Today's post is on The Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctor by Stephen Bates. It is 352 pages long including notes and is published by Overlook Duckworth. The cover is white with a skull under the red title. The intended reader is someone who likes true crime and historical mysteries. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- In 1856, a baying crowd of over 30,000 people gathered outside Stafford prison to watch the hanging of Dr. William Palmer, "the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey” as Charles Dickens once called him.
Palmer was convicted of poisoning and suspected in the murders of dozens of others, including his best friend, his wife, and his mother-in-law—and cashing in on their insurance to fuel his worsening gambling addiction. Highlighting his gruesome penchant for strychnine, the trial made news across both the Old World and the New.
Palmer gripped readers not only in Britain—Queen Victoria wrote of ''that horrible Palmer” in her journal—but also was a different sort of murderer than the public had come to fear—respectable, middle class, personable—and consequently more terrifying. But as the gallows door dropped, one question still gnawed at many who knew the case: Was Palmer truly guilty?
The first major retelling of William Palmer’s story in over sixty years, The Poisoner takes a fresh look at the infamous doctor’s life and disputed crimes. Using previously undiscovered letters from Palmer and new forensic examination of his victims, journalist Stephen Bates presents not only an astonishing and controversial revision of Palmer’s life but takes the reader into the very psyche of a killer.
Palmer was convicted of poisoning and suspected in the murders of dozens of others, including his best friend, his wife, and his mother-in-law—and cashing in on their insurance to fuel his worsening gambling addiction. Highlighting his gruesome penchant for strychnine, the trial made news across both the Old World and the New.
Palmer gripped readers not only in Britain—Queen Victoria wrote of ''that horrible Palmer” in her journal—but also was a different sort of murderer than the public had come to fear—respectable, middle class, personable—and consequently more terrifying. But as the gallows door dropped, one question still gnawed at many who knew the case: Was Palmer truly guilty?
The first major retelling of William Palmer’s story in over sixty years, The Poisoner takes a fresh look at the infamous doctor’s life and disputed crimes. Using previously undiscovered letters from Palmer and new forensic examination of his victims, journalist Stephen Bates presents not only an astonishing and controversial revision of Palmer’s life but takes the reader into the very psyche of a killer.
Review- A true crime book that starts very strong but just fizzes out at the end. Bates has an interesting crime with a lots of details because of all that was written about in its time but he really does nothing to help engage the reader. In addition to that, I felt that he came into the story with an opinion about whether Palmer was guilty or not and I did not think that he was. I think that Palmer was innocent of murder. The newspapers of the time covered this story with great aplomb and that leaves us with lots of rumors and other opinions but very little facts. What facts we can are few but they come from good sources like the other doctors and the like. The book just fizzes at the end because it gets bogged down in all the rumors and the quotes. Good start but the finish is just bland.
I give this book a Two out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
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