The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
I feel like this book was written just for me: history, science, and murder mysteries all wrapped up in a fascinating and informative non-fiction book about forensic medicine.
I got this as an audiobook, which was good in that it lasted longer. If I’d had it as a paper book, I’m sure I would have stayed up late at night reading it. I had a few “driveway moments,” and knowing that I’d be listening to the book on my commute actually made me look forward to going to work this Monday.
I didn’t like the voice actor. This isn’t news to anyone who reads my reviews. I dislike most voice actors, because they can’t stop acting. (They can’t seem to help themselves.) I didn’t like the way she did foreign accents for the foreign people (French, German, New Yorker) I feel that it detracted from the book and made it less comprehensible. I also didn’t like that everything she said was over dramatized. Still, she didn’t ruin the book.
What made it so good? Wait, did you not read above? Science+history+murder mysteries? It’s a loose biography of two men, Norris and Gettler, who were medical examiners and coroners in New York city, among the first who were chosen for actual competence rather than in ties to Tammany hall. I love reading about scientific discoveries. For example, in one manslaughter case, they find out how much chloroform was in a woman’s brain at time of death, and then have to prove, before the case is closed, at what saturation level a person could still walk. (Hint: much less than what she had.) It’s like what the pretty people on CSI do, except for real.
I also loved that it took place in the 1920s and 1930s. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century America is one of my favorite periods of history to read about. Blum’s description of the medical fallout from the prohibition policies is both fascinating and gruesome, and strengthened certain political positions I adhere to. Blum talks politics too, about the creation of the positions Norris and Gettler held, about the position of coroner, and about the FDA.
I recommend it for people who love the history of science, and for people who like true crime. If you also like early twentieth century American history, you will be a happy reader to discover this book. It’s as good as THE DISAPPEARING SPOON except with more murder and less science, and as good as DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES except with more science and less murder.
