Review by J. M. Landon
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a pdf version of the book and a link to purchase it.
This anthology is a collection of fiction by highly acclaimed and awarded authors delving into the murders of Abby and Andrew Borden. I do say mystery because even though Lizzie was arrested and tried for the murders of her father and stepmother, she was not convicted. She was acquitted; found innocent. Therefore, if Lizzie didn’t do it, who did? Her older sister Emma, who was said to have been out of town; a mysterious Uncle who had dropped in for a visit; or even an unknown stranger? The who, what, where, when, and how were already thoroughly explored during the highly documented trial. That leaves only the question of why.
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| Image Source Riverdale Avenue Books |
If Lizzie did the deed, there could be a million reasons why: from the evil stepmother angle, to pedophilia, to demonic possession, to debt collector, to time travelers, to a zombie apocalypse. And these stories build believable cases for all these scenarios. They delve into the family’s past family and how the family affects the future, with each author giving their version of what led up to and what follows the deed. Thrown into the mix are chilling and terrifying ghost stories.
This collection of stories is a roller coaster ride giving a fresh perspective to the old children’s rhyme:
Lizzie Borden took an ax
Gave her mother 40 whacks,
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41.
Read them to find out who the recipient of “42” was.
List of stories in the anthology and their authors:
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe By Meera Sahi
How the Sunday Woman Sang By James Carraghan
Menstruate, a Murder By Stephanie M. Wytovich
Strike By Mia Dalia
The Price By Tony Genova
Cleansing of the Wicked By Peter Dudar
Repression and Reprisal: A Lizzie Borden Short Story By Meera Sahi
The Cursed Confession of Bridget Sullivan By J. T. Chiger
Lizzie Borden: A Reflection in Darkness By Ricardo D. Rebelo
Pelts By Bill Zaget
Scenes from the Third-Floor Bedroom By Stephanie M. Wytovich
Henry Cooper’s Obsession By Juleigh Howard-Hobson
And the Spectre Enters the Body By D.F. Jester
Done to the Letter… By Allie Harrison
Big Chief Lizzie By Laura Cooney & L.L. Soares
You Can Go Home Again By C.A. Verstraete
Lizzie Borden is Vital to the Timeline By Janet Gershen-Siegel
“Spark” By Shannon Grant
Lizzie Borden: Women’s World Champion By Edo van Belkom
My Sister’s Keeper By Steven S. Hood
Regressing By Roger Dale Trexler
The Servants’ Secret By Cheryl French
The Axe Forgets What She Remembers By Andrew Robertson
Another Place, Another Time By Denise Dumars
The House Next Door By Trish Wilson
That Night at Lizzie’s By Heather Graham
Can’t Go, Can’t Stay By Linda D. Addison
To enter to win a PDF copy of The Lizzie Borden House Anthology, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "Lizzie Borden,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 24, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
You can click here to purchase this book.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.J.M. Landon is retired and blissfully at work on the ‘great American novel.’ She’s worn many hats through her career including: wife, mother, piano teacher, middle school teacher, university professor, painter, jewelry maker, and dragon tamer. She has eight published short stories.
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