Murder Ballads

Illustrated Lyrics & Lore

By: Katy Horan

Narrated by: AhDream Smith

In this unique collection, Literary Witches co-creator Katy Horan unearths the true and fictional stories behind twenty traditional murder ballads, exploring the beauty and horror of the art form through stories, lyrics, and original interpretations. The audiobook includes covers of various folk songs by Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, Marissa Nadler, and Lizzie No.

Murder Ballads is a guide to the origins and cultural impact of murder ballads as a music genre, covering its roots in patriarchal violence and white supremacy, as well as its contemporary relationship to true crime.

From “Delia's Gone” to “The Death of Queen Jane,” each of twenty carefully chosen ballads is accompanied by a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution.

Mysterious and alluring as the songs themselves, Murder Ballads will delight history enthusiasts, armchair musicologists, true crime fans (and critics), as well as anyone who appreciates the darker side of folk music.

Excellent Information and Performances

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version of Murder Ballads. The narrator is warm and inviting when talking about difficult subjects. The musicians perform excellent covers of the folks songs herein. The audiobook is art as much as the paper copy is.