I'm always intrigued by a poisoner - not that I probably should admit to this! Indeed, crime fiction - especially Agatha Christie, queen of poisons - has always been my go-to genre, although I don't usually read much true crime.
With that in mind, I was very excited to win an advance copy of 'A Passion for Poison' from Readers First and relished the opportunity to read about a real life poisoner.
I wasn't aware of Graham Young, the 'teacup poisoner', before this book - the span of his crimes from 1962 to the early 1970s is (slightly) before my time! However, I was soon caught up in the account of this strange character and his shocking actions that saw him poison family, friends and work colleagues alike.
One of the really striking things about Young is the fact that his obsession with poison started very early on in his life and that he was a self-taught chemistry genius. He comes across as someone who is extremely focused and driven - although this manifests itself in the most sinister way. His lack of emotion is also chilling - especially when he starts to regard his friends and family as merely 'guinea pigs' for his experiments.
Carol Ann Lee's account of Young's life is engaging and thorough - there is evidence of extremely detailed research and his background is interesting. Indeed, the sections focusing on Young's life and actions were the bits that I found most immersive as we follow him from a poison-obsessed schoolboy to a Broadmoor inmate to a deadly colleague of many in a photographic company.
There were some really shocking elements of the story, especially the way that Young managed to get away with his crimes for so long. The focus on the failings in different areas of the system - psychiatric reports, the control of poisons, lack of scientific knowledge of thallium - was interesting, but perhaps could have been condensed a little more.
Overall, this is an engaging and compelling story - there were sections of it that I raced through with a rising sense of dread as Young tested poisons and dosages on the people around him. It gave me an insight into the working of a serial killer who managed to operate undetected for so long - and a disturbing view of his motivations. As well as being a snapshot of a past time, this clearly is a case that still has ongoing implications - giving the book continuing relevance to modern readers.
With that in mind, I was very excited to win an advance copy of 'A Passion for Poison' from Readers First and relished the opportunity to read about a real life poisoner.
I wasn't aware of Graham Young, the 'teacup poisoner', before this book - the span of his crimes from 1962 to the early 1970s is (slightly) before my time! However, I was soon caught up in the account of this strange character and his shocking actions that saw him poison family, friends and work colleagues alike.
One of the really striking things about Young is the fact that his obsession with poison started very early on in his life and that he was a self-taught chemistry genius. He comes across as someone who is extremely focused and driven - although this manifests itself in the most sinister way. His lack of emotion is also chilling - especially when he starts to regard his friends and family as merely 'guinea pigs' for his experiments.
Carol Ann Lee's account of Young's life is engaging and thorough - there is evidence of extremely detailed research and his background is interesting. Indeed, the sections focusing on Young's life and actions were the bits that I found most immersive as we follow him from a poison-obsessed schoolboy to a Broadmoor inmate to a deadly colleague of many in a photographic company.
There were some really shocking elements of the story, especially the way that Young managed to get away with his crimes for so long. The focus on the failings in different areas of the system - psychiatric reports, the control of poisons, lack of scientific knowledge of thallium - was interesting, but perhaps could have been condensed a little more.
Overall, this is an engaging and compelling story - there were sections of it that I raced through with a rising sense of dread as Young tested poisons and dosages on the people around him. It gave me an insight into the working of a serial killer who managed to operate undetected for so long - and a disturbing view of his motivations. As well as being a snapshot of a past time, this clearly is a case that still has ongoing implications - giving the book continuing relevance to modern readers.