The Poisoner's Handbook : : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

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Call Number: Adult Book / Nonfiction / True Crime / Blum, Deborah
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / True Crime / Blum, Deborah	4-week checkout	On Shelf

The untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. A pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. Chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler create revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. From the vantage of their laboratory it also becomes clear that murderers aren't the only toxic threat--modern life has created a kind of poison playground, and danger lurks around every corner.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Science writing at its best submitted by selkielass on June 15, 2014, 7:48pm "The Poisoner's Handbook" is one of the most enjoyable non-fiction books I've read this year. Deborah Blum's impeccable research and engaging writing style make for a fascinating, thrilling look at the early days of forensic science in the States.

love this book submitted by Midnight on June 25, 2014, 1:41pm I love science and mystery so this was up my alley. There's a few mistakes though. Radon is not formed by radium and water. Radon is formed when radium decays.

Great nonfiction book submitted by laurenk5 on August 29, 2020, 10:36pm I don't read much non fiction but I really loved this book. Engaging, well-written, and accurate. I'm in a similar field and recommend this book to most of my colleagues!