Published July 11th, 2024 by Bantam
Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Fairy Tale, Adventure Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Biographical Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
A dark and powerful feminist retelling of the best serial killer you’ve never heard of . Inspired by the true story of Giulia Tofana.
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Rome, 1656
In Rome’s shadowy backstreets lies an apothecary’s shop – a place for women to take their heartbreaks and troubles. Herbs for childbirth. Tarot readings to tell their fortunes. An undetectable poison that can kill in four drops.
Alongside her circle of female poisoners, Giulia Tofana dispenses her deadly potion to free the downtrodden women of the city from their abusive husbands. A path she’s determined to follow after a harrowing childhood in Palermo.
But even in a time of plague, it does not go unnoticed when the men begin to fall like flies.
With the Holy Office of the Inquisition on her tail, Giulia is in more danger than ever. . How far will she go for the women who need her help?
MURDERER OR SAVIOUR? YOU DECIDE.
A POISONER’S TALE explores the realities of what it is like to be a woman who rebels against society and takes the reader on a tense, challenging but spellbinding journey.
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MY REVIEW:
Rome, 1656. Five women stand on a scaffold about to be executed. They are accused of selling poison to the women of Rome so that they could poison their husbands, killing hundreds, maybe even thousands. One of those women is Giulia Tofana. And this is her story.
Giulia Tofana. The first female serial killer. I’d never heard of her and I imagine not many of you have either. But you’ll not forget her after reading this magnificent debut. Atmospheric, dark, powerful and immersive, this captivating story is brimming with female rage, power and revenge. Cathryn Kemp showcases herself as an author to watch with this skillfully written tale and I’m now even more excited to read her second book soon. Exquisitely researched, it is rich in historic detail, transporting you to the 17th Century so vividly you can smell the stench of the jail and feel yourself walking Rome’s cobbled streets. I was hooked, on the edge of my seat and unable to put this one down once I’d started reading.
I consider myself a true crime and history buff, but somehow Giulia’s story had escaped me until I read this book. Now I want to know more! Feisty and independent, she is a strong woman who went through some terrible things and had to fend for herself from a young age. Giulia came from a long line of healers and poison makers, the recipe for her deadly cocktail passed down through the generations in order to help women escape their abusive or cruel husbands. This was a time where women had no rights and were the property of men, so murder was seen as their only way to escape abuse and women like Giulia, who lived free of the ownership of any man, were looked upon with suspicion and hatred. Despite her deadly deeds, I linked Giulia and her circle of poisoners. And I didn’t blame the women who came to her for desperately trying to escape a life of hell. I’ve been there and am so thankful I could leave without having to resort to murderous measures.
I think this is a book that is best discovered for yourself, so I won’t say more about the plot. But I will say that this is an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in history, true crime or feminist stories.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
Thank you Bantam for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my hoenst reivew.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cathryn Kemp’s first novel, bestselling A Poisoner’s Tale, won the HWA Debut Crown Award 2025 and has been published internationally in the U.S., Canada, Italy, France, Brazil and Portuguese speaking territories, Vietnam and globally.
Cathryn’s second novel, They Can’t Burn Us All, is published with Penguin Random House in August 2026.
Her personal memoir, Coming Clean (2012), won the Big Red Read Prize for Non-Fiction. Cathryn co-founded charity, The Painkiller Addiction Information Network (PAIN), which has successfully lobbied Government, including the House of Lords and the APPG for dependency on prescribed medicines.
Cathryn is a Sunday Times and Amazon Number 1 (in four categories) bestselling ghostwriter, with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, addiction and nostalgia titles.
She has written across the full spectrum of the British and international press, and has appeared on television and radio, including ITV’s This Morning, Lorraine and Panorama, BBC’s Women’s Hour and regional BBC radio stations across the UK.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
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