Rating: 3.5/5

Cass Connor seems to have the perfect life. A thriving career as a journalist turned professor, three beautiful children and a gorgeous second husband who would easily make any woman jealous. But Cass can't get over the fact that something just doesn't feel right. First there are the changes in her husband's demeanor - little white lies and omissions, the scraps of woman's clothing and bits of hair she finds around there house; then there is her own body starting to turn on her - nausea, hair falling out, full chunks of time going forgotten. As Cass starts to rely on her investigative journalism background she realizes the two are possibly connected - her husband is not the man she once knew, but is it possible he's also a murderer?

If you enjoyed Girl on a Train and Gone Girl, Poison may be the natural next step for you. Niederhoffer's writing creates a chilling narrative where no one is safe, no one is innocent and the mix of over the top and unbelievable makes it hard to put down. The title of this book is apt because it fits not only literally, but figuratively. Cass's growing fear, her paranoia (or lack thereof) spins so out of control that it literally poisons her system.

My only gripe (and what took this review from 4 stars to 3ish) is that I don't feel anything was truly explained at the end. If C. Alloy is really who we come to believe then what was the motive there? Why was Ryan so intent on hurting Cass? What role did Marley play? It all seemed to tidy itself up a little too easily and quickly for my taste with a lot of questions unanswered.

Many thanks to NetGally for this book.
At some point of this book I had to stop reading for a while. Ryan is such a horrible man and husband and his actions are so cruel, it is unbelievable. And not, because unfortunately there are a lot of men like Ryan in the world and this story about a doomed relationship is all too common.
On the other hand, the story went a little too fast for me. One moment Cass and Ryan are perfectly happy, the next moment he wants to poison her? And why choose the poison he does? Nobody believes Cass when she says she is being poisoned but I don’t understand her wanting to have this checked by someone in a private clinic (maybe because I’m not familiar with the American health care system).
What I don’t understand is the ‘Abigail and Benjamin Borden’ in the introduction on Goodreads. The main characters are named Cass and Ryan… Why would the author have changed the names?

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Would recommend this to everyone, in fact...I have!

This book is really a 3.5, but I rounded up because of some solid craftsmanship.

This is the story of Cass, her second husband Ryan, her two children (Pete and Alice) and their son Sam. What do you do when you think someone is trying to kill you, to poison you, so they win everything? That's what happens in this case. Cass is in a fight for her life, or is she delusional? The author does an amazing job weaving the story keeping you guessing whether Cass has completely lost her rocker or if she really is in the fight for her life, and that of her children.

I really enjoyed how well the characters were developed, how Cases's paranoia is portrayed. I found I was invested in what happened to Cass and her children. If Ryan was poisoning Cass, how was it no one else was getting sick? Even the children play an important part in this story as secondary characters.

I highly recommend this wonderful novel and am looking forward to reading more from the author! Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my ARC copy for a fair and honest review.

Wow! I came for the mystery, but stayed for the social commentary used as foreshadowing and plot reference. Could not put this book down, read til midnight to finish it. The mundane play by play of the first chapters skillfully gave way to the madness and crazed pace of the later book. The frenetic writing often had me second guessing my loyalties, much as the main character did. Cleverly plotted, paced and executed.

What happens when for "better or for worse" becomes deadly?

The portrait of a perfect family. Man, wife, three kids and a cat in the yard. Now nestled in Seattle, it is a family's second chance at domestic bliss. Cass and Ryan have three children between them, Pete, Alice and baby Sam. Ryan is an architect, busy at the office and Cass is a teacher and domestic juggler. Although their days separate, Cass and Ryan share sweet rituals which reaffirm their affections when they come together. Until one day, something small is off. A lie of omission made. And slowly Cass fears for her life.

I rated this book 3.5-stars but rounded it to 4 because of a great premise, character detail, and timely issues.

The story is 320 pages and in 2 parts. The tale, set in the suburb of Seattle Washington is told from Cass's point of view. Interspersed in the narrative, are snippets of Cass and Ryan's past, a glimpse into their temperament and behaviors.

Cass is a perfect portrayal of middle age mother feeling that she has lost her sexual currency. She has held her University tenure at bay to create a home for her children, two from another marriage. Cass struggles each day through the frenzy of balancing the needs of her husband and children with her work obligations. In her class, she is an engaging professor, hooking her class into legal theory. Bill Cosby's story, a subject in Cass's class, offers an education. The four ways to discredit women-delusion, fabrication, inculpation, and criminalization. Was this topic brought up early in the book for a foreshadowing for her marriage?

Niederhoffer gets inside the mind of women and a working mother and makes it feel universal. The daily descriptions of a happy family household routines are fresh air, beautiful and chaotic. When Cass becomes a woman in grave danger, we receive her reflexive and innermost thoughts. With each accusation deflected by her husband, she becomes more feral. Cass starts to doubt her credibility while he almost flaunts it in her face. When Cass discovers that the people around her might slowly poison her, she has few places to turn.

The drama is well paced and unfolds naturally. Ryans past is a good barometer for his present. Ryan's manipulation wrapped in a neat package of undermining gives us a glimpse into a sadistic opportunist. When Cass becomes a worthy opponent, the relationship turns deadly. The character of Ryan is cringeworthy, and the pace of the story manipulates and terrorizes the reader alongside Cass.

The narrative has several themes of current social issues including domestic violence, abuse against women, and the discrediting of the female victim in a skewed justice system . "...girls who report assaults, even when they have bruises. These women get taken down...." by the "press, cops, by the lawyers, and the courtroom." It's even worse when it is a crime with no physical evidence - hearsay. Accusations of mental illness or paranoia are often in the lurch, especially if the accuser is female.

One negative critique of this novel is that it would not seem highly likely that a well-educated lawyer would put her children and herself into the line of fire. So with a suspension of disbelief, I rallied alongside a mother and her children. However, she justifies her action well to make it somewhat plausible. Another issue I had was the actual physical effects of the poison on the main character -violent symptoms would come and suddenly be gone, making the narrative a bit choppy and confusing. Finally, why would Ryan go to deadly measures? Is he just a psychopath? All this may be about a sad commentary on our legal and law enforcement systems.

The ending of the story is impactful and contrary, leaving you with a sense of wanting more. Not because the story is not finished, but to see how Cass moves into her next chapter. The narrative is well developed and paced, with the right details in character development. The setting of Seattle was, of course, one of my favorite attributes of the novel. I enjoyed this suspenseful tale and highly recommend Poison.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Excellent book. Great storyline and wonderful main characters. I would recommend this book.

Niederhoffer explores the fragile bonds of marriage and parenting in her latest book. Cass and Ryan O’Connor had other relationships before they married, each already had children, but somehow they have made their blended family work and seem to have reached the pinnacle of marital bliss. But nothing is ever as it seems, and when small fissures grow into larger cracks, the resulting fallout leaves each wondering where their hearts and their loyalties really lie. This is being billed as a thriller, and I guess if you were living it, you would probably deem it as such. For the reader, however, this comes across as a disturbing portrait at what really lies between the happy smiles and white picket fences of the “perfect” families.