Review/Giveaway: The Murderer's Maid by Erika Mailman

Bram Stoker Award finalist Erika Mailman brings the true story of the brutal murder of Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother into new focus by adding a riveting contemporary narrative. 

The Murderer's Maid interweaves the stories of two women: one, the servant of infamous Lizzie Borden, and the other a modern-day barista fleeing from an attempt on her life. 

Trapped by servitude and afraid for her own safety, Irish maid Bridget finds herself an unwilling witness to the tensions in the volatile Borden household. As Lizzie seethes with resentment, Bridget tries to perform her duties and keep her mouth shut.

 Unknowingly connected to the legendary crime of a century ago, Brooke, the illegitimate daughter of an immigrant maid, struggles to conceal her identity and stay a jump ahead of the men who want to kill her. When she unexpectedly falls in love with Anthony, a local attorney, she has to decide whether to stop running and begin her life anew. 

With historical detail and taut, modern storytelling, Erika Mailman writes a captivating novel about identity, choices, freedom, and murder. She offers readers a fresh perspective on the notorious crime and explores the trials of immigrants seeking a better life while facing down fear and oppression, today and throughout history. Intelligent and detailed, The Murderer's Maid is a gripping read from beginning to bloody conclusion.

Publication Date: October 30, 2017

Bonhomie Press

Hardcover; ISBN-13: 978-0997066449

Genre: Fiction/Historical/Mystery

*****

I remember as a teen watching the movie of Lizzie Borden with Elizabeth Montgomery and since then have been intrigued as to what actually took place. How someone could brutally kill her own father and stepmother? I have actually been searching for years to read any fiction books on Lizzie Borden, they are hard to find.  That is until a couple years ago, while I have enjoyed two previous books on this famous murder, The Murderer's Maid is not just my favorite but this one made my 'best of 2017' list.

There are a number of reason why this one made my 'best' list.  Though I am fairly familiar with the Borden story what I loved was the uniqueness of a dual time period. Bridget Sullivan is the family maid and it’s even when she first stepped into this house that she can feel the sinister atmosphere. Mainly told from her POV there are a few other views as well, this was great because it gave a broader view of what was taking place. The author wrote with such vividness that it wasn’t hard to feel the atmosphere of distress, dislike and disdain that permeated this home.

The present day story line was equally intriguing and as I was reading I couldn’t help wondering where the author was going with Brooke's story and how it would connect to Lizzie Borden. There were many twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages.

While history cannot 100% with accuracy pinpoint who committed these horrible crimes all evidence points to Lizzie and the author wrote a compelling argument as to how and why she might have done it. Remember this is historical fiction, meaning facts, motives and scenarios our embellished to present a great book. That being said I loved the author's notes at the end and in this case I especially liked them because not only did she go into detail of what she included in the book and why, along with changes made but she also included things omitted from the book which I found just as fascinating. Things I've never heard of before.

This was my first time reading anything by Erika Mailman and I have already have an Amazon order with more of her books winging their way here.  Her writing is smooth, captivating and was an absolute pleasure to read.

Thank you to Amy at HFVBT for the opportunity to be part of this tour.

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“A complex and riveting parallax view of domestic crimes, decades apart.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Erika Mailman writes a page turner of a thriller that will fascinate as well as terrify.” — Margaret Lane, New York Journal of Books

"Fascinating, mesmerizing, and so darkly atmospheric that you keep looking over your shoulder as you read." ―Diana Gabaldon, internationally-bestselling author of the Outlander series

"The Murderer’s Maid is a fascinating and deeply chilling tale. Erika Mailman weaves a story that is by turns poignant, compelling, and murderously suspenseful." ―Kathleen Kent, author of The Heretic’s Daughter

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Powell's

Erika Mailman is the author of The Witch's Trinity, a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book and Bram Stoker Award finalist, and Woman of Ill Fame, a Pushcart Press Editor's Book Award nominee. She's a Yaddo fellow and lives in Northern California with her family.

For more information, please visit Erika Mailman's website.

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a hardcover copy of The Murderer's Maid!

To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.  Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 8th. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.  Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

  The Murderer's Maid

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