I enjoyed the read. I was sure she was being poisoned but kept wondering was it all in her head. Liked how all the characters fit together to the story. Was a bit too wordy and descriptive to me in some areas. All together a suspenseful read.

Cass and Ryan have a storybook romance: he is handsome, successful, loving and the perfect stepfather to her children Pete and Alice, and also the proud loving father of their own two year old, Sam. Yet Ryan suffers from anxiety and dark moods when he's off his meds and the bottle in the medicine cabinet is full. Cass knows because she started keeping track after the last incident, and now she has started questioning her own sanity. How far would a spouse go to get what he wants? Cass is about to find out and the truth could destroy her.

"If I'm crazy, you drove me to it."

Poison is one of those tricky reads. I think you'll either love it or hate it, no in between. The writing style is different than how most books I read are written, so it took some getting used to, to really get into the words and see what was being said without thinking about how it sounded too much.

I loathed the husband of this story, which is kind of the point. Job well done. I couldn't believe half the things that came flying out of his mouth.

I felt sorry for the heroine, for her children and everything they were put through. Then some of the things she did herself, had me questioning her sanity.

"They are in a game of cat and mouse. But who is the cat and who is the mouse?"

The first half of Poison is a lot of background, leading us up to the grand finale that is the last half of the book. Once I hit the halfway mark, I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen and was biting my nails in suspense that *hopefully* justice was found.

There are plenty of twists and turns. Things you think you know, then there's a lovely little plot twist thrown into the mix.

Overall, I enjoyed this slow burn -mystery/thriller.

The story and plot are pretty straightforward but the storytelling is top notch and kept me riveted from start to finish.

Rounding up from a 3.5 star rating. Mainly because it took me a third of the way through to get interested in this book. However, once I did, I never lost interest. The first third felt like the author was trying to hit a word count any way possible. It was slightly frustrating. Once the plot picks up, it never lets go. Cass is married to Ryan, she has two children from a previous marriage and a baby, new life, new house, with Ryan. Once we transition from happy home to POISON - it takes off. I felt that this switch happened a little too suddenly. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if there was going to be a twist, and if so, what. I wont say either way - but I do enjoy a book that makes me think that way. I was satisfied with the ride, with the main character (shes so real and honest and relatable too. She was also smart, definitely not one of those characters you just want to reach out and smack! I enjoyed her thinking - and found myself wishing the book was in first-person rather than third. Another downside was there was SUCH A UNIQUE concept in this book that didn't get fully taken advantage of. I would have loved more of the "cell phone" stuff. Not using it more made it less realistic. Overall I definitely enjoyed the book. It makes you think. Its also a little scary. I just don't like to provide TOO many details in a review - this is one I recommend going in BLIND ;)

See link to goodreads review

I went into this not expecting to be so hooked! This book is incredibly well written, if a little wordy, and the characters are well fleshed out. I read this in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down, I had to find out if Ryan was actually trying to kill Cass or if it was all in her head. Highly recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Wow. This book had me hooked. When Cass' husband Ryan tells her he is going to kill her, he means it. And the journey is completely terrifying. Very well written, if a bit too wordy in spots. I couldn't put it down til I got to the ending. I really enjoyed it.

Good. Lord. I'm finding it difficult to put my feelings about this book into words. Niederhoffer's writing is exquisite, at times lilting and lyrical, but always strong and meaningful. Cass is a raw, honest woman, a character drawn from and brought to life. A single mother, widowed, she marries Ryan, and they have another baby together. Their life seems perfect, as perfect as anyone's life can be - loving parents, well-behaved children, jobs, a new house, a steady relationship.

But that, of course, doesn't make for an interesting story. Things start to disintegrate, the relationship between Cass and Ryan breaking down, until his true colours rear up. Cass begins to feel unwell, and soon believes that Ryan is to blame. He is poisoning her, not just with his words or his actions, but with arsenic. He's trying to kill her, and nobody - certainly not the police or the courts - believe her. So begins her battle against the system, a system that doesn't listen to women, or take our word for anything. A system that blames victims, rewards perpetrators, supports misogyny and upholds patriarchy.

The feminist perspective was very much welcome, and poignant, in today's world. Where women's rights are at the forefront of many minds, anything that delves into what women have to deal with - male violence, sexual assault, workplace sexism - is, sadly, necessary.

This story is, of course, made all the more harrowing by the discovery that this is almost autobiographical. After finishing Poison, I did what I usually do, and looked for the author on social media. No luck, but a Google search did bring up a bunch of articles about her battle with her ex-husband over the custody of her son, and her allegation that her ex-husband had attempted to poison her with arsenic. To read these articles moments after I'd finished the novel gave the experience an almost other-worldly feel. Can what I'm reading be true? I thought. It all felt rather unreal. But we women know all about male violence, don't we.

I couldn't seem to find anything on the resolution of the case - perhaps it's still ongoing - but my hope is that the author was as triumphant as her character Cass was, in the end.

When we first meet Cass, she appears be living a life of domestic bliss oth her sec lo nd husband Ryan and her young children.

Cass has been burnt though, having already already suffered he loss of a first husband and having experienced emotional abuse and neglect from her own parents.Perhaps that s why she is so keen to assert he reality to her law school students that the testimony of an abused woman in court is often discounted.

She has reason to learn be truth of this first hand.L

The Blurb accompanying tell us that this novel is a study of how small sins of omission can in time push the best of marriages into unstoppable tipping point of destruction, where loved end up as murderous adversities in the blink of an eye, but that was not my experience here.

It is rather just apparent that the narrator never really knew her husband. What seemed like an enduring risqué essential and edginess in behaviour takes on a far more sinister countenance once he apparently loses interest in her and develops a roving eye. No doubt the narrator is familiar with sociopathic behaviour and what it means, as Ryan's is textbook.

Especially in using gaslighting. You are just imagining it. He no doubt realises what it must sound like to the outside world if a woman then declares to the world that her husband is poisoning her through his cooking and through everything she touches and that neighbours and babysitters are accessory to the fact....

Can Cass bud a case against her ex?

The reader will have to find that out for themselves.

It is possible to get the sense that the author has been through much of the betrayal and lack of validation of her heroine, though Poison is objectively written and without any sense that this is just venting. This is a good read for those who enjoy thrillers of the 'is this real or is the threat all in the mind' stripe.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Cass presented as a strong and intelligent woman who had faced some tragedy in her life but been able to move on. She had little to no emotional support from either of her parents yet still grew into a compassionate and capable woman and mother.

The problems in her marriage, although supposedly subtle at first seemed glaringly obvious to me. There was a lack of respect from her husband that to me seemed apparent from the start. He gave off a general feeling of ill will and derisiveness. An insult said with a smile is still insulting, Overriding of a woman's parental authority done with an air of fun, is still disrespectful.

Towards the halfway point of the story and beyond I just found that it strained believability. I can't say much without giving away the plot but I just found it hard to believe a woman of her intelligence would make such choices, or give out personal information so easily to people she had no reason to trust. There were also some medical and safety issues with the children that if faced with in reality a person would seek immediate help. Since Cass was a journalist I would have expected her to have better sense.

The idea of a mom trying to have it all with a perfect home life plus career isn’t a new theme in literary works or even hard to grasp as it seems most moms these days are trying to walk the tightrope between ‘mom’, ‘wife’, and ‘employed’ rarely feeling like they aren’t about to fall off the edge. Niederhoffer took those insecurities we are hesitant to admit publicly or even to ourselves and created Cass to become a symbol for all women who face this struggle. The only part of her personality that doesn’t quite fit this mold is when the author asks us to suspend our belief in it by agreeing despite her education, strength, career focus and love of her children she would suddenly act in a contrary manner by allowing her and them to be in dangerous situations.

Niederhoffer does offer a probably explanation for the perceived lack of congruity but it still took a bit out of the story even though her behavior was necessary for the plot device – a paradox I guess.

As someone with a medical background I had a bit of trouble believing in the accuracy of how poison and its effects were used, I felt that needed a bit of work especially as there’s plenty of more plausible examples on CSI, Criminal Minds, etc that could’ve been lifted if you didn’t want to risk the government checking in on why you’re researching how to kill someone with poison.

Aside from my probably over nit pickiness of those minor details she did a good job of setting up the happy family ideal so it made it feel all that much worse when it imploded. You really feel for Cass becoming essentially mentally unhinged thanks to her husband. You have to stop yourself from checking the list of qualifications for a Psychopath to see if Ryan fit’s cause his behavior gets a ‘little’ scary. All of the drama, suspense, and danger unfolds at the perfect pace to keep you hanging in there but not anxious for it to get to the point.

Considering how often we’ve heard in the media lately about the legal system’s habit of discrediting women and disbelieving claims of domestic violence she did a remarkable job of bringing the good and the bad of those issues out within the confines of her story. There are many themes contained within that are probably going to make you think “Cosby Trial” thanks to how the idea of a female victim is portrayed.

Why are men so lazy as to go to the ‘woman is mentally unstable’ ploy? Can you not be more original? The answer is probably because it’s a guaranteed win – how are we supposed to fight against something the legal system doesn’t require proof of?

As a woman it was a hard book to read but that’s a credit to the author that I’m walking away feeling something rather than nothing.

Ugh, this book. What a train wreck. I didn't find any of the characters likable at all, not even Cass, and I got utterly confused by all the poison discussion. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.

Poison is one of those books that makes you wonder how well you know your partner. It also makes you wonder how secure you are in your relationship. After I finished reading it, I had to sit and process it. I got chills from reading it. I have no issue imagining that scenarios like this are playing out across the country.

I felt awful for Cass. She uprooted her life for Ryan. She followed him to Seattle with her two children from a previous marriage. They put down roots, had a son and seemed like the all American family. Then little things started happening that made her start questioning her relationship with Ryan. Things escalated to the point where Cass began to think that Ryan was cheating on her. Then she started to get sick and she started to get suspicious. After an ER visit that ended up with Cass in the psych ward, she leaves Ryan. It is then that things go from bad to worse. Cass is in danger of not only of being killed but she is also in danger of losing those that she loves the most.

Ryan was such an awful man. I was surprised that he wasn’t caught sooner. But seeing how slick he was, I could see why people didn’t believe it when Cass was telling them what he was doing. The only people the believed her was her lawyer and Nora, her friend. What shocked me, and that is pretty hard to do, is why he did it. I had a feeling who C. Alloy was but boy, was I wrong. Who C. Alloy has blown my brains because it is the last person I would have suspected it to be.

The end of the book did kind of surprise me if it felt a little rushed. Everything from Bermuda on kept me on my toes. I have never read a book by Galt Niederhoffer and I do plan on reading more!!

My Summary of Poison: 3 stars

While I liked Poison, I felt that the beginning was slow and the end was very rushed. But everything else in between was pure gold. I thought the plotline was great and the characters were great.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: language, violence, and sexual situations

A very powerful story!!! I loved every page! A story about a controlling husband and what he did to the family including his own son! I was attached to this, not putting it down until I read every word! When the main character starts doubting herself about what she has seen and heard, I was hooked, that is exactly the way my controller made me start to doubt myself! I highly recommend this book and have no doubt it is a best seller

Poison starts a little slow but when it takes off you cannot wait to turn the next page to see who did or didn't do what, who helped and who didn't, could any of them ever of been trustworthy even to themselves? I mean seriously you are reading as hard as you can to try to figure things out to find a Truth. This book almost breaks its own demure to make you want to cheat and fumble through a couple chapters to find an answer and then go backwards...I am unsure I have ever felt that within any book I have read, and well that spoke volumes to me, The Feels are so erratic and its like your mind can't keep up with the mass frenzy over what all starts happening....its almost as Galt Niederhoffer Poisons your mind!!! And in stating "Poison"...well this book is about A Lot of Poisonous things: People, Character, Teaching, Learning, Cheaters, Liars, Friends, Family....even the Law and yes even real poisons that you don't know if they are real to the story but you do learn quite a bit about what some things are truly treated for and also how things are used for Cancer!

So it starts off with a family that moved from one coast to the other New York to Portland, that's some distance and in the end it wasn't just a country of a distance but so very far it was almost unreachable. Our background is that Cass has remarried after loosing the love of her life to cancer several years before, they had two children and they had all been in mourning for a long time and when Cass meets Ryan, well it all just clicked and felt right, they had a whirlwind romance, made specific promises to each other, ones that they said they would always cherish, we are given these 10 promises and well they are never really mentioned again I kind of didn't understand the meaning of those other than it seemed that Ryan a man Cass meets in a bar needed assurances I dunno but my mind kind of kept going back to what that meant..., they were so happy they talked and giggle and had great sex and it was all the things that Cass so badly needed as did her kids, they all needed him to help them step out of the mourning of another life. Soon this romance is the only thing that matters and before long they are married and make the BIG decision to move and are now living in a suburb of Portland. They had decided to start again to leave New York and buy a home, Cass dips into her money from her first husband that died to buy this home. From the start it seems this book is kind of stuck in between a rock and a hard place and you are not sure exactly who what and when is going to happen, we see things from Cass and she knows things are not right, she doesn't want to be one of those "paranoid wives" but I think more than anything she doesn't want to be alone again. When she found him She fell head over heels for Ryan Conner as did her two children and she thought this beautiful man felt the same way. They now have a child together, Sam along with her previous children Pete and Alice the oldest, its the perfect family or is it? She is always feeling doubt, so she works out to make sure her body is perfect after bearing her third child that Nora a new friend, the woman that sold them the house and they form a friendship. It seems Cass had been feeling less and we also learn that maybe Ryan has some manic habits...he needs meds but gets mad when she asks if he takes them, he doesn't need a mother, matter of fact he has no family relationships and refuses to talk to about his terrible family woes, Cass has been told a little and he was given a small cabin or more a very small A frame house by the beach they go on wknds as a place to get away. to and it was deeded to him via his mom. Ryan as a manic architect he was constantly making BIG changes to their home but never finishing it So this small cabin felt homey as small as it was it wasn't in chaos as the house stayed...after a great day out at the beach. Everyone was happy and as they go inside she is getting food ready and she finds a couple of weird hairs that she doesn't recognize, she goes to shower and again a drain full....who has been in the cabin, she is furious and approached Ryan and he says it could be anyone's hair, it could be a person broke in and used the cabin...Cass along with a few other things happen is getting more and more paranoid and later Ryan showed her a side of him she hopes to never see it again. From now on she will have to choose her words carefully and also check to see if he is taking his meds of course the and find out what is going on,,,,

So Poison is this a powerful story of struggle to maintain love and passion, a life with working for both and a home
that is in constant chaos from tearing down and building back, kind of how the relationship goes on as well....I couldn't put it down, I had to figure the mystery out and the writer does a magnificent job of twisting everything up right up till the end that you wonder if its the paranoia, the manic states, is cheating happening or not, is a Poison come between this beautiful love and can it be repaired...Its a Great Story, told well. I only docked one star because I would love to have know a little more back story and more on both Cass and Ryan's family and what really happen to ALL These People to make them be this way even some of the secondary characters could use some more info, but that's all wishful, the biggest was I thought the beginning was kind of a drag, takes way to long to get the plot to thicken into the story...The Ending is just a WOW... but also a little wham bam thank ya ma'am style and after all the details put into some things I would have loved one more page of what all went down on that last week even month and to everyone and how they felt.

I want to thank NetGalley, and the publisher St Martins Press for giving me the chance to read and give my honest review to this wonderful mystery, it most assuredly that keeps you on the edge of your seat and glued to your Kindle to the very last word. I think if you like this kind of book well then welcome to a wonderful story written by Galt Niederhoffer, and I really thank you Galt for this book! I will read it again and I would def recommend it to anyone that loves a great mystery that keeps you guessing throughout the book.....

A devastatingly good psychological thriller that was all too believable in its premise. I don't want to give away the story, but suffice it to say that there's more than one way to rape. Unputdownable.

while the plot of this book was very intriguing to me, I was terribly distracted by the author's writing style. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with the style, it's just not a way of writing that I find appealing. With that being said I do think that it is an enjoyable book for other readers to enjoy.

Interesting and intriguing read! This was a fun and twisted ride.

What I loved most about this book was the intensity and breakneck pacing. What started out as a calm portrait of a single mother wooed by an eligible bachelor and then married with another baby to create a loving family, moved quickly to suspicions and secrets, lies and misplaced loyalties. When Cass becomes increasingly frustrated at husband, Ryan's sudden outbursts of temper, she begins to question all that she once thought made their marriage perfect. Although he dismisses her fears as paranoia and questions her mental health, she is certain there is something amiss. And so quite quickly I found myself immersed in her life and story, staying up late at night to finish. Raw and poignant, the novel explores the nuances of marriage and will make you take a hard look at what may lurk beneath the surface of a relationship that could be poison!