(I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher)
There are few cold cases that capture the imagination more than that of Lizzie Borden's parents. Did she or didn't she? Sarah Schmidt takes on this sordid tale with her new novel, SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE. In the novel, Schmidt explores the days surrounding the murders from several different perspectives including Lizzie Borden, Emma Borden, Bridget the maid, and enigmatic stranger Benjamin. Each individual has a unique perspective on the events surrounding the murders. The reader sees what was happening in the days leading up to the murders and gets to see a brief recap of events following the murders.
I was so excited for this book. What great subject matter! And I loved the idea that Schmidt wanted to explore the motivations and possible involvement of several different characters. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. Schmidt has a literary quality to her writing but I often found the plot difficult to follow. The characters were interesting but the story was tedious which is surprising considering the subject matter. The book isn't long but I struggled to finish and found there were no real surprises in the end. While I appreciate what Schmidt was attempting to do with this book, it just didn't work for me.
BOTTOM LINE: Fans of fictionalized true crime may enjoy the different perspectives that Schmidt uses in her novel but this one didn't work for me.
