The Murderer’s Maid blog tour and review

The Murderer's Maid by Erika Mailman

Publication Date: October 30, 2017

Bonhomie Press

Hardcover; ISBN-13: 978-0997066449

Genre: Fiction/Historical/Mystery

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.

“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

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 16
Review 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.

Woman of Ill Fame Blog Tour and Review

Woman of Ill Fame by Erika Mailman
eBook Publication date: November 11, 2013 ( ASIN: B00GM1VHV2)
Source: eBook provided by author via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for an honest review
Synopsis:
Looking for a better life, Nora Simms sails from the East Coast to gold rush San Francisco with a plan for success: to strike it rich by trading on her good looks. But when a string of murders claims several of her fellow “women of ill fame,” Nora grows uneasy with how closely linked all of the victims are to her. Even her rise to the top of her profession and a move to the fashionable part of town don’t shelter her from the danger, and she must distinguish friend from foe in a race to discover the identity of the killer.



My Take:

I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading Woman of Ill Fame. I'm not usually that crazy about reading books about prostitutes, but the premise on this one sounded promising. I started reading it to get an idea of what was in store for me, and I ended up reading for hours. I found Nora to be just so funny and straightforward about her chosen profession. She had her reasons for her choice and she lived with it.

This book is much more than just a tale of the prostitute with a heart of gold. The mystery of who is brutally killing the prostitutes in San Francisco is interesting and creepy and I really enjoyed reading about how Nora gets involved and how she goes about gathering her information to try to find the killer. I found it a little funny how Nora puts certain events together and despite all her efforts, the volunteer police force just doesn't figure anything out.

I enjoyed the development of friendship between Nora and her landlady, Mehitabel Ashe (what a name!). Mehitabel is an upright woman who manages her home as a boarding house and takes in sewing and such to make ends meet. Nora is certain that she would not approve of her choice in profession.  Mehitabel absolutely does not approve, but she turns out to be much more understanding than Nora thought she would be. Mehitabel ends up being a real friend and a good person. She is a great example of some of  the character development in the book. She has her own story to tell and she doesn't give up on Nora.

Nora does want out of the life she is living, but she has a certain idea of what type of man would sweep in and take her away from the life. Her preconceived ideas are a disadvantage and almost bring her to harm. Fortunately for her, a man not from her dreams decides to be a real friend. Abe is different, a bit slow, and the brunt of much teasing from the other men in town. He becomes a favorite of Nora's and his character development and story arc are highlights of the book. There seems to be a theme about assuming things about people and being proven wrong throughout the book.

In the end though, it is the character of Nora that carries the whole book. She is just so funny and smart. I really enjoyed her and her constant striving to better her life. Despite her goals and her attempts to pull herself out of the life no matter the cost, she always does what her heart tells her - despite what her brain is telling her. Nora is just a great character. I would love to read more about what happens to her. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read.

About the Author

Erika Mailman is the author of The Witch’s Trinity, a Bram Stoker finalist and a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book, and Woman of Ill Fame, a Pushcart Press Editor’s Book Award nominee. While writing The Witch’s Trinity, she learned she was the descendant of a woman accused twice of witchcraft in the decades predating Salem.
For more information please visit Erika Mailman’s website and blog.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, December 9
Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, December 10
Guest Post & Giveaway at HF Connection
Wednesday, December 11
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Thursday, December 12
Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary
Friday, December 13
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Monday, December 16
Review at A Book Geek
Review at Unabridged Chick
Tuesday, December 17
Review at Book of Secrets
Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, December 18
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, December 19
Review at A Bookish Libraria

Friday, December 20
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader