Thus book was so interesting! Definitely a different take on true crime. Highlights the role of poisons in murder. There is also a wealth of knowledge about how different poisons affect the body. Well written, well researched. Intriguing read.

This book was a fascinating read. It covers much more than what the title indicates. It does present individuals who used the various forms of the poisons listed and their success or failure in accomplishing their goal. The book also covers how the poison impacts the body and causes death. In addition, the author details how each poison is used for medical treatments to ease pain or as antidote. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the subject.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

This was an absolute fascinating book. I love to watch True Crime TV shows and to read murder mysteries. A TASTE FOR POISON brought the two together in an interesting manner. Eleven poisons are introduced (although we know most of them already), the composition, effects, and a historical case of murder via the poison, comprise each chapter.

Highly recommended for others who enjoy my same kind of affection for the science of murder.

A Taste For Poison by Neil Bradbury is a deep dive and unexpectedly fascinating look into a particular method of murder. I requested this book after loving a recent bestseller, The Lost Apothecary, which featured the use of poisons, both in the past and present timelines. And A Taste For Poison took me on a tour, using both science, history, and true crime stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

This book covers poisons from those used in ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome through those used in more modern times. Poisons used prolifically and one that had a single use in 2007.
This book is written in an easy to follow and entertaining style. It definitely made me feel smarter while reading it, though I likely won't remember all the interesting scientific details for very long. The author does a great job contrasting how most of these chemicals have a fine margin between being used as tonic or being toxic. Most of these chemicals have medicinal uses, not just to cause harm. That was the most interesting part for me. I especially found the chapter on Potassium helpful. There is a good reason it is a staple ingredient in sports drinks.
I enjoyed the individual case histories given for each chemical as well. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to enjoy this informative e-ARC. I look forward to adding it to my library once published.

This true account by Dr. Neil Bradbury tells of cases of death by poison. Facts about different poisons and how they affect the body and ultimately cause death makes for interesting reading. He relates the death of several victims who all succumbed to different types of poison.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a really interesting blend of popular science, medical history and narrative crime nonfiction. Dr. Neil Bradbury explores the most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. The biomolecules of death covered were insulin, atropine, strychnine, aconite, ricin, digoxin, cyanide, and naturally occurring minerals potassium, polonium, arsenic and chlorine. I thought this book read like a true crime podcast with an episode for each poison. Each chapter illustrated in detail a case that was attributed to that poison, explaining in detail all of the characters, the background and the extenuating circumstances. The author went to an amazing level of research with this book and the result is fascinating. He did not shy away from delving into the details of the science behind each substance- the reaction at the molecular level and the biological impact. Super interesting. It was excellent – the history, the crime and the science. I experienced this book as a dual read, flipping back and forth between reading the ebook and listening to the audiobook. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for providing me with a temporary ARC.

I was reading quietly at the dining room table while enjoying a bowl of scotch broth. Suddenly, the Long-Suffering Wife (LSW) entered, stage right, and plunked her open handbag on the table. A clear Zip-Lock® baggie, containing three vials, fell out of the handbag and onto the table in front of me. The vials, I noticed, contained liquids showing a tint and a viscosity which, in my sight, indicated that they were not water.

“O! Vision of Loveliness!” said I (for this is how I often address her). “I am even at this moment reading an enjoyable and informative book (which I received for free from the publisher for review) that is essentially a history of poisoning. You might think that this is a practice mostly done by dastardly men on their long-suffering (like you) wives or girlfriends, but (particularly in recent times) women give as good as they get in the poisoning business, seeing as comparatively inferior upper body strength is not a disadvantage when poisoning, and also because they can often accomplish the act without irreparable damage to their frocks. Therefore, seeing these three vials troubles me much more than it might otherwise, as each recently read chapter contains at least one alarmingly thorough description of the agonies which the poisoned endure, along with disturbing deep dives into the clinical details of the disrupted bodily functions which generate aforementioned agonies, as well as the methods used to bring the poisoners to justice, which are now much more effective and expeditious due to advances in medical and chemical science. So, what’s the deal with these unusual liquids?”

“They’re nothing,” replied LSW, grabbing the bag and exiting the room.

To be fair, unhappy and unprincipled wives, husbands, and other romantic entanglements don’t even seem to achieve the status of a majority of high-profile poisoning cases presented in this book, given the competition they receive from certain modern Slavic governments and (perhaps more disturbingly for those of us leading ordinary lives) murderous nurses. About the latter, allow me to say that the existence of these sadists (apparently exclusive to our own age) has perhaps not been sufficiently exploited by governments and other entities who wish to motivate us to be vaccinated against COVID and other modern horrors. In my case, reading about how these twisted anti-Florence Nightingales managed to remain at liberty to poison the already ill for astonishingly long periods of time, often aided by large dollops of bureaucratic sloth and indifference, has increased my desire to remain vaccinated up to the eyebrows, if it means decreasing the possibility that I will escape the horror of being intubated by a new modern iteration of like-minded maniac.

I found that making tables often helps me organize and retain information that I read. In this case, I used Google Sheets to keep track of the poisoners and their tonic of choice, plus other relevant details. Some chapters feature the story of more than one horrific poisoner, but to keep the organization relatively simple I have decided to only list the first, most prominently featured, poisoning in each chapter, you can also see it here

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xqWzhpys0vuGHLz9b2TMXIZoFz2LKq-wIX_KOYmsVNo/edit#gid=0

In the meanwhile, I have taken advantage of our quiet evenings at home after dinner, while LSW is contemplatively sticking pins into the eyes of dolls bearing the image of political figures with whom she disagrees, to remind her that now, as a method of disposing of one’s enemies, poisoning is now hopeless old-fashioned, at least if one wishes to remain undetected and therefore at continued liberty to hatch diabolical plans which will trouble the sleep of global oligarchy. I believe my remonstrances have had the desired effect, but now she is asking more questions about the number and size of the hammers we have around the house.

Not only did I receive a free advance electronic review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley, I also got a very pleasant invitation by email to download and review this book, so of course I did. It is perhaps a flaw in my nature that, if you indicate that you value my opinion, I will do nearly anything you ask.

With A Taste For Poison, my inner science geek got to hold hands with my inner true crime junkie, embarking on a dark and interesting journey.  This book is primarily science-based, with each chapter focusing on a different poison that has been used for both good and evil through the ages.  Bradbury explains the origins of each, as well as a pretty detailed account of the poison's  effects on the human body (let me tell you, it's not pretty!).  He breaks them down into two categories:  biomolecules (ricin, digoxin, insulin, atropine, strychnine, aconite, and cyanide) and molecules from the earth (chlorine, arsenic, polonium, and potassium round out this section).  There are historical notes as well, especially on the subject of creating accurate testing/detection methods which helped in the early prosecutions of those who thought they could get away with murder.

For those who enjoy the true crime aspect, Bradbury introduces us to various criminals who have used these poisons as their weapons of choice.  Many of the cases are much older (1800's to early 1900's) but there are a few from more recent times, including the man who laced several bottles of tonic water at a local grocery store with atropine just to get to his wife, and the former spy who died a terribly slow and painful death from polonium poisoning.  Compared to the scientific explanations, I found the true crime aspect to be a bit lacking at times.  Even though they were thoroughly researched and well presented, I thought some of them just didn't rise to the same level as the scientific narratives  (or perhaps it was the case studies themselves that lacked a certain shock factor, I'm not sure).

What I enjoyed most about this book is Bradbury's writing style.  While the information can be overwhelming at times, it is written to be easily accessed and understood by everyone.  Even with such a weighty topic, he keeps the narration on the lighter side, with some darker humor thrown in as well.  In short, if you're like me and have an inner science geek and/or inner true crime junkie, be sure to put this book on your 2022 reading list!

This was a fascinating book that talked about many notorious poisons, how each effects the body to catastrophic effect, and one or two stories of cases where they were determined to have been used. It also talks about what we've been able to learn from various poisons, some even to treat disease or counteract other poisons. It was a times a bit gruesome, since it does describe the effects of the poison on the body, but it was a fascinating read.

3.5 stars

Historically, poison was a popular murder weapon because it was difficult (or impossible) to detect in the dead victim. Thus countless killers got away with murder. Now of course, modern technology can sniff out poison quite easily, and its use as a murder weapon has plummeted. Still, poisons are a fascinating subject.

'A Taste For Poison' is a compendium of eleven well-known poisons, familiar to fans of mystery fiction as well as true crime aficionados. For each substance, Bradbury describes its provenance, how it works, and its use by a killer. The poisons are aconite, arsenic, atropine, chlorine, cyanide, digoxin, insulin, polonium, potassium, ricin and strychnine.

Many poisons, such as aconite, atropine, cyanide, digoxin, ricin, and strychnine come from plants; insulin is a hormone made in animals; and other poisons are found in soil, rocks, and other naturally occurring substances. Bradbury explains, 'Whatever the poison may be, there are three distinct stages that occur before death: delivery, actions, and effects." Poisons can be delivered via four paths, ingestion (eaten or drunk), respiration (inhaled), absorption (taken in through the skin), or injection (shot into muscle or blood vessel). Once inside the body a poison might attack the nervous system; interfere with vital organs; affect cell chemistry; paralyze muscles; break down cells; and more. Taken far enough, any of these actions could result in death.

In some ways, the sections on how poisons kill is reminiscent of my college physiology class, but Bradbury's narrative is much more entertaining. I was also struck by the killers Bradbury uses as examples, some of whom crafted murder schemes worthy of the great Agatha Christie herself. Of course most of the murderers exemplified in this book were caught.....and I shudder to think of the many more that walked free.

Many people have heard of poisons like arsenic, cyanide and strychnine, and most of the other featured toxins probably 'ring a bell' as well. So, to provide a feel for the book, I'll briefly outline Bradbury's chapter on a rare and unusual killer - polonium.

Polonium, discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1903, is a lethal radioactive metal. Sadly, one of the first victims of polonium may have been the Curies' daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, who died of leukemia at the age of 58 - possibly from accidental exposure to the radioactive substance.

Polonium-210 is the ideal poison. It's lethal in small amounts, doesn't generate the hard gamma radiation that's easily detected by monitors at airports and shipping ports, and causes death relatively quickly. Of course polonium is very expensive and hard to get, but - in one case (at least) - it was used as an assassination tool.

The story: In 2006 a London man named Edwin Carter suddenly fell ill. He exhibited stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and labored breathing. At the hospital, Carter was diagnosed with gastroenteritis with dehydration, but Edwin's low white cell count argued against it. Nevertheless, Carter was treated with the antibiotics normally used to combat gastroenteritis.

When his health continued to decline, Carter announced that he was an ex-KBG agent named Alexander Litvinenko, and that he'd been poisoned. Hospital staff thought Edwin was delusional until his hair started falling out and his blood platelet count plummeted, which doesn't happen with gastroenteritis.

An MI-6 handler finally confirmed that Litvinenko had been a KGB agent who had publicly accused KGB officials of being in league with Russian organized crime. Litvinenko was fired in 1999, and defected to Britain, where he became an informant for MI-6.

Litvinenko was poisoned during a meeting with Russian 'businessmen' who would (supposedly) help British firms do business in Russia. Litvinenko unknowingly drank some polonium-laced tea during the conference, and fell ill while the 'businessmen' hustled back to Russia.

It turns out the polonium came from a nuclear facility in Russia, and the 'businessmen' were Russian agents called Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun - ostensibly sent by either Vladimir Putin or the Russian secret service. In any case, no one was ever extradited or arrested.

Bradbury explains what polonium does in detail, but in a nutshell: Polonium enters the body via the small intestine and breaks down the gut wall. This causes bacterial infections, which make the victim ill. Meanwhile, polonium enters the bloodstream, travels around the body, and destroys the liver, heart, hair follicles, immune system, bone marrow, and so on. Litvinenko's body was "literally shredded apart."

This is more dramatic than most of Bradbury's examples, which usually involve things like spouses killing their partners; nurses or doctors murdering patients; relatives killing for an inheritance; the Borgias poisoning their way to wealth and power; poison gas used for mass murder; and so on. In any case, the book will make you wary of what you eat, drink, touch, or breathe in.

Though most information in the book is available on the internet, the narrative pulls the information together in one place, and the audiobook is excellent for dipping into during free moments.

Thanks to Netgalley, Neil Bradbury, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.

Science - check, true crime - check, murder mystery - check. This book manages to keep the scientific parts interesting, even for those without a background or major interest in science. I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

this was a interesting read, I found the poisons and how they were used in crimes was strange and bizarre. It was a fascinating read and well done.

"A Taste for Poison" was a very interesting book. The author discusses eleven different chemicals or substances that can be used as poisons -- some very familiar, such as cyanide, arsenic, or chlorine, and some less familiar, such as atropine, aconite, or polonium. He discusses the legitimate uses of these various chemicals, some of which are critical for the human body or certain types of medical care (for example, insulin, digoxin, or potassium) in certain forms or certain concentrations. The author talks about specific cases where people have used the chemical or substance to poison others in order to harm them or kill them, often succeeding. He explains why the particular poison was chosen, which was often because it mimicked symptoms of natural illnesses or natural causes of death and because it was considered impossible or difficult to detect. However, even those poisons that were considered impossible to detect have not remained that way, with dedicated scientists finding ways to extract evidence of the chemicals from tissue or bodily fluids. While there are many ways to kill a person via poisoning, it has become nearly impossible for a poisoner to get away with it if his/her identity can be determined. The discussion of cases of poisoning and how the perpetrator was caught and guilt proven was interesting. However, the most fascinating aspect of the book for me was the detailed explanation of how the chemical affected the body -- which organs or tissues or bodily functions were affected, the biochemical process that was involved, and the changes that occurred in the body in response to the poisons. The end of the book contains an appendix that indicates the route of entry, lethal dose, targeted part(s) of the body, symptoms, and antidote (if it exists) for each poison.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

As a nerd who has always loved true crime and especially the more "delicate" art of poison, this book was the absolute perfect read for me. I cannot wait until this book is out and I can add it to my shelves!

A true crime book that is both informative and a fun read. Couldn't stop reading/learning about all these poisons and how they affect the body.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. It is crazy to not only know the history of poison but what people actually think that they can get away with and then how they get caught. Highly recommend if you are a fan. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Taste for Poison is fascinating! The different uses of poison is clearly explained and the science behind them is easily understood. You don't have to be well versed in science/chemistry. Dr. Bradbury includes some chilling stories about the insidious use of poison by seemingly "nice" people. Loved every page of this must-read book.
Thank you to NetGalley.

Bite-sized chapters (bad pun) make make for easy reading. Thought-provoking, informative, but most of all a very interesting book written so laypeople can understand more about poisons.

I really enjoyed this book. The author was able to relate complex scientific principles in a straightforward, easy to understand manner. He gave the history of a poison, how it was discovered, its action, treatment (when available), and real-life examples of when the poison was used to kill or attempt to kill someone. The book is very descriptive and detailed without going overboard or too far into the weeds.