The Passion for Poisons: Eleven Deadly Compounds and the Killers Who Used Them

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As any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most consistent—and popular—weapons of choice for the cunning assassin. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or a doorknob, or even released into the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons wreak havoc on our bodies, and what can we learn from the damage they cause?

In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and fictional crime tales, Dr. Neil Bradbury explores this most compelling method of killing at the cellular level. Alongside factual accounts of murderers and their crimes—some gruesome, some forgotten, and some still unsolved mysteries—there are equally compelling stories of eleven-molecule poisons that make their way through the human body, ironically shedding light on how our bodies function.

The book *Poison Love* weaves fascinating tales of rejected lovers, dubious scientists, medical professionals, and political assassins, drawn from historical records and current news headlines, illustrating how the body's delicate systems can be disrupted to produce a lethal effect through the use of poison. From the deadly origins of the gin-and-tonic cocktail to the arsenic-laced wallpaper in Napoleon's bedroom, *Poison Love* takes readers on a fascinating tour of the complex systems that keep us—or don't—alive.