A Taste for Poison
Eleven Deadly Substances and the Killers Who Used Them
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A Taste for Poison
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Narrated by:
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Derek Perkins
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By:
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Neil Bradbury
About this listen
’Indecently entertaining.’ A Daily Mail Book of the Week
An Amazon US Best Book of 2022
'A fascinating tale of poisons and poisonous deeds which both educates and entertains.' — Kathy Reichs
As any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduring — and popular — weapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or the handle of a door, even filtered through the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict?
In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and narrative crime nonfiction, Dr Neil Bradbury explores this most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. Alongside real-life accounts of murderers and their crimes —some notorious, some forgotten, some still unsolved — are the equally compelling stories of the poisons involved: eleven molecules of death that work their way through the human body and, paradoxically, illuminate the way in which our bodies function.
Drawn from historical records and current news headlines, A Taste for Poison weaves together the fascinating tales of spurned lovers, shady scientists, medical professionals and political assassins, showing how the precise systems of the body can be impaired to lethal effect through the use of poison. From the deadly origins of the gin & tonic cocktail to the arsenic-laced wallpaper in Napoleon’s bedroom, A Taste for Poison leads readers on a fascinating tour of the intricate, complex systems that keep us alive — or don’t.
©2021 Neil Bradbury (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘This very splendid book is essentially a detailed primer on how to dispose of your enemies. … A winning mixture of hard science and true crime stories, is almost indecently entertaining.’ Daily Mail
‘Lively … Bradbury is an engaging, cheerful tour guide.’ New York Times Book Review
‘Captivating in its storytelling and just enough science for the geeks. A tremendously entertaining dip into the dark and compelling world of death.’ Professor Dame Sue Black, author of All That Remains: A Life in Death
‘We’ve all seen Colonel Mustard dead in the library from poisoning. Instead of telling us why, in this original and invigorating book, Neil Bradbury focuses on how, exploring the workings of crime from a scientific basis. Fascinating.’ Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder
'Neil Bradbury writes with wit, flair, and authority.' Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Butchering Art
‘An engrossing history of poisons, poisonings and poisoners. Alongside the very human stories of the people who fall victim to these deadly substances, it’s packed with quirky detail and easily digestible (pun intended) science.’ Kate Morgan, author of Murder: The Biography
'Weaves jaw-dropping true stories and spellbinding histories behind the most infamous poisons.' Lydia Kang, bestselling author of Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything
'An unselfconsciously jaunty work of horror. Its stories may leave you eyeing your housemates and sniffing your coffee.' Judy Melinek, M.D. and T.J. Mitchell, bestselling authors of Working Stiff
‘An accessible and fascinating study.’ Publishers Weekly starred review
‘Appealing to any true crime fan … genre-bending.’ Booklist
‘A frightening romp … fascinating, edifying, and terrifying.’ Library Journal
What listeners say about A Taste for Poison
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nay W.
- 11-04-23
Super interesting topic!
Really interesting subject matter and written in a way that can be understood by non-scientific readers. Narration was great as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Luke Ow
- 03-03-24
Science, Most Potent
A wonderful weaving of chemistry and biology together with history and biography to inform the general listener on the workings of this wondrous machine called the human body. I'm glad I paid attention during public school science classes just enough to not be lost amidst the facts. The serious but affable narrator keeps one's attention sustained, allowing the author's occasional dry quips to come across
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Helen Morris
- 20-03-23
Completely absorbing
I sometimes struggle to keep my mind on an audio book, but this one held my attention from beginning to end. Very interesting stories with the science behind each poison also explained, it’s a fascinating subject for anyone.
Hadn’t realised how much of my enjoyment was because of the narration until the voice changed for the epilogue.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Carly Turrant
- 18-01-23
Fantastic
I thoroughly enjoyed this booked, for me it ticked all the boxes. Kept me engaged the whole time and I found it very interesting.
Highly recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Vivian Craig
- 14-06-22
Brilliant
So well presented. A great balance of historical fact, scientific information and a view of humanity and human weaknesses.
Worth listening to more than once.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- veyza
- 10-04-23
Crime and physiology
This book happily occupies the intersection between the genres of true crime and popular medical science.
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- Annalise
- 25-06-24
interesting macabre topic
I enjoyed this book as it provides a factual view of chemicals in our world alongside interesting accounts of crimes and uses.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jacqueline
- 10-11-22
Enlightening and a warning!
This book is like listening to an 11 part podcast. The reader’ voice is soothing (I fell asleep to it twice!) and takes an even pace - useful when we’re confronted with the science bits. A mix of true crime, biochemistry and history, the whole thing is unputdownable! I will definitely listen again and try jotting down some notes, although not for the use of poisons, as the author makes it clear, they are not as undetectable as people think they are! ;o)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Olivia
- 24-05-22
Loved this!
If you’re interested in medicine/plants this is a fantastic audiobook. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Rose
- 23-11-22
a fascinating study of toxins
This is a really fascinating study of the properties of poisons and the people who used them. it’s also interesting to learn all the medical stuff included because that’s what the book is about. I didn’t really like the lecturing style of the book though. I felt it was overdone, nearly pullled outa notebook and looked up to see where the professor’s lectern might be. I’m sure I heard the scraping and tapping of a pointer. seriously though, apart from the way it was written, it is a really informative book.
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3 people found this helpful