The Poisoner by Stephen Bates Book Review

 I decided that it would be fun to have a record of the various books that I am reading, and since I just finished this one, I wanted to review it while still fresh on my mind.

The Poisoner - the Life and Crime of Victorian England's Most Notorious Doctor - by Stephen Bates

This book had everything it needed to catch my attention and pique my interest. Poisoner? Victorian England? And add to it a delightfully ghoulish cover, I was hooked. I didn't know anything about William Palmer - who is the subject of this book. 

The book is 318 pages long and packed with information regarding the Palmer case. The author doesn't waste a single paragraph. This book is not a hard read - its written well, in an organized and easy to follow manner. But its not a book you can read in a borderline stupor to simply pass the time. No, you have to pay attention. You can't zone out for a minute, or a vital piece of information might be missed. I did at times find it a little repetitive - but, it is easily forgiven when you understand the method in which the book is written.

Victorian England's most notorious Doctor was William Palmer. His crimes came about in an era where newspapers - thanks to a recent removal of tax on them - hit a new high of popularity and accessibility - and therefore, people were thirsty for sensationalism. And a crime involving poison - and a new poison in Strychnine at that - and a doctor, was just the thing to cause a national stir wild enough that even the Queen herself followed the news. In order to understand this case and what it meant to the public, the author sought to recreate the era for you in the areas that mattered in relation to this case - horse racing, the press, even how the law itself was practiced - all to give you a very real and living picture of life in mid Victorian England.

In this sense, the book almost serves as a history lessen in and of itself. I learned a great deal. Did I necessarily care about all of it? No,(I admit to skipping the last few pages about horse racing.) I wouldn't have minded a little less information in some sections. It sometimes felt like information overload - so don't read it when you are really tired! 

But, when you get to the end, it all comes together so well, I was highly appreciative of the amount of information given. The author successfully brings to life the many different characters involved with this whole ordeal - before, during and even after the trial. You get such a strong sense of who these men were, and the role each one played, be it for better or worse. You get to witness the trial itself - the poor handling by the defense and the masterful precision of the prosecution. You get to read the witness testimonies and see how they were examined and cross examined. Or not. It is a really fascinating view into the Victorian courtroom. And one more point that I want to point out - the author keeps a very neutral attitude about the controversial trial and the character of William Palmer himself. Was he indeed the master of poisons, the cunning, evil serial killer that he was painted out to be? Or a desperate man painted into a corner through bad judgment and a poor moral compass? Did he or did he not poison his victim - was there more than one? And did he use strychnine like the prosecution believed? Read the book and form your own opinion!