The Art of Poison
Love, Murder, Scandal, Revenge
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Pub Date Jan 5 2027 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
Glasgow, 1855. When handsome Pierre Emile L’Angelier, a marauding Jerseyman with a passion for ferns, sets his cap at twenty-year-old debutante Madeleine Hamilton Smith, it’s not the first time he’s had ideas above his station. For Madeleine, bored and wayward, he is an exciting distraction, and they embark on a clandestine affair. But Emile treacherously hoards her letters and when she throws him over for a more eligible suitor, he threatens to send them to her father.
When Emile is found dead of arsenic poisoning, Madeleine is arrested, her explicit correspondence exposed at a trial that scandalised Victorian society. But was she a victim of her class, gender, and the expectations of women? And what if someone else had a motive for murder and revenge...?
Based upon meticulous research, this dramatic retelling of one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era offers an ingenious, chilling and brilliantly plausible solution to a devious killing that has baffled true crime fans for 170 years.
Advance Praise
‘It’s riveting. Everything is so expertly woven and layered – It’s so damned right and strong and resonant. I shall continue thinking on the entire Madeleine Smith affair for a long while…’ Phyllis Nagy, Oscar nominated screenwriter of Carol
Marketing Plan
- Based on a court case that continues to fascinate: Madeleine was the subject of one of Lucy Worsley’s Lady Killers podcast episodes.
- A true-crime novel perfect for readers of Sarah Waters, The Five and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.
- Strong PR and event potential on publication, with a particular focus on opportunities in Scotland.
You can find a selection of marketing assets, should these be of interest to you, here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14A-p-l_wSBE1075TLm8WqEMf0QnDbPFe?usp=drive_link
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781918107326 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Available to Buy
Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.orgAverage rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
The Secret B, Reviewer
A secret Victorian affair.
Compromising love letters.
Arsenic.
And a murder accusation that has fascinated people for almost 170 years. ☠️💌
The Art of Poison by Katherine Tozer (@regencywreck ) reimagines the infamous case of Madeleine Smith, a young Glasgow woman accused of poisoning her former lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier.
☠️ Victorian true crime
💌 A clandestine love affair
⚖️ An infamous murder trial
📰 Scandal and reputation
🔎 Based on extensive historical research
What makes this one particularly intriguing to me is everything surrounding the question of Madeleine's guilt.
Her private letters became public, her sexuality was scrutinised and expectations of how a respectable Victorian woman should behave became inseparable from perceptions of the case.
Katherine Tozer revisits the evidence while introducing the possibility that someone else had both motive and opportunity, offering a new solution to a mystery that has endured for generations.
If the case sounds familiar, Madeleine Smith has also featured in Lucy Worsley's Lady Killers podcast. I can't wait to see what this interpretation makes of such a fascinating piece of true crime history.
Read more at The Secret Book Review.
Megan M, Reviewer
Based on meticulous research The Art of Poison is based on one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era. Marauding Jersey man Pierre Emile L'Anglier has a passion for ferns and plenty of ideas above his station. His eyes are set on Madeliene Hamilton Smith a twenty year old debutante headstrong and bored finds him an exciting distraction. So begins a clandestine affair with many letters exchanged between the pair before Madeleine finds a more eligible suitor.
But Emile has hoarded Madelienes letters and when he is found dead from arsenic poisoning the contents of her letters lead to Madeleine being accused of murder, but is she a murderer or victim?
One of my favourite things is when authors take real historical cases and breathe new life into them, transporting us back to the past especially when it's the endlessly fascinating Victorian era. Its clear the author has done a lot of research to bring this story to life and led me into looking it up myself. The case became a major sensation and left people divided over whether Madeleine Smith was guilty. Katherine offers her own interpretation of events with the ending being what she believes may have happened. I did also lean to the same conclusion and it felt entirely plausible.
The formatting of the Netgalley arc was a little choppy at first, which made the beginning slightly difficult to settle into. However, by 30% I was fully immersed in the story.