The Murderer's Maid by Erika Mailman
Publication Date: October 30, 2017
Bonhomie Press
Hardcover; ISBN-13: 978-0997066449
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Mystery
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.
“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
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My Take:
When offered the opportunity to read and review The Murderer's Maid, I jumped at the chance. How could I not? A historical fiction novel dealing with the Lizzie Borden murders and a novel by Erika Mailman in one neat package? Of course I had to agree.
The Murderer's Maid is a little different from other novels that I have read dealing with the Borden murders. The novel is told from three different points of view and two different timelines. Bridget is the Irish maid that the Borden family hires and her story presents a unique and interesting view of the events. The reader also gets to read parts of the story from Lizzie's point of view, which is really necessary for certain parts of the story. The final viewpoint is from Brooke, who is a daughter of an immigrant housekeeper much like Bridget was. Her story line is current day and she has an unknown link to the Borden story.
I found the novel to be very entertaining as well as thought provoking. What initially seems to be another novel trying to figure out what happened in the Borden household and why, also presents a thoughtful look at the lives of recent immigrants who find themselves in precarious situations. The novel examines how dependent and vulnerable immigrants can be in their new country as well as the attitudes they encounter while trying to acclimate to their new home.
Brooke's story presents a modern day look at the immigrant experience through her memories of her mother's experience. Brooke, is in a unique and dangerous situation because she has been on the run from a mysterious person who is trying to kill her. She takes work under the table and pretends to be an undocumented worker despite the fact that she was born in the U.S. - all in an attempt to stay one step ahead of her would-be murderer. There is a certain irony there since unknown to her, she has a family link to the Borden murder. Even though I would really like to discuss some of the fun aspects of Brooke's story, I will control myself since they would give too much away. Suffice to say, there is plenty to keep the reader's attention in just this timeline.
I can't decide which timeline I enjoyed the most - my choice changes from day to day. I read The Murderer's Maid in about a day and stayed up late to finish it and it was completely worth it. I really enjoy the author's writing and I really loved the novel. I would wholeheartedly recommend The Murderer's Maid to any reader who enjoys true crime, historical fiction, thrillers and/or mysteries.
About the Author
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.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, October 16Review at Unabridged Chick
Feature at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, October 17
Interview at Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, October 18
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Thursday, October 19
Review & Excerpt at Books of All Kinds
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Friday, October 20
Spotlight at Bookfever
Review at Once Upon A Book
Monday, October 23
Review at Poppy Coburn
Review at A Bookish Affair
Tuesday, October 24
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Feature at A Literary Vacation
Wednesday, October 25
Review at Back Porchervations
Feature at Must Read Faster
Thursday, October 26
Review at Linda's Book Obsession
Friday, October 27
Review at What Cathy Read Next
Feature at The Reading Queen
Monday, October 30
Review at A Holland Reads
Tuesday, October 31
Review at The Maiden's Court
Wednesday, November 1
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review at Books of a Shy Girl
Thursday, November 2
Review at Book Nerd
Friday, November 3
Review at T's Stuff
Review at Just One More Chapter
Monday, November 6
Review at A Book Geek
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Tuesday, November 7
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Wednesday, November 8
Review at The True Book Addict
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 Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Yay! I am so happy that you enjoyed The Murderer's Maid! I loved it too and am so excited to see all of the rave reviews coming in from others.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting Erika's Blog Tour!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours