Fascinating! This book was hard to put down! A great read which, despite the subject, was very entertaining.

This book offers a meticulously crafted exploration of poisons, delving into eleven chemicals and their historical roles in acts of murder and chaos. The structure of the book is particularly noteworthy, as each compound is examined through both scientific and criminological lenses, beginning with its origins.

The author's in-depth analysis extends into the realm of biochemistry, elucidating the precise mechanisms by which each poison inflicts harm upon the body. I found the scientific explanations to be exceptionally clear and compelling, adding depth to my understanding of complex biochemical concepts.

Beyond the scientific exploration, the book also delves into the practical application of each poison, recounting several high-profile criminal cases where these substances were utilized. Additionally, the author highlights advancements in forensic science that have enabled the identification of poison usage.

Furthermore, the book acknowledges instances where poisons have been employed for beneficial health purposes, providing a balanced perspective on their historical significance.

Overall, I found this book to be both captivating and informative, offering a compelling blend of scientific inquiry and narrative intrigue.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A really fascinating insight into poison and the real true crime cases when poison is used.

But by the end, felt a little bog down with science and the crimes felt very UK or USA based, not as global as I would have liked...

I had a few download issues with the book and by the time it was sorted, the file had unfortunately been achieved. Happy to re-review if it becomes available again.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so interesting and yet funny at the same time. Well researched but easy to follow for a novice botanist.

An interesting and readable nonfiction book which looks at eleven different poisons, from a scientific perspective - that is, where they come from and why they are so deadly - or, even more interestingly, in which cases they have a beneficial effect. Each chapter then lists one or two real-life murders which took place using this poison, and how it was discovered. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading a good murder mystery as an excellent background information source.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

A great book for the crime writer this, and as a crime thriller writer I was keen to read it. Each chapter is dedicated to a different poison, how it was discovered (if relevant, some have been around since “the dawn of time” to use a cliché), their legitimate uses, etc. 

Then, through the use of a nefarious case study - someone murdered with the said poison, and how the murder was discovered and solved - the author shows how the compound works on the body, biochemically speaking.

This isn’t a science book, it’s easily comprehendible to the lay reader like myself, and is very readable and fascinating. Personally, I was reading this for research for my writing, but I’m sure many people would find this fascinating and it’s a great read.

I received this book as an e-ARC from the publisher Harper North via the NetGalley. As a crime and history buff, the synopsis appealed to me and this book did not disappoint.

This book is split into two parts. First one describes the biomolecules of death including insulin, atropine, strychnine, aconite, ricin, digoxin, and cyanide. The second one focuses on biomolecules of death from the Earth: potassium, polonium, arsenic, and chlorine.

Each chapter concentrates on specific poison, the science behind it and how it affects the body, plus a depiction of a crime and a killer who used this specific substance. People killed their family members for financial gain, disposed of their lovers because they were blackmailing them, murdered their wives/ husbands, because they wanted a new life with their current lover.

The reader finds out the story of Kenneth Barlow, who was the first person to use insulin as a weapon. There is a shocking account of Paul Agutter, a lecturer in Cell Biology at Napier University, who spiked tonic bottles with atropine, returned them to the shelves in a local shop (!) where few people purchased them and fell ill.

Perhaps, the most interesting account was the everyday arsenic consumption of Styrian people in the Austrian Alps. They would start off taking small doses and steadily increasing them. I came across the term ‘arsenic mummification’ in the past before, and this book explains that arsenic has the ability to preserve the decomposing corpses and it was suggested that the vampire legends prevalent in the Central/ Eastern Europe may have stemmed from the well-preserved cadavers of arsenic eaters. Fascinating!

I devoured, inhaled, ingested this book in the space of two days. It is utterly gripping and captivating. A must read for all true crime fans.

Thank you to Harper North for accepting my NetGalley request.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperNorth and Neil Bradbury for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This book is brilliant, it would be difficult to find another that fits in with my non-fiction reading interests more accurately. Neil Bradbury is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics and has written an excellent twist on the dry biochemistry textbook. Combining current biochemical knowledge, medical history and true crime I found each section absolutely fascinating and spent far too much time deep-diving the topics to eagerly discover more information.

The eleven poisons are each given an exploratory chapter.. There are stories of their origin and discovery, historical cases of their use, both as a poison and a medicine, and then the biochemical breakdown of how and why they work within the body. The authors sense of humour is also threaded throughout with a very British sarcasm and wit, which absolutely kept me smiling despite the macabre subject matter.

Go buy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

This book is a fascinating look into poison, from natural to produced, the damage they do to the body and true crime cases in which they were used.
The structure of the book makes for very simple reading, each poison is separated into a segment of its own with subheadings for symptoms or case studies of use. This meant that what could otherwise be dense or unconnected text is easily understandable in this context.
The information was very interesting generally with a history of the poison, a case and then the science of how the poison harms the body. While I would classify this as popular science the information is pretty technical for the average reader but still told in an understandable way.
But I will say it wasn’t Kool-Aide it was Flavour Aide!

I really enjoyed this book, it was well researched and well written. The case studies used were interesting with some known and some not known. The book covers different types of poison, how they act on the body and also any antidotes. Some of the history of the poisons were covered which is particularly interesting for the lesser known poisons. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves true crime, science or forensics.

A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury was a fascinating read.

The book has been professionally researched and because of this it is highly informative and well executed. There is just the right amount of science in it to not baffle those of us without that sort of background.

The chapters are all written with the history, science, biology and cases that have been seen each poison used and how the cases were proven... Or not!! An interesting read for True Crime fans.

Thanks to Net galley and Harper North for the ARC. My Review is my own opinion.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. As the writer of 'Dr Pritchard the Poisoning Adulterer.' I fully understand poison especially in Victorian times when it was used frequently. A recommended read.

I’m a real true crime buff and will pick up a lot of non fiction in this genre. I’m also a big Agatha Christie fan and it’s well known she knew a lot about different poisons. This was a really good read and very educational and insightful. Have already recommended this to a few friends.

A Taste for Poison is an enjoyable layman's guide to eleven deadly poisons, commonly (or rarely-but-notably) used in murder cases. The style was engaging, but I'd have preferred more in-depth scientific explanations from the author, perhaps with some diagrams, although I acknowledge that might have put more casual readers off.

A recommended read for murder mystery readers and amateur sleuths!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A fascinating insight into the world of poison, very well researched. The affect on the body and how the killers involved used them. I would recommend this book.

A decent book which has a great premise and is easily organised, meaning the book flows so well! You can tell the author knows their stuff and it was well researched, the only downside was that the index was at the back and it would have been useful to have that in between the chapters. It is enjoyable despite the focus (tw for death)

I was lured in to requesting this book by the eye catching cover and the intriguing subject matter. Even the chapter titles are eyebrow raising -"Potassium and the Nightmare Nurse" anyone?
Each chapter outlines one particular poison, the history of it's use, how it affects the body and then real murder cases where the poison was used. I learnt a lot and was surprised to hear that some of the poisons can be used as antidotes of other poisons. There is a wealth of information in each chapter and my attention waned at points when it felt like information overload. However, the structure of the chapters is useful in that you can skip to the element that most interests you eg the true crime etc if you want to. Furthermore, if you feel lost in the details within the chapter you're reading, you only need to refer to the "Pick Your Poison" appendix. This succinctly outlines the fatal dosage, symptoms, effect on the body and antidote for each poison - along with an apt warning in the epilogue that "the likelihood of getting away with such murders in the present day is almost nonexistent" - so don't get any ideas!
If you treat it as a book you pick up and read a chapter at a time over a few months, it's a great, entertaining and informative read, I am certainly glad I requested.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Wow loved this book, as someone who is addicted to true crime this was absolutely devoured by me and I found myself staying up late and paying the price the next day because I just HAD TO read this book!!!! Well done this is one I will most definitely be purchasing and telling everyone I know that they have to read this!!!!