Riveting, compelling and brilliantly executed
A Passion For Poison - Carol Ann Lee
This book is just brilliant. Having read an extract on Readers First, I was immediately hooked and I had to use my points to devour the rest!
The cover is eye catching and makes you want to find out more, it looks like a golden age murder mystery and of sorts it is.
It begins with a short history of poisoning, a whistle stop tour from Egypt to Rome to the Nazi’s to the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie and here was so much interesting information packed in that I just knew I wanted to read on. It paves the way for the introduction to Graham Young, the calm, chillingly frightening schoolboy poisoner and who at trial is committed to Broodmoor. He is obsessed with poisons and has been trialling them on his family and friends ostensibly to see what happens but it seems he may have committed the perfect murder and I needed to read on to know what, who, how and when.
Known as the ‘Teacup Poisoner’, after release from Broadmoor, he very quickly returned to his old ways. It is unsettling and frightening how he was able to obtain poison and pull the wool over the authorities eyes. There seems to have been a catalogue of disastrous errors that led to innocent people losing their lives. To us now it is horrifying that this could happen and in part his case is the reason why laws were changed.
Interestingly there was thought to be a link to The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie where thallium is used as the poison of choice. It is thought that it inspired Young although this was never admitted or proved but quotes from this novel head each section in a rather chilling fashion.
Riveting and utterly mesmerising, I almost couldn’t believe this was real life and not one of the Queen of Crimes novels. This is a brilliantly researched and executed look at one our country’s most notorious poisoners, loved it!
✩✩✩✩✩
This book is just brilliant. Having read an extract on Readers First, I was immediately hooked and I had to use my points to devour the rest!
The cover is eye catching and makes you want to find out more, it looks like a golden age murder mystery and of sorts it is.
It begins with a short history of poisoning, a whistle stop tour from Egypt to Rome to the Nazi’s to the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie and here was so much interesting information packed in that I just knew I wanted to read on. It paves the way for the introduction to Graham Young, the calm, chillingly frightening schoolboy poisoner and who at trial is committed to Broodmoor. He is obsessed with poisons and has been trialling them on his family and friends ostensibly to see what happens but it seems he may have committed the perfect murder and I needed to read on to know what, who, how and when.
Known as the ‘Teacup Poisoner’, after release from Broadmoor, he very quickly returned to his old ways. It is unsettling and frightening how he was able to obtain poison and pull the wool over the authorities eyes. There seems to have been a catalogue of disastrous errors that led to innocent people losing their lives. To us now it is horrifying that this could happen and in part his case is the reason why laws were changed.
Interestingly there was thought to be a link to The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie where thallium is used as the poison of choice. It is thought that it inspired Young although this was never admitted or proved but quotes from this novel head each section in a rather chilling fashion.
Riveting and utterly mesmerising, I almost couldn’t believe this was real life and not one of the Queen of Crimes novels. This is a brilliantly researched and executed look at one our country’s most notorious poisoners, loved it!
✩✩✩✩✩