"The League of Lady Poisoners" by Lisa Perrin is a unique work, effectively combining artful visuals with dark tales of infamous female poisoners throughout history. Perrin’s meticulous research shines through the narratives, providing an intriguing perspective on the lives and motives of these women, who hail from diverse backgrounds and time periods.

This book presents the grim artistry of crime in a captivating way, making it an engaging read for fans of true crime and historical biographies. Each chapter is thoughtfully arranged based on the poisoners’ motives, shedding light on their sometimes macabre, sometimes sympathetic choices. The detailed illustrations and Victorian-style aesthetics further amplify the narratives, offering readers an immersive experience into this chilling aspect of history.

While some of the classifications can feel somewhat stretched, and a few profiles could benefit from more detail, these are minor criticisms within the scope of the overall work. Yes, it takes some time to reach the titular 'lady poisoners', but the contextual groundwork laid is vital for a full appreciation of the stories that follow.

One of the book's most commendable qualities is Perrin's empathetic approach. She handles the more recent crimes with tact and sensitivity, showing an awareness of the ongoing effects on the victims' families and friends.

"The League of Lady Poisoners" is an enriching read for those fascinated by the intersection of psychology, history, gender, and crime.

This book was so awesome!! I love true crime books and let's face it womens like poison as their murder choice normally. This book was so good and so well researched. I highly enjoyed this book and recommend this book to anyone who likes true crime.
I just reviewed The League of Lady Poisoners by Lisa Perrin. #TheLeagueofLadyPoisoners #NetGalley
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Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.
I don’t normally read books similar to this, but I thought the cover was really pretty, so I decided to give this a chance. I was pleasantly surprised. The illustration style was beautiful. The book presented the history in an entertaining manner and it did not read like a textbook at all. The drawings of the plants was probably my favorite part of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with an ARC.

I was pretty excited when I saw this book because I have never read or seen anything similar.

I really enjoyed the illustrations that paired with each story and thought they added a nice touch.

Overall, the book was super interesting and very informative. I would definitely recommend reading this if you are a fan of true crime or history.

Illustrated true crime. The genre I didn’t know I needed until now.

I love this. It’s absolutely gorgeous to start. The cover, the illustrations - beautiful. The stories of our female poisoners in history is also fantastic. There are many that we’ve never heard of (or at least I hadn’t) and of course the famous ones we’ve all heard of (Aqua Tofana, anyone??). It’s informative and gorgeous. What more could someone want?

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Enjoyable, great pacing, exciting settings kept me hooked. Fun novel that will be the perfect to lose yourself in. Thank you Net Galley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This is a fantastic book. The way that Lisa Perrin showcases the different aspects of the poisons used and why each of “the league” did what she did is so fascinating and descriptive. Even as a true crime fan I was able to learn more about each lady. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

This one was a spectacular breath of fresh air, strangely enough. The educational yet joyful vibes of this authors writing kept drawing me further and further in. There’s nowhere to get bored in this. If you’re a fan of true crime but would love more featuring women and the horrors that have happened well within the past, this is for you!

I loved this book! It was thoroughly researched, well written, highly entertaining, and beautifully illustrated.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC that was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

So this is one I need to have in my library! It’s just so pretty! I enjoyed the eARC from NetGalley but absolutely must own a copy of this! Thank you!

Amazon book! Reading like a true crime podcast with the perfect mix of humor and history. The book follows the story of female poisoners throughout history proving what’s myth and what’s fact while showing how patriarchal views shape their stories. I also loved how it starts out with a explanation for poison before going into to the stories. And the beautiful artwork tied it all together. First nonfiction book I’ve read in years and did not disappoint. Definitely recommend reading :)

Gorgeously illustrated and engagingly written, The Lease of Lady Poisoners is, in many respects, an extremely lovely and thorough annotated bibliography moreso than a novel, but I do not say that derogatorily. Greatly appreciated are Perrin's efforts to include a broad scope of women from different backgrounds and cultures; this book features both the notorious and the little-known (who are often more deserving of the notoriety given to their myth-shrouded but white and European counterparts).

Some of the poisoners discussed are a bit of a reach for their given category, some probably did not have quite enough information to merit their own section (though I am sympathetic to why this is occasionally the case), and it does take about twenty percent of the book to get to the actual titular lady poisoners, but it's a fine, fascinating historical sampler nonetheless.

Also not unnoticed is Perrin's empathy and acknowledgement of the difference in approach necessary in discussing the (allegedly) true crimes of the very-historic past and those from the past century, which do not feature heavily here. Those who are interested by, but feel put off or uncomfortable with the tone sometimes taken in our true crime obsessed culture towards killers whose devastating impact is still being felt today by grieving friends, relatives, and descendants will likely find this a refreshing and useful resource.

I recommend this to anyone intrigued by psychology, history, and the role of gender construct and performance in our perception of the human capacity for violence. An excellent compilation of sources with stunning visuals.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this! I enjoyed this lethal jaunt into the stories of women who were associated with poison. The illustrations add a whimsy and charm to the discussion of murder and women fighting abuse in many cases. I appreciated the context she gave historically and the wealth of information in a condensed format. I also love in works like these to have the specific sources cited so clearly. Well researched, well written, and well illustrated!

This might be dark to say but I had so much fun reading this. The author brings nuance and levity at just the right times to balance the darkness of the topic while also respecting the seriousness and horror of poisoning. I think many people have a lot of preconceived notions when it comes to women poisoners and this book dispels a lot of myths. It also gives the perspectives of many different kind of women who used poison from those who did it out of necessity to escape an abusive situation, to women who used it to raise their station and of course the famous “angel of mercy” killers. The author includes a diverse array of women from many different countries and backgrounds as well, which was super interesting. The book was informative in an easy to read way, and for people interested in reading more the source list is organized in a way that makes reading up on the people and topics that most interested the reader easy to find. The illustrations by the author were also really delightful and beautiful. I only wish there would have been even more to read because the topic was so interesting. I’m looking forward to more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Everything from the structure to the art to the content. It was a pretty quick read, and I appreciated how the women were addressed with understanding. The author made sure to put their crimes in context, and add information regarding social and societal structures that could have led to them poisoning others. For some it was escaping abusive situations, for others it was financial independence and freedom, and for others it was truly because of horrific reasons where they did not appear to have a conscience and did it for their own gain. The author also walked through what the poisons would do to individuals, to also center that there were victims in this as well that would have died horrific deaths. I thought overall the book was well rounded in how it presented the information, addressed its subjects, and in how it kept the reader engaged. The artwork was beautiful and I loved the themes the artist chose. I also learned a lot about historical women from all walks of life and while many women likely disappeared from the historical record, I thought the author did a great job at attempting to make sure women of all classes, cultures, and backgrounds were represented. Overall I really recommend.

Please be advised I received a free advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was only able to read through the first section of this, before some personal compulsion issues that I thought weren’t a problem anymore turned out to absolutely be a problem when reading a book about poison.

Thus, what follows is based largely on the introduction section, and on the assassins section, with the added bit of the bibliography which I also look through.


I found this to be by far the best researched and well cited example of its genre (illustrated vignette pop history). I noticed none of the glaring issues or repetition of apocryphal stories so very common on the form, especially considering the subject at hand.

I appreciated both the art and the writing style, and the level of detail is good for a coffee table type book.

I appreciate he frequents quotations sand use of primary sources as well.

This is a book I may or may not go and finish due to my own issues, but would be quite likely to recommend to anyone with a not especially serious interest in any of its covered subjects.

I received an e-ARC through net galley.


I am not putting this review up on my StoryGraph at this time, as I did not finish the book and feel it would be disingenuous.

I will however go and tell several friends about it, including a couple who are likely to be much more inclined to read the thing cover to cover than I was.

I loved this one. The layout is perfect. I loved the illustrations and the charts. I loved the stories and the chapter titles.
If I still had a bookclub this would be a pick for sure. I need to get a copy for my coffee table.
the illustrations are to die for. Did I mention that?

Thank you for the ARC!

I think I can thank Bailey Sarian for getting me really into women killers, as she has a few that feature women and poisoning was one of the main themes among them. I can't remember where I first heard it, if it was in fiction or someone real, but the saying was "poison is the choice of women who kill."

So, basically I have always been a fan of reading about the topic. This was a really cool collection, even though I do wish the histories were longer. Maybe because I was really interested in the topic, I just craved more. Overall, I liked this a lot!

The League of Lady Poisoners by Lisa Perrin is an illustrated book of true stories of dangerous women. I’m not sure what exactly drew me to this book; perhaps it was the title or the cover, whatever it was though, my curiosity was piqued. I did appreciate the background research and explanation that not all of the women were evil or cruel. Many were desperate and looking to escape impossible situations where they felt trapped.
The chapters are divided out by professional poisoners, escape and defiance, money and greed, power and politics, anger and revenge, and love and obsession. The author is careful to stipulate as these are not necessarily motives, as motives are complex and multi factorial.
The stories are told with a lot of detail and description (but you will not find recipes). Some of the stories were familiar, others I’ve never heard of. In both cases, as one who appreciates stories of true crime, I was enlightened. It is macabre as well as interesting. My curiosity was satiated and I learned quite a bit about these women.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.