Poisoned Lives: English Poisoners and Their Victims Book

Poisoners--from Mary Anne Cotton, the Victorian mass murderess, to Dr. Crippen--have attracted a celebrity unmatched by less secretive killers. Secretly administered, often during a family meal, arsenic (the most commonly used poison) led to a slow and agonizing death, while strychnine (with its faint smell of almonds) could kill very quickly. Poisoned Lives is the first history of the crime to examine all known cases of poisoning. Unwanted husbands, wives or lovers, illegitimate babies, children killed for the insurance money, relatives, rivals and employers were among the many victims. Difficult to detect before 1800, poison undoubtedly had its heyday in the 19th century. In response to many suspected cases, forensic tests were developed that made detection increasingly likely. The sale of poisons also became much more tightly controlled. Because of this, 20th-century poisoning became a crime carried out largely by professionals, notably doctors and nurses, such as Harold Shipman and Beverley Allitt.Read More