I’ve been on a bit of a nonfiction kick lately, particularly when the nonfiction books are tangentially related to my comfort zone genres. When I saw this beautiful little book about women poisoners, I knew I had to read it.

When you think about poisoners, you probably think about women stirring rat poison into their husband’s food or drink. I definitely did. Maybe I’ve read one too many Agatha Christie novels, but I think the public conception of poisoners is crafty women killing off their husbands or next of kin. With its impeccable research, thoughtful profiles of historical women, and gorgeous supporting art, The League of Lady Poisoners will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about women who poison.

Amazon / Goodreads

Partial Synopsis:

A feast for the senses, this sumptuously illustrated book will introduce you to some of the most infamous women throughout world history, united by their shared taste for poison. Welcome to the League of Lady Poisoners.

This riveting and well-researched volume by Lisa Perrin weaves together the stories of more than twenty-five accused women poisoners, exploring the circumstances and skill sets that led them to lives of crime.

You might find yourself rooting for some of them—like Sally Bassett, who helped poison her granddaughter’s enslavers in Bermuda, or Giulia Tofana, who sold her name-brand concoction to women wanting to be rid of their abusive (or otherwise undesirable) husbands. Other stories, though—including that of Yiya Murano, one of Argentina’s most notorious swindlers and serial killers, or the terrifying Nurse Jane Toppan—may prove less palatable.

Review:

While most of the women poisoners discussed in The League of Lady Poisoners are murderers, they are too complex to fit in one box. Some poisoned for power, like Wu Zetian, a Chinese woman in the seventh century who rose from a lowly palace concubine to eventually rule over all of China. Others made their profession out of poison, like Locusta, a poison expert and assassin in first-century Rome, and Guilia Tofana, who lived and sold poison in seventeenth-century Italy. Others killed because they felt trapped or in impossible situations. And, yes, some killed for love, like Nannie Doss, known as the Giggling Granny or the Lonely Hearts Killer. Nannie Doss sought husbands in the Lonely Hearts pages but killed them with arsenic when they weren’t the Prince Charming she wanted.

The League of Lady Poisoners is, understandably, gothic and haunting for a nonfiction book. However, there’s also a current of coziness running through the book. The book contains full-page illustrations of the women it profiles and smaller illustrations throughout. These illustrations, of lovely women and beautifully deadly plants, had me turning page after page long after I should have gone to sleep. For such a dark book, it’s remarkably beautiful. It’s a book perfectly poised to pick up and read on a wintery night under a warm blanket.

Final Thoughts:

The League of Lady Poisoners is fascinating, and I enjoyed seeing stories of these historical women. While I would have liked more statistics or commentary on women poisoners in books and media, that’s not what this book does. I highly recommend this to all who enjoy nonfiction books or books about historical women.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Challenges:

#COYER

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy! All the above thoughts are my own.