. I'm decently versed in the topic of murder ballads and thought Horan did a nice job of giving some background on each of the ballads, provided the lyrics, and included illustrations she did to accompany each of the ballads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Katy Horan, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my early access to this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed reading the history of these ballads. Although there were a number of them that I was unfamiliar with, the lore was fascinating, as was seeing the changes made to the songs across countries and time. For a fan of the genre, this book would be a welcome addition to a home library. 3.5 stars

A haunting and fascinating, though brief, look at murder ballads throughout history. I’ve always been intrigued by songs of this nature but never knew it was a genre of its own with a name and everything! From Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, and Nirvana — a multitude of artists have covered and recreated such songs.

I very much enjoyed and appreciated the exploration of Black artists and their contributions to the genre. I mourned for the real women who inspired these stanzas and songs, who were referred to crudely and often without empathy or factuality. Very much interested in reading further on the topic and will be listening to more renditions of these stories for sure!

Gorgeous illustrations were throughout and I’m super keen to grab copies of Literary Witches & the accompanying deck!

Oh this book was such a delight!! I didn’t know any thing about murder ballads before picking up “murder ballads” by katy Horan. Im so happy that I chose to. This informative work talks about music, women, and history. It combines such lush stories.