Incredible story from real life medieval Italy, told so vividly you feel you are there. It's beautifully written and you can relish the vivid descriptions, but it still races along. A page-turner! I can't recommend highly enough!

Giulia Tofana died in Rome 1651. She was an Italian professional poisoner. Actually she was a very skillful apothecary for create herbal medicine expecially for women. But she also "sold" a poison called Aqua to women who wanted to kill domestic abuse husband or other forms of violence to women.
Her background story was full of speculation. A Poisoner's Tale was one version of her background, and how she build her poisoning team in Rome 17th century.

This is my first read from the author and I appreciate her effort and research to presented real characters with objectivity eyes. From religion and justice side, Giulia absolutely guilty but she also help hundreds women get through all social gender injustice. The pace is on slower side but it is perfect to describe all the tension, emotions and how dark the plaque situation at those era. Told from two POV1 Giulia and Pope Alessandro VII's. The plot is vivid and straight forward. I found Guilia's POV is little bit dragging and repetitive. The time jump also make readers lost tracks into some part of Giulia's life. And it is make me have alot question, if a 13 years old successful running from the nightmare why a older mother wont trying to do the same to safe her daughter from domestic abuse? The Pope's POV is dreamy, righteous and sometime felt like unnecessary additional to filled the empty space from Giulia's PoV.

The story is dark and based on real story. It is describe some disturbing domestic abuses and cruel punishment for women with witchcraft.

3.5

Thank you Netgalley and Bantam, Transworld Publisher from Random House UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Expecting release date : 11 July 2024

I enjoyed reading this book. I have a morbid fascination with stories about poison and poisoner's especially Guilia Tofana.
Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to read and review

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Random House UK/Bantam for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: childhood sexual abuse, pregnancy, rape, physical abuse, abortion, prostitution, murder, poison, executions, religion, violence

In 1656 as plague ravages Rome, another illness seems to be striking only the men of the city and it soon becomes clear that this all started because of one apothecary shop. Here women can find herbs to aid in childbirth, access to abortions, tarot readings to predict their futures and something not on the usual treatments- four drops of an undetectable poison to rid themselves of an abusive husband. This all starts in Palermo, in 1631, with Guilia Tofana discovering that her mother has long been aiding the city's women with a handmade poison named Aqua Tofana. Soon enough Guilia is assisting with this, but when her mother is captured and executed for their crimes after they murder Guilia’s abusive stepfather, she flees to start a new life. Now based in Rome, Guilia carries on her mother’s work alongside a circle of like-minded women, including her own daughter. Dedicated to helping the women of Rome even with the risk of being caught, Guilia aids in the deaths of close to a thousand men. However, the new Pope Alessandro VII is determined to root out the heretics and witches of Rome using the Inquisition to do so. Soon enough Guilia and her six poisoners are the Pope’s prime targets but there are limits to what he can do to hunt them- but that won’t stop him. This book follows her life and “career” up until the end.

Based on the true story of the legendary poisoner Guilia Tofana, “A Poisoner’s Tale” pulls no punches as it explores the role of women in 17th century Palermo and Rome and the actions that they’re driven to escape abuse or domestic violence. This is a brutal book from early on but at its heart is a group of women trying to protect each other no matter the cost. Throughout the story, Guilia’s morality is questioned and it’s something that is emphasised even further as the Pope and the Inquisition hunt her and her group of poisoners. Her warm and loving relationships with the other women, particularly her mother and later daughter, define the book and I was emotionally invested from early on in the sisterhood they found in each other. One thing I did enjoy is how it shows the Pope’s perspective and his aims as this contrasts so violently with how Guilia and the other women see themselves in poisoning abusers. What’s even more effective is when you know that while this is a fictional interpretation of a real woman’s life, many of these things and circumstances are true to women’s experiences in history. It’s a slow-burn story in some parts with a deeply complicated lead character and a richly developed setting. I’m glad I read this book but I would definitely be careful with the triggers as it can be graphic and difficult reading towards the beginning.

After an abusive childhood and seeing her mother executed for withcraft, Giulia has made a life for herself in Rome. At her shop women can get herbs for healing but Giulia also tries to help those women who are being abused by their husbands and families. Giulia has a potent but undetectable poison known as 'Acqua', a recipe learned from her mother. However, as men across Rome die, the new Pope and his inquisitors want to find the source and Giulia and those close to her are in danger.
This is the second book I have read that is a fictionalised account of the story of Giulia Tofano which is a true tale. Both books are completely different and bother very enjoyable. Here the focus is on Giulia and her back story in Palermo plus the hunt for the women by a vengeful Pope. It's well-researched and period sensitive.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/08/12/review-a-poisoners-tale-by-cathryn-kemp/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : A Small Circle of Poisoners

A Poisoner’s Tale is a story set predominantly in 17th Century Rome. As the story begins we meet Giulia Tofana, a young girl living in Palermo. She soon comes to learn that her mother’s love of herbology and her night time visits abroad have a secret and deadly purpose. Giulia’s mother has concocted a poison, lethal and untraceable that she supplies to women whose circumstances are dire due to abuse and torment. To cut to the chase Giulia’s mother suffers the consequences and her daughter is forced to flee Sicily. We then jump forward a good twenty years. Giulia is living in Rome, now a mother herself she has taught her secrets not only to her daughter but also a small number of women who similarly now help the women of Rome – that is until the net finally closes in around them.

I’m not going to say anything further about the plot, the outcome is already a foregone conclusion given that this is based on the life of a real woman and her small group of friends, plus the opening chapters make it clear that Giulia is being tried as a witch and I think we probably all know how that will end – torture and execution. It is believed that Giulia may have been responsible for the deaths of at least 600 men, maybe as many as 1,000, these deaths often going unnoticed due to other factors such as the black death, high mortality rate, etc. However, eventually, the church begins to take notice and one man in particular makes it his mission to seek out these women and thus a witch hunt begins.

What I liked about this.

The writing is beautiful and evocative. The descriptions really bring the story to life without being cumbersome and things move forward at a good clip. I loved the way the tension creeps up on you, and you feel this dread as you move forward – which is a testament to the writing when you consider you already pretty much know how things are going to pan out. Clearly the author has also done her research and this really comes across.

I loved the small group of friends that Giulia has gathered around herself. They don’t always agree about every course of action but they are a tight knit circle who stand firmly together. Giulia is a fantastic character to read about. The author does an amazing job in making her likable whilst being morally grey. You could argue that Giulia isn’t responsible for murdering anybody, she doesn’t administer the poison after all, but, at the same time she knows what the poison is being used for, is a gun seller responsible for the actions of others? These are brutal times and women have few options available to them. In that respect I would mention that this can be a very difficult read, the women in these pages suffer all sorts of abuse which in turn led them to take such desperate measures so please bear that in mind before reading this.

In terms of criticisms. Not really criticisms as such – but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated at Giulia and her friends, they became careless and they took risks which inevitably lead to their downfall. And, the book! Why on earth keep such a thing, even as a young girl Giulia was aware of the risks of keeping such a ledger and yet as a woman she continued in her mother’s footsteps. We also have another pov which I had mixed feelings about. This was a male character, a man of great standing who you could say had become obsessed with Giulia. I didn’t really enjoy these chapters but having considered it I think that they did help to really demonstrate the strength of feeling at that time towards women, particularly in their inferior status and lack of voice.

In conclusion this is a very thought provoking, at some times difficult but mostly compelling read. Well written with plenty of feeling where this small group of women are concerned.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 brutally evocative stars

In the shadowy backstreets of The Eternal City lies and apothecary, a place for women to take their heartbreaks and troubles, herbs for childbirth. Tarot readings to tell their fortunes. An undetectable poison thar can kill in 4 drops.

Alongside her circle of female poisoners, Giulia Tofana dispenses her deadly poison to free the downtrodden women of the city from the abuse from their husbands or lovers. But even in a time of plague, it does not go unnoticed when the men of Rome begin to drop like flies.

With the newly elected Pope hellbent on ridding the city of heretics and witches, the Inquisition are on her tail. Giulia is in more danger than ever. How far will she go for the women who need her help?

'They will forget that we are flesh and blood women who have lived, and who now die, at the mercy of who judge us.'

Based on the famed Italian female serial killer from the 1600s the story brings to life tale of Giulia Tofana, poisoner for the women of Italy helping them murder their husbands and lovers who abused them to free them from their pain and terror who eventually was executed for Witchcraft after being rumoured to have killed between 600-1000 men.

This story is not only gripping but hard-hitting and leaves you to decide for yourself whether the characters were murderers or saviours or witches. Reading this, it is impossible not to fall in love with the characters and debate on this idea. They are written so well and have incredible arcs throughout their rise and fall with a brilliant plot reveal towards the end. The writing is just so poignant, eloquent, and at times dark but so enthralling.

The plot in this tale is fast-paced and continually intriguing, having you hanging on to each page as the Inquisition enter the fray, adding the danger and uncertainty to the task the characters set themselves.

Throughout this book, there is a real sense of female empowerment and the battle of rage in women helping others to try and forge their own paths in the world, to seek freedom without being subjugated.

This is such an incredible read and everything you want from historical fiction with murder, plot, intrigue, and witches.

A good historical fiction with some great characters and an even more fascinating story. A dark and sinister story based on a woman said to have poisoned thousands of men. There are some areas that are hard to read too but I couldn't put this down and would highly recommend it.

This is based on the story of Giulia Tofana, the 17th century poisoned.

This book had me hooked form the start. I really like Cathryn Kemp’s writing style. She brought the characters to life, along with the story of how Giulia began making her infamous tonic Aqua Tofana that helped women solve their abusive husband issues.

The relationship between the women for me was the strongest part of the story. I really liked how the all interacted with each other, and trusted each other with their lives.

Even though I was aware of the outcome of this story I was still rooting for the women until the very end.



Thanks to NetGalley, Cathryn Kemp and Random House Uk, Transworld Publishers for the ARC

Well written and interesting story! I love a good witchy vibe book and this is a good one. I enjoyed the pacing and I LOVE that its based on real people. Definitely recommend this, such an easy read.

Based on a real life story we follow young Giulia and her mother, cunning women who make potions that can cure or kill. Giula's step father is an evil man and when he finally meets his end at their hands everything changes. This is gritty, realistic and beautifully written.

The fact that this is a debut novel absolutely blows my mind. This is a gut-wrenching, empowering and gripping feminist read that I could not put down. While the story is dark and does contain trigger warnings (please be aware of that before going into it) but it really needed to be in order to get the message across and tell Giulia's story. I loved that we got to see the story told from different stages of her life as you get to know Giulia and understand her reasoning behind it all.

This story brought out so many emotions in me and I still have not stopped thinking about the prejudice these women faced and how repressed they were. It is hauntingly beautiful and I cannot recommend it enough.

I wasn't aware that this was actually based on the legend of Giulia Tofana and found myself amazed with the story and all the research Cathryn Kemp has done for this book! Her writing is phenomenal and you truly feel the tragedy of Giulia's story throughout as if it were your own. I will definitely be reading anything Kemp writes in the future.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I love you, my friends. Its the honour of my life to be here with you, having done what we've done. It's a miracle we've survived thus far," I add. "I'm proud of what we've done. I'm proud to say we righted the wrongs of men. There have been so many."

Based on the true story of Giulia Tofana, we are taken back to 17th century Rome where a mysterious illness seems to be killing the men and only the men. Of course, we know this is no illness, but the poison of Giulia Tofana, helping those women who are beaten, unloved and feel helpless in the marriages or the brothels they are mistreated within. Giulia must help them, she must continue her mother's work.

From the moment I started this book, I was completely captivated. Cathryn Kemp's writing is so richly descriptive whilst keeping pace flowing, I could not stop reading. Transported to 17th century Rome, I could picture exactly where Giulia was and what her life looked like, the fear and unease she much have felt constantly. The descriptions of some of the procedures are quite detailed and graphic (trigger warnings below) which made for shocking and upsetting reading and I certainly shed more than a few tears at certain parts of A Poisoner's Tale.

For me, the highlight was the closeness of Giulia with her friends and family, what a strong and courageous unit they were. Although I did like how Cathryn Kemp explored the question of morality behind what was being done, the group did not always agree and sometimes I did question whether Giulia was a saviour or sometimes were her methods perhaps too brutal?

The final few chapters were such a hard read but it just proved to me how much I loved the characters and their love for one another.

An incredible debut that I simply could not put down. If you are a fan of strong female characters, historical fiction and a hint of poison and witchcraft, please pick this one up.


Trigger warnings, some of which may be considered spoilers:
- Rape of a minor
- Sexual Assault
- Domestic Abuse
- Frequent mention of death/murder/hanging/blood/body parts
- Scenes and discussion of abortions
- Brief scene of animal cruelty (can be skimmed, very brief mention)
- Torture

3.5 Stars (rounded up)
One Liner: A dark yet poignant read


17th Century, Rome
The plague has taken over the city. People are dropped dead in hundreds. Deep inside the Eternal City are the witches and sorceresses, hiding from those in power who are ever-ready to hang them in public.
Giulia has spent her life helping broken women from all parts of the society. She is a healer, midwife, abortionist and poisoner, depending on what the women need.
Pope Alessandro VII is determined to rid his city of the witches and the mysterious women, no matter what. Will he succeed? Can Giulia come out alive and escape the witch hunt?
The story comes in Guilia and Pope Alessandro VII’s first-person POVs in the present tense.

My Thoughts:
This is a dark book with several triggers (listed at the end). It is a fictional take on the life of Giulia Tofana, the woman who helped hundreds of women poison the men in their lives for various reasons (abuse mostly). I first read about her in the League of Lady Poisoners by Lisa Perrin. However, I confess it took me some time to connect the dots and realize that the book is about the same person.
The narrative starts with a prologue where Giulia and four other women are being hanged for witchcraft. So we already know how the book will end. Now, we go back to when Giulia was thirteen and first let into the secret world of her mother.
The content is pretty graphic and can be hard to read at a stretch. There’s a lot of abuse (physical & sexual), which makes it hard to keep going. The book openly shows what women faced from men (husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers, clients, strangers, and just about everyone).
While I appreciate the first-person POV, I’m unsure why we get it in the present tense. Based on the prologue, this would have worked better in the past tense. Also, the voice is not too different, whether the FMC is thirteen or thirty-six. This would have made sense in the past tense.
However, I have to ask- why does the Pope get a first-person POV? This is a poisoner’s tale. It is supposed to be Giulia’s narrative. The Pope could have been limited third person. It would have been better and easier to keep the focus on the FMC.
As with most real-life-based retellings, this one also leaves me with mixed feelings. While I like that the FMC is a flawed person who made wrong decisions (which put others at risk), I’m not sure how it seems when comparing the book to a real person. As a character, Giulia makes a strong impression.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about her daughter who feels like a surreal butterfly or a spoiled brat. However, I do like the pattern we see here – the younger generation thinking it is better than the elders while making similar mistakes.
Tarot reading is one of the devices used for foreshadowing. No surprise that I liked how it played in the plot. I did find it ironic that the Hierophant card is called the Pope when the Church thinks things like tarot are a sin [Hierophant is the traditional head of spirituality (any religion), the masculine counterpart of High Priestess.] Of course, the card’s interpretation in the book aligns with Pope’s role in the story (and reality).
The abuse and torture are not too graphic but disturbing enough to affect the reader. Some of those details are necessary to show why the women did what they did and how they had to pay for it. And oh, some of those torture devices were used during the Goan Inquisition to covert people.
To summarize, A Poisoner's Tale is a dark, disturbing, and difficult read based on a real person. Make sure you are in the right mindset to read this one. There’s a bibliography at the end, which I appreciate.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers (Bantam), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***
TW: Pedophilia, rape (repeated), assault, domestic violence, miscarriage (deliberate), abortion, abuse, torture, hanging, strangling, plague (epidemic), torture
*****
More links will be added later.

A Poisoner's Tale by Cathryn Kemp

Wow, just wow! This book will stay with me for a very long time. This feminist retelling of the real-life of Giulia Tofana is enthralling, empowering and powerful but also haunting and deeply tragic. I could not put this down and enjoyed every moment of this story, both the good parts and the sad parts.

The first part of the story which shows us Giulia's childhood was incredibly sad, but an important addition to the overall story. I'm not usually a fan of stories with huge time or locations shifts mid-way through, but I actually found that I enjoyed it in this book. Hearing the devastating ways Giulia's stepfather abused her as a young girl was deeply disturbing. The way the author addressed the topic of sexual assault was handled sensitively but also gave a very powerful, lasting message to the reader. One line that really stuck with me is when Giulia states "my childhood... had come to an abrupt and brutal end". Furthermore, the torture and subsequent death of both Faustina and Giulia's mother were brutal and horrific, mainly due to the vivid, almost cinematic, way in which the author describes their treatment at the hands of the church. All of these heart-wrenching scenes provide insight into why Giulia goes on to distribute the poison and allows us to empathise with her which, in turn, allows us to justify her killing so many men in an attempt to seek revenge on those who have wronged her and her loved ones.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I loved how it showed a group of women banding together and putting themselves at risk to seek justice for the abused women of Rome. It highlighted the important of the "girls support girls" mentality and shows how women are not the "weaker sex" (as they say in the book), they are just as intelligent, capable and strong as men when given the opportunity. There were many relatable, poignant and memorable lines within this book. For example, "a woman's lot to be forever existing in the gaps, the pauses between the acts of men", "We gave them hope, and that's the cruellest thing of all, because there's no freedom for women. We scrabbled for our dignity, we beg for our pride, and no one... no one is ever listening" or "As men strut and preen, we make do with what we can, mere supporting players in the theatre of life. But what they don't know is what grows in the darkness backstage; the fraternity of women, the collusion of female-hood, the kindred understanding that blooms away from the harsh gaze of men". Although this book is set in the 1600s, there are so many aspects from it that women today can relate to and highlights the importance of the feminist movement. The last few chapters where the women sit in the gaol awaiting death was the most poignant and powerful part of this book. The women's acceptance of death at the very end was haunting, and the fact that they went to their deaths without regret for what they had done and without hatred for those women who betrayed them was so incredibly moving. As I said, this book will stay with me for a while; as will the characters, their sacrifice and the feminist beliefs they stood for.

I even enjoyed the Pope's POV, although it did come across as quite anti-religion at times. The utter devotion the Pope shows to his religion, even going so far as to whip himself to escape what he deems "ungodly" thoughts, was shocking but interesting to read about. I was hoping he might save Giulia and her friends, but it seems I was being overly hopeful by harbouring that dream. Although his POV wasn't necessarily crucial to the story, it was a good addition that offered a different insight into the action and showed us how the men of Rome truly believed what they were doing was right and was justified in their eyes by their religious beliefs. The Pope's unhealthy enmeshed relationship with his dead mother was lowkey very creepy though!

Highly highly recommend you pick this book up. Even if you know nothing of the real-life Giulia Tofana, this is a book that will capture your attention and leave a lasting message in your mind. I cannot wait to hopefully read more from this author as she writes beautifully. I rated this 5 out of 5 stars and would confidently say this is going to end up being one of my fave reads from 2024. Thank you to Netgalley and Cathryn Kemp for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this eCopy to review

A Poisoner's Tale was an interesting read about how a family of herbalists helped women poison their abusive husbands and lovers. Set in Rome during the plague and the height of the Inquisition Giulia's fear is palpable will she manage to escape or will she pay the ultimate price for the safety of her daughter.

I'm not sure I warmed to Giulia's character, no-one should be able to play God like she did, and her principles slipped towards the end giving the poison for reasons she would not have done earlier.

A very dark tale that was harrowing at times

Historical fiction at its best. Well researched, well written. Quite gritty and dark at times but intrigued enough to want to read more.

A tale of furious inevitability.

Kemp's portrayal of Giulia Tofana is compelling and complex, evoking mixed emotions. While I admired Giulia's fierce determination to end the violence inflicted on women, I also grappled with the moral implications of some of her actions. The narrative pace varies, with some parts racing ahead while others take a slower, more molasses-like pace.

The plot is heavily researched, bringing the era and its challenges vividly to life. Kemp's characters are richly detailed, with the dynamics between them, particularly Giulia and her daughter, leaving a lasting impression. The unfolding of a sad secret towards the end deepened the emotional impact, making it a tale of both pride and sorrow.

Overall, A Poisoner's Tale is a beautifully intense and thought-provoking novel. Kemp's storytelling weaves a powerful narrative of defiance, sisterhood, and the harsh realities faced by women who dare to rebel against society's constraints. This is a story that will linger in your mind long after the final page.

This is an historical retelling of the story of Giulia Tofana who is alleged to have been responsible for the deaths of a thousand men. The prologue open in Rome in 1659 where five women are being led to the scaffold, including our narrator “the Poisoner of Palermo”. We are then taken back to Giulia’s childhood in Palermo in 1632. Written largely in the first person this is a shocking story that clearly involved some incredible research. It felt quite slow paced at times, partly because I got a bit confused with all the women’s name’s beginning with G, but once I had that clear this was a compelling read.

Briefly, Giulia was born in the court of Spain where her mother was a courtesan. After marrying a wealthy merchant they moved to Palermo’s but her stepfather was a cruel and abusive man. Being a women in these times meant having no rights and being just a chattel of their husband. Giulia’s mother was knowledgeable in the benefits of herbs for curing ills but she also brewed a remedy that freed women from their abusive husbands and lovers, a remedy that left no trace in the body. 23 years later Giulia is living in Rome and carrying on her mothers work and has become known as the Mistress of Death. But it’s imperative that her works remains secret as the Pope and the Inquisition have become aware of the large number of male deaths with no obvious cause, and they are hunting the witches!

Be aware that there are some unpleasant scenes, particularly with regards the Inquisition treatment of their prisoners, but it’s not gratuitous and is story appropriate Giulia and her friends were brave to carry on their journey to aid abused women and whilst I felt initially they were just interested in helping these women it became more than that and it almost felt as though they were aiming to rid their city of men! The setting was beautifully descriptive and you can imagine the sight and smells as you walk with Giulia through the dingy, smelly streets. A good historical fiction with some fascinating characters and an even more fascinating story. Very entertaining.

4.5⭐️

The premise of this book really drew me in but unfortunately the historical fiction side of it let it down for me. It very much focused on the history and the details rather than the interesting plot and I found it hard to get through at times. But mah be worth a read if you’re more into historical fiction and want the details.