A wonderful blend of scientific information, history, and true crime.

I've heard about many of these poisons for most of my life, but I couldn't have really told you what each one did. Until now!

This was great to listen to. It's educational about not just the poisons, but crime, society, and history. My favorite part was arsenic. Snack, anyone?

I received my audiobook copy free from NetGalley.

In this fascinating nonfiction book, Dr. Neil Bradbury takes the reader through the story of various poisons and how they were used by murderers over the ages. Poisons used to be very difficult to identify and measure and many deaths were assigned to natural causes that were instead murders. These days, poisoning someone is not as common as before as it is much easier to determine when someone has been poisoned. Those who might have chosen one of the common poisons before can now use something like fentanyl and have the death put down as a drug overdose.

There are eleven chapters and each discusses a different poison. Many are common names and readers will have heard of arsenic, cyanide and strychnine. Several poisons are still commonly used by the medical profession such as insulin and digitalis. These drugs are useful in prescribed dosages but deadly when too much is given. For example, a small dose of digitalis speeds up the heart beats in a patient whose heart is too weak but an overdose speeds up the heart to the point of failure.

Each chapter is laid out the same. The poison is identified, a case or several of poisoners whose crime was detected is discussed, the way that the poison works inside the body is explained and then how it is counteracted if that is a possibility. Some of the crimes are famous ones while others are further back in history and many readers will not have heard of them. Some have been solved and others are still unsolved. Many poisoners were tried, convicted and executed but others escaped justice as juries found there was not enough evidence.

Neil Bradbury was raised in Britain where he received degrees in both biochemistry and medical biochemistry. He has an engaging writing manner as he mixes true crime, medicine and history for the reader who will know much more about poisons after finishing this book. This could be a dry topic but the author makes it engaging with stories of philandering spouses, assassinated spies and medical professionals who use their access not to heal but to kill. This book is recommended for nonfiction readers, especially those interested in true crime.

I love crime stories, from Sherlock Holmes to Clare Mackintosh. Poison is a common trope in detective novels. A Taste for Poison gives the real world background on several of the most popular poisons. An interesting read for fans is detective fiction and true crime alike.

A look into eleven poisons, what makes them deadly and the true crime cases that made them famous. Well written and from a fresh perspective, the author uses history and science to tell the story behind each of the molecules we think of as poisons, including their unlikely previous uses as medicines, paints, or even wallpaper adhesive. An entertaining and interesting read.

Like many people, I have some fascination with true crime. It is the non-fiction sub-genre that I find consistently compelling rather than dry and dull. And that interest extends to books like this one, less about individual killers than about poisons and their historical use. I expected this to be a deep dive into the 11 historical cases with a brief overview of the poison involved. Not so, friends! Bradbury dives deep into the effects of poisons on the body, the science of neurotransmitters and how poisons both kill and cure. For a more clinical exploration it did a solid job of keeping me engaged even though I am not especially science minded. And I have a couple of friends interested in bio-chemistry who will likely enjoy it even more.

A Taste for Poison explores eleven different types of poisons, explaining how they work, possible antidotes, and sometimes the history of the poison. The author, Dr. Neil Bradbury, emphasizes and supports these facts with stories of instances where these poisons were used. I’ve read a few books about the use of poison throughout history, but there has never been the added benefit of learning about the substances themselves. I’m not really a science person, but Bradbury wrote about the science behind the poisons in a way that was easy to understand and I really enjoyed those aspects. It was a great balance of science and stories and, despite their grim nature, I thought the stories chosen were excellent examples of how each poison affects the body. Funny enough, I think the fact that will stick with me the most is that apple seeds contain cyanide - not enough to hurt you (unless you eat thousands at a time), but I never would have imagined it!

Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them

Physiology and biophysics professor Neil Bradbury combines chemistry, medical history, and true crime in a fascinating book about the precise effects of lethal poisons. Bradbury picks several case studies, all from real-life murders throughout history, and breaks down how their poisons work on the molecular level. Written with a scientist’s acumen but accessible to readers of all backgrounds, it is a clever and balanced breakdown of what it takes to manipulate the human body.

Derek Perkins, the narrator, does a great job.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the early read/listen. Narrator did a great job telling the story and giving each character their own voice. Will recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great book. I don't due a lot of non-fiction other than straight up true crime, because it can be dry subject matter sometimes, but this one was really interesting. I liked how it focused on both the science of the poison and what it does to the body, but also the true crime aspect of the story was interesting. I enjoyed hearing the stories of people poisoning others. I am a true crime junkie. Inclusion of these stories made the novel so much stronger.

I finished this book in one sitting. It was that interesting. I really didn't think it would be until I started the prologue and then I knew it was going to be good. Four stars. The audio was great.

#atasteofpoison by #neilbradburyphd was a interesting listen for sure. It was very detailed and easy to listen to. I usually do not go for nonfiction but I liked this one. If I ever write a crime story I will be using this book/audiobook for a reference. Thank you to #netgalley and #macmillionaudio for this chance to listen. And thank you to #derekperkins for narrating. I really enjoyed listening to him.

This is a different take on true crime in that it focuses on the weapon of choice, that being poison. It goes through several cases over decades where folks tried unsuccessfully to poison others, describing the cocktail used, what the poison does, and how the perpetrators were ultimately caught. This covers a multitude of time periods, and it was extremely fascinating to see how not only the methods of using poison have evolved, but also how each time someone thought they had outsmarted everyone and successfully killed their target, there was always something that eventually brought them down, something basic. Bradbury covers all types of cases here, not just spurned spouses, and goes into detail on how the poison works in the system and what should have, or did happen.

As a true crime fan this was absolutely fascinating, and I listened to this on audio so for those that love podcasts I think you’ll love this too. Either way, if you love crime, I promise you don’t want to miss this one.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital galley and ALC to review. This one is available now.

This book was archived before I had time to read it, so I am not able to give accurate feedback. Thank you for the opportunity, sorry I was unable to get to it in time.

I love mysteries and poison seems like such a great way to knock someone off. To be fair, I was a bit concerned that this would be a dry, textbook explanation of poisons. Dr. Bradbury made a super job of it! It was interesting, educational, and entertaining. I learned a lot, understood the chemistry and would read another again.

I loved this audio! I love learning about poisons and how they are used for good and bad - like insulin! I was more interested in the medical poisons, but they were all fun to learn about.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* ah a book after my own heart.... lol just kidding but oh do i love books like this! so interesting and factual, i hope it stops me from being poisoned to death ever lol

Book 31 for 2022! 4/5 stars for this nonfiction read! For me to love nonfiction it needs to read like a story, and have crime, and this book delivers! Loved learning the history of all these different "poisons!" The cover is perfect for the contents. Narration was great! Highly recommend if you enjoy nonfiction!

This was a fascinating book. It was like a history book meets true crime. I only gave it 4 stars because I wanted more. Is there anything the killers/attempted killers had in common? Some weird brain glitch that made them do what they did? And to say poison is a woman’s choice of killing is absurd. Yes there were women mentioned but it seems to have started as a male choice. So it’s an equal opportunity killing.

Love the book and will be buying it.

A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury, PhD

A huge thank you to @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook!

Dr. Bradbury breaks down the science behind what makes a tonic and what makes a poison in this non-fiction true crime book. Eleven murders-by-poison are examined and the chemical process behind what ended the lives of those victims is explained.

This was not my usual grab and I’m so glad I went for it! This book is meticulously thought out, researched, and laid our. While each section is a unique poison and murder, the earlier sections lay the foundation for scientific processes described later in the book. The jovial voice of the narrator combined with Bradbury’s well timed jokes and puns kept this from being too heavy.

I recommend this for lovers of true crime and those who appreciate science.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book because it combines my interest in botanical science, forensics and true crime. It was very interesting for the author to speak of the biological characteristics of plants and many of their medicinal uses and then evolve into discussing their mis-use and often criminal application. Fascinating!

A Taste for Poison is an absolutely fascinating book. It is the perfect blend of true crime, history, and science. Bradbury's writing never felt dry or forced, and the research is impeccable.

I went into this read not knowing exactly how it would be written and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself completely enthralled and wanting to know more.

Informative, entertaining, and just a really good read!