4 – 4.25 STARS

Meet Cass and Ryan Conner: Perfect couple, and doting parents; married 3 years, with 1 child together and 2 from Cass’ first marriage; recently relocated from NY to Seattle; happy family unit from all accounts.

Living a seemingly idyllic life, Cass Conner’s world suddenly shifts when her dream existence becomes nothing short of a nightmare. A journalism professor and mother of 3, Cass never believed she would get a second chance at love following the death of her first husband. But, then came Ryan, the man who literally swept Cass and her children off their feet. Blissfully happy, they embarked on a whole new life. With a new addition to their family, they moved to a new city with new jobs and a new “fixer-upper” home. Everything was absolutely perfect. Until it wasn’t.

It started with subtle lies and slight omissions. Then came the odd “discoveries” that seemed to make no sense. Accusations and denials quickly followed. Ryan’s anger reared its ugly head. Their relationship crumbled, and Cass became violently ill.

Convinced that something nefarious was at play, Cass pointed a suspicious finger in Ryan’s direction. But with a lack proof to back up her accusations, Cass was readily dismissed by authorities. Ryan, on the other hand, maintained his innocence, claiming that Cass was nothing short of paranoid and delusional; hence, his fierce determination to fight for full custody of their son.

Right from the very start, “Poison” pulled me in and held me in its grip, straight through to the very end. While it took me a little bit to get used to the author’s “cut & dry” writing style, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of this story. It was, however, the abrupt and unsatisfying ending that left me wanting more. Still, “Poison” is an enthralling, psychological thriller that kept me engaged throughout the entire book.

Cass Connor, age 40, is a busy mother of three children. Her husband, Ryan, is an architect and his late nights at work are grating on Cass. She lost her first husband and father of her two older children, but they love their stepfather. Cass and Ryan have a son together.

Cass has a great job as a professor of journalism. After their marriage, Cass and Ryan moved from New York to Seattle looking for a calmer lifestyle. They both have busy schedules, but they also have a nanny who helps out each day.

Things aren’t always good between Cass and Ryan. Sometimes she thinks he may be having an affair which he vehemently denies. But when he is shown up in his lies, his reaction is violence against Cass.

When Cass shows physical signs of having been poisoned, she is faced with an uphill fight to prove that Ryan is trying to kill her. But how does she convince the courts to believe her?

This is a good story that shows how women have to work harder to be believed in the court system. The interesting part is the discussion about heavy metal poisons and how they can be ingested by someone and what the reactions can be. I think readers will enjoy how these two people play off against one another. Almost makes a person want to stay single.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Now, that's a good ending. Quick, clean, and an I told you so.

Loved the title's multiple implications, the relationship gone bad, the suspicions all around, substances with multiple uses and purposes. I read this not trusting one single character. Is Ryan trying to poison his wife Cass, or is she paranoid, delusional, and in need of psychological care?

Liked less the writing in present tense, which seemed awkward to me and at times too much in the way of explanation. But overall, an exciting and tense read.

An unsolicited comp copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.
3.5 stars.

When I first heard about this book, I figured it was going to be another one of those domestic thrillers going around. You know, the one with the charming-from-the-outside family and dark secrets. In many ways, it was. But this book is also unlike any other I have read before. The use of poison as a murder weapon is so sinister, yet just on the verge of physically improvable in court, a brilliant twist on what has become the classic storyline.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

The story follows Cass and her second husband, Ryan. After the death of her first husband, Cass, a professor on track for tenure and mother of two children, wasn't necessarily looking for anyone. But Ryan came into her life like a force of nature, full of charm and excitement. After being married for four years and having a son together, the family is the picture of happiness. Except Ryan has started to act strangely. He slips up, first just on little details and then on big things involving the children. Cass begins to question some of his actions and is soon met with anger and violence. Unfamiliar with this side of her husband, Cass believes she is being poisoned by Ryan, in an effort to regain control of his life and his family.

Before I get too far into this book I just want to mention that there are some trigger warnings for physical and verbal domestic abuse, as well as borderline sexual abuse. The scenes weren't necessarily graphic, but they were fairly frequent and may be harmful to some readers.

The small fact alone that this book was based on Niederhoffer's own poison lawsuit with her ex-husband made this story all the more real and fascinating. Often times, authors put a lot of themselves in their books, and this is a literal example of that.

I think this book was really well-written and extremely timely in terms of current events. Cass is a professor and former journalist who knows how cases like this go. Echoing cases of sexual assault, there is often little evidence and the victims, usually but not always female, become the ones being tried. Cass believes she is being poisoned by arsenic, a heavy metal that is in enough foods that it wouldn't be noticeable in small doses, but strong enough to warrant symptoms.

However, to a society that, especially in this case, favours the man, these reactions to the arsenic seem subtle and unnoteworthy. They are a result of a non-existent mental illness Ryan conjures up for Cass, a way for her to get back at him for an unproven affair. Some people even go so far as to assume she is poisoning herself to make Ryan look guilty. The story sheds a great deal of light on cases such as this one and how easy it is to be dismissed and not believed. That may be one of the most terrifying feelings in the world - being of sound mind and not believed by the police, judges, your own mother.

Generally speaking, I did enjoy this book. The first little bit was trickier to get into. Niederhoffer has a unique writing style and the narration, especially in the first few chapters was different from many other books I've read. But once I adjusted to the style, I couldn't put the book down.

I won't spoil it but I will just say that I am really happy with how Niederhoffer handled the ending. I think there could have been a very easy way to go with it, but she, I believe, chose the ending that was best suited to this storyline. In terms of reality, I would, unfortunately, assume that things wouldn't turn out quite as they did in the book, but that is the beauty of fiction, isn't it?

Overall, this book was a different look at the classic he-said/she-said thriller.

The book caught my eye due to its intriguing plot line: 'perfect' marriage falling apart as wife suspects husband of trying to poison her. Interesting, right?! Nope. Unfortunately, the characters are incredibly unappealing: the husband, a smarmy twisted architect who weasels his way into a young widow's heart and family, little character development of why he is such a nasty human; wife who is inconceivably a hotshot journalist and professor from Columbia, who comes across as whiny, weak, and completely nuts. I understand that is part of the plot, wondering who's crazy and who's telling the truth; however, the two main characters were just so smug, or wishy-washy or unlikable that I just did not care. On top of that, as a Seattle native, I never understand why an author would set a story in a place they have so obviously never visited. Niederhoffer uses every stereotype ever written about Seattle to define it incorrectly, and on top of that says the mountains that surround a Pacific Northwest city are the Sierras! (For the record, those are in California - they're called the Cascades here in the northwest). I found myself laughing out loud at the book, and I'm pretty sure that was not the author's intention. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

Poison is a standalone psychological thriller.

The narrator is 40 year old Cassandra/Cass. The story is told in 3rd person POV. Cass is married to Ryan. They have a 2 year old (Sam) together and she has two other children (Pete and Alice) from a previous marriage (her husband died). Cass used to be a legal journalist, but now is a professor of Journalism.

The story takes place just outside of Seattle, Washington. The book is divided into two parts.

The writing is very different. I had a difficult time connecting with Cass for the first half of the book. Some of that I think was because the story was told in the 3rd person. But I think some of it was also because so much of the beginning of the book was the author recapping stuff from Cass' past. It was definitely too much recapping for me and it felt like it took forever for the story to get started. There were also a few parts that didn't make sense to me.

Part 2 of the book was much stronger IMO. Once the psychological thriller aspect of the story was underway I was much more invested in the story.

I really liked Cass' friend Nora. And there was a technological thing with a cellphone that I found very fascinating.

Ryan was such an interesting character. And I became very invested in how Cass and Ryan's story would turn out. The book definitely got very creepy and I was very anxious to see how the story would end.

The ending wasn't bad. But I found it very abrupt. Things were going a certain way and then all of a sudden something happened and the story was over. It just didn't totally work for me.

Overall, this was definitely a compelling story (especially the second half of the book). It was disturbing and the title actually goes perfectly with the story.

Ms. Niederhoffer wrote Poison in the objective third person. Her narrator watches and describes the perfect marriage and family of Ryan and Cass Connor. She sets the reader up. Then she begins to tear it down, chip by chip. I spent the entire book trying to decide if Ryan really was trying to kill Cass or if she were really paranoid and insane. I got a little annoyed with the lengthy discourses on poisons or other tangents Ms. Neiderhoffer followed her characters down (ie: Google rabbit holes) but understand the purpose behind them. I definitely did not understand some of the decisions Cass made in her attempts to prove Ryan was poisoning her, though Ms. Neiderhoffer does an excellent job of outlining how men are traditionally believed over women. Such a topical discourse! Reading the book was both frustrating and disheartening because it is a trap many could find themselves in. Getting involved in the story is what made this an enjoyable read.

3 1/2 Stars
While a good read, parts of this book suspend belief. Would a women as intelligent as Cass really make some of the careless and dangerous mistakes she made, even putting her children at risk? As a reader, I’m left with unanswered questions, what was the turning point in their marriage, what made Ryan tick? The timeline seemed hard to follow at times. Was it a day later or a week later? The first half was quite a bit slower than the second, but the story builds and pages start flipping quickly as the reader nears the end. What will the outcome be? The ending, while satisfying, felt rushed and left this reader wanting more!

Thx to Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Galt Niederhoffer for this ARC in Exchange for an honest review.
Poison is the perfect title for this book. Can be seen in two ways: Poison being used to kill a spouse, or the Poison of a marriage. What starts as a fairytale marriage, soon becomes a nightmare. I normally like thrillers and this one did have an unsuspected ending, but it just didn’t work for me. The characters actions and responses were so far out there that I was taken out of the story again and again. I possibly will read another story by this author to see if that one seems to come together better.

This. This book right here. Wow. This may be my favorite book of 2017. Poison by Galt Niederhoffer was an unexpectedly genius domestic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. Before reading this book, I actually took a little break from reading, I was quite overwhelmed with everything that has been going on in my life. School has been stressful, Halloween was fast approaching, and kids have taken over my every thought. I felt like every time I sat down to read something, I was distracted until this story caught my eye.

Cass and Ryan have been married for a couple of years, they have a son named Sam who is two, and Cass has two children from a previous marriage, her late husband passed away, but Ryan stepped in and became the father that they desperately needed. Things seem to be going pretty well for the family, though the move from New York to Seattle was stressful, they have a nice house that they are working on, and business for Ryan has been booming.

Soon, though, Cass realizes that Ryan may not be working when he says he is, and little by little she finds clues to suggest that he’s possibly having an affair. When she approaches the topic with Ryan, he declares her insane, and won’t even listen to one word she has to say. Then things start to get really weird, Cass feels sick after eating some fish that Ryan gave to her, to the point where she is vomiting uncontrollably and can barely see straight. When she realizes that he has poisoned her, she has to find a way to make anyone, a doctor, a friend, a neighbor, believe her, so that she can get herself, and her kids, away from this man.

Cass has no idea how, where, or why her husband is poisoning her, she just knows that he is. It seems like everyone she turns to tells her she’s crazy, she’s imagining it, or worst of all, she’s doing it to herself because she’s mad about her husband’s infidelity. As the story goes on, there’s a shift in the narrative which creates an intense and very interesting belief for the reader in Cass. At one point, I wondered if she was making it up, was she losing her mind, was there some other twist that hadn’t been revealed yet?

I’ll leave that up to you, you’ll have to read this incredible story and find out the truth behind the lies. Get a nice cup of tea and a cozy chair or bed, because you won’t be putting this down anytime soon. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, a true masterpiece of the thriller genre. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this novel.

This novel was presented as a literary psychological thriller, which is an interesting mix of genres. Literary fiction is typically slower-paced and focused on character development whereas psychological thrillers are fast-paced and plot-driven. The story reads like a literary fiction in terms of the language used and the amount of detail that the author provides. It also has this weird mix of pace that I never really got a handle on; it felt like it was moving slowly because of the writing style but the events themselves were happening quite rapidly. It took me aback ... and not pleasantly. I felt the pacing was very awkward and it didn't allow me to get a good sense of any of the characters. The story is told entirely from Cass's perspective, which was not an issue in itself but I found her boring. There were a lot of events happening in the book in a very random way, just to allow the author to make the conclusions she wanted to make. The entire concept behind the story was that women's accounts are dismissed quite readily by the police and by court systems. However, I don't agree with that premise 100%, and especially not when it comes to this story; no matter your gender, you have to have evidence when making accusations. I don't think that should be considered a sign of prejudice or discrimination by gender. I also didn't really get the purpose behind the crime. Why do all of this? How did so many people get involved? The ending was also very random and seemed almost too easy after all of the other things that had occurred in the story. It just all felt like a mess, what with events happening quickly and randomly while the author continues to ramble on and focus on inconsequential details, and there being no real motive or resolution to anything. Since there wasn't a single thing I liked about this story, I'm giving this a 1/5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an E-ARC of this book. I enjoyed this thrilling, page turner that had me questioning the main character's mental state.

This was a rough read. I can honestly say it has been awhile since I have considered quitting a book, but I most definitely would have quit this book had I not owed a review. I felt like I was reading a mundane drone of life in a bad relationship. While this author showed incredible writing talent within the descriptions provided of every day characters and everyday life, the plot failed to draw me in throughout the entirety of the book.

This book is narrated by Cass, a widowed mother of two, who finds love again in Ryan Connor. We are dropped into Cass and Ryan’s marriage as they have produced a two year old to join Cass’ two previous children and they have completed a move across the country to Seattle, from New York. Cass is convinced Ryan has poisoned her in an attempt to get out of their marriage with his child and the deed to their house, but Cass must prove she is really being poisoned, rather than a delusional schizophrenic.
This book did an injustice to the deeper premises within: female victims and mental health. Throughout the book, the topic of discounting female victims in rape and abuse cases continued to surface. Cass even went so far as to jokingly present a class lecture on the topic. Like, WHY ARE WE JOKING ABOUT THIS DISCOUNTING FEMALE RAPE VICTIMS’ ACCOUNTS?

Mental health was also brought up as Cass sought the help of health professionals and the police. In both circumstances she was disregarded and even locked in the psychiatric ward for evaluation. These experiences, as they happened to Cass, certainly opened the readers’ eyes to the atrocity experienced, but these eyes were barely staying open regardless, thanks to the book’s mundane plot.

*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't finish this book, and I've already communicated the the publicist. I read about 25% of the book and I didn't like any of the characters.

Where to begin with my review of Galt Niederhoffer's Poison? I guess the beginning. After reading the blurb on the back I decided to ask the Netgalley gods for a review copy. Once approved, I kinda shelved it for a while because work and classes just really take so much out of me that reading is the last thing I want to do after waking at 6 then going nonstop until 12 midnight. Any who... I picked this poison and was surprisingly happy with it.

Cass and Ryan have a seemingly happy life together, raising their blended family in Seattle after moving from New York. Things are good. Life is good. Kids are good. Wife is good. Husband is good... until he goes bad.

Almost out of nowhere, Ryan changes for the worse and life as Cass knew it seemed like a very distant memory. Their picture perfect life begins to unravel and becomes poisonous. Listen booksnobs, there are a lot of ways the theme and the title go hand in hand so just give me a break on my wordplay here. I have so few joys and I'm not that clever... ok!

So, I'll try not to give too much away but there's a lot of poison even in the symbolic realm of this book's theme. Poison chronicles how abusive relationships take their toll on the average family as well as the victims of abuse. There's a sort of posion that has crept it's way into the fabric of our society where we tend to blame the victim. Why'd she dress like that? What did she do to cause her husband to break? Could she just be imagining things? The reader is faced with trying to make sense of all that's happening with only Cass' fragile mindset as the guide which gets a little murky.

For me, Poison was actually a really good read. Niederhoffer's writing is succinct and impeccable. I was drawn into Cass' world and felt the tension she felt when her pleas for help seemed to fall on deaf ears. Cheering and rooting for Cass is why I kept reading...

But...

Cass was utterly exhausting at times. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it was the amount of careless mistakes she made as well as her neediness in the beginning. I couldn't understand a lot of her actions (especially with the nanny thing... no way in hell someone that suspect would be near my children) and I almost wanted to shake her. But, as I reflect and look back, she must have been scared all the time. She really had very few refuges and that's gotta suck.

Essentially, I get it. We live in a world where victims don't are quieted from fear of their abuser as well as the lack of confidence in those who are supposed to protect us. There's a poison that has permeated into our society that some women would rather continue with these dangerous dependency relationships than let someone know that they need help. Poison is definitely a worthwhile read as it treads between literary and thriller with ease. Galt Niederhoffer is definitely one I'll be on the lookout for.

Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley

Cass and Ryan Connor have achieved family nirvana. With three kids between them, a cat and a yard, a home they built and feathered, they seem to have the Modern Family dream. Their family, including Cass’ two children from previous relationships, has recently moved to Seattle—a new start for their new lives. Cass and Ryan have stable, successful careers, and they are happy. But trouble begins almost imperceptibly. First with small omissions and white lies that happen daily in any marital bedroom. They seem insignificant, but they are quickly followed by a series of denials and feints that mushroom and then cyclone in menace.

With life-or-death stakes and irreversible consequences, Poison is a chilling and irresistible reminder that the closest bond designed to protect and provide for each other and for children can change in a minute.



My Thoughts: In the beginning of Poison, their lives looked perfect from the outside, and everything seemed to be falling into place according to plan. But when Cass begins to find evidence of her husband’s cheating, everything starts coming unglued.

A nanny who seems too good to be true; a neighbor who appears to be kind, offering assistance; and very strange physical symptoms in Cass that start after Ryan has cooked a tuna dish.

Just when it seems as though she has figured out what is happening, the real battle begins. Proving that Ryan is out to harm her. Finding out who in her world she can trust. Everyone begins to look suspicious, which is dangerous, since Cass learns what she has always known, underneath, that the system is designed to cater to the words of men and to reduce those of women to labels such as hysteria, paranoia, and delusions.

It will take a lot for Cass to finally discover the answers…following her journey kept me captive throughout this book as I could totally relate to how women and victims are treated, even in this day and age. I was on the edge of my seat until I turned the last page, hoping for a resolution. Hoping for justice. A brilliant five star read!***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Galt Niederhoffer for the opportunity to read and review this book. Rounding up to 4 stars because I enjoyed the read and it kept me enthused until the end.

Cass is a woman who seems to have gone through the darkest days - losing her first husband and left with two small children - to have found the seemingly perfect man. Cass and Ryan move from NYC to Seattle to start a new life and have a new son, Sam, to add to their perfect family. But nothing is ever perfect, is it?

Cass soon finds evidence that Ryan is not who he seems to be. He starts displaying a dark side to his personality. Then she starts becoming ill.

There is a lot of teachable info in this book - Cass is a university teacher whose specialty is the treatment of women in society and in the courts. Fitting for how it all plays out. You would think this would lead her to make smarter moves but our brain doesn't always rule our actions.

Although the writing style was somewhat wordy, I enjoyed it - especially the first part of the book where everything in Cass' world is very relatable - dealing with schedules, children, housework, etc.

I couldn't wait to finish this book and see how it all played out!

I reviewed this for RT Book Reviews November 2017 issue you can find my published review there

I received this as an ARC from Net Galley.

I would actually give this book 3.5 stars but went up because it was definitely entertaining. It was a good psychological thriller that had you hoping the heroine would end up okay but not entirely sure if there was going to be a happy ending or not. It was a page turner and at times a little heart stopping. I completely felt disdain towards the main character/bad guy.

My only complaint for the book was it was a bit choppy. I felt that it jumped around at times and that certain small details that may have made the story more cohesive were eliminated. I'm guessing it was because of length concerns but I often found myself questioning things.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers. It kept your interest throughout the book and was fun to read.