At the age of ten, Liza Barton had shot her mother, trying to protect her from her estranged step-father, Ted Cartwright. Despite his claim that the shooting was a deliberate act, the Juvenile Court ruled the death an accident. Many people and the tabloids compared her to the murderess Lizzie Borden, pointing even to the similarity of their names. To erase Liza's past, her adoptive parents change her name to Celia. Her peace of mind later in her life is shattered when her new husband, Alex Nolan, surprises her with a gift -- the house in Mendham, New Jersey, where she killed her mother. When they move in, they find the words "Little Lizzie's place, beware" painted on the lawn, red paint all over the house, and a skull and crossbones carved into the door. There are signs that someone in the community knows Celia's true identity.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.