Thank you Netgalley and Tonya Mitchell for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

3.75

A victorian gothic murder mystery inspired by a real 19th century case, the book immediately thrusts you alongside Constance Sullivan, a wife accused of murdering her husband, weaving a tale that's both haunting and compelling.. What I loved the most was the narration of Penelope Rawlins. The variations from moment to moment and from character to character are so distinct it almost felt like listening to a live play rather than just a reading of a book. Rawlin's exceptional performance made this audiobook a joy to listen to, enhancing the story in ways I hadn't expected. With the detail comes an issue with the pacing, at times it feels drawn out and hard to get through.

The character of Constance Sullivan is central to this gripping narrative, her complexities and motives remain shrouded in ambiguity, leaving me questioning her innocence or guilt. The ambiguity provides the charm but can also feel repelling.

Overall, "The Arsenic Eater's Wife" is a captivating read for fans of Victorian-era mysteries and gothic fiction. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, pondering Constance Sullivan's true nature and the haunting possibility of her involvement in her husband's demise.

I loved the history of this title and learned quite a bit about not only how women were treated, but how difficult husbands (and others) could be dealt with in a seemingly innocent manner. A great title I can't wait to recommend to my historical fiction friends!

All in all I liked it, but…
Slow start and at one point I was thinking it would take a paranormal turn but didn’t (that could have been fun). Then 70% into the story the best character showed up, a black man who was given a new life away from the streets and he spends it dealing out justice, Mr. Topp (um where is his book?)

This book is a little long and never really gripped me properly. It could have been tighter, more focused, turned it up a little more.

3,5 rounding up

A well-paced mystery that doesn't end after a long trial for the wife of a respected businessman, who had a habit of eating arsenic. Everyone is lying and has secrets while Connie is just trying to live her best life. This is an interesting historical novel that sheds light on society and women in turn-of-the-century England, as experienced by an American immigrant. My only real puzzle is how Connie continued loving William, despite everything, but I'm not in that situation and haven't walked in those shoes. I found the arsenic-eating addiction really fascinating and had no idea people were using arsenic and strychnine for leisure, and it made me do some of my own research. No spoilers, but I was also struck by how the Black man was treated in England, which would've been very different in the US in the early 1900s.

The Arsenic Eater’s Wife is a tale of marriage, family, and betrayal. Constance finds herself on trial for her husband’s murder after being accused by several people in her life and she fights to prove her innocence.

My first thought was…” Of course, he’s dead! He was eating arsenic on purpose!” But this historical fiction took me on a different ride. I found the story captivating and I don’t typically read a lot of historical fiction. This story may have just changed my mind.

The audiobook narration was good. There were a few times I was unable to understand things because the narrator’s (Penelope Rawlins) use of accents was so thick, and probably authentic, but otherwise I enjoyed her narration. I was able to easily distinguish between characters. Additionally, it was easy to distinguish when chapters began and ending. I listen to my audiobooks on 2x, but I tried it at 1x and probably wouldn’t have finished due to the pace.

I would recommend this book if you like historical mystery with a clean ending. I’m interested to explore other works by Tonya Mitchell, as I enjoyed her writing style.

I really enjoyed the story of The Arsenic Eater's wide and would definitely read more by this author! I had never heard that arsenic used to be consumed for various ailments and that people voluntarily ate it! I went down a whole rabbit hole learning more. I love when books are so well written that it encourages me to learn more about the topic!

This book caught my eye with the cover, and my mind with the literary prose straight away. It is based on a true event, and woman suffering from what appears to be arsenic poisoning is accused of poisoning her husband with arsenic...but did she? Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobook and the clever, soothing reading by the narrator.

Constance wants out of her marriage. Her husband has a mistress and doesn't care for her. He spends her money and she is over it. He falls ill and dies- and suddenly, she is accused of murdering him. Did she do it? If not, who did?


I was not a fan of the jumps in the timeline. The author built up tension with the trial, then we go back in time and it was just annoying. Then the reverse would happen. I wish that we had a prologue then started chronologically with chapter one. No jumps back and forth.

Overall, I enjoyed this historical suspense.

Penelope Rawlins narrates the audiobook and does a great job. There are multiple accents and she handles them well.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Arsenic Eater's Wife is my first taste of Tonya Mitchell's well researched writing, it is chilling historical fiction with a strong gothic flavour, based on a actual Victorian trial that I listened to on audio. It isapproximately 10 hours and 25 minutes long, ably narrated by Penelope Rawlins, who wrings every ounce of tension and drama from the storytelling, vividly making it come alive, the time period and conditions, the stench, and the cockroaches, keeping me immersed and gripped from start to finish. It begins in 1889 with the unwell 26 year old Connie Sullivan being arrested in her Liverpool home for poisoning by arsenic her husband, William, her mother not allowed to go to her. Connie is drowning in a sea of betrayal, deception and lies she did not see coming, including those she had trusted.

At the age of 17, Connie, an American heiress, met the older William, a merchant businessman, on a Atlantic crossing,, becoming so enamoured that marriage quickly follows. The reality soon crash lands, as she loses her rose coloured glasses, William is a man with secrets and partakes in the strange Victorian practices of taking arsenic to try and stay young and fuel their sex drive, and was not a faithful husband. The flawed and enraged Connie has 2 young children who she desperately misses in prison, her mother has ensured she has the best legal representation in Sir Charles. What does not help her case is Connie had been having an affair with Timothy, he has abandoned her, and she too had used arsenic, to whiten her skin, another common practice of the time.

The narrative moves back and forth in time in a historical period where misogyny is rife in society, and even wealthy women had no rights, the social norms and attitudes ensured that women were powerless. I would certainly urge readers to read the author's notes in which she enlightens readers on what is fact and what is fiction in this thoughtful, profound, and powerfully engrossing novel. I can certainly recommend the audio. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

The premise was great but ultimately this book was not for me. However I know several people who would like this and will be recommending it to them,

I enjoyed it! It’s not my typical genre, but the title caught my attention. The description sounded really intriguing and I loved the cover.

At first I thought it was a little slow, but as the story unfolded, I was dying to know what happened. I was definitely shocked by some of the outcomes and there was a few twists in there I didn’t see coming. The whole concept of the book was interesting. It starts off with a woman on trial for murdering her husband. It jumps back and forth between the events leading up to the husband’s death and her trial, as well as after the event of the trial. It was done well.

The audio was well done. The narrator did a great job of doing several different voices and with different accents.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a historical mystery that takes place in Liverpool, England in 1889. Constance Sullivan is on trial for the arsenic poisoning of her husband William Sullivan. There are many twists and turns in this story. This is a story about infidelity, secrets, lies, and poison.

I was surprised to read that this story was based on a real person named Florence Elizabeth Chandler. Their stories are similar and I did a deep dive on Florence, she has a very fascinating story. I also was surprised to find out that people during this time period were consuming arsenic regularly and that arsenic was in clothing, paint and many other household items. Although the story was a little slow at times, I did enjoy reading it and I love when a book introduces me to a piece of history I was unaware of.

Trigger warning for self harm.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The first time reading a gothic kind of story. It was suspenseful and intriguing. The reader did a good job to keep ones attention while listening.

The Arsenic Eater's Wife weaves a tale of mystery and deception inspired by a true historical case. Set against the backdrop of a sensational trial, the wife, Constance, finds herself facing accusations that she poisoned her husband, William. Yet, as the trial unfolds, it becomes evident that there is more to their marriage than meets the eye. The narrative is ambiguous, with Constance's innocence or guilt.

Throughout the book, Constance is betrayed by those closest to her: Constance's best friend, family, servants, and even her lover. Each revelation exposes layers of deceit and manipulation, which leaves you to ponder the true nature of the relationships. The POV follows Constance while she tries to uncover the truth and seek revenge against those who wronged her. Her quest for justice takes her on a thrilling and dangerous journey.

The Arsenic Eater's Wife is a spellbinding read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the final page. This novel will surely captivate historical fiction and mystery fans with its twisty plot.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media.

A brilliant historical book. Inspired on true events a woman is accused of killing her husband. Constance Sullivan is on trial for poisoning her husband William, but he was no ordinary victim. After spending 15 years in jail for a crime that she did not commit will she uncover the truth and clear her name.

Interesting premise. The beginning was too slow-paced for my liking. Also, many characters were introduced quickly which felt overwhelming. Stories that alternate between past and present aren’t my cup of tea either. I liked how the main character wasn’t black or white, but in a gray area between, morally. I learned about some of the 1890s historical context. Writing-wise, some words felt overused.

Narrator was fine.

Wow, this is historical fiction at its absolute best. It gave Lost Apothecary/Handmaid’s Tale/Sherlock Holmes vibes, and I LOVED it. I honestly didn’t expect to be so invested in this story, but the pacing was so quick that it almost read like a thriller.

This book was based on true events surrounding the 1889 court case of Florence Elizabeth Chandler Maybrick who was accused of killing her husband by poisoning (she became Constance in this book). The author’s note detailed what changes were made from actual history that transformed this into a fictional account. I really applaud the author for the research that went into this book, as well as the changes that she made. My favorite kind of historical fiction is the kind where some things have been changed slightly, so I can never guess how it’s going to end. This book completely captured my full attention, and I experienced so many emotions reading this. Make sure to check out the author’s note (I almost cried twice while reading it).

As a woman, I’m grateful not to have been alive during the setting of this book, but we still have so far to go.

Thank you to Netgalley for sharing an audio ARC of this book with me in exchange for an honest review!

Narrated by Penelope Rawlins
Presented by Dreamscape Media

A slow start for me but it did finally hook my interest.

Wasn't a huge fan of the narrator - her voice was quite soft making it hard to hear at times, even at a higher volume. That said, she still did a decent job filling the characters with life and differentiating between them.

The story jumps back and forth in time, which was a little confusing at first since I was tuning out some of it. But once it hooked my attention I followed it okay and appreciated the glimpses at the past as it related to the case in the present.

I was surprised by how long this went - it covered many more years than I anticipated and took a bit of an odd turn, I felt, towards the end. I started to lose interest again.

I think this is one I would have enjoyed more if I'd read it physically. The premise really interested me but the audio lost me early on, making it a little harder to commit to. But the mystery did eventually pull me in and I enjoyed listening along.

Historical fiction fans will no doubt take special delight in the arsenic angle, but on the whole this is still an interesting murder mystery tale.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

“I may look ghastly, but I’ll live.”

New Vocab: Valentine’s Meat Juice (🤮🤢) - medicinal meat extract, made of slowly cooked beef, which he then pressed into a juice and mixed with egg whites.

What a fun and stress inducing novel.

This was really good especially the last 50% and even more so the last like 20%. The pacing really picks up towards the end.

I just kept thinking, annnnnnd the plot thickens as the story progressed.

I loved Tip Top, his character was so cool, very clever with the name. I loved hearing how Tip Top about his origin story.

I also really enjoyed Constance’s growth throughout the story. She didn’t take this nonsense and accept that “it just is” she was determined not to let it break her.

Definitely a solid read. I loved the unhinged vibe at the end with the water.

If you enjoyed this one then I also recommend The Murderess Must Die.

This really gets your heart rate going.

Why is it always the husband or wife who committed the crime to their partner? That’s what this book is out to show.

Having this as an audiobook helped bring it to life. It brought out different tones and accents that helped add to the world of the book.

It was a bit of a slow burn, but took its time really painting a picture of everything that happened. It’s non-linear and gave us insight and backgrounds into many characters. It flipped between before the trial (with pertinent information/stories) and the trial days.

It was a bit hard to hear the case against her at times because so many women have been put down or written off solely for being women in the world today. It makes you wonder how well you would handle such a situation.

Thanks to the author, Tonya Mitchell, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this arc audiobook of The Arsenic Eater’s Wife!

TW: self-harm and dv