Nonfiction Review: A Taste for Poison is a book one may feel somewhat self-conscious about reading, especially if you have an elderly but wealthy great-uncle in Michigan. This is a perfect companion guidebook for mystery readers. Bradbury acknowledges Agatha Christie several times, noting that she used one poison alone (cyanide) to kill off eighteen characters in her books. Being a "trained and certified pharmacist during World War I" prepared her well for such plot twists. A Taste for Poison is a quick read and includes numerous true-crime recapitulations of the many notorious poisonings of history, including the Borgias (though not Socrates). Some examples ripped from recent headlines. A section is included explaining in granular detail how each poison works at the molecular level in the organs, as well as the symptoms and visible effects (some horrific) on the body. Readers will be able to determine the accuracy of the narrative descriptions of poisonings by their favorite crime authors. Budding mystery writers will find this invaluable. Also mentioned in passing is the "poison garden" of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (owned by the 12th Duke thereof) which contains "more than one hundred different species of deadly plants." Although hemlock wasn't mentioned in the book I'm sure it's in the garden. In the past, poisonings were often attributed to natural causes such as infectious diseases with similar symptoms. Unfortunately, even in suspicious cases there was no way to detect the presence of poison. Now, however, examiners can determine both the presence and quantity of poison in a body. Bradbury asserts that murder by poison is rarer now, but still occurs although "the likelihood of getting away with such murders in the present day is almost nonexistent." Whew! A Taste for Poison is simultaneously informative, light hearted, and horrifying. Photographs are included. With numerous additional toxins available, there's the opportunity for a sequel. [5★]
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