Cold Heart : The Great Unsolved Murder of Turn of the Century Buffalo

Title: Cold Heart
Author: Kimberly Tilley
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Release Date: December 3, 2020
Page Count: 219
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

This book surprised me in the best way possible. It could have a rather dull account of an old unsolved murder in turn-of-the century Buffalo, NY but the author does an exceptional job of using first-hand accounts, detective reports, newspaper accounts, etc. and really breathes life into this tale of an ill-fated affair. 

Ed Burdick dies in his parlor, bludgeoned to death with a heavy stick. His wife Alice is not at home (they are in the midst of a divorce), and his daughters and mother-in-law in the house heard nothing. Alice is having a long-term affair with Arthur Pennell, a member of their social group, referred to as the Elmwood Avenue set. Arthur's wife Carrie is aware of the affair and apparently has no problem with Arthur and Alice's relationship. There is a long series of starts and stops with the divorce as Alice promises to set aside Arthur, but never does.  As Ed's resolve in finalizing the divorce solidifies, he is murdered in his home with a gun nearby and indications that he was frightening of ... someone.  

After finishing this book, it lived in my head for quite some time as I tried to figure out who was the killer. We sometimes forget in our world of 24/7 true crime that detectives didn't always have fingerprints, DNA, CCTV and the like to solve crimes with surgical precision.  There are no answers, just some titillating possibilities.  (Personally I think the mother-in-law had something to do with it, the reaction of the daughters was just plain strange, and the wife was surely a psychopath!) 

4.5 stars.  I really recommend this book (now available on Kindle Unlimited)!

A Taste for Poison : Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them

Title: A Taste for Poison : Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them
Author: Neil Bradbury
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Page Count: 304
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

Bradbury blends solid scientific details with violent murders by poison, and the result is a fascinating book.  Bradbury gives us detailed information about the history of a poison, explains how this poison works, and then ties it all together with a historic case using the poison, as well as a modern-day poisoning. 

I went into the book looking forward to the true-crime elements and was surprised to find myself actually understanding Bradbury's explanations of the nature of the poison and how it works to destroy human cells.  For example, here's his explanation of how cyanide kills:

"Once in the body, cyanide can stick to hemoglobin in red blood cells and hitch a ride, to be rapidly distributed by the blood. However, cyanide binds quite poorly to hemoglobin, and causes its devastating effects not by affecting the blood but by hopping off hemoglobin and entering the cells.  Once inside the cells of the body, cyanide disrupts their ability to generate the energy needed to live.  Located deep within each of our cells are mitochondria, small rod-shaped structures that act as tiny power plants to generate the chemical energy adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which keeps us alive."

Cyanide kills by stopping the production of ATP in the central nervous system, brain and heart. And don't get me started on how the heart's intricate system of sodium and potassium channels and pumps regulate the heart in 1/5th of a second and does so over 3 billion times in an average life span! He also explains how a substance can be used as a poison and alternately as an effective treatment. " .... such toxins are inherently neither good or evil; it is the purpose to which they are put that makes them poisons."

I found Bradbury's book absolutely fascinating and would highly recommend to anyone interested in true-crime, as well as someone (I'm raising my hand here) who enjoys learning more about the amazing human body and how all its intricate systems are designed to work together.  5 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.