Review: Informative and Accessible!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 3, 2013
What an incredibly well researched and thought out book! I'm a huge fan of shows like Real Stories of the ER and Forensic Files, as well as of reading books about the darker side of life, and biographies of serial killers, the most recent(used) titled ″Australian Serial Killers″ by Paul Kidd (another fascinating read), so when I saw this on discount, I knew I had to add it to my library.What's great about this book is how it provides context. The book first gives us a brief history of poisoning, and then the history of murder and its punishment from the 17th century, before moving to the biographical sketches. The biographical sketches are written clearly and without embellishment, telling us what the author researched about the poisoner's childhood, companions, and offering theories as to who (if anyone) might have colluded with the poisonings and other heinous acts. Every page is full of interesting (and often gruesome) facts about the lives and crimes of these ladies. There are also visual references, ie: photos of paintings of the woman in question, in addition to vividly written descriptions so you have a clear idea of this woman's physical appearance and the effect that had (if any) on those around her. Also, when available, there are transcripts from the trials of the time which add a vivid layer of historical context.The book offers no pat conclusions, but instead allows the lives (and crimes) of these women to stand on their own. I was excited to see there are more books in this series, and will definitely be picking them up. Highly recommend!